DC Comics is home to some of the most recognizable and iconic superheroes in print, from Batman and Superman to the Flash and Green Lantern. The publishing house’s history has seen many changes, redesigns, and reinventions of both heroes and villains. While some of these retcons and changes were—and still are—unpopular, others have aged like fine wine and continue to bear fruit even today.
DC’s superheroes are constantly evolving as the publisher and its creative teams strive to keep the heroes fresh and timely. Without some of these changes, the company would not be as successful as it is today. The company’s versatility has helped change the industry at all times, from tonal changes in a character’s history to complete replacements and full-scale redesigns.
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The New Teen Titans Reinvent Dick Grayson
Marv Wolfman and George Perez
In the 1980s, Dick Grayson made the shocking decision to resign as Batman’s sidekick and join the Teen Titans. Thanks to the collaboration of Marv Wolfman and George Perez, Grayson later took up the mantle of Nightwing, marking the end of his time as the Dark Knight’s sidekick and the beginning of his own story.
New Teen Titans took Robin and turned him into a character who is now considered DC’s best street vigilante, second only to Baman himself.. If the Wolfman and Perez had not allowed Grayson to become a hero separate from Batman’s world, the character would likely have remained in obscurity as a “Golden Age Robin” rather than a character in his own right. This arc captured how many young readers feel about their identity, celebrating independence from their parents.
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“Hero Travelers” Defined Greens for Decades to Come
Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams
During the 1970s, Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams became arguably the best creative team in DC thanks to their mastery of both Batman and Green Lantern. Joining the last book, they brought Green Arrow into the fold and began their “Hard Traveling Heroes” run. The series follows the duo’s journey across America as they battle criminals and face social problems that contribute to the spread of crime.
The Hard-Traveling Heroes series achieved impressive success, with DC overtaking Marvel as the more socially conscious publisher by tackling drug addiction, prejudice and social neglect.. Most of these stories feature Green Lantern and Green Arrow facing a social malaise, with Jordan taking a conservative viewpoint to the Queen’s progressive views. Ultimately, Green Arrow did best, as O’Neil embraced the idea of him as a modern-day Robin Hood. Since then, most Green Arrow stories have been from this era.
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Shazam: A New Beginning Made Billy Batson the Key
Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas and Tom Mandrake
Shazam: A New Beginning marked DC’s post-Crisis makeover for Shazam, a character DC had acquired just a decade earlier. In the Golden Age, the hero then known as Captain Marvel had a simple premise: Billy Batson would speak the magic word “Shazam” and transform into the Captain, protector of the Gods, imbued with their powers. The story follows his new origin after Billy is taken by Sivana, only to escape, meet the Wizard, and become the Champion.
Shazam: A New Beginning made several changes to the character, but the most lasting change the idea that Billy Batson’s mind is preserved when he turns into a captain. This made the hero noticeably healthier, as he is essentially an optimistic, all-American kid who represents the pinnacle of what superhero escapism can be.
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Peter David’s Aquaman set the shape of his modern identity
Peter David, Martin Egeland and Howard Shum
One of the original heroes of DC’s Golden Age, Aquaman is a man who lives in both worlds, being a land-raised descendant of Atlantis. As a founding member of the Justice League, he proved to be the key to the DCU thanks to his unique abilities. However, people who know Aquaman today thanks to the DCEU are very far from the 1940s version. That was until The Incredible Hulk writer Peter David took over the title, giving readers the gruff, bearded Atlantean that has since defined the character in the mainstream.
Before the release of Peter David’s Aquaman, many readers considered the character to be something of a joke, as his powers often required an aquatic environment to use. David, however, turned him into a gritty hero, closer in tone to Wolverine than his Silver Age past.. While some creative teams have returned to his classic look, he has always returned to ’90s designs.
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The Rebirth of Green Lantern Turned Hal Jordan from Villain to Icon
Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver
In the 1990s, Hal Jordan turned to evil when Mongul and Cyborg Superman destroyed Coast City during the Death of Superman event. Giving my life to save the Earth Last nightGeoff Johns and Ethan van Sciver teamed up to redeem him in a way that freed him from his crimes. Rebirth of Green Lantern The miniseries reimagined Hal’s fall as the work of the villainous parasite Parallax. Here, it was revealed that the emerald hero was never responsible for the murders of his teammates.
Rebirth of Green Lanternlike the ongoing series that followed, turned Hal Jordan from one of DC’s most infamous characters into a sales boom second only to Batman.. This miniseries not only improved the character, but also returned him to being a solo hero rather than someone who relied on the Corps.
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The new Wonder Woman 52 proved that Diana has room to grow
Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chang
Wonder Woman, created by William Moulton Marston, was one of the first female superheroes in comics. Born on Paradise Island, the heroine found herself in a “man’s world”, where she joined the military action against the Germans during the First World War. She has since become an important part of the DCU, being a founding member of the Justice League and one of the few heroes who can go toe-to-toe with Superman.
New 52 Wonder Woman considered one of the era’s “love it or hate it” plots, as it made the heroine significantly more powerful by portraying her as the daughter of Zeus. This version of the character was more of a warrior, which became clear when she replaced Ares as the God of War.. While some aspects of the series were retconned, it was a refresh of the character and one of the best episodes of the New 52.
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Superman: The Man of Steel redefined the DC hero for a new era
John Byrne
After Crisis on Infinite Earths (Marv Wolfman and George Perez), John Byrne was tasked with reinventing Superman for the modern era. As a character whose relevance declined in the Bronze Age as Batman’s popularity grew, Scout Blue needed a new beginning. In his Man of Steel miniseries, Byrne revisited his origins and abilities, exploring a “Year One” type story.
John Byrne Man of Steel incorporated elements of the Golden Age of the 80s, but also gave him something of an edgy personality, which was reflected in the animated series.. His powers were toned down to make him more vulnerable, and best of all, the writer emphasized Clark Kent’s humanity while downplaying his alien roots. While not all of the changes have been preserved, Kent’s connection to Earth as his true home is the best part of Byrne’s Superman legacy.
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Showcase #4 Helped The Flash Launch Silver Age
Robert Kanigher, Carmine Infantino and Joe Kubert
Throughout the Golden Age of Comics, Jay Garrick was DC’s resident Scarlet Speedster, and was also one of the first heroes to actually headline his own book. As a founding member of the Justice Society of America, he helped usher in the age of superheroes with Superman and Batman. Until the 1950s, he was the fastest man in all of comics, and that wasn’t even close.
Showcase #4 dethroned Jay Garrick as the resident Flash, reinventing the entire character to become Barry Allen.young man in a superhero costume in a more modern style. This was part of an initiative by editor Julius Schwartz, who wanted the publisher to remain relevant to a new generation of readers, and it has worked ever since.
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Showcase #22: Green Lantern Became the New Generation of Superheroes
John Broome and Gil Kane
While the Green Lantern Corps is what many readers today think of when they hear about the mantle, the original hero was completely different. Debuting on the pages All American Comics #16, Alan Scott was the first hero to bear the name Green Lantern. His story began when, after a train crash, he discovered a mysterious lantern and ring that, when used, gave him magical powers.
As impressive as Barry Allen’s redesign for The Flash was, it pales in comparison to what Hal Jordan brought to the table. Showcase #22 took a street-level magical hero and turned him into a cross between Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon, a cosmic hero with scientific powers.. Now the hero’s powers come not from an unknown form of magic, but rather from willpower, and DC has a cosmic superhero for the American space age.
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‘Batman: The Dark Knight Returns’ cemented his ‘dark’ image
Frank Miller, Klaus Janson and Lynn Varley
The dark knight returns Set in a future where Bruce Wayne has retired as Batman and Gotham is experiencing an unprecedented crime wave. In response to escalating violence from the Mutant Gang, Wayne returns to the cape and cowl to put an end to the violence. However, in doing so, he inadvertently triggers the Joker’s return and angers President Reagan for his vigilantism, leading to an epic showdown.
The work of transforming Batman from “your jolly uncle,” as Alan Moore once called him, into a dark and brooding character began under the direction of Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams. However, that was until Frank Miller The dark knight returns that this transformation was truly complete and after its success there was no turning back.. To this day, the prestige miniseries stands as the epitome of a good Batman story.