First established as a national publication in the 1930s, DC Comics has amassed an impressive history of comic book stories with characters such as Batman and Superman. Each decade brought its own unique style to the industry, and nowhere was this truer than at DC. While some decades were marked by dark and gritty stories, others were more experimental. As for the 2000s, DC experienced a period of optimism, renaissance, epic sagas, and fan-favorite creative teams.
While the 2000s were seen by some as a downturn for Marvel Comics, the DC books of the era were almost unanimously considered one of the publishing industry’s best eras. While the company has had its fair share of misses and forgotten stories, few decades in comics history have been as memorable as DC’s winning streak in the early 21st century. Many of these stories remain among the company’s bestsellers even today.
10
Final crisis
Grant Morrison and J. J. Jones
To sum up Grant Morrison’s tenure in the Justice League, Final crisis sees the future seen in Rock of Ages come true. The event follows Darkseid’s conquest of Earth after he finally obtains the Anti-Life Equation. With control over the free will of half the planet, as well as the monstrous mutation of characters like Wonder Woman, the evil New God is forced to fight the remaining members of the JLA.
Final crisis remains one of the most epic Justice League stories in DC history, filled with an army of Supermen as Kal-El explores the Multiverse to build his army. Known for key moments such as Batman’s apparent death after shooting Darkseid, this story serves as the end of an era for the team and is a must-read story because Avengers: Endgame DKU.
9
Stealing Thunder
David S. Goyer, Geoff Johns, Leonard Kirk, Keith Giffen, Keith Champagne and Al Milgrom
The return of the Justice Society of America to their own series was one of the biggest developments of the post-Crisis era in DC, and nowhere was the team used to greater effect than in Stealing Thunder. The story follows the team members as they find themselves in a timeline where Ultraman has taken over the world, using mind control to turn the JLA into his own Gestapo. In response, heroes like Shazam, Jakeem Thunder, Sentry and Wildcat fight for freedom.
“Stealing Thunder” remains one of the greatest JSA stories ever, while creating one of DC’s first supervillains as part of perhaps his greatest plan. The story not only showcases the powers and personalities of the JSA members in their struggle, but also shows them achieving the seemingly impossible in defeating evil versions of characters such as Superman.
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8
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness
Reboot 2003. Superman/Batman The series, an updated version of the classic game World’s Finest, also turned out to be the best story in the series. The story takes place in the near future when Lex Luthor becomes President of the United States. In this story, Batman and Superman are declared criminals by the villain’s government. When a Kryptonite meteor is spotted on a collision course with Earth, the rogue heroes attempt to stop it, causing a confrontation with Luthor and his team of metahumans.
“Public Enemies” isn’t just a brilliant look at the friendship between Batman and Superman, it even stands out as a surprisingly great Captain Atom story as it challenges the idea of ​​loyalty to one’s nation. The six-issue story follows Ed McGuinness at the peak of his career and remains one of the world’s greatest stories of the 21st century, combining political thriller with fast-paced action.
7
Batman: Hush
Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee
Batman: Hush follows the Dark Knight as he attempts to unravel the mystery of a hidden killer in Gotham known as Hush. Together with an old friend in the city, the hero begins an investigation that almost takes his life. At the same time, he builds his relationship with Catwoman, which becomes more complicated as the story progresses.
While “Hush” does explore one of Batman’s most compelling mysteries to date, the overarching story is almost secondary to what the story actually achieves: a tour of the Caped Crusader’s world. The twelve-issue story covers almost all of the hero’s major villains, explores his relationships, and even touches on his friendship with Superman. Jeph Loeb’s script gives readers a great mystery, but Jim Lee’s brilliant art really takes the story to the next level.
6
Batman: The Man Who Laughs
Ed Brubaker and Doug Mahnke
Batman: The Man Who Laughs is a modernization of the first meeting between the Caped Crusader and the Joker, originally told in Batman #1 by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. Here, the Clown Prince of Crime wages war on Gotham’s elite, including targeting Bruce Wayne himself. This sends the hero on an investigation into the villain’s origins, which ties into the story of Alan Moore and Brian Bolland. Killing Joke.
Batman: The Man Who Laughs is best seen as a sequel to Year One, telling readers the origins of the rivalry between the Bat and the Clown. The graphic novel takes readers through a gripping murder mystery that successfully establishes the Joker as Gotham City’s most terrifying mastermind.
5
Green Lantern: Rebirth
Geoff Johns and Ethan van Sciver
During the iconic event “The Death of Superman”, Coast City was destroyed, causing Hal Jordan to descend into villainy, killing both Lanterns and Guardians for denying him the ability to raise the dead. In Rebirth of the Green Lantern, Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver were tasked with bringing back the maverick Green Lantern in a way that would free him from his past actions. The story follows the emergence of a villain named Parallax, the embodiment of fear in the DCU, and the resurrection of Hal thanks to the Illusive Man.
Rebirth of Green Lantern kickstarted the GLC’s popularity in DC and paved the way for nearly a decade where Hal Jordan became the best-selling hero since Batman. The series aimed to revive the classic Lantern, and it was a resounding success. The story also chronicles Jordan’s greatest friendships and romance with Carol Ferris, paving the way for the best decade of short stories in the publishing house’s history.
4
“Tower of Babel”
Mark Waid, Howard Porter and Drew Geraci
Tower of Babel follows the Justice League as they come under attack by Ra’s al Ghul, who has stolen Batman’s secret contingency plans against the heroes in order to incapacitate them. From demoralizing Hal Jordan to shooting Superman with a kryptonite bullet, the heroes are closer than ever to true defeat, and Batman is forced to rally his friends to defeat his enemy.
The significance of “Tower of Babel” continues to resonate in modern DC stories, establishing Batman’s deep-rooted paranoia and how it conflicts with even his closest friends. The series also remains one of the most impressive feats of a villain against the League, coming close to breaking the heroes both physically and psychologically.
3
Blackest night
Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis and Alclair Albert
Based on a story by Alan Moore in the pages of Green Lantern, Blackest night The event follows the arrival of the supervillain Nekron, leader of the undead Black Lantern Corps. The character is essentially DC’s answer to the Grim Reaper, and his arrival results in key superheroes turning into evil, zombie-like versions of themselves. Combining cosmic horror with action and exploring some fan-favorite friendships, the event helped cap off a brilliant decade for Green Lantern.
Blackest night enjoyed resounding success Green Lantern 2000s comics exploring the zombie apocalypse faced by Hal Jordan. With fewer allies on his side, the Orderly takes on Nekron in a fun exploration of one of the darkest parts of DC history to date.
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2
DC: A New Frontier
Darwin Cook
The action takes place in the 1950s. DC: A New Frontier follows the discovery of an ancient creature, the Center, which is revealed to have been Dinosaur Island all along. Now, intent on ridding the world of humanity, the creature heads to the United States. At the same time, readers are shown the origins of Silver Age heroes, from Martian Manhunter transported to Earth to Hal Jordan becoming Green Lantern. It all culminates in an alliance between metahumans and the US military to defend against the Center.
New frontier was created to retell the origin story of the Justice League while also paying homage to the heroes of the company’s Golden Age. The miniseries pays homage to everyone from the Challengers of the Unknown to Martian Manhunter, turning into a brilliant JLA story that isn’t dominated by Batman and Superman. With Lovecraftian horror elements and deep character studies of heroes like Hal Jordan, the miniseries is one of the best windows into classic DC adventures.
1
Star Superman
Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
In 2005, DC introduced the All-Star line of comics, a collection of individual limited series designed to provide a definitive look at the company’s greatest heroes. While Frank Miller and Jim Lee Star Batman disappointed readers, Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely had much greater success with Man of Steel. IN Star Supermanthe pair explore Clark Kent’s final days as he learns he is slowly dying from overexposure to the Sun. He intends to create a legacy for humanity by completing the Twelve Labors of Superman for the benefit of others.
Putting aside what Star Superman For the Man of Steel himself, the series embodies the best of what a superhero is; a person with an unrelenting desire to do the right thing. The story explores Superman’s endless compassion, his love for Lois, and the understanding that extends even to his greatest enemies. Memorized by Frank Quitely’s exceptional art, the series is arguably the greatest comic to come out of the comics industry in its decade.