Since the success of Frank Miller and Klaus Janson Batman: The Dark Knight ReturnsThe comic book industry has made the trope of older heroes coming out of retirement a staple of the industry. These stories are often repeated with strong fan service that explains why a hero is great to begin with, and shows how, even in old age, they still have it. Naturally, these stories have risen to the top of what many consider to be the finest superhero stories ever told.
The modern age of comics has seen a groundswell of stories devoted to following the exploits of superheroes in their golden years, from Batman to Wonder Woman, and more than one “old man” in Marvel’s apocalyptic future. Whoever the stars may be, readers continue to make it clear that they love to see older, grizzled versions of their favorite heroes come back for one last ride. These are the best “old man” (and woman) comic stories..
10
Wonder Woman: Dead Earth
Daniel Warren Johnson
The alternative future of Wonder Woman: Dead Earth Begins with Diana waking up from stasis in a post-apocalyptic future where only a handful of humans remain. With the world full of monsters, she takes the survivors into her care, carving a path through the monsters in the hopes of taking refuge on Paradise Island. However, when she makes the grim discovery that the creatures are mutated versions of her Amazon sisters, Wonder Woman is forced to make an epic stand for the fate of her new companions.
Wonder Woman: Dead Earth Stands out as one of the best stories of the Amazon princess since the New 52 series, bringing her to the edge of the apocalypse to prove why she is such a great hero. A classic tale of the old hero defending the helpless against monsters, the miniseries is a blend of dark fantasy and horror, even as the heroine takes on the Man of Steel himself. While Diana has technically been “old” for as long as she’s been a League member, the story adds the tropes of the old person trope to her final adventure.
9
Old man hockey
Ethan Sachs and Marco Cecchetto
A prequel to Millar and Steve McNiven’s “Old Man Logan” story, Old man hockey Follows an old Clint Barton on a mission of revenge. Suffering from glaucoma that causes rapidly declining vision, the hero resolves to hunt down his old Thunderbolts team, which took part in the massacre of the world’s heroes decades earlier. Coming face to face with the villains who now rule America, the expert marksman hunts down his targets one by one.
Old man hockey Delivers both a thrilling prequel and a fantastic Hawkeye adventure, setting the stage for his road trip with Logan. The story adds context to his world, and reminds readers that, when the chips are down, Clint Barton is a genuine force to be reckoned with, even in ill health.
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8
Frontman
Patrick Kindlon and Marco Ferrari
Frontman Tells the story of its titular hero, a retired, environmentally-conscious superhero who has become a reclusive hermit, living in the deep forest. When he is approached by an activist to help in their attempt to save the redwoods from destruction. However, after setting up camp on one of the trees, he is attacked by a host of villains from his past, forcing an epic last stand.
Frontman Effectively served as The Dark Knight returns For environmentalism, a concept that may sound strange but has brilliant execution. The hero doesn’t need any established backstory for this adventure to be enjoyed, instead using flashbacks and exposition to fill in the details. Not only is this miniseries one of the best comics of the last decade, it shows a brilliant understanding of its core trope.
7
Swamp Thing: Green Hell
Jeff Lemire and Doug Mahnke
Swamp Thing: Green Hell Takes place in a future where, due to extreme climate change, the world’s surface is almost entirely underwater, creating a Waterworld-inspired dystopia. The different forces of nature, from the green to the rotten, vie for power over the new world. When John Constantine seeks the help of his old friend, the Swamp Thing makes his return, though is torn between doing the right thing and giving the green dominion over a new world.
Swamp Thing: Green Hell Takes the flawed friendship between Constantine and Alec Holland to the next level, with the occult detective pulling out all the stops to try and protect the innocent. The story puts horror front and center, showing readers just how terrifying a swamp thing disconnected from its humanity can be.
6
The Maestro Trilogy
Peter David, German Peralta, Dale Keown, Javier Pina and Pasqual Ferry
During his seminal run on The Incredible HulkPeter David took on the green behemoth in the apocalypse, telling the story of Old Man Hulk in the aftermath of an apocalypse. After escaping an artificial reality constructed to keep him subdued, the antihero ventures out into the wastelands, where he finds that Hercules is now ruler over a small town of survivors. After dethroning the demigod, Banner declares himself new ruler over the remnants of civilization, but incurs the wrath of Doctor Doom, Abomination and Namor.
The Maestro Trilogy reunites one of Marvel’s biggest characters with his signature writer, delivering non-stop kaiju-level action as Banner takes on sea monsters and old enemies. For readers who want to enjoy a good monster-driven adventure that honors some of the universe’s best and oldest characters, this story is a great place to start. Bruce’s moral ambiguity and cynicism brings him to one of the darkest points in his life – and it makes for one of his greatest sagas.
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5
Spider-Man: Rule
Corey Andrews
Spider-Man rule Takes a lot of cues from Dark Knight ReturnsTells the story of an old Peter Parker in a future dystopian version of New York City. When the city is taken over by a cruel new regime called the Reign, it’s down to an elderly Peter, haunted by the death of Mary Jane, to get back in the saddle and protect the oppressed.
Spider-Man rule is a fun inversion of the themes of Dark Knight Returns. Where Miller’s story is all about bringing order to the city, Andrews’ miniseries focuses more on justice and freedom, as Peter Parker defends the helplessness of a totalitarian authority. When the Sister Six are deployed as agents of the new government, Peter spars with his classic enemies one last time.
4
Kingdom come
Mark Waid and Alex Ross
Kingdom come Takes place in a future DCU where, after the retirement of classic heroes, a new generation of young and reckless anti-heroes fight villains. However, as their methods become too dangerous for the innocent caught in the crossfire, a cynical Clark Kent returns to the role of Superman to restore order and justice. Seeing how out of control the situation has become, he reforms the Justice League and gives metahumans a choice: join the team or face prison.
Kingdom come Serves as one big love letter to Golden Age heroes, and a rebuke of the 90s style of comicsPushing back against the ultraviolence and moral ambiguity of the new wave of antiheroes. Here, Waid and Ross honor DC’s iconic past by reminding readers what Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Shazam bring to the table. It’s no coincidence that the miniseries preceded a return to form in the 2000s, with the Big Two getting back to a more optimistic tone for their stories.
3
Old Man Logan
Mark Millar and Steve McNiven
“Old Man Logan” takes place in a dystopian future, where America has been carved into various territories controlled by super villains. The story focuses on an aging and retired Logan, who has settled on a farm with his new family. In a bid to come up with the money to pay the Hulk Gang, who run the country he lives on, he takes a job escorting a blind Hawkeye across America to deliver a sensitive package to the remnants of SHIELD.
The original “Old Man Logan” story line brings Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven to the world of Marvel, casting Logan as a tragic hero full of regret, after being tricked by Mysterio into killing the X-Men. The story is full of heartbreak, shocking twists and tragedy as its hero is forced to seek revenge when the unthinkable happens. Millar and McNiven’s seminal tale excels as both a road trip adventure and neo-western adaptation.
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2
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin
Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Tom Waltz and Esau & Isaac Escorza
Since the 1980s, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been one of the most iconic indie comics properties in print, aided by their success in the Saturday morning cartoon format. In 2020, their creators, Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, reunited to tell the story of the fate of the heroes, taking place in a world where all the brothers except Michelangelo were killed.
TMNT: The Last Ronin Set a new standard for superhero comics in the 2020s, bringing the concept behind the series full circle by ending as it began: as a parody of Frank Miller’s comics. The story blends cyberpunk with dystopia, following Mikey as he fights the Foot Clan for the last time, avenging his fallen brothers and proving himself the greatest of the Turtles.
1
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Frank Miller, Klaus Janson and Lynn Varley
In 1986, Frank Miller and Klaus Janson introduced the world to Gotham City, decades after Bruce Wayne’s retirement as Batman. Now riddled with crime and faced with the increasing brutality of the mutant gang, Wayne decides to don the cape and head again to bring order to his city. He is joined by Carrie Kelly, a young girl looking for adventure, who declares herself the new Robin to help the hero in his mission. At the same time, the Caped Crusader must contend with a new Commissioner, the return of his key villains and the wrath of Superman himself.
The Dark Knight returns Setting the stage for decades of new stories to follow in a similar vein, perfecting the Old Man trope right from the start. Even today, many readers consider Miller’s iconic story to be the finest Batman story ever told, with some holding it as the greatest superhero tale of all time. Considering how much it has contributed to the genre, it’s not hard to see why.