“In Brightest Day, in Blackest Night. No evil shall escape my sight.” The Green Lantern, the protector of Space Sector 2814, has said that oath for decades. As a character, Green Lantern has been a mainstay of DC Comics since 1940, with many different heroes wielding the emerald Power Ring. Soon, DC Studios will tackle a Green Lantern TV series for HBO, simply called Lanterns. So now is the perfect time to take a deep dive into the many decades of Green Lantern comics from DC. And to help you choose, we present to you the ten greatest Green Lantern comic book runs of all time.

10. The Green Lantern

by Grant Morrison and Liam Sharp

Grant Morrison is one of the greatest writers in modern comic book history, having written definitive runs for DC’s Superman, Batman, Justice League, and Wonder Woman. While we can’t say their Green Lantern run is a truly definitive run for the character, it definitely contained many interesting moments. In 2018, Morrison took on Green Lantern Hal Jordan, for a new ongoing series simply called The Green Lantern. The intricately detailed artwork for almost the entire run was provided by UK artist Liam Sharp, doing some career-best work.

Morrison, in their usual way, wanted to get weird with it. They focused more on Hal Jordan than the cast of thousands of the previous few years of GL mythos. In Morrison’s portrayal, Hal Jordan is an ordinary guy, just one whose mind expanded after years of experiencing cosmic incidents, death, and rebirth. Not everything lands in this run, as sometimes Morrison gets too esoteric for their own good for a Green Lantern title. But some of the ideas, and especially Sharp’s artwork, make this one to check out if you love Green Lantern.

Issues in Grant Morrison’s Green Lantern Run:

The Green Lantern #1-18, Blackstars #1-3 (2018-2021)

9. Green Lantern War Journal

by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Montos

Even though he’s DC’s first African American superhero, there are too few instances where John Stewart headlined a solo Green Lantern title. The first time was the short-lived, yet weird and brilliant Green Lantern: Mosaic back in 1992. But in 2023, DC gave John another shot at a solo ongoing title, in the excellent Green Lantern: War Journal series. This book comes from the creative team of writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson, and artist Montos.

This series featured John Stewart attempting a quiet life on Earth, hoping to retire from the hero car. But soon, John is forced to wear the Power Ring once more when a deadly mystery emerges. This series reconciles the contradicting versions of the character. Was he the idealistic architect from the ‘70s, or the hard-nosed Marine from the 2000s era Justice League cartoons? Well, why not both? Sadly, this book is ending after just 12 issues this year. Yet the 11 issues we did get so far were pretty fantastic and worth your time.

Issues in Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Montos’ Green Lantern War Journal Run:

Green Lantern War Journal #1-12 (2023-2024)

8. Green Lantern Corps (vol. 1)

by Steve Englehart and Joe Staton

In the early ‘80s, Green Lantern comics were stuck in a rut. Hal had left Green Arrow behind and became a solo act after a decade. Yet aside from the back-up Tales of the Green Lantern Corps from a young Alan Moore, nothing about Green Lantern as a comic was very exciting anymore. DC decided to retire Hal and replace him with John Stewart for an extended period, and later Guy Gardner. But even that didn’t increase sales significantly. So with the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC decided to change things up big time. Green Lantern would become a superhero team book.

With issue #201, Green Lantern became Green Lantern Corps. On writing duties was Avengers and Batman veteran Steve Englehart, with stylized art by Joe Staton. After the events of Crisis, the Guardians departed this reality, leaving their Corps members to chart their own destinies, abolishing space sectors. A group of Lanterns led by Hal Jordan became a team, including John Stewart, his alien wife Katma Tui, Guy Garnder, the alien chipmunk GL named Ch’p, and a brand new Lantern named Kilowog, who would become a fan-favorite. This run proved the GLC as a team book could work, even if the series only lasted 24 issues. For some reason, this series isn’t collected today, an oversight DC should correct right away.

Issues in Steve Englehart and Joe Staton’s Green Lantern Corps Run:

Green Lantern Corps vol. 1 #201-224 (1986-1988)

7. Far Sector

by N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell

This limited series was written by sci-fi author N.K. Jemisin, and illustrated by Jamal Campbell. It focused on an entirely brand new hero, the Green Lantern Sojourner  “Jo” Mullein. And yes, she’s another Green Lantern from Earth (really, that’s like ten Earth Lanterns now. Enough DC!) A former military officer and ex-cop, Jo has been recruited by the Guardians of the Universe to keep the peace on a planet in the furthest known reaches of known space. She even uses a special Power Ring that slowly recharges on its own instead of needing to recharge with a battery.

The story of Far Sector starts as Jo Mullein becomes a cosmic detective, investigating the first murder victim in 500 years on a distant world. Unlike most G.L. stories, Far Sector actually remembers that the Green Lantern Corps aren’t really space soldiers, they’re actually space police. And in space and on Earth, policing, and what it means to those with no power, creates complications. This is a relatively recent series, released in 2020. But it’s a fantastic standalone story that deserves a lot more attention. Thankfully, Sojourner  “Jo” Mullein has since been incorporated into the larger DC Universe.

Issues in N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell’s Far Sector Run:

Far Sector #1-12, 2020-2022

6. Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn

by James Owsley, Keith Giffen, Gerard Jones, and M.D. Bright

After the end of the Green Lantern Corps, there were only two Green Lanterns on Earth again—Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner. Guy was in the popular Justice League International series, but Hal Jordan, the OG, was without a home. So in 1989, DC decided to give Hal Jordan’s origin story a modern, post-Crisis update, with the limited series Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn. It was a testing ground to see if Hal was popular enough to headline an ongoing series again. The book, by writers James Owsley, Keith Giffen, and Gerard Jones, with art by M.D. Bright, was an instant hit, spawning an immediate sequel, and eventually a new ongoing series.

This six-issue mini-series added important new elements to Hal’s backstory, like the fact that he wasn’t all that perfect and upstanding before becoming a Lantern anymore, struggling with many personal issues before Abin Sur’s Power Ring chose him. These problems included prison time for a car accident that he caused while under the influence. Emerald Dawn also introduced the idea that future arch-villain Sinestro was Hal’s trainer as a GL, something that remains a facet of his story to this day. The art by the late M.D. Bright is the right mix of modern and classic, making this still a fun read today.

We should note that one of the three writers on Emerald Dawn, Gerard Jones, is a convicted criminal charged with fairly horrible crimes, which is likely why the series has remained out of print.

Issues in Keith Giffen, James Owsley, Gerard Jones, and M.D. Bright’s Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn Run:

Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn #1-6 (1989-1990), Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn II (1991)

5. Green Lantern (vol. 2)

by John Broome, Gardner Fox, and Gil Kane

The foundation for everything we know and love about the Green Lantern mythology is firmly rooted in the Silver Age stories of writers John Broome, Gardner Fox, and artist Gil Kane. Yes, a Golden Age Green Lantern existed before during WWII, Alan Scott. Yet it was these 1960s stories that defined who and what Green Lantern really is as a concept for the rest of time. In 1959’s anthology title Showcase #22, they took the name Green Lantern and built a whole new sci-fi mythology around it. With a new lead hero, Hal Jordan, rooted in the Atomic Age space race of the day, Green Lantern as a series was much better on the second try.

During this iconic Silver Age Green Lantern run, they not only introduced Hal Jordan. They also introduced the entire Green Lantern Corps, the Guardians of the Universe, Sinestro, and so many other concepts that remain to this day. Yes, the characterizations of the characters are often bland and one-note. There’s an undeniable goofiness to it all. That was just the era. Not to mention, Hal’s adventures and adversaries are way too Earth-bound during this time. But the imaginative storytelling and Gil Kane art will win you over. Even if it would take a later generation of writers to truly make Green Lantern great.

Issues in John Broome, Gardner Fox, and Gil Kane’s Green Lantern Run:

Showcase #22-24, Green Lantern vol. 2 #1-60 (1959-1960)

4. Green Lantern Corps

by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason

Everyone cites Geoff Johns’ epic run on Green Lantern as peak superhero storytelling. As well they should. But during the Johns era, the companion Green Lantern Corps ongoing series from writer Peter J. Tomasi and artist Patrick Gleason was often just as good—sometimes even better—than the flagship book. After the successful Green Lantern Corps: Recharge mini-series, DC took a chance on an ongoing GLC series again. This series almost totally takes place in space, with Honor Guard Lanterns John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, and others taking center stage.

In addition to the Earth Lanterns, exciting new characters like Sinestro’s replacement GL, Soranik Natu, were introduced in this series. When Green Lantern Corps was read simultaneously with Johns’ main Green Lantern title, it all felt like one epically large cosmic story when read together. Although Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons wrote the first couple of arcs, Peter J. Tomasi takes over for most of the rest of the run. Throughout all of this, you get the gorgeous artwork of Patrick Gleason. That alone makes this run an all-timer.

Issues in Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason’s Green Lantern Corps Run:

Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #1-47 (2006-2010),

3. Green Lantern/Green Arrow

by Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams

By the end of the Silver Age, American comics were changing. More college kids than elementary school children were reading them. The stories themselves started to deal with more mature subjects and complex characterizations—especially at DC’s rival Marvel Comics. So in 1970, DC tasked young writer/artist duo Dennis O’Neil and Neil Adams, who also reinvented Batman, with reinventing Green Lantern as a socially relevant series. And they brought on Green Arrow as a co-lead, creating one of the comics’ best bromances. Green Lantern officially changed to Green Lantern/Green Arrow with issue #76.

During O’Neil and Adams’ “Hard Travellin’ Heroes” run, Hal Jordan represented conservative, establishment America. Oliver Queen’s Green Arrow was recreated as an almost hippy, hyper-leftist superhero. The two were oil and water, and they traveled America facing the issues of the day, like racism and drug abuse. Even Manson-like cults! Sometimes the writing was a bit preachy and on the nose, but the artwork and dynamic storytelling from O’Neil and Adams always sold it. This run saw the introduction of John Stewart, another reason it’s a milestone series. Hal and Ollie would remain partners for the entire ‘70s. Yet it was the O’Neil/Adams run that is the gold standard, even still.

Issues in Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams’ Green Lantern/Green Arrow Run:

Green Lantern/Green Arrow #76-89 (1970-1972)

2. Green Lantern (Vol. 3)

by Ron Marz and Daryl Banks, Paul Pelletier

In 1994, the comic book industry took a giant hit when the so-called comic book crash happened. Sales on once-popular franchises like Green Lantern, which a couple of years prior had three titles and a quarterly, were in freefall. So DC gambled. As a result of events during their Death and Return of Superman storyline, Hal Jordan lost his marbles, killed what remained of the GL Corps, and became the villain Parallax. All in the mere span of 3 issues. Only one power ring remained, and it went to a twenty-something slacker in a Nine Inch Nails t-shirt. And with that, Green Lantern was reborn.

In 1994’s Green Lantern #50, the last Guardian of the Universe gave out-of-work artist Kyle Rayner the last Power Ring, and he shaped himself into the universe’s last Green Lantern. A total 180 from Hal Jordan, Kyle was more like the readers—young, relatable, and more interested in art than airplanes. Ron Marz took on writing chores with Daryl Banks on pencils, and together they created a hero for the ‘90s that remains a fan favorite. Kyle had Spider-Man levels of average-guy superhero soap opera, all while trying to live up to a legendary legacy. Marz wrote the first issues, during much of which Green Lantern was once again a backbone of DC’s publishing line. Hal returned a decade later, but Kyle’s run as GL is undeniable.

Issues in Ron Marz’s Green Lantern Run:

Green Lantern vol. 3 #48-125 (1994-2000)

1. Green Lantern (vol. 4, vol. 5)

by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Ethan Van Sciver, Doug Mahnke

When it comes to Green Lantern comic book runs, few would argue that writer Geoff Johns‘ nearly ten-year run on the title is the GOAT. When Johns came on board for GL in 2004, the character was in a downturn. Kyle Rayner was still the main Lantern, but the series had lost steam after a decade. Especially without Rayner’s creator Ron Marz at the helm. Hal Jordan had gone from villain to dead to the ghostly hero the Spectre. The Corps was disbanded. It was a bit of a broken franchise. Writer Geoff Johns fixed all that almost overnight, starting with the blockbuster mini-series Green Lantern: Rebirth.

In Green Lantern: Rebirth, Johns and artist Ethan Van Sciver re-energized the series by bringing Hal Jordan back from the dead, as well as his main rival Sinestro. They also created a plausible explanation for Hal’s turn to the dark side a decade earlier, creating the fear entity Parallax, which we learned possessed Hal. During the Johns run, alongside artists like Ivan Reis and Doug Mahnke, they expanded the Green Lantern mythology like no ever had before. Together, they created some of the best ongoing superhero yarn-spinning of the last few decades.

During his tenure, Johns created the Sinestro Corps, introduced the concepts of the Emotional Spectrum, the other colored Lantern Corps, like the rage-fueled Red Lanterns, the Third Army, and maybe the peak of the franchise, Blackest Night. This mini-series introduced the zombie-like Black Lantern Corps, made up of the animated corpses of dead DC characters. Geoff Johns’ run on Green Lantern was so epic, that no writer since has ever been able to top it. For a brief time, Geoff Johns turned Green Lantern into DC’s second-biggest franchise after Batman. And it will be a long time before its light goes out in the hearts of fandom.

Issues in Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern Run:

Green Lantern: Rebirth #1–6 (2004–2005), Green Lantern vol. 4 #1–67 (2005–2011) Green Lantern vol. 5 #0–20 (2011–2013) Blackest Night #0-9 (2009-2010)

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Twelve years ago, DC Comics made the boldest publishing move in its history with the New 52 relaunch. That relaunch/reboot, while initially successful, ended up as a missed opportunity. Now, DC Comics is looking to start a new publishing initiative again with DC All In, only this time, they’ve seemingly learned from the mistakes of the past. The classic DC universe will remain, with a new, edgier universe existing alongside it. This was all announced by DC writers Joshua Williamson (Superman) and Scott Snyder (Batman, Dark Nights Metal) in a special announcement video, which you view below:

Snyder is part of what they are calling “Absolute DC.” This will be an adjacent universe featuring reimagined takes on DC’s biggest characters, starting with Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. This resembles Marvel’s Ultimate Comics line from the early 2000s. Snyder himself will write Absolute Batman, which looks to feature the most jacked-up Dark Knight we’ve ever seen. Unlike the New 52, this new universe will coexist alongside the current DC Universe, which will continue with new creative teams or new storylines for their existing titles. The classic universe will not get a reboot again.

Another difference from Marvel’s Ultimate line is that while the DC Absolute titles will be their own universe, they will tie-in to a greater storyline connected back to the classic DCU involving Darkseid. As Snyder explained, the main DC Universe is a world predicated on “Superman energy.” This was something made explicit in the mini-series Doomsday Clock. Meanwhile, the Absolute Universe is a “wild world” composed of “Darkseid energy.” Certainly, the looks of the Absolute versions of the DC trinity look much darker and edgier. The heroes of this new universe will be underdogs. They’ll have to be “tougher and more resourceful” than their counterparts, according to Snyder.

Absolute Batman

This series is written by Batman legend Scott Snyder, featuring art by Nick Dragotta. In this iteration, fans will be introduced to a version of the Dark Knight that doesn’t have the money, mansion, or butler of his core-line counterpart. Readers will quickly find out what makes this the “Absolute” version of Batman when the debut issue arrives at participating comic book shops and digital retailers on Wednesday, October 9.

Absolute Wonder Woman

For Diana, there is no island paradise, no sisterhood to shape her, nor a mission of peace. So what is the purpose of an Amazon warrior in this new universe? Eisner Award-winning writer Kelly Thompson and breakout artist Hayden Sherman reinvent her from the ground up in Absolute Wonder Woman #1, on sale October 23.

Absolute Superman

Writer Jason Aaron (Thor) and artist Rafa Sandoval join forces to present a new Man of Steel with the launch of Absolute Superman #1. This Superman has no family, no Fortress of Solitude, and no home. Will he still stand for truth, justice, and a better tomorrow in this new universe? Readers can find out when Absolute Superman #1 hits participating comic book shops on November 6.

DC Universe Ongoing Series

All of this begins in October, with the DC All-In Special. The special will be an 80-page flip book. It contains one side drawn by Wonder Woman artist Daniel Sampere, and the other by artist Wes Craig. The other side of the book will be from the point of view of Darkseid. The seeds for all of this will begin in DC’s current summer crossover event, Absolute Power. The special will reintroduce Darkseid “As he should be, the greatest villain of the DC Universe,” according to Snyder. This will culminate in the much-anticipated return of a new Justice League, formed by Superman. The regular ongoing DC titles will get new creative teams, or new jumping on points for fans. Arriving first in October are the following:

Superman

Superstar artist Dan Mora joins Joshua Williamson in a new story arc spinning out of Absolute Power. One of Superman’s most lethal enemies returns. The Man of Steel and Superwoman (Lois Lane) must now deal with the return of the rampaging Doomsday. But how long will Lois’s newfound powers last? And as if Doomsday isn’t trouble enough, another one of Superman’s greatest enemies lurks in the shadows: the Time Trapper.

Action Comics

Another one of DC’s foundational titles goes weekly beginning in October! “Death of the Phantom Zone” spins directly out of Absolute Power and Batman/Superman: World’s Finest. Writer Mark Waid and artist Clayton Henry plunge Superman into the Phantom Zone to prevent an otherworldly horror from laying waste to Metropolis. In the second story, “Supergirl: Universe End,” Eisner Award winner and Zatanna: Bring Down the House writer Mariko Tamaki and artist Skylar Patridge take Supergirl to the farthest reaches of space. All in pursuit of a mysterious threat only she can handle.

Batman

Chip Zdarsky, Jorge Jiménez, and Carmine Di Giandomenico are back with a vengeance with a new story arc, “The Dying City. It features an unexpected turn from the Riddler, a mysterious new superhero named Commander Star, and the shocking murder of one of Gotham City’s greatest citizens. Batman ships twice monthly in October.

Detective Comics

Following “Gotham Nocturne,” another of DC’s most historic titles gets a new creative team in the form of superstars Tom Taylor (Nightwing) and Mikel Janín, and a new story arc, “Mercy of the Father.” Years after the tragic murder of Thomas and Martha Wayne, a ghost from Gotham City’s past has been lying in wait to strike at Batman ever since that fateful night in Crime Alley. This story will result in major changes for the Dark Knight, and things may never be the same again.

Expect more announcements for new creative teams for the classic ongoing DC titles at Comic-Con, as well as for the new series in the Absolute line.

Originally published July 17, 2024.

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DC Comics characters are going to have a big presence at Comic-Con once again, with tons of exclusive items featuring the World’s Finest heroes (that’s Batman and Superman, by the way). Among the items is an exclusive “Fusion” Superman/Batman Funko Pop! vinyl, straight from the pages of World’s Finest, a vinyl soundtrack commemorating 35 years of Tim Burton’s Batman, and a pair of posters showcasing Bruce and Clark from superstar artist Jim Lee. There’s even a Batman Returns poster for those of you who still worship Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman. You can check out images and details for each SDCC exclusive down below:

Funko Batman/Superman Fusion Pop! Vinyl Figure

The combined willpower of Batman and Superman has brought the ring of Green Lantern to them, which fused the two heroes into one: Pop! Batman/Superman Fusion! Complete your Batman/Superman: World’s Finest collection by welcoming this exclusive hero to your DC lineup. The vinyl figure is 4.55 inches tall. Customers may purchase up to one piece per household. This composite hero is $14.99.

Batman – Original Motion Picture Score LP + Graphic Novel Box Set – SDCC Exclusive Batstripe Vinyl

Click To View Gallery

Mondo’s Batman – Original Motion Picture Score returns as a collector’s box set, featuring new vinyl variants bundled with DC’s Batman ‘89 comic book, a brilliant continuation of the story by screenwriter Sam Hamm, Joe Quinones, and Leonardo Ito. The box set comes in a newly designed clamshell with artwork by series artist Quinones and Paolo Rivera.

Of course, the soundtrack boasts Danny Elfman’s iconic score conducted by Shirley Walker, liner notes by John Takis, and original art by Killian Eng. The colors on the vinyl give total Prince “Batdance” vibes. This exclusive vinyl soundtrack is limited to 1,000 copies, split between in-person (booth at SDCC) and online. There will be 600 in-person copies, and 400 online copies. You can snatch this one for $55.00.

Batman Returns Poster

Celebrate the ultimate power couple, Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle, in a poster honoring Tim Burton’s Batman Returns. Penguin (Danny DeVito) and Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) also appear. This Booth exclusive features art of Batman (Michael Keaton) and Catwoman (Michelle Pfeiffer) by Dan Hipp, measures 24″ x 18″, and is an edition of 215. MSRP is $60.00.

All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder #1 Poster

This poster features the cover art from 2005’s All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder by iconic artist Jim Lee. This series was a collaboration he did with The Dark Knight Returns‘ Frank Miller. The poster measures 24″ x 36″ and is printed on silver foil paper. It arrives in an edition of 265, and will set you back $80.00.

Superman #205 Poster

The Man of Steel never looked more ready to take on the bad guys than on the cover for Superman #205. This 24″ x 36″ poster features the art of DC publisher Jim Lee. It arrives printed on gold foil paper, in an Edition of 265. Like Lee’s All-Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder poster, this one is also $80.00.

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Mark Waid and Alex Ross’ 1996 mini-series Kingdom Come is one of the greatest and most influential comics from DC. The painstakingly crafted tale about an elder Superman and the Justice League facing a new generation of amoral heroes became a massive hit. Comics fans still feel its influence today, including in James Gunn’s new DCU. So the timing is right for a new documentary on the making of this classic comic, The Legend of Kingdom Come, which we’ve learned about via The Wrap. You can check out the first teaser trailer for director Remsy Atassi’s film, right here:

DC Comics expanded on many of the themes and visuals of Kingdom Come in other media over the years. First in the comics, then later in things like the CW Arrowverse. In fact, the Superman ‘S’ shield designed by Alex Ross for Kingdom Come? It’s now the same one we see in James Gunn’s Superman. In a statement, director Remsy Atassi said, “The Legend of Kingdom Come documentary will be an exploration of the mad, relentless dedication that goes into producing this stunning art form – and what it takes for an artist to achieve greatness.”

Both Kingdom Come writer Mark Waid and artist Alex Ross will be interviewed extensively about their seminal creation in this documentary. Among the other creators interviewed are Spawn creator Todd McFarlane and Batman: The Animated Series writer Paul Dini. This series came at just the right time in the comics industry. In the mid-90s, violent antiheroes ruled superhero comics. DC’s Kingdom Come asked the question, “Is the world just too dark now for old-fashioned heroes like Superman? It’s a question that James Gunn’s new Superman film will likely pose as well.

The pre-Kickstarter launch page for The Legend of Kingdom Come documentary is online here. Fans can sign up now for alerts on the film and details about when the crowdfunding campaign goes live later in 2024. A Legend of Kingdom Come panel is also taking place at Comic-Con in San Diego this year.

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Fans have been waiting for a first look at Bruce Timm, Matt Reeves, and J.J. Abrams’ new Batman animated series. Now, we finally have our first trailer for Batman: Caped Crusader, which debuts on Prime Video on August 10. The new series is a period piece, set in a version of 1940s Gotham City. They’ve reimagined all the familiar villains, with some harkening back to their Golden Age DC Comics roots. Our new Batman/Bruce Wayne is Hamish Linklater. You can check out the first trailer for Batman: Caped Crusader right here:

The trailer showcases the distinctive animation style of Bruce Timm, who of course was one of the men behind the iconic Batman: The Animated Series over thirty years ago. Batman’s look harkens back to his earliest comic book days, in black and grey, with larger pointed ears. He almost looks like he stepped off the cover of Detective Comics #27 from 1939, his first appearance. We also see Catwoman (Christina Ricci), wearing her old school costume, which was a purple dress with a green cape. The Batman: Caped Crusader trailer gives us flashes of several other famous Bat-villains, like Two-Face, Clayface, Firefly, and a totally reinvented Harley Quinn. You can even see the Penguin, briefly.

The trailer for Batman: Caped Crusader also gives a lot of screen time to police detective Renee Montoya, who will play a prominent role in the show. Interestingly enough, Montoya was first created for Batman: The Animated Series, similar to how Harley Quinn was. Refreshingly, there is a distinct lack of Joker in this trailer. Probably the creators involved feel he is too overexposed right now. But we can’t imagine we’ll never see the Clown Prince of Crime on this series though, or The Riddler. Batman fans are just going to have to be patient.

Batman: Caped Crusader drops all 10 episodes on August 1.

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In a real “didn’t we already know this?” piece of news, HBO has officially greenlit the DCU drama series Lanterns based on the Green Lantern comics. This was one of the titles James Gunn mentioned in his now infamous DCU slate video in early 2023. That certainly made it seem like it was a sure thing. However, given how fickle Warner Bros. is these days, I suppose it wasn’t. At any rate, HBO has given an eight-episode, direct-to-series order to Lanterns. Emmy-nominee Chris Mundy (True Detective: Night Country; Ozark) will serve as showrunner.

The synopsis of the series says it follows “new recruit John Stewart and Lantern legend Hal Jordan, two intergalactic cops drawn into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder in the American heartland.” Pretty interesting concept for a Green Lantern series. Intergalactic cops solving an mystery on Earth. Definitely has True Detective vibes.

Joining Mundy in the writing of the show are none other than heavy hitters Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, The Leftovers) and comic writer Tom King (Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow). James Gunn and Peter Safran said of the announcement: “We’re thrilled to bring this seminal DC title to HBO with Chris, Damon and Tom at the helm. John Stewart and Hal Jordan are two of DC’s most compelling characters, and Lanterns brings them to life in an original detective story that is a foundational part of the unified DCU we’re launching next summer with Superman.”

No word yet on when the series will debut. We will, of course, keep you up to date on any casting news as it develops.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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The new animated series Batman: Caped Crusader sounds more and more interesting with each new reveal. The 1940s-set noir superhero show comes to us from the all-star creative team of Bruce Timm, Matt Reeves, and J.J. Abrams. Now, we finally have a voice cast revealed. Via The Hollywood Reporter, we’ve learned that Midnight Mass star Hamish Linklater is our new Batman/Bruce Wayne, and iconic Wednesday and Yellowjackets star Christina Ricci will portray Catwoman/Selina Kyle in Batman: Caped Crusader. The series, set to debut on Prime Video later this summer, has also dropped a voice-cast announcement video. You can check out that video right here:

They have also announced several other actors for the show’s period accurate first season. Among them is Jamie Chung (Sucker Punch) voicing a new take on Harley Quinn/Dr. Harleen Quinzel. She is now a character introduced independently of the Joker. She’ll also have a romantic relationship with detective Rene Montoya in the series. Meanwhile, Diedrich Bader will voice Gotham D.A. Harvey Dent, and eventually, the villainous Two-Face. This is a role reversal for Bader, who voiced Bruce Wayne in Batman: Brave and the Bold, and other animated projects.

Other voice actors cast in currently unknown roles include Minnie Driver, John DiMaggio, McKenna Grace, Jason Watkins, Paul Scheer, Reid Scott, David Krumholtz, Haley Joel Osment, and Toby Stephens. Among the villains revealed for season one thus far are Clayface, the Gentlemen Ghost, Natalia Knight/Nocturna, and Onomotapia. No word yet on iconic Gotham baddies like Joker, Riddler, and Penguin. Below is the official series description for Batman: Caped Crusader from Prime Video:

Welcome to Gotham City, where the corrupt outnumber the good, criminals run rampant and law-abiding citizens live in a constant state of fear. Forged in the fire of tragedy, wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne becomes something both more and less than human—the Batman. His one-man crusade attracts unexpected allies within the GCPD and City Hall, but his heroic actions spawn deadly, unforeseen ramifications.

The entire 10-episode season of Batman: Caped Crusader will drop on Prime Video on August 10, so we will hear Hamish Linklater and Christina Ricci soon.

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Superman & Lois’ upcoming fourth season will officially be its last, according to news we saw at The Hollywood Reporter. The series, which premiered in 2021, has been one of the best iterations of the Man of Steel mythos ever. Tyler Hoechlin as Clark Kent and Elizabeth Tulloch as Lois Lane instantly won over the hearts of DC Comics fandom. But with The CW changing ownership, their programming is undergoing an overhaul as well, with fewer scripted shows. The final season of Superman & Lois will release as a part of The CW’s 2024-25 schedule and will arrive in the fall. Its official release date will be October 17 and it will premiere with a two-hour release event.

In a statement, The CW’s Brad Schwartz said the following:

“Over the last three seasons, Superman & Lois redefined both the superhero genre and family drama as Tyler, Elizabeth and the entire cast effortlessly portrayed these classic characters with new layers of depth and complexity that had never before been explored in the Superman universe. We are grateful for the years of hard work and graceful storytelling from the show’s writers, producers, actors, and crew, as well as our terrific partners at Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions. As Superman embarks on his final flight, the team is leaving us with an absolutely epic 10-episode must-watch-every-minute farewell to one of the most legendary CW families ever.”

The end of Superman & Lois shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, for many reasons. With James Gunn launching a new DCU and Superman: Legacy in 2025, he probably wants only one iteration of Superman in live-action. He also wants one consistent DC Universe across film and TV. This means the old Arrowverse (of which Superman & Lois is technically a spinoff) must come to an end.

The cancelation of Superman & Lois marks the true end of an era. Since 2012, after the debut of Arrow, producer Greg Berlanti launched a staggering 11 DC Comics-based shows. These include The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, Batwoman, and for Max, Stargirl, Doom Patrol, and Titans. The last two were Gotham Knights and Superman & Lois. We just hope that knowing the show has an endpoint in advance will allow the writers to craft a fitting finale for the Kent family.

Originally published on November 2, 2023.

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The universe of Matt Reeves’ The Batman is expanding exponentially. Separate from the DCU involving the other DC heroes, Reeves’ world is hyper gritty, and focused solely on the world of Gotham City. And the first project of this new The Batman-verse is a Max (formerly HBO Max) series focusing on Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot, a.k.a. the Penguin.

While we don’t have an exact release date for The Penguin series yet, The Batman spinoff show has set a release window. Max has confirmed that The Penguin will release in September of 2024.

Additionally, Colin Farrell shares of The Penguin series:

It’s dark, that’s what I can tell you about it. It’s really dark. It’s really heavy, I think – it certainly was doing it. Which is not to say I didn’t have fun, I had an amazing time doing it. It’s incredibly violent.

It’s one man’s rise to what he’s always dreamed of inhabiting which is a certain power or social status. The death of Carmine Falcone at the end of [The Batman] the film, leaves this vacuum in Gotham to be filled and so there are various people that are grabbing for that power and this is Oswald’s journey trying to rise to the top through extraordinary obstacles.

Here’s everything we know so far about the upcoming The Penguin series centered on the so-called criminal King of Gotham, once again played by Colin Farrell.

Title

The title of the series is simply The Penguin.

The Penguin‘s Plot

Based on early statements, it seems the plot of the series focuses on Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot as he rises in the ranks of Gotham’s underworld, and becomes a power player. It will take place in the aftermath of the flooding of Gotham City, as seen in the final act of The Batman. Here’s what producer Matt Reeves had to say about the show’s premise:

Colin exploded off the screen as the Penguin in The Batman. Having the chance to thoroughly explore the inner life of that character on HBO Max is an absolute thrill. Dylan and I are so excited to work with Lauren in continuing Oz’s story as he grabs violently for power in Gotham.

The series will have eight episodes.

Behind the Scenes

Lauren LeFranc will write the script for the series and serve as showrunner. The Batman director Matt Reeves and producer Dylan Clark will serve as executive producers, along with star Colin Farrell. Reeves won’t be directing, at least not early on. Directing an early episode is Craig Zobel.

The Penguin‘s Cast

In the title role is the returning Colin Farrell. Also in the cast is Cristin Milioti as the female lead of the show, Sofia Falcone.

In addition, Michael Kelly, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Deirdre O’Connell, Rhenzy Feliz, Michael Zegen, James Madio, Scott Cohen, Carmen Ejogo, François Chau, David H. Holmes, and Theo Rossi will also appear.

Most recently, we learned that Clancy Brown has joined the cast as Salvatore Maroni. Worth noting, in the comics, Maroni was responsible for throwing acid at Harvey Dent. This, of course, led Dent to become Two-Face. This could be an interesting way to bring the iconic villain into The Batman‘s world.

The Penguin‘s Release Date

The Penguin will officially come to Max in September of 2024.

Originally published November 9, 2022.

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2024 marks 85 years of Batman, and the folks at Mattel have something quite special planned for the Caped Crusader’s milestone birthday, available at this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego. The Fisher-Price Little People I Am Batman Set celebrates decades of the Dark Knight. It commemorates legendary on-screen portrayals by Michael Keaton (Batman 1989), Val Kilmer (Batman Forever 1995), George Clooney (Batman and Robin 1997), Christian Bale (The Dark Knight 2008), Ben Affleck (Batman vs. Superman 2016), and Robert Pattinson (The Batman 2022). Justice has never looked so adorable. The price for this one sets you back a mere $40.00. You can check out images of the I Am Batman collection below:

Fisher-Price Little People Collector Batman 85th Anniversary

The packaging for the I Am Batman collection includes fun movie poster art in Little People style. It also has a shiny bat belt, all together in the Batcave surrounded by rock walls and computer screens. Sadly, there is no Adam West version of Batman in this set. He was the first cinematic Batman after all, way back in 1966. No, not just on TV, there was a Batman ’66 movie as well. We suppose we’ll just have to wait for the 90th-anniversary set to honor the “Bright Knight.” In the meantime, this is a pretty great collection any Bat-fan would love to own.

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Last year, the Blue Beetle live-action movie premiered to critical acclaim, but low box office. Luckily, under James Gunn, DC Studios is not abandoning the character of Jaime Reyes. Via Deadline, we’ve learned that Warner Bros. Animation and DC Studios are working on a Blue Beetle animated series. Miguel Puga (The Casagrandes) will serve as series showrunner and director, with Cristian Martinez on board as writer. The live-action Blue Beetle‘s director and writer, Angel Manuel Soto and Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, will executive produce. Blue Beetle centers on young Mexican-American El Paso native Jamie Reyes, who bonds with an alien scarab and becomes the heroic Blue Beetle.

The new Blue Beetle series will build upon the movie, but tell its own story. It seems they’ve approached cast members from the film to reprise their roles. There’s no official word yet though if star Xolo Maridueña is returning as the titular hero. However, DC Studios head James Gunn has said recently that Xolo’s version of Blue Beetle would be a part of his DCU. Could he be talking about the animated series? Gunn has said that much of the future DC animated output would tie into the live-action films and TV shows. This was something DC was often negligent about in the past.

The live-action Blue Beetle movie was created for the Max streaming service, but then bumped up to theatrical after positive test screenings. Apparently, Blue Beetle performed well enough on streaming that Warner Bros. still sees potential in the franchise. The first film left many dangling plot threads, so maybe a cartoon is as good a venue as any to wrap those up. Blue Beetle has appeared in animated form several times already. He first showed up in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, then Young Justice, Justice League Action, and several Teen Titans animated films. So we concur that it’s about time he got an animated show of his own.

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Of all the projects announced for James Gunn’s new DCU, the one that was already in production was the animated Creature Commandos series for HBO Max. And now, James Gunn has announced the voice cast for this series about a squad of monster soldiers based on the cult DC Comics title from the early ’80s. Gunn has filled it with quite a few names you’ll recognize, including some making the jump from the MCU. Here’s the full line-up of the DC voice cast for the upcoming Creature Commandos and a little bit more about what we can expect from the project and when we might see it release.

Creature Commandos Voice Cast

Creature Commandos will showcase the voice talents of the MCU’s former Crossbones, Frank Grillo, who will portray Rick Flag Sr. Another MCU alum joining the Creature Commandos cast is David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein. Speaking of Frankenstein, Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Indira Varma will be playing The Bride. Also in the cast are Maria Bakalova as Princess Ilana Rostovic, Zoe Chao as Nina Mazursky, and Alan Tudyk as Dr. Phosphorus. Sean Gunn is reprising his role as Weasel and also playing G.I. Robot. Finally, Steve Agee will reprise his role as John Economos from the Peacemaker series. Already announced for this series is Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, who’s giving the Commandos their marching orders.

Additionally, The Witcher‘s Anya Chalotra has joined the DCU as the voice of Circe. James Gunn confirmed the news, though he indicated the role may be a more minor part of the series. Circe is a Wonder Woman villain and power sorceress/goddess in the world of DC. And we couldn’t think of someone better to give life to the role than Anya Chalotra.

James Gunn mentioned in his DCU announcement that actors who voiced characters in animation would also portray them in live-action. So this voice-cast announcement for DC’s Creature Commandos means we’re likely to see David Harbour as Frankenstein and the rest of the squad in a live-action project—probably even a project DC has already announced. If we were to guess, it’s likely to be the Amanda Waller series. Of course, they could all turn up in a future second season of Peacemaker. However, that’s now a long way off.

Creature Commandos Will Integrate Animated and Live-Action DCU Worlds

At the Annecy Animation Festival, more was revealed about the DCU’s Creature Commandos. Variety reports that, continuity is a key aspect of Creature Commandos. The publication notes that at the Warner Bros. panel it was revealed that Creature Commandos narrative would be “both narrative and stylistic, with the animated series playing as a direct follow-up to Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad” and “Peacemaker,” while the creatures designed for animation will keep their same looks once they turn up in upcoming live-action offerings like the Gunn directed “Superman” reboot and the Viola Davis-led “Waller” spinoff.”

Gunn noted specifically about this DCU continuity, “What this means in practical terms is that our characters can move in and out of animation or jump into a game or onto the big screen, but they will remain consistent throughout: same character, same history, same actor.”

Integrating animation and live-action offerings will certainly be a fascinating play by the DCU if it is successfully executed. It could also open doors for exploring unified adventures in ways not possible with live-action outings alone.

More About Creature Commandos

Warner Bros. also revealed the following brief from James Gunn about Creature Commandos, initially written in 2022. The memo notes that Creature Commandos is “dark, humorous but never goofy and unsentimental, [an] adult-themed show with political storylines.”

Additionally, Gunn revealed, “The new series picks up directly after our Peacemaker season one finale, which leaves Waller with her hands tied operationally, meaning that she’s no longer able to get away with putting human lives on the line to carry out her clandestine morally questionable mission. Instead, she recruits a ragtag band of misfits, not unlike the Suicide Squad and Peacemaker.”

What Is the Release Date for Creature Commandos?

There’s no specific date given for when Creature Commandos is set to premiere, so we’ll have to wait to see this cast in action. However, we now know that Creature Commandos will release on Max in December. Currently, Gunn notes, “Animatics and all recording done. Waiting on the first animated cuts.”

We did have a feeling it would be among the first DCU projects to make it to our screens. Hopefully, we’ll see a more specific release date emerge soon.

Originally published on April 12, 2023.

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Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons is still widely considered the greatest graphic novel ever written. In the years since its 1986 publication, the deconstructionist superhero drama has sold millions of copies, and spawned a big-screen adaptation from Zack Snyder in 2009, and a television sequel on HBO in 2019. Oh, and a few comic book sequels, including Doomsday Clock, where Dr. Manhattan takes on Superman. Now, a new animated adaptation of Watchmen is on its way from Warner Bros. Animation, done in two parts. They’ve released the trailer for Watchmen Chapter I, which you can check out right here:

From the look of things, this seems an extremely faithful adaptation of the source material, with images lifted straight from the comic book page. Then again, Snyder’s Watchmen was exactly the same in this regard, with scenes lifted directly from the book as if they were storyboards. We suppose the big difference here is there will be slightly more comics-accurate costumes for characters like Nite Owl and Silk Spectre. Perhaps this animated adaptation will use the original ending, which involved a giant telepathic squid killing millions in Manhattan. The animation style looks almost exactly like the 2D/3D blending of Marvel’s What If…? series.

As for why this animated Watchmen movie is in two parts, the answer is simple. These animated DC Comics features from Warner Bros. Animation are always budgeted to be 80 minutes long at most. And that is simply not enough time to adapt such a sprawling story. This is why Batman: The Long Halloween is two parts, and before that, The Dark Knight Returns. The latter ended up being a pretty great adaptation, and remains severely underrated. We’ll see if Watchmen can follow suit. One thing’s for sure — Alan Moore’s name won’t be on it, and he probably wishes this wasn’t happening. And he doesn’t want you to ever ask him about it. So don’t.

Watchmen Chapter I releases later in 2024.

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Unlike the previous administration, new DC Studios co-head James Gunn is very active on social media. Since DC announced him in the role, he’s been teasing the fans about which deep-cut characters from the pages of DC Comics might be on his mind concerning future projects. Gunn has done this with random image reveals. So far, he’s dropped a few comic book images of characters that might excite fans—including a few that have yet to appear in any live-action incarnations before. Some he teased, like Mister Terrific, were officially announced just months later. Let’s tally all the Gunn hints we’ve had so far, while remembering they might not actually be hints.

Deathstroke

James Gunn recently hinted strongly at another major DC character, the super-powered mercenary Deathstroke. When the fan asked Gunn on Instagram to “please wink if you have plans for Deathstroke,” the DC Studios head replied with a winky face emoji. So there you have it — the deadly mercenary Slade Wilson (the obvious influence on Marvel’s Deadpool, a.k.a. Wade Wilson) is coming to the DCU. Where will he appear? It’s anyone’s guess, but we think there’s a good chance he is the villain of the announced Teen Titans movie. He’s their main adversary, so it just makes sense.

Mister Mxyzptlk

He’s been one of Superman’s most powerful (and annoying enemies) since the Golden Age, and yet, he’s never appeared in a live-action film. We refer to the imp from the 5th Dimension, Mister Mxyzptlk. This diminutive fellow is actually an all-powerful being, who can bend reality to his will. Think Star Trek’s Q, and just as annoying, and wearing a derby. He appeared every 90 days to make trouble for Superman, only returning to his home dimension whenever Big Blue could trick him into saying his name backward. James Gunn recently posted an action figure of Mxy on his Instagram, which is raising eyebrows. While the assumption is Mxy would appear in Superman, we think it may also be for the upcoming Peacemaker season two.

Captain Atom

The latest post from James Gunn suggesting a possible classic hero coming to the DCU came as a response to a fan question. When asked if he liked the character of Captain Atom, he responded on his Instagram story saying “I’ve been a big Captain Atom fan for a long time.” He even added comic artwork to his response. We’d say that’s a possible hint that he has plans for Captain Atom.

So who is the good Captain? Like Peacemaker and Blue Beetle, he originated as a hero from the Charlton Comics line in the ’60s. DC bought those characters and absorbed them into the DC Universe proper in the ’80s. Nathaniel Adam was an Air Force officer who volunteered for an experiment involving nuclear power and alien alloy, in exchange for a pardon for a crime he didn’t commit. Disintegrated in the experiment, Adam reformed decades later, now fused with the alien metal, and wielding nuclear power.

Nathaniel Adam then became the government agent and superhero Captain Atom, and joined the Justice League International. He was also the basis for Doctor Manhattan in Watchmen, although slightly less powerful. Along with Booster Gold, Green Lantern Guy Gardner, and Maxwell Lord, he’d be another famous JLI character joining the DCU. We think that lends further credence to our theory that the Justice League International is on the way to the DCU.

The Terrifics

James Gunn teased an image of the hero Mister Terrific back in 2022, a character later cast for Superman: Legacy. But now those plans seem to have expanded. He also shared an image of the DC heroes hovering around the Terrifics, a somewhat recent super team from DC Comics, introduced in 2018. The Terrifics are kind of a riff on Marvel’s Fantastic Four, as they are more explorer and adventurer types. Mister Terrific leads, and the other members include Plastic Man, the phasing Phantom Girl, and Metamorpho, who was also recently cast for Superman: Legacy. We could easily see them as subjects of a Max streaming series.

Deadman

On Halloween 2022, Gunn shared an image of one of DC Comics’ most prominent supernatural heroes, Deadman. Introduced by DC in the late ’60s, Deadman was circus performer Boston Brand. During a performance, a group of criminals murdered him. They (the supernatural powers that be) granted his soul the power to possess living people until he discovered who was behind his murder. In the meantime, he used the bodies he “borrowed” to help the innocent and fight various criminals.

Although a ghost, Brand’s spectral form still had his circus outfit and makeup he wore in his act. For the most part, he was essentially a superhero no one in the living world could see. However, a few mystical DC characters could perceive him. Despite being a prominent DC character for years, aside from a few animated appearances, we’ve never seen Deadman in live-action. From the look of things, James Gunn is hoping to change all that—unless he was just having some Halloween fun. Once upon a time, Guillermo del Toro talked about producing a Deadman project. Perhaps now is the time for that to finally happen.

It’s worth noting that Gunn recenly shared the image of Deadman again on his Instagram.

Lobo

And then, there’s the one that has everyone talking. Recently, Gunn posted an image of DC’s most famous intergalactic bounty hunter, Lobo, and fans got super excited. The “Main Man,” a huge seller back in the ’90s, was long rumored for a movie or TV project. In fact, it was reported Syfy was developing a Lobo TV series a few years ago, but nothing ever came of it.

With folks clamoring for Jason Momoa to play the role, including Momoa himself, it seems now would be the right time to see the space biker finally get a movie of his own. The character is an over-the-top send-up of tough-guy characters, but handled correctly, he made for some very funny comics. We think the comedy sensibilities of the character feel right in James Gunn’s wheelhouse, too.

Kingdom Come

Maybe the post that had fans most excited came on November 30. Gunn simply tweeted out the words “Making plans” accompanied by an image by artist Alex Ross from his seminal series Kingdom Come. That comic was all about an older Justice League vs their younger, more violent successors in an End Times scenario. Now, on the surface, it’s just Superman around a table with other heroes literally making plans. It’s probably just Gunn’s fun way of teasing his upcoming DC Studios plans, using an image of their headlining heroes.

On the other hand, he also used this same Alex Ross illustration as his featured image on his Hive Social account. Could he have something cooking for Kingdom Come? It seems way too soon for a live-action adaptation. You need to reestablish the Justice League first as a viable franchise. However, Gunn recently stated that DC Studios planned to incorporate animation as well. It’s at least a possibility.

Again James Gunn could just be posting random images of all of these characters and stories he likes. Time will tell.

Originally published on November 16, 2022.

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For an entire generation, Mark Hamill simply is the Joker. He voiced the Clown Prince of Crime first in Batman: The Animated Series, continuing the role in a variety of projects over the decades. But with the death of Batman actor Kevin Conroy, it looked like Hamill would retire his Joker. Although that still seems to be the case, both Hamill and Conroy got to play their characters at least one more time. Via IGN, we’ve learned Warner Bros. and Player First Games will include Hamill’s Joker in MultiVersus. They even made a trailer showcasing Hamill’s return, which you can watch right here:

In the teaser, the Joker says “Wait till they get a load of me.” This is a reference to yet another iconic Joker from popular culture. It’s a rather famous line spoken by Jack Nicholson’s version in Tim Burton’s Batman. We see other Warner Bros. characters who will be a part of MultiVersus in the trailer aside from Batman and Joker. There’s Arya Stark from Game of Thrones, Bugs Bunny, and Shaggy from Scooby-Doo. Those are just some of the famous characters from the Warner Bros. library who appear in MultiVersus.

In a gameplay trailer below, you can also check out more of Mark Hamill’s performance and the Joker’s MultiVersus moves.

After Kevin Conroy passed away in 2002, Hamill announced he would no longer play the Joker. He said, “Without Batman, there is no punchline.” Luckily, he had a few unannounced performances together with Conroy recorded and ready to go. One is MultiVersus, and the other appears to be the third part of the Crisis on Infinite Earths animated trilogy. The recent trailer for Crisis showed Batman and Joker fighting it out in their classic Batman: The Animated Series looks. That project is almost certainly their last one together, and should be something special for the fans.

MultiVersus launches for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X | S for free on May 28. This will include full cross-play and cross-platform support. You can check out some of the new features the game has to offer here. Hint: Joker will be joined by Jason Voorhees.

Originally published on May 9, 2024.

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Since 1948, less than ten years after his comic book debut, there have been several iterations of Superman on the screen, both big and small. Some have been all-time greats. Others, considerably less so. With the debut of David Corenswet as the new Man of Steel in James Gunn’s Superman, we’ve decided to rank all the live-action Superman costumes thus far. (There are 15 of them, believe it or not… and that’s not counting the guy dressed as Superman from the 1939 World’s Fair, or the one from the ’60s Broadway musical.) We’re sticking to film and TV here.

15. Tom Welling (Smallville, 2001-2011)

At the very bottom is someone who played Clark Kent longer than anyone, but sadly, never really got to play Superman. Despite the supposed “no tights, no flights” rule on Smallville, for ten long seasons, we waited for Tom Welling’s Clark Kent to finally suit up as the Man of Steel. And when he finally did in the series finale, it was utterly disappointing. It’s all just Clark ripping his shirt open? That’s what fans waited for? The final episode should have delivered a full suit, even if only for mere moments. We supposed the ‘S’ shield looks good, if we have to say something nice. It is technically a Superman costume, so it ranks on this list. But it ranks at the bottom… barely.

14. Nicolas Cage (The Flash, 2023)

Nicolas Cage was slated to play Kal-El in Tim Burton’s Superman Lives back in 1998, but for various reasons, that film never happened. 25 years later however, Nic Cage got to suit up as Superman for a brief cameo in The Flash where, as he was meant to do in the Tim Burton film, he gets to fight a giant spider. While it was fun to see Cage as Superman, the suit was all wrong then, and it’s all wrong now. An obvious rubber muscle suit for Batman makes sense, but on Superman? Totally ridiculous. The ‘S’ shield is disproportionately big as well, but that’s not too bad. It’s the horrible rubber suit look of it all that kills it.

13. Kirk Alyn (Superman serials, 1948-1950)

Actor Kirk Alyn was the prototype for what a live-action Superman would look like after starring in two Saturday afternoon serials in the late ‘40s. The suit in Superman and Atom Man vs. Superman were basically true to the comics, but sadly, also extremely cheap-looking. The designers couldn’t even get the ‘S’ shield to look fully sewn on in many shots. And sometimes close up, you can tell the top part of the costume is just a sweater. Plus, the boots just look like athletic socks. It’s not like Superman wasn’t already a national icon by this point, known throughout the world. He deserved better.

12. Tyler Hoechlin (Supergirl, Crisis on Infinite Earths, 2016-2019)

The first time actor Tyler Hoechlin appeared as Superman was on the second season of Supergirl on the CW, and that suit was …a choice. It’s not bad per se, but the designers made some decisions that made it feel very un-Superman in places. The gold clasps on the shoulders are weird for Supes, the belt has no real design to it, and there’s too much unnecessary detail in the torso area. We get the show wanted to differentiate from Henry Cavill’s Superman, who was still in films at the time. But this wasn’t it. Luckily, they improved on it for his own series Superman & Lois.

11. Henry Cavill (Zack Snyder’s Justice League, 2021)

From a pure design standpoint, Superman wearing black and silver is fashion-forward and fetching… for another character, however. Maybe a Superman analogous character like Omni-Man in Invincible or something like that would be perfect for it. But, Superman is definitely defined by his colors, and removing them makes him feel less like the global icon he is. Sorry, but these are Batman’s tones, not Kal-El’s. So is this a bad costume? Not really. But it’s not what we want from a Superman costume, much less the “main” costume, so it ranks here.

10. Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, 2013-2016)

The costume for Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel (later reused in Batman v Superman) has a lot of things going for it. The cape is vibrant red, long, and regal. The ‘S’ shield is a tad more stylized, but recognizable and cool. And the texture of the suit itself adds details that are missed. But no red trunks, and not even a red belt to break up all that blue? It looks kind of like a big onesie. And we’re not even sure what those patterns on the hips are. Speaking of all that blue, it’s just too dull a blue, almost blue/gray. It’s not the worst, but it’s far from the best.

9. Tyler Hoechlin (Superman and Lois, 2021-2024)

The second Superman suit for Tyler Hoechlin is from his one headlining series, Superman & Lois. It’s a much bigger improvement on the Superman costume he wore in the Arrowverse shows, with a much better neckline, no clasps for the cape, and a much improved red belt to break up the blue. Still, the blue is way too muted, almost dirty looking, in typical modern superhero costume fashion. Why are costume designers so afraid of Kal-El’s traditional bright blue?! Still, the rest of it all works well enough that it ranks this highly, but not as highly as Hoechlin’s next suit.

8. Tyler Hoechlin (Superman & Lois Flashback costume, 2021)

In the first episodes of Superman & Lois, we get flashbacks to the Man of Steel’s early days as a hero in Metropolis. He’s wearing a very low-key, homemade version of his comic book costume, complete with red trucks, bright blue and red colors, and an ‘S’ shield that looks just like the ones from the classic 1940s Fleischer Studios cartoons. As Clark tells a kid in the episode “My mom made it.” Sadly, this was too old-fashioned for modern audiences outside of brief flashbacks, but this suit absolutely nailed the assignment.

7. Henry Cavill (Justice League, 2017)

Henry Cavill’s Superman costume has gone through a few iterations in 3 ½ films. In the original cut of Justice League, when he returns from the dead, he’s a much more upbeat version of himself, with a new suit to match. The new costume is much the same basic design as the Man of Steel one, only the colors are much brighter. On the downside, there are white highlights for every muscle, which is just overkill. (We get it Henry, you’re way ripped). Still, this is a decent Superman look that should have lasted longer than just a brief ending of a lame movie and a post-credits scene in Black Adam.

6. Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, 1993-1997)

Dean Cain was Superman/Clark Kent for four seasons on ABC’s Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, which ran from 1993-1997. The show was working from a much bigger budget than the syndicated Adventures of Superboy, but far less than the Christopher Reeve movies previously. The suit basically looks great, but the spandex fabric is a bit too shiny, and the fit is kind of off at times. So it gives it a Halloween costume feel. Also, the ‘S’ shield is just too big as well. Overall though, it’s pretty decent. It evokes classic Superman enough. It just evokes it in a strip mall Halloween store kind of way.

5. Brandon Routh (Superman Returns, 2006)

This one is almost there. It’s so close to nailing it completely. Only worn once by actor Brandon Routh in 2006’s Superman Returns, this costume is meant to be an outfit worn by an older version of Christopher Reeve’s Superman. We love certain things about it—the shade of blue, the boots, and the fit of the trunks. But the maroon over the bright red and the too-small ‘S’ shield emblem on the chest are both big demerit points. Although, we do like that it was the first raised ‘S’ shield, and not just one made of fabric. It’s still a great Superman suit, but misses the mark on a few key points.

4. Brandon Routh (Crisis on Infinite Earths, 2019)

Brandon Routh got a do-over for his Superman well over a decade after Superman Returns on the CW Arrowverse crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths. He played an older Kal-El in that event, one heavily inspired by the Superman of the comic series Kingdom Come, one beset by personal tragedy. He essentially wore that costume, lifted straight from the comics, and it looks amazing. Yes, the black instead of yellow feels very off-brand for Superman, despite its comic book origins. Luckily, by the end of the crossover, the black becomes bright yellow, and makes this version of the costume a true all-timer. Too bad it was only used in this TV event.

3. George Reeves (The Adventures of Superman, 1952-1958)

He wasn’t the first live-action Last Son of Krypton. But George Reeves’ version is what most people think of when they say “the original Superman.” Although mostly seen in black and white for ‘50s television sets, the creative team actually shot the series in color. And the color version of the costume is pretty great, even by today’s standards. The ‘S’ shield is perfectly sized, and the red and blue are just the right hue. Maybe the cape is too short (it was in the comics then, too), and the trunks do look a bit like adult diapers. But that’s really our only complaint. This costume is pure Superman, even seventy years later.

2. John Haymes Newton, Gerard Christoper (Superboy, 1988-1992)

Chances are, you’ve never even heard of this syndicated series from the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, which was extremely low-budget. It often looked like a random sitcom of the era in fact. Running four seasons (and with two different lead actors), Superboy was produced by the Salkind family, who produced the original four Superman films. Because of this, the costume folks made sure the outfits for both John Haymes Newton and Gerard Christopher looked nearly identical to that of Christopher Reeve’s suit. It wouldn’t be shocking if it were a spare costume from one of the films. The show was pretty bad, but the costume? We can’t lie, it was pretty spot on.

1. Christopher Reeve (Superman I-IV, 1978-1987)

To this day, no matter how many people play Superman on screen, when you say the name “Superman,” they’ll think of Christopher Reeve. That’s not just because he filled the suit so perfectly in 1978’s Superman: The Movie and its three sequels (he did), it’s also that the suit itself is practically perfect. The colors, the cape length, the ‘S’ shield emblem placement—all of it is spot on. The suit looks straight from the pages of the comic books, and made everyone believe a man can fly. And even though it was the ‘70s and the material wasn’t as sophisticated as a movie from today, it still looked miles better than later costumes made from space-age fabrics. It remains the standard, and probably always will.

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The Super Powers line of action figures is a huge source of nostalgia for any DC Comics fan who grew up in the ’80s. The toy and merchandise line, which was introduced in 1984 and ran until 1986, defined the look and feel of DC Comics characters for the era. Most were based on the DC Style Guide art of José Luis García-López. Now, DC Comics is honoring the iconic toy brand on its 40th anniversary with a series of variant covers, imagining the classic action figure packaging with characters the original line never got around to.

In August, eight new DC Super Powers variant covers will imagine what an unreleased wave of action figures would have looked like if the Kenner line of Super Powers toys had continued. Variant covers appear on Batman #151, Gotham City Sirens #1, Green Lantern: War Journal #12, Nightwing #117, Power Girl #12, Superman #17, The Flash #12, and Titans #14. The covers feature brand-new art by original 1980s Super Powers product artist Alex Saviuk. One of the leading historians of the original Kenner Super Powers line and the cofounder of Action Figure Insider, Jason Geyer, designed and sculpted the variant covers. You can check out each one down below:

Superman #17 DC Super Powers Variant Cover

Superman Gold art by Jason Geyer and Alex Saviuk (On sale 8/21/24)

Batman #151 DC Super Powers Variant Cover

Batman art by Jason Geyer and Alex Saviuk (On sale 8/7/24)

Nightwing #117 DC Super Powers Variant Cover

Nightwing art by Jason Geyer and Alex Saviuk (On sale 8/21/24)

Titans #14 DC Super Powers Variant Cover

Wonder Girl (Donna Troy) art by Jason Geyer and Alex Saviuk (On sale 8/21/24)

Green Lantern: War Journal #12 DC Super Powers Variant Cover

Green Lantern John Stewart art by Jason Geyer and Alex Saviuk (On sale 8/21/24)

The Flash #12 DC Super Powers Variant Cover

Kid Flash (Wally West) art by Jason Geyer and Alex Saviuk (On sale 8/28/24)

Gotham City Sirens #1 DC Super Powers Variant Cover

Poison Ivy art by Jason Geyer and Alex Saviuk (On sale 8/7/24)

Power Girl #12 DC Super Powers Variant Cover

Power Girl art by Jason Geyer and Alex Saviuk (On sale 8/28/24)

Currently, McFarlane Toys has a series of Super Powers-style retro action figures in stores, producing figures that the original line never got to do, like Tim Drake Robin, or Deathstroke. Many of the figures for these covers are fan’s “Super Powers Most Wanted,” so maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll see them as more than just art on comic book covers one day. In the meantime, these DC Comics Super Powers tribute covers all hit comic shops this coming August.

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The DCU, under new heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, is already shaking things up. Not only is Peacemaker season two coming out ahead of the Waller series, but there is officially a different film following Gunn’s Superman. That title goes to Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, the adaptation of Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s astonishingly good miniseries of the same name. According to Deadline, the movie will come out June 26, 2026.

From the House Targaryen to the Kryptonian House of El, actress Milly Alcock, who played the young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen in the Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon has been cast as Supergirl for DC Studios. She’ll reportedly first appear in a small role in Superman before starring in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. That film will be based on the comic by Tom King and Alcock won the role over Emilia Jones and Meg Donnelly. The latter voiced Supergirl in DC animated films Legion of Superheroes and Crisis on Infinite Earths Part One. The Supergirl movie has also found its director in a very interesting choice, Craig Gillespie.

The Supergirl in the Woman of Tomorrow celebrates her 21st birthday in that series, so at only 23, Alcock is the perfect age in real life to portray that version of the character.

Gunn noted of Alock’s casting as Supergirl, “Strangely, Milly was the FIRST person I brought up to Peter for this role, well over a year ago, when I had only read the comics. I was watching House of the Dragon & thought she might have the edge, grace & authenticity we needed for the DCU’s Supergirl. And now here we are. Life is wild sometimes.”

When it comes to the movie’s director, The Hollywood Reporter notes that Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow will be directed by Craig Gillespie. In the past, Gillespie has directed Disney’s Cruella and the figure skating movie, I, Tonya. Both movies certainly had a distinct style, so it will be fascinating to see what the director does with Supergirl.

The character of Superman’s cousin Kara Zor-El first appeared in 1959, during DC Comics’ Silver Age. She’s been a mainstay of the DC Universe ever since, in one form or another. Supergirl has appeared on the big screen twice before. First in the 1984 film Supergirl, played by Helen Slater, and then in last year’s The Flash, played by Sasha Calle. Of course, Melissa Benoist portrayed Kara Danvers on the CW Arrowverse series Supergirl for six seasons. We’re sure that Milly Alcock will bring her own spin to DC Comics’ iconic heroine.

Originally published on January 29, 2024

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X-Men ’97 has been killing it week to week, giving us an animated series that evokes the best of a certain era of Marvel Comics. Meanwhile, Batman: Caped Crusader, premiering this summer, looks to return to the Dark Knight’s roots in a 1940s noir detective world. Realizing this is a trend that may last, here are a few other comic book heroes that could translate perfectly to period-specific animated shows.

Blade (Set in the 1970s)

Marvel Comics originally introduced Blade in Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula series in 1973. The vampire hunter very quickly became the breakout character, headlining comics like Vampire Tales. Like Luke Cage, he was part of Marvel’s response to the ’70s blaxploitation craze with movies like Shaft and Superfly. Blade was much like those iconic ‘70s cinematic heroes, only instead of fighting criminals he was fighting some down-and-dirty vampires.

Everything about the original Blade aesthetic is very of its time, from the hair to the jacket to the catchphrases. We think a series featuring the Daywalker fighting the undead (and other supernatural creatures) in the groovy ‘70s would be incredibly fun. The ‘70s was an iconic time for the horror genre after all. It saw the emergence of Stephen King, alongside movies like The Exorcist and The Omen. Exploring the horror tropes of that era through the character of Blade could be a blast, especially as a bloody, sexy, R-rated animated series.

Wonder Woman (Set in the 1940s)

It’s difficult to convey now what a departure Wonder Woman was, not just for comics of the 1940s, but for culture in general. When William Moulton Marston created her in 1941, women had the vote in America for a mere two decades, still largely confined to roles as wives/mothers. Diana Prince showcased strength and power greater than men, representing an Amazon culture more advanced than the world of patriarchy. Wonder Woman was a feminist icon before the term became widely known.

For these reasons, we think a Wonder Woman animated series set in the ‘40s, perhaps evoking the fashion, aesthetic, and politics of the era, would be amazing. Especially if it really dealt with what it would mean for a woman like that to appear in the deeply puritanical and sexist America of the 1940s. Besides, that setting would ensure Diana Prince punching Nazis in World War II, which we all need to watch right now as cultural catharsis. James Gunn has hinted that a Wonder Woman animated series is long overdue. So why not a period piece set in her era of origin?

Spider-Man (Set in the 2010s)

We’re not sure that many other old superhero cartoons could pick up right where they left off like X-Men ’97. At least not at the same level of success. Yet there is one show that deserves similar treatment – the 1994-1998 Spider-Man: The Animated Series. We know that the same Spidey from that show exists in the X-Men ’97 universe, thanks to his recent cameo. But we would actually love for Christopher Daniel Barnes to return to the role of Peter Parker, and tell stories of a middle-aged wallcrawler years later.

An elder Spidey is how you differentiate this version from the teenage Spidey from the upcoming Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man show. Imagine the story 15 or more years later, with Peter now the father of teenage May “Mayday” Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Girl. It would be less “Spider-Man ‘98” and more “Spider-Man 2014,” but rooted firmly in the events of the ‘90s show. We could even finally have Spidey fight Sandman. He was the one classic villain the old show couldn’t use, as he was meant to appear in the never-made James Cameron Spider-Man movie.

Teen Titans (Set in the 1980s)

X-Men ’97 has been perhaps the best iteration of Marvel’s mutants in any media outside comics. Part of the reason is that longform, serialized melodrama is perfect for X-Men in a way movies aren’t. But in the ‘80s, Uncanny X-Men had a true rival for “best superhero soap opera” in DC’s New Teen Titans. That series had as much interpersonal drama, plot twist reveals, and out-of-this-world adventures as X-Men, and sold almost as well as Uncanny X-Men too.

So far, Teen Titans has had two cartoons aimed very much at young kids, and a live-action show that was brutally violent and dropped f-bombs. Neither has really captured the tone of the comics. Although a recently announced movie might, an animated show set in the ‘80s, the team’s heyday, could finally do the Titans justice as a series. Besides, with the ‘80s setting, you could do things like Starfire as a fashion model, Beast Boy as a former sci-fi TV star, and other very ’80s conventions. Just as long as they don’t get too Stranger Things with it.

Black Widow (Set in the 1960s)

When Black Widow first appeared in 1964, she was a very different character than the one we know in the MCU, or even the one from modern Marvel Comics. She first appeared as an Iron Man villain in Tales of Suspense, as “Madame Natasha.” She didn’t even have a last name yet. Natasha was a Soviet femme fatale spy, in the style of a Bond girl. Natasha had short black hair, a cape, and fishnets. It wouldn’t be until 1970 that she’d get the iconic black catsuit and flowing red hair, and became a notable fighter, not just a sultry spy.

In those original ‘60s stories, Widow gets romantically involved with Tony Stark, Hawkeye, and later Daredevil. Eventually, she defects to the U.S. and trades super spy for superhero. Those early adventures always showcased her as an appendage to male characters, and were quite very sexist. But an animated series for Natasha Romanoff where the male heroes are in support of her and not the other way around? Now that could be incredible, especially with a James Bond-style, Cold War spy backdrop of the ‘60s.

Justice League (Set in the 1970s)

The Justice League of America first appeared in 1960, but those early DC comics were rather simplistic and intended for very young readers. Every hero acted largely the same with little deviation between the team in terms of character. Things started to change in the ‘70s for the JLA, when DC Comics started to get “Marvelized,” for lack of a better term. The League started to have interpersonal drama that evoked issues of the day and moved to a satellite HQ orbiting above the Earth.

In those ‘70s JLA comics, Hawkman was staunchly conservative, while Green Arrow was a “hippy liberal,” which caused all kinds of tension which found heroes like Green Lantern caught in the middle. Black Canary was a wave one feminist ass-kicker, while Zatanna evoked the ‘70s fascination with all things occult. Of course, the ‘70s is also when the concept of the JLA went mainstream mainly thanks to the Super Friends cartoon. This is something a modern animated series could touch on in a meta way. It’s been far too long since we’ve had a proper Justice League animated show. Setting it in period could be the key to making a new one work.

Fantastic Four (Set in the 1960s)

Current rumors hint that the MCU live-action Fantastic Four film is at least partially taking place in the 1960s. Why is this particular era so linked to Marvel’s First Family? Because Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s 1961 origins for the series are very inspired by Atomic Age ideas. Things like the American/Soviet space race, and Johnny Storm being a teenage “hot rod” enthusiast were all cultural staples of the mid-century era. Even today, the Lee/Kirby 100-issue run of Fantastic Four from 1961-1970 remains the best run for the FF ever. Because of this, a ‘60s-set animated series seems like a no-brainer.

Similar to the way Mad Men used the time frame of 1960-1970 to reflect on the rapid changes in American society over that decade, an animated Fantastic Four set in this exact time period could do the same. This time, via a superhero/sci-fi storytelling lens. We know that both a 1960s Fantastic Four film and an animated series at the same time might be overkill. However, we can’t help feeling the series would be the superior product. Oh, and the most important reasons for a ’60s Fantastic Four series? The music! Who doesn’t want to see the Beatles pop up, and have the Fab Four meet the Fantastic Four?

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While everyone is sharing their opinions on Superman’s new cinematic costume, the image James Gunn released also featured another big clue to the upcoming DCU film. Interestingly, it’s not exactly hidden in the background. In the image, as Clark Kent puts on his boots ready to fly to battle, we see outside his window a giant orb, sending presumably destructive beams down below to the city of Metropolis. So just what could this orb be? Brainiac? A different alien invader? Thanks to the folks at Comic Book, we actually think we have an idea.

The Giant Orb in the Sky Looks Like Solaris, the Tyrant Sun

The giant orb has the appearance of a giant eye, staring down its death-beam at the city beneath. This brings to mind Solaris, the Tyrant Sun. This is a fairly deep-cut villain, which first appeared in 1998’s DC One Million crossover event. It was created by writer Grant Morrison, who at the time was right in the middle of their iconic JLA run. Solaris appeared again, in a more minor capacity, in Morrison’s All-Star Superman. Many regard that series as one of the best—if not the best—Superman stories of all time. James Gunn has gone on record saying Morrison’s Superman run is one of his all-time favorites. So we think it makes sense he’d pull one of the Scottish scribe’s creations for Superman.

The Comic Book Origins of Solaris

Solaris is a stellar supercomputer that originally came from the 853rd century. This artificial star was created to warm the outer planets of the solar system like Pluto, which were terraformed and inhabited during this time. In this distant future era, the Justice League has evolved into the Justice Legion Alpha, a team of the modern-day Justice League’s descendents. Eventually becoming malevolent and seeking to destroy organic life on Earth, this artificial sentient sun went back in time to the modern era. It encoded itself into a techno-virus sent back to infect all known computer systems. The Justice League and the Justice Legion had to join forces to defeat it, but to do so, they had to create Solaris in the present to defeat its future self. So in a sense, Solaris’ time travel was a predestination paradox ensuring its own future existence.

Solaris’ Vast Powers and Abilities

As a sun, Solaris had the power of radiation, and could fire powerful thermal blasts. Imagine the Death Star, only if it were alive and with a mind of its own. Solaris also could control all computers and known machinery. Long after Lex Luthor and Brainiac were dust, it continued to plague Superman’s descendants for centuries. It became the biggest threat to Kal-El’s ongoing legacy. Despite this, it only appeared a few times, mostly in stories from writer Grant Morrison. During the New 52 era, a version of Solaris plagued Superman and Wonder Woman.

Did James Gunn Just Confirm Solaris as the Villain of Superman?

Could a giant glowing orb above Metropolis that looks like an eye be something other than Solaris? Absolutely. It could be a weapon of the villain Brainiac. Or even a sinister creation of Lex Luthor. In All-Star Superman, it joined forces with Luthor to turn Earth’s yellow sun into a red one. Maybe he creates Solaris himself in the new film? Given James Gunn’s status as an unabashed Grant Morrison fan, we have a feeling that the globe in the sky is the dreaded tyrant-sun. Certainly, it is a villain that gives Superman a physical challenge, beyond fighting another Kryptonian like General Zod (again), or Doomsday. We’re into Gunn giving us a very under-used villain from the deep well of DC canon for the Superman movie.

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At last, we have our first look at David Corenswet as the Man of Steel, in a lovely costume image released to social media by Superman director and DCU lord James Gunn. In our first look at this Superman costume, we see it has plenty of influences from Kal-El’s 86-year history. These influences stem from comics costumes, as well as from other Superman media over the years. Let’s break it all down.

The “New 52” Superman Costume

The biggest influence on this new suit is Jim Lee’s 2011 update for DC’s “New 52” initiative. Lee gave Superman his most radical redesign in decades for that reboot. He gave Superman a raised collar for the first time, and added tons of piping and extra details to the suit itself. The red boots suddenly had new ridges on the side, and most famously, a red belt replaced the red trunks. The suit was always controversial, and the classic suit returned just a few years later. This new cinematic suit keeps the extra details, like the raised collar. Thankfully, the red trunks made a comeback, too.

The Muted Tones of Recent Live-Action Superman Costumes

In the comics, and in most outside of comic books media, Clark’s colors were bright red, blue, and yellow. But in live-action, that changed with 2006’s Superman Returns. Brandon Routh’s costume switched out the bright red for an almost maroon color but kept the blue classic. Ever since, the Superman costume has become more and more desaturated on screen. Both the Man of Steel suit as well as Tyler Hoechlin’s on Superman and Lois have extremely muted tones. With this latest costume, it looks like the red pops, but the blue remains muted. We should note that the image James Gunn released shows a Superman mostly in dim lighting. In places where the light hits his costume (in the knee area) the blue looks rather bright. So we’ll have to wait and see what this new Superman costume looks like when his DCU movie arrives.

The Classic Superman Spit Curl

It’s technically not part of Superman’s “costume,” but it’s a classic part of his overall look. Since almost the very beginning of his comic book career, Superman has had a stylized spit curl in his jet-black hair. It’s almost like a little min “S” on his forehead (branding, folks!) Original ’40s Superman Kirk Alyn had it, yet TV’s George Reeves didn’t. Christopher Reeve famously kept it for his incarnation of the Last Son of Krypton, as did the live-action Superboy TV series of the ’80s. However, most live-action Superman actors have since dropped it. Dean Cain on Lois & Clark in the ’90s had slicked-back hair, as did Henry Cavill. Brandon Routh, whose Superman was a version of Christopher Reeve’s iteration, maintained the spit curl. We’re glad David Corenswet is staying traditional and bringing back the spit curl for modern times.

The Kingdom Come “S” Shield

Although we’d already seen it, we’d be remiss not to mention the “S” shield. Artist Alex Ross designed this new crest for the series Kingdom Come. That 1996 mini-series by writer Mark Waid was about an older Superman who returns to the scene years after retiring. In that comic, the yellow was replaced with black. This version of the emblem has been seen in live-action before. Brandon Routh used it in 2019’s Arrowverse Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event. At first, it was a direct homage to the Kingdom Come look. By the end of that crossover though, it was a version in the traditional Superman colors. In fact, one of the very first things James Gunn teased when taking on the Superman job was an illustration from Kingdom Come.

Of course, we won’t really know how this DCU costume looks until we see Superman in action. We do know that this Superman costume is definitely full of influences from many previous takes on his iconic outfit. It remains to be seen if this one will become as legendary as many of the rest of them. Superman releases on July 11, 2025.

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As most DC fans know, director Zack Snyder once had grand plans for his big-screen Superman saga starring Henry Cavill. Snyder designed Man of Steel, Batman v Superman, and Justice League as just the start of something. For well-documented reasons, all of those plans got derailed. Now, the DC universe on screen is rebooting. But while promoting his newest Rebel Moon film, Zack Snyder opened up about his plans for Kal-El had he continued. Here’s what he had to say while speaking with GQ, via Collider:

He was going to have to succumb to the Anti-life, be destroyed, turn the clock back, and then get his chance for this battle against Darkseid. If you will… that would have finished his trilogy of becoming this guardian, and sort of, return him to his humanity.

The “Anti-Life” of which Snyder speaks is the Anti-Life Equation, a formula dreamed up by the late, great Jack Kirby for DC Comics in the ’70s. This formula sapped all living things of their will, and finding it was the villain Darkseid’s singular obsession. Superman would have succumbed to Anti-Life in the films, becoming a puppet of the Lord of Apokolips. So it makes sense that it would factor into Snyder’s ultimate plans, if Darkseid was going to be the final “Big Bad” of the saga. It also means Snyder would have probably shown a giant Darkseid vs. Superman brawl before it was all said and done.

Will Superman vs. Darkseid ever be a thing in live-action films now? Who knows. James Gunn is a huge classic DC fan, and he might have his own ideas for the Jack Kirby New Gods characters. We’ll have to wait and see as his plans for the new DCU continue to unfold. We certainly wouldn’t mind a New Gods series in the style of Game of Thrones. The possibilities with those characters, and their relationship to Superman, would provide fodder for endless stories.

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The Flash TV series might have ended last year after nine seasons, but it’s still alive in the hearts of its fans. The CW series premiered back in 2014, and the very first episode teased an ominous event in Barry Allen’s future. A future newspaper headline showed the audience that on April 25, 2024, the Flash, longtime hero of Central City, would vanish in a “crisis.” As fans have commemorated the April 25 date, Flash actor Grant Gustin posted a photo on his Instagram assuring us all that he has, in fact, not vanished. He’s even wearing a Flash bathrobe to let us know he’s still around. The photo is from 2016, but the joke still lands.

The April 25, 2024 newspaper headline shown in the series premiere teased long-term plans for the series—plans that would actually all play out. However, the “Flash vanishes in crisis” date would be pushed up five years, to the year 2019. That was so they could pay off this story in the Arrowverse Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event. In a twist, however, the Flash who vanishes in the crisis event is actually not Gustin’s Barry Allen. It’s John Wesley Shipp, who played Barry Allen in the 1990 Flash TV series. And, actually, he doesn’t vanish; he dies saving the entire Multiverse, just like in the comics.

While it’s unlikely Gustin will play the Scarlet Speedster again in James Gunn’s new DCU, Gunn has confirmed that he is a big Grant Gustin fan. We actually think the DCU’s Flash should be Wally West, Barry’s former sidekick who takes up the Flash mantle. If they need a Barry to cameo for that series or do flashbacks, though? You couldn’t find a better Barry than Grant Gustin. It’s nice to see that Gustin is still having fun with the role that made him famous. Hey, Lynda Carter still regularly posts Wonder Woman memes, and she hasn’t played the role since 1979! What’s good enough for Diana Prince is good enough for Barry Allen.

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For decades, the two titans of comic book publishing, DC and Marvel, would occasionally cross over for special event comics. But we haven’t had one of these in over 20 years. The previous crossover comics have remained out of print, available only via the back issue bins at your comic shop. Now, Marvel and DC are reprinting these beloved comics at last, in two massive hardcover omnibuses collecting almost every single crossover, including the ’90s DC Versus Marvel event, and its fallout, the fused-together Marvel/DC Amalgam universe. Both omnibuses will be coming out this summer.

DC President Jim Lee illustrates new covers for both omnibuses, showcasing his first time drawing Marvel characters like the X-Men in an official capacity in decades. You can see both covers, which are Direct Market exclusives, below:

DC vs. Marvel

Direct Market cover by Jim Lee, Scott Williams, and Alex Sinclair

DC vs. Marvel: The Amalgam Age

Direct Market cover by Jim Lee, Scott Williams, and Alex Sinclair

Here’s what we know so far about the DC and Marvel crossover comics reprints.

DC Versus Marvel Omnibus 

Who would win: Superman versus Spider-Man? Batman versus Captain America? The X-Men meeting the Teen Titans? DC Versus Marvel Omnibus collects crossovers between the core DC and Marvel characters starting from 1976’s Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man to 2000’s Batman/Daredevil. The collection includes stories from some of comics’ most revered talents. It features names like Dennis O’Neil, George Pérez, Dan Jurgens, Chris Claremont, Walter Simonson, J.M. DeMatteis, Mark Bagley, Gerry Conway, John Romita Jr., and more. DC and Marvel fans alike can’t miss these thrilling pieces of unearthed comic book history.

Specific issues included are Batman/Captain America #1, Batman/Daredevil #1, Batman/Punisher: Lake of Fire #1, Batman/Spider-Man #1, Daredevil/Batman #1, DC Special Series #27 (Batman vs. the Hulk), Darkseid vs. Galactus: The Hunger #1, Green Lantern/Silver Surfer: Unholy Alliances #1, Incredible Hulk vs. Superman #1, Marvel and DC Present Featuring the Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans #1, Marvel Treasury Edition #28 (Superman and Spider-Man), Punisher/Batman: Deadly Knights #1, Silver Surfer/Superman #1, Spider-Man and Batman #1, Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man #1, and Superman/Fantastic Four #1.

DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus 

This collection features stories first told in 1996 of the two superhero universes fused together into a new Amalgam Universe, combining DC’s and Marvel’s heroes, villains, and mythologies. The result was a series of unforgettable one-shot comic books starring the likes of Dark Claw (Batman and Wolverine), Super Soldier (Superman and Captain America), Iron Lantern (Iron Man and Green Lantern), and many more. Among the creators are Peter David, Dan Jurgens, Mark Waid, Dave Gibbons, Ron Marz, José Luis García-López, Gary Frank, Bill Sienkiewicz, Claudio Castellini, and more. This represents one of the most fun and unlikely periods in comic book history.

This omnibus collects the 1996 DC Versus Marvel series, issues #1-4, and the subsequent follow-up one-shots. Included is DC/Marvel: All Access #1-4, Unlimited Access #1-4, Bat-Thing #1, Bruce Wayne: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1, Bullets and Bracelets #1, Challengers of the Fantastic #1, Doctor Strangefate #1, Iron Lantern #1, Legends of the Dark Claw #1, Lobo the Duck #1, Speed Demon #1, Spider-Boy #1, Super Soldier #1, Thorion of the New Asgods #1, X-Patrol #1, and more. We imagine that the rest of the Amalgam issues like Amazon (Wonder Woman and Storm) and JLX (Justice League and X-Men) are also included. There will also be “a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes material.”

No JLA/Avengers…Yet.

Now, arguably the most famous of the Marvel and DC Crossovers is not included here. We’re talking about JLA/Avengers. That 2004 event comic was the biggest and last of the crossover events. It was written by Kurt Busiek and drawn by the legendary George Pérez. When Pérez announced his terminal diagnosis in 2021 the two publishers rushed a very limited-run reprint for charity. But it sold out almost instantly. We can only hope that the legendary title receives its own new deluxe edition. That’s one book that should never go out of print.

The DC Versus Marvel and DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age omnibuses both hit on August 6, 2024.

Originally published February 14, 2024.

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When people think of DC Comics hero Green Lantern, they tend to think of one of two characters — Hal Jordan, or John Stewart. But there’s another Lantern from the planet Earth who debuted after Hal, who has his fair share of fans, and has since the mid-‘80s. We’re talking about Guy Gardner, the loud-mouthed insufferable braggart with a power ring. And now, Firefly and Castle actor Nathan Fillion will play Guy Gardner in Superman: Legacy, and even beyond, according to James Gunn. But who is Guy Gardner, and why do people even like this big jerk?

Guy Gardner: Earth’s First Backup Green Lantern

Although he’s thought of as an ‘80s character primarily, Guy Gardner first appeared in 1968’s Green Lantern #59. In that issue, they established that the dying alien Abin Sur, who bequeathed his Green Lantern power ring to pilot Hal Jordan in his famous origin story, only gave it to him due to close proximity. Guy Gardner was Abin’s other choice, but was simply too far away to be eligible for selection. In this early appearance, Guy was a physical education teacher, and also a football player. He’s chosen as Hal’s backup as Green Lantern of Sector 2814 whenever Hal was incapacitated, but his time as Hal’s replacement was short-lived.

Guy Gardner ended up hit by a bus while trying to save one of his students during an earthquake, resulting in a brain injury. Hal’s new backup Lantern then became John Stewart, who was far more popular with readers. Guy only made a handful of appearances for much of the next decade following John’s introduction. He was eventually knocked into the Phantom Zone, home of Kryptonian criminals like General Zod, who tormented him for an undetermined period of time. Although he was eventually rescued by Superman and Hal Jordan, his mind was shattered. He ended up in a deep coma for years.

Guy Gardner Becomes the Green Lantern of the ’80s

During the ‘80s, Hal Jordan quit the Green Lantern Corps, and John Stewart became the permanent ring slinger of Sector 2814 (which included Earth). Guy was all but forgotten by DC writers, left to languish in a permanent off-panel coma. But during the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Guy awakened finally. The Guardians of the Universe, the Green Lantern Corps’ immortal alien bosses from the planet Oa, offered Guy a permanent power ring at last.

However, Guy’s traumas—his head injury, his time in the Phantom Zone, and his subsequent coma—had left him brain-damaged. He was also not happy to find that Hal Jordan was dating his girlfriend Kari Limbo when he was gone. During this era, they also revealed that he suffered an abusive childhood at the hands of his father while growing up in Michigan. His personality was no longer that of a kindly teacher. He was now brash, antagonist, and rude. They gave Guy a new costume, designed by artist Joe Staton, and he really became a whole new character. One with a fairly ridiculous (yet iconic) new bowl cut to match his new attitude.

Guy Gardner Becomes the Justice League’s Useful Idiot

Guy became super jingoistic, a parody of “rah-rah” ‘80s Americanism. He loved to quote Ronald Reagan, and tried to emulate the action movie characters of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. The other members of Earth’s Green Lantern Corps all couldn’t stand him, so he joined the newly formed Justice League International in 1987. There, Guy’s popularity soared, mainly as the member readers loved to hate. He constantly rallied to be elected leader of the team, even if no one else wanted it in the slightest.

His braggart, bullying ways constantly got on his fellow Leaguers’ nerves, until finally, Batman sucker punched him. Guy awoke from this latest head injury now a sweet, kindly sap. Irritating his fellow Leaguers in all new ways. But eventually, his “jerk” persona reemerged. Despite this, he began a romance with Ice, the only JLI member who saw Guy’s good side buried underneath the bravado. JLI writers Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis wrote Guy as the butt of the joke, but one that readers grew to love regardless.

Warrior: Guy Gardner’s New Superhero Alias

In the ‘90s, Guy underwent several transformations. He decided he was tired of being second and third fiddle to Earth Lanterns like Hal Jordan and John Stewart. He challenged Hal Jordan to a ring-free fistfight over who is the greatest Green Lantern. Hal won, leaving Guy humiliated and defeated. He turned in his power ring, and his role in the Corps. But he was later able to procure the villain Sinestro’s yellow power ring, and became a superhero once more. Finally, wearing the old yellow-powered Sinestro ring, he got his own ongoing series, simply titled Guy Gardner.

Although this iteration of Guy Gardner with the Sinestro ring lasted a few years, even helping Superman fight the monster Doomsday. Passed over to be Earth’s Green Lantern for new kid Kyle Rayner, eventually Guy received yet another makeover in the mid-90s. It was revealed to him that he had alien DNA, passed down from a race called the Vuldarians. These Vuldarians had tampered with mankind’s genetic code, particularly those of Gardner’s ancestors. With the genetic code unlocked, Gardner could now shapeshift his body into literal weapons. The unlocking of his code also cured him of many of his personality disorders, making him far less of a jerk than before. He took on the codename Warrior, and they changed his series to Guy Gardner: Warrior. He also opened a bar for the superhero crowd, appropriately named Warrior’s.

Guy Gardner Undergoes His Own Green Lantern: Rebirth

In the early 2000s, writer Geoff Johns reinvigorated the Green Lantern franchise, turning it into one of DC’s biggest sellers, right next to the Batman titles. He brought Hal Jordan back to life in Green Lantern: Rebirth, after ten years of being dead. He also removed all traces of the Vuldarian DNA from Guy Gardner, and returned him to Green Lantern status. This included his classic costume as well. Guy was brash again, but less of an outright jerk and bully. The Guardians of the Universe tasked Guy with training the next generation of Lanterns, and he reluctantly agreed. He fought in several significant battles during this era, like the Sinestro Corps War, the Blackest Night, and others.

Guy Gardner Trades a Green Ring For a Red One

During this time, Guy Gardner joined the Red Lantern Corps. Rage fueled the Red Lantern rings, much as pure willpower fueled the Green Lantern rings. Although he was seemingly a member of these anger-fueled ring bearers, he was actually still working undercover for the Green Lantern Corps, under orders from his frenemy Hal Jordan. He was a main character in the series Red Lanterns, where he tried to turn the crimson warriors into a force for good. Not long after, he was able to wield both red and green rings. But eventually, Guy’s Green Lantern ring purges the red energy, and Guy became a true Green Lantern again.

Nathan Fillion Will Play Green Lantern Guy Gardner in James Gunn’s DCU

Guy has had limited exposure in most outside comics media. Hal Jordan was the Green Lantern in the Super Friends cartoon, while John Stewart was the resident Lantern of the Justice League animated series. However, Guy Gardner has made a few appearances over the years, including guest starring roles in series like Young Justice, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and the 2011 Green Lantern animated show on Cartoon Network. But now, he’s about to get this biggest audience of all time, thanks to the Man of Steel.

After many years of fans dream casting Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern Hal Jordan, he played the role in animation eventually three times. First in Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, then in Justice League: Doom, and Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox. Now, James Gunn has cast his old friend in Superman: Legacy. That means Fillion will be the first big screen Lantern since the 2011 Ryan Reynolds movie.

Fillion recently shared of his DCU role:

The reality is that people have flaws. We all have quirks. We all have vulnerabilities. You could have the most wonderful family, but be like, ‘Oh, my God, my dad drives me nuts. He’s got this one thing.’ Everybody’s got something, and I love to lean into those faults and flaws. It’s what makes people real and what allows audiences to relate, because we all know what that is. We all have our own. We witness it in other people. Guy Gardner is 90% flawed and doesn’t care. That’s one of his flaws. I think there’s a real freedom in playing that. So, for a guy who likes to play flaws and flawed people, Guy Gardner is a gold mine.

Gunn has promised that Fillion’s Guy Gardner would continue on in the DCU. Although the upcoming Lanterns series will focus on Hal Jordan and John Stewart, it seems that Fillion will at least appear on it once. For someone once viewed as the “third most famous Green Lantern,” Guy Gardner has a bright future ahead.

Originally published on July 13, 2023.

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Two years ago, DC Comics’ ongoing flagship Justice League title ended with issue #75. It featured the death of the entire League. Oh, they got better pretty quickly. By the end of the Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths event, they were all back in the land of the living. Having said that, the comic giant decided to let the concept of the Justice League rest while they figured out their next move, leaving the Titans as Earth’s protectors. However, these two years have been the longest DC has ever gone without publishing a title with “Justice League” in the name since 1960. So what’s the hold up with a new Justice League series? And how can DC make sure a new iteration becomes a necessary and talked about comic book?

DC Comics: A World Without a Justice League

The Justice League of America first appeared in Brave and the Bold #28, published in February 1960. After a successful three-issue trial, the JLA received their own series by the end of that year. Unlike the World War II era Justice Society, the JLA had Superman and Batman as regular members. This elevated the team to A-list status. Since 1960, an ongoing book with the words Justice League in the title has been published by DC. That unbroken run ended after 62 years in 2022. The idea was that they’d come back bigger and better very soon. But unless you’re talking about out-of-continuity tales like Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong, we’re all still waiting for the League’s return.

DC is probably thinking “absence makes the heart grow fonder” in considering when to bring back the League, which makes sense. Marvel did a similar thing when the flagship series Fantastic Four ended its decades-long run in 2015. When the quartet relaunched in 2018, it was to much fanfare. But what will make this League relaunch stand out from so many in the past, aside from an unusually long break? We have some ideas on angles DC could take with League when the World’s Greatest Superheroes make their very welcome return. In fact, some of these ideas could inform James Gunn’s new DCU.

The Original 7 Justice Leaguers Have All Died and Come Back, Forming a Unique Bond Among the Team

The original Justice League was founded by seven members—Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Flash (Barry Allen), Aquaman, and the Martian Manhunter. Many other members have come and gone over the years. Yet in a lot of ways, those original seven remain the most iconic version of the team. However, since Barry Allen died in Crisis on Infinite Earths, the founders have not headlined a book together. When Barry returned after 23 years in 2009’s Flash: Rebirth, the assumption was a big JLA reunion book was next. Then 2011’s New 52 reboot happened, and everyone met again for the very first time. However, the New 52 continuity has largely been undone, with much of the original history of the League restored. And we haven’t seen the Big Seven reunite as a team since. Now seems like an ideal time.

The Original Justice League: Death Becomes Them

Besides being a nostalgic reunion, one thing bonds the original seven. They’ve all died and come back. And not just the standard “We thought they were dead, but it was a clone/they were in a coma/it was an alternate universe version.” They all actually died, went on to a form of an afterlife, and returned. Yes, even the very human Batman in the event series Final Crisis. Some were dead for many years, like Barry Allen and Hal Jordan. Others, like Wonder Woman, for just a few months.

With this detail in mind, the Leaguers all having gone to face the Grim Reaper and come out the other side could serve as the basis of an interesting team dynamic. Are they all functionally immortal now? Writer Grant Morrison played with the metaphor of the “Big Seven” Leaguers as Olympian Gods of the DCU in his ’90s JLA series. Could that interpretation be more literal than metaphorical? They certainly share a weird bond no other team has at DC. (However, we must note, that the X-Men at Marvel certainly do.) It’s fodder for an interesting reunion take for DC Comics’ most famous heroes.

It’s Time for Justice League Unlimited in the DC Universe

Having said that, the original seven should just be a starting point for whatever DC does next. Because let’s face it, that’s a heavily white and male team for the year of our Lord Darkseid 2024. It’s time for the League to take a cue from their greatest media incarnation of the team, the Justice League Unlimited. It’s time to open the doors to every hero in the DCU. In the JLU animated series, the League became more than a team. It became almost a conglomerate for superheroes. It was a true society of superpowers, in a way their predecessors the Justice Society of America never were.

The comics have played with this notion before, like the excellent Justice League International run of the ‘80s. Yet never on the scale of the Justice League Unlimited cartoon show. The League expanding in this manner allows it to truly grow into something unique, something its rival the Avengers over at Marvel have never been. Maybe, the original seven founders realize they had to return from their respective graves to make the League something bigger than they ever dreamed of in the beginning. It could be something grander that goes beyond the definitions of what we now think of as a superhero team.

A Strong Comic Book Justice League Can Inform the Big Screen Version

Of course, comics are the primary source of inspiration for most live-action content. The New 52 League was the main inspiration for the DCEU version, from Cyborg as a founding member, to their first villain being from the planet Apokolips. So it would be fitting for whatever DC’s new Justice League becomes to inspire the eventual DCU version. We’ve believed for some time now that Gunn’s DCU would have an already existing Justice League in it, but if the comic book League is a gigantic group with many members and branches, we wouldn’t hate for that concept to make that transition to film and TV.

Whatever DC does when it inevitably relaunches the Justice League title, there should be top-notch creatives on it. Justice League should always be DC’s biggest title. It was in the Silver Age, again in the post-Crisis JLI era, and also in the ’90s Grant Morrison years. Like it or hate it, the New 52 Justice League carried the line, sales-wise, for a good long time. It was not an afterthought series for the publisher. It would be shocking if we don’t see a relaunch by 2025, the Justice League of America’s 65th anniversary. Here’s hoping it’s something that gets the readership excited, and springboard’s comics’ greatest superhero team into the future. They deserve a series that reflects their status as the world’s greatest superteam.

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Harley Quinn, now played by pop icon Lady Gaga, will return to the big screen in Joker: Folie à Deux. She succeeds Margot Robbie, who played the character in three different DCEU movies. But judging from the first trailer, this take on Harleen Quinzel will be somewhat different from the ones fans have known for over 30 years. Here’s how director Todd Phillips’ version of Harley Quinn differs from the traditional version we’ve come to know since she debuted in Batman: The Animated Series.

The Batman: The Animated Series Origin of Harley Quinn

Harley Quinn was created by Bruce Timm and Paul Dini in 1992, as a sidekick/girlfriend for the Joker on Batman: The Animated Series. Thanks to a wonderful performance from actress Arleen Sorkin, who inspired the character in the first place, she became a fan favorite. By the end of the ’90s, DC incorporated her into the DC Comics universe proper. A year after her debut, Timm and Dini teamed up for the comic book Mad Love. This was the first origin story presented for Harley. It would later serve as the template for a 1999 episode of The New Batman Adventures of the same name.

In her origin story, her real name was Harleen Francis Quinzel and she was the Joker’s therapist at Arkham Asylum. The name was a nod to her voice actress, Arleen Francis Sorkin. Harleen had gone to Gotham University under a gymnastics scholarship but also studied psychology. She hoped to write a book about a famous killer and make a name for herself that way. When she became a psychiatric intern at Arkham Asylum, she saw the Joker as her meal ticket. But the Joker manipulated her and told her lies. He made himself seem sympathetic and a victim of circumstance. She fell in love with him and he twisted her mind in the process. Ultimately, she helped him escape Arkham and became his willing accomplice, girlfriend, and literal partner-in-crime. Joker christened her with the name Harley Quinn, since her real name, Harleen Quinzel, reminded him of a harlequin.

DC Comics Adds to Harley Quinn’s Backstory

The writers at DC Comics kept this cartoon backstory largely intact. Later, they added an explanation for her enhanced strength and agility. Those powers were the result of a serum created for her by her sometime girlfriend Poison Ivy. It also made her immune to most toxins and poisons. Eventually, Harley broke free of the Joker’s abuse for good, and became something of an antihero. In DC’s New 52 reboot, DC added in the detail of the Joker pushing Harley into the same vat of chemicals that bleached his skin and drove him mad. The 2016 Suicide Squad movie, featuring Margot Robbie, incorporated this detail into her live-action origin story.

Lady Gaga’s Harley Is an Arkham Inmate, Not Joker’s Therapist

For the upcoming Joker: Folie à Deux, it looks like Gaga’s version of Harley Quinn will differ significantly. She’ll be another inmate at Arkham, not a therapist treating Fleck. Although, for all we know, she was a therapist once, just not his. Much like the comics, it looks like she will play a key role in breaking Fleck out of Arkham. Judging from the teaser, it appears she has more of an upper hand in the relationship than he does. She seems to be manipulating him more than the other way around. At least in one scene, Harley will sport her traditional red and black color scheme, which is a clear nod to the comics. We’re not even sure if her real name in this universe is Harleen Quinzel, as the name Arthur Fleck isn’t from the comics.

We’ll know for sure when Joker: Folie à Deux hits theaters on October 4.

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When Todd Phillips’ Joker made over a billion dollars at the box office in 2019, and earned Joaquin Phoenix an Oscar, a sequel became inevitable. But how would director Todd Phillips follow up his unconventional film that was more a dark drama about mental illness than a standard comic book movie? The answer — make it a musical! And cost pop icon Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn! When fans heard this news, there was befuddlement. But now we have our first trailer for Joker: Folie à Deux, which debuted at Cinema Con. So we have a much better idea of where Phillips is going with this continuation of Arthur Fleck’s story. You can check it out below:

In this version of Harley Quinn, it looks like Harleen Quinzel is an inmate of Arkham Asylum, and not a doctor. At least, not anymore. She convinces Arthur Fleck to stage a breakout, as she follows his lead and begins to wear the clown makeup herself. If the first Joker drew inspiration from Martin Scorsese’s films Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy, then Todd Phillips is taking a bigger gamble here. Because for Joker: Folie à Deux, he’s clearly taking a cue from Scorsese’s notorious musical flop, New York, New York. Only with Gaga’s Harley in a bit of the Liza Minelli role from that film. Now, just because the film flopped doesn’t mean it was bad. But back in the day, nobody expected Scorsese to follow up a film like Taxi Driver with a musical movie.

Joker: Folie à Deux is the only DC film coming out in 2024. As with the first film, it has no connection to any other DC Comics-based film. It wasn’t connected to the (now over) DCEU, and won’t connect to James Gunn’s new DCU either. In a sense, making it like the DC Comics Elseworlds brand of comics. The first film made over a billion at the global box office. Can a sequel really catch lightning in a bottle like that again? We’ll find out when Joker: Folie à Deux hits theaters on October 4, 2024.

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Younger comic book fans might not know the name José Luis García-López. Rest assured, they do recognize his art. The Spanish-Argentine artist drew many iconic comics back in the day, like Batman vs. The Incredible Hulk, The New Teen Titans, and more. However, it’s one project that has cemented him as the DC Comics artist, and no fan could ever actually purchase it. In 1982, the publisher commissioned him to illustrate all their major heroes and villains for their in-house Style Guide. It was the reference book other artists were meant to use to get characters’ costumes right, especially in merchandise. Now, DC Comics is honoring JLGL with a series of variant covers using his original DC Comics Style Guide art.

Click To View Gallery

This July, the key character turnarounds from the legendary DC Comics Style Guide are set to be featured for the first time on a set of Artist Spotlight variant covers honoring the DC Comics legend. Look for Artist Spotlight variant covers on Batman #150, Green Arrow #14, Green Lantern #13, Shazam! #13, Superman #16, The Flash #11 and Wonder Woman #11. The Justice League of America has never looked so good. You can check each of them out in our gallery above.

DC uses many of these José Luis García-López illustrations in products for the Super Powers action figure line in the ’80s, and even on t-shirts, mugs, and other merchandise still today. Even with many costume changes at DC over the decades, these Bronze Age versions of the characters remain the most iconic. For years, fans have clamored for DC to release the entire Style Guide to fans, as before it was for internal use only (images have all been online for years). Here’s hoping this is the first step towards actually seeing that in print.

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Recently, DC Comics fans were overjoyed to find out that the Teen Titans would be coming to the big screen in James Gunn’s new DCU. The property has had a long history in non-comics media, most notably the massively successful Teen Titans animated series from the early 2000s, and its long-running spin-off, Teen Titans Go! In 2018, there was also a live-action Titans series produced for the Max streaming service, which lasted four seasons and ended in 2023. Will the third time be the charm in adapting the comics in a truly faithful manner? Here are the crucial ingredients needed to make the Teen Titans truly fly as a feature film.

Use the Best Teen Titans Roster

The Teen Titans first appeared in 1965, and were not much more than a quartet of “Junior Justice Leaguers” led by Robin, the Boy Wonder. The series was a moderate success, but DC canceled it several times in the ’70s. However, the 1980 revival The New Teen Titans, by creators Marv Wolfman and George Perez, was a runaway success for DC Comics. Although three original Titans remained, the breakout stars were new characters Starfire, Raven, and Cyborg, and a re-imagining of the obscure Doom Patrol hero Beast Boy (then Changeling). This team line-up became iconic, and although other Titans teams have come and gone since, DC always defaults back to a version of this most popular roster.

So why is this version the best? Wolfman and Perez made this team a true family, more Fantastic Four than Justice League. Because of this, while there have been other lineups, even decent ones, they almost always paled in comparison. It’s why the animated show mostly used these characters, as well as the live-action show (which left out Cyborg). Currently, the adult Titans title from Tom Taylor is the same lineup as in their ’80s heyday, minus the “teen” part. Some newer additions might be warranted for a film, like Damian Wayne as Robin. Yet DC Studios would be wise to not stray too far from what has worked best for over 40 years when bringing the Teen Titans to the big screen.

Show Dick Grayson’s Transition From Robin To Nightwing

It just doesn’t feel like the Titans, teen or otherwise, unless it’s got Dick Grayson in the lead. This is why I think the Teen Titans movie should cover Dick Grayson’s transition from Robin, Batman’s kid partner, to Nightwing, his own adult heroic identity. In the comics, it was in the pages of The New Teen Titans where Dick Grayson made the transition from Batman’s sidekick in little green shorts and booties into the popular grown-up superhero that we know and love today. A character who is easily one of DC Comics’ most popular heroes. The show should cover his Robin to Nightwing journey, before spinning him off into a solo Nightwing film.

Teen Titans Must Find a Way to Include Cyborg

Although a founding member of the New Teen Titans in the comics, as well as a crucial part of the Teen Titans animated series, once DC Comics graduated the character of Cyborg to full Justice League member back in 2011, they totally severed his connection to the team where he debuted for years. He was nowhere to be found in the recent Teen Titans: The Judas Contract animated movie for instance, and wasn’t in the live-action series either. Although DC has somehow let the character remain in Teen Titans Go! on Cartoon Network. In recent years, DC has realized this mistake, and incorporated Victor Stone back into the Titans. Cyborg’s friendship with Beast Boy is also an important element of the team dynamic, one Gunn should absolutely include.

Teen Titans Can’t Forget Wonder Girl Donna Troy

While the movie will almost certainly include Starfire and Raven, the third most important female member of the team is Donna Troy, a.k.a. Wonder Girl. To some, she may seem like just a junior version of Wonder Woman, and that is how she started. But by the time the New Teen Titans formed she was a crucial balancing role in the dynamic of the team’s primary three ladies. Starfire was the wildly emotional and passionate member. Meanwhile, Raven had to control her emotions to the point of almost being a female Spock. So Donna was the balancing element in the middle of this trio. Plus, having an Amazon like Donna Troy opens up the world of Greek mythology, and that could be super cool.

Don’t Adapt The Judas Contract Right Away

The Judas Contract is the most seminal Titans story of all time, even after 40 years. It is to the Titans what The Dark Phoenix Saga is to the X-Men. So it’s got to be tempting for filmmakers to jump right to that story. But they shouldn’t. The 2017 animated film did a pretty good job of adapting it. Yet 80 minutes just scratches the surface where this story is concerned. Like Dark Phoenix, this is a story intended for long-form storytelling. There’s a reason X-Men: The Animated Series is the best version of Dark Phoenix Saga to this day—both the live-action movies rushed things.

The DCU can’t make the same mistake with Teen Titans. The basic premise of The Judas Contract played out over two years in the comics. The Titans welcomed a plucky young teenage girl named Tara Markov who has earth-based powers to the team. The team eventually discovers she’s a mole their deadliest enemy, the mercenary Deathstroke, placed within the team as a spy. This whole saga deserves to play out over several films, not the first out of the gate. If Teen Titans gets sequels, then maybe cover this story.

Teen Titans Should Visit the Exotic Locales from the Comics

With the likely inclusion of both Starfire and Raven on the team, that means we are going to be dealing with the worlds of both aliens and demons. The Titans TV series didn’t have the budget to pull these off. However, a big-budget feature can show us Tamaran, Starfire’s home planet, or Azarath, the magical dimension home to Raven. Wonder Girl’s home is Themyscira, home of the Amazons, which could also be a location. It would be wild if Donna Troy was the new DCU’s way into Greek mythology before Wonder Woman herself arrives.

Make Sure to Use Titan’s Tower

The Justice League has their Watchtower, and their Hall of Justice. The Avengers have their tower and their compound. But the Teen Titans have a famous HQ of their own—Titan’s Tower. Located on an island across the bay from New York (or sometimes, San Francisco), this T-shaped structure is both wonderful and silly, in the best way possible. The movie must use it, even if it’s only at the end of the film. The animated series used a fairly accurate version, while the live-action show had just a standard skyscraper. We think a Teen Titans movie can do better and we can’t wait to see what Gunn and company cook up.

Originally published April 26, 2017.

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It’s been rumored for some time now, but now it’s official—according to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. and DC Studios are moving forward with a live-action Teen Titans movie. Screenwriter Ana Nogueira, who has written the script for the upcoming Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, is tackling the project. This is in its earliest stages, so there’s no director attached yet. Nogueira started out as an actress, appearing on shows like the CW’s The Vampire Diaries, before transitioning into writing. Her off-Broadway play Which Way to the Stage premiered in 2022.

Teen Titans is easily one of DC Comics’ most successful brands. It started out in the ’60s as a lighthearted series about the Justice League’s sidekicks. However, it was the ’80s reboot that made the team into comic book superstars. Under the guidance of creators Marv Wolfman and George Perez, The New Teen Titans kept members like Robin and Wonder Girl, adding new heroes like Cyborg, Starfire, and Raven, who became breakout stars. The comic was DC’s most popular by far at the time, only outsold by Marvel’s Uncanny X-Men. Robin’s transition into Nightwing occurred in New Teen Titans, transforming him into one of DC’s most popular heroes.

The characters really became mainstream household names thanks to the 2003 Teen Titans animated series on Cartoon Network, which was an anime-influenced version of the ’80s team. They followed that series with Teen Titans Go!, which aimed at an even younger crowd. In 2018, Titans came to live-action, in a series that ran for four seasons on the DC Universe streaming service, and later, on Max. The Titans show was the opposite of the cartoons, going dark and grim instead of goofy and fun. Neither animated nor live-action television takes really adapted the tone of the comics that inspired them. Here’s hoping the DCU version will finally give us a version that does justice to this very iconic DC brand.

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The villains turned “heroes” of DC Comics’ Suicide Squad are back, only this time, they’re getting an anime makeover. The folks at Warner Bros. Japan/WIT Studio have revealed the trailer, character art, main theme song, and voice cast for Suicide Squad ISEKAI. Directed by Eri Osada, with a screenplay by Tappei Nagatsuki, this is an all-new original anime series. Based on the classic DC characters, it includes icons like Harley Quinn, the Joker, and Peacemaker. You can check out the latest trailer for Suicide Squad ISEKAI, and read the official synopsis for the series, down below:

In the crime-ridden city of Gotham, Amanda Waller, the head of A.R.G.U.S., has assembled a group of notorious criminals for a mission: Harley Quinn, Deadshot, Peacemaker, Clayface, and King Shark. These Super-Villains are sent into an otherworldly realm that’s connected to this world through a gate. It’s a world of swords and magic where orcs rampage and dragons rule the skies—an “ISEKAI”!

With lethal explosives planted in their necks, there’s no running or hiding, and failing the mission means a one-way ticket to the afterlife! Can Harley Quinn and her crew conquer this perilous ISEKAI realm?! Brace yourselves for the pulse-pounding saga of the elite task force known as the “Suicide Squad” as they embark on a jaw-dropping adventure!

The new anime series showcases favorites from the first Suicide Squad film, like Deadshot and the Joker. But also brings in characters used in James Gunn’s sequel, like our boy King Shark and Peacemaker. And then there are new additions to the team, like Clayface. Although there are several Batman characters in this series and a Gotham City setting, there is no sign of the Dark Knight anywhere. But we have a feeling ol’ Bats will pop in somewhere.

The voice cast includes Anna Nagase as Harley, Yuuichirou Umehara as the Joker, Reigo Yamaguchi as Deadshot, Takehito Koyasu as Peacemaker, Jun Fukuyama as Clayface, and Subaru Kimura as King Shark.

Most recently, this Suicide Squad anime also added Amanda Waller, Katana, and Rick Flag to the mix.

Suicide Squad ISEKAI is set for a global release in 2024.

Originally published on December 1, 2023.

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James Gunn’s new Superman film, titled simply Superman, has just begun filming. And many fans are wondering just what bits of Superman media Gunn is using as his source material for his new take. Well, in a post in Instagram, Gunn shared several images which show where he drew inspiration for his take on the Last Son of Krypton. Some are from comics, some from animation. But all are iconic in their own way.

Superman: The Movie (1978)

In the post, James Gunn answers a fan question on his inspirations “other than the Donner films.” That is a reference to Richard Donner, who directed 1978’s Superman: The Movie and much of Superman II. We know that the Donner Superman films starring Christopher Reeve are a key inspiration, as Lex Luthor’s minions Otis and Eve Teschmacher from those movies are in the film.

Superman #1 (1940)

The first image Gunn showed was a very early Joe Shuster drawing of the Man of Steel breaking out of chains, from the back cover of Superman #1 from 1939. This gives us an indication that, in many ways, Gunn is going back to the very beginning of Superman’s earliest comic book adventures.

All-Star Superman (2008)

The next comic book inspiration is from writer Grant Morrison’s seminal 2005-2008 series All-Star Superman. Specifically, issue #10. This famous image from artist Frank Quitely sums up everything that Kal-El is about. We see Superman save a suicidal person from taking their own life, by talking to them and showing love and compassion. This single page captures Superman’s essence in a nutshell.

Max Fleischer’s Superman (1941)

The following image Gunn posted was from the Max Fleischer animated shorts from 1941. These popular shorts were crucial in forming many signature traits of Superman’s, such as his ability to fly and not just “leap tall building in a single bound.” That costume featured a yellow border around the “S” shield, something the new cinematic costume will also have.

Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? (1986)

Next, Gunn showed off an iconic page of despondent Superman with his dog Krypto in his arctic fortress. It’s illustrated by Curt Swan and George Perez, from the classic Alan Moore story “Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?” This story closed out the Silver Age/Bronze Age era of Superman comics, before the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths reboot Man of Steel. As already indicated by Gunn, this seems to assure us that Superman will have his Fortress of Solitude.

Superman Annual #6 (1962)

This image, by perhaps the artist most identified with the character, Curt Swan, is from Superman Annual #6 from 1962. It epitomizes the Superman of the Silver Age, with his vast family of characters. There’s Supergirl, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen, his friends the Legion of Super-Heroes, and villains like Mxyzsptlk and Bizarro. This seems to indicate Clark will have a large extended family of characters in this movie, adding fuel to the fire that Milly Alcock’s Supergirl will appear.

New 52 Action Comics (2011)

The next image is far more recent, from the New 52 reboot of Superman from 2011. In this cover from Action Comics #4 by Michael Choi, we see a young Clark in his earliest hero days, before he could fly, and wore a t-shirt, jeans, and boots. Oh, and a little cape. It’s not really Superman without the cape, is it? This reboot harkened back to the Superman of 1938, when he was a “working man’s hero,” who fought corrupt politicians and elected officials in the Depression. This is yet another example of a Grant Morrison take on Superman serving as inspiration.

Kingdom Come/Justice Society of America (1996, 2010)

Superman from the universe of Mark Waid and Alex Ross’ Elseworlds 1996 mini-series Kingdom Come is next. Or rather, that older Superman’s appearance in the Justice Society of America story “Thy Kingdom Come” in the 2000s, when he crossed from the Kingdom Come universe to the “main” DC Earth. That story told of Clark Kent after he’d retired when a personal tragedy drove him away from Metropolis. The “S” shield design in the new movie is almost identical to Kingdom Come’s Superman, only without the black.

Superman: The Animated Series (1996)

Superman: The Animated Series debuted in 1996, set in the same world as Batman: The Animated Series. This image Gunn shared is from the show’s opening credits. The Superman of this series drew inspiration from the ’80s reboot of the character, particularly the evil CEO version of Lex Luthor. The show’s Metropolis was very art déco-inspired, which could play out in Gunn’s film. Creator Bruce Timm and Paul Dini largely reinvented the villain Brainiac for this series, as a Kryptonian AI. Maybe it’s a hint that he plays a part in the new film?

Superman For All Seasons (1995)

The late Tim Sale’s art from the four-issue mini-series Superman For All Seasons, written by Jeph Loeb, is next. It shows Clark Kent saying goodbye to his father Jonathan Kent as he prepares to leave Smallville for Metropolis. It has an almost Normal Rockwell quality to it, which may translate well to the big screen. Gunn has stated many times that the series Superman For All Seasons would be a big influence on his film. Showing this page is just another example.

Action Comics (2021)

Lastly, the most recent image used is from 2021’s Action Comics #1035, with a page from current Wonder Woman artist Daniel Sampare. It shows a married Lois and Clark take to the sky where they kiss under the stars. This lets us know that the love story between the two ace Daily Planet reporters is going to play a key factor in the DCU’s new Superman film.

The post James Gunn’s Main SUPERMAN Movie Inspirations, Explained appeared first on Nerdist.

As DC Comics has realized over the decades, whenever storylines get stale, it’s always useful to add a little Joker chaos to the mix. That’s what the folks at Rocksteady are doing for the upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League game. Via Polygon, we’ve learned the Clown Prince of Crime himself will be a playable character in the game. He joins Harley Quinn, Captain Boomerang, Deadshot, and King Shark. If you’re wondering the Joker, who died in Rocksteady’s Arkhamverse, can join Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, the answer is simple. He’s a Multiversal variant.

This “Elseworlds” version of the Joker will arrive in the Season One DLC for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Both the Joker and Season One will release on March 28. According to Rocksteady, he comes from an Earth where “he hadn’t reached supervillain status before Brainiac invaded.” As a younger version of the crazed villain we all know, he’s just “unhinged in a different way.” He’s a bigger team player, since on his Earth, he was a member of the Suicide Squad too. Aside from the usual arsenal of firearms, this Suicide Squad Joker will have a rocket-powered umbrella to get around with as well. Which, if you ask us, sounds very Penguin to us. Maybe he stole it from old Oswald Cobblepot on his Earth.

Rocksteady said in a recent video, “Every season will change how you play the game and will be themed around a DC villain.” The plan right now is for three seasons. Current rumors suggest those villians could include Mister Freeze and Deathstroke. If you’re going up against a team with a brainwashed Superman? Then maybe it would help to have Bizarro on board. Just a suggestion. And just like the Joker, with the Multiverse in play, any dead villains from the Arkham games are now on the table for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Additional content in season one includes new boss fights and enemy variants, plus a new playable environment themed to the Joker, and more.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is out on February 2 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. As mentioned, the Joker and the Season One DLC for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League will arrive on March 28.

Originally published on January 23, 2024.

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In the DC Universe, many worthy heroes have wielded the power of the Green Lantern power ring. Hal Jordan, John Stewart, Guy Gardner, to name but a few. And of course, alien Lanterns like Kilowog. Once, an entire living planet was a Green Lantern, named Mogo. Well, DC’s latest G.L. isn’t quite as big as a planet. But he’s big enough to climb the Empire State Building. Yes, in the upcoming series finale of Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong, issue #7, King Kong will become a Green Lantern. You can see him glow with the emerald power of Oa in the image from DC Comics and Legendary Comics below:

You can read the official synopsis for Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong’s final issue, by Brian Buccellato, Christian Duce, and Luis Guerrero, right here:

On June 25, the crossover that no one expected reaches its climax with the release of Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #7, available at participating comic book shops and e-tailers. In this series finale, two worlds face annihilation in an all-out war between the DCU and Leg­endary’s Monsterverse! With the help of Godzilla and Kong, can the Justice League win a battle against a re-formed Mechagodzilla and a new, even more deadly, hybrid Titan—a byproduct of two worlds, the likes of which neither universe has ever seen!

Luckily for Kong, he doesn’t have to wear a giant silly domino mask as Green Lantern. So how will everyone’s favorite big hairy ape earn the power ring? Well, traditionally in DC lore, to earn the power of a Lantern ring, one has to be almost totally fearless. The Guardians of the Universe choose only those without fear to represent their sector of space. Considering that Kong has taken on Godzilla multiple times, and now heroes like Superman and the Flash, we think he’s safely earned the title “fearless.” We just want to know how he recited the Green Lantern oath. Is it just roars?

Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #7 arrives on June 25.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

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Although it will be some time before we see David Corenswet in the full Kal-El regalia for James Gunn’s Superman (no longer Superman: Legacy) we did get a preview of a very important part of the costume — the ‘S’ shield emblem of the Last Son of Krypton. Although the photo released by James Gunn on social media on Clark Kent’s birthday doesn’t give us a full view of it, we have a pretty good idea of what the symbol looks like now. It draws inspiration from three distinct eras of Superman. Some from the pages of DC Comics, and some from other media. Here are the principal design influences on the new Superman ‘S’ shield.

Kingdom Come Superman

The first Superman ‘S’ Shield that the new emblem recalls is the one artist Alex Ross designed for the series Kingdom Come. That 1996 mini-series by writer Mark Waid was about an older Superman, one who retired from being a hero after a personal tragedy. This is a darker Superman, so the yellow in the emblem was replaced with black. But the very minimalist ‘S’ shape is present in the version of Gunn’s design. We actually have seen this design in live-action before. Brandon Routh used it in the Arrowverse Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event in 2019. At first, it was a direct copy of the Kingdom Come look. By the end, it was a version in the traditional Superman colors. One of the first teases Gunn released on social media when he took over DC Studios was an image from Kingdom Come. Now we know why.

Golden Age/Fleischer Animated Superman

The yellow trim outside the ‘S’ shield goes back to the earliest days of the comics. About two years after Superman debuted in 1938’s Action Comics #1, his emblem began to be a black triangle with a big red ‘S’ in the center, surrounded by a yellow trim. The yellow trim didn’t last that long in print. But they used it in a major milestone in non-comics Superman media. We’re talking about the 1940s-era Fleischer cartoons, which ran as afternoon serials. These shorts were extremely popular, and a big influence on the look and design of Batman: The Animated Series. Although the comics quickly pivoted away from the yellow trim, it’s clearly present in the costume design David Corenswet is going to wear.

The Classic Superman Emblem

Finally, the color scheme for this Superman looks to be pretty classic. The iconic Superman emblem most people know, worn by Christopher Reeve and seen on countless pieces of merchandise, made its debut in 1944. And it mostly stuck around for decades after, undergoing only minor revisions. Red and yellow is how we mostly think of the Superman emblem today. So far, it seems that Gunn is sticking to that aesthetic. Although it’s hard to say, the color palette does look more muted than the classic version. It’s akin to the one worn by Henry Cavill in Man of Steel, or Tyler Hoechlin in Superman and Lois. However, that could be lighting. The actual suit colors might “pop” a lot more than what we see in the image.

Superman hits theaters on July 11, 2025.

The post The Comic Book Influences of Superman’s New ‘S’ Shield appeared first on Nerdist.

Superman: Legacy just had its first table read for the principal cast in Atlanta, where most of the filming will take place. We know this thanks to a cast selfie posted by James Gunn on social media. But the newest Superman film will also be shot in Cleveland and Cincinnati. We’ve learned this is thanks to tax credits the production received from the state of Ohio. This has significance for two reasons. The first is that Cleveland is where young Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created Superman as teenagers. The second though, might have larger implications for the DCU. You see, Cincinnati is the real-life home of the Justice League’s home base, the Hall of Justice. Well, sort of.

The Justice League has had many headquarters in the comics. A secret cave, a satellite in space, and a Watchtower on the moon. But thanks to the 1970s Super Friends cartoon, most people think of one HQ in particular when thinking of where the League hangs their capes—the Hall of Justice. Because it was so popular in the cartoon, the comics eventually incorporated it into mainstream continuity. However, Super Friends creators Al Gmuer and Joe Barbera lifted the design from Union Terminal in Cincinnati. First built in 1933, Union Terminal is a museum today. But with Superman: Legacy filming in Cincinnati, could using this building be too good an opportunity to pass up?

Now, we don’t even know that there’s a Justice League in this new DCU. That said, our best guess is that there is a functioning Justice League already in the film. The fact that prominent League members like Green Lantern Guy Gardner, Hawkgirl, Mister Terrific, and Metamorpho are in the film suggests a version of the Justice League already exists. If they do, then they need a base of operations. So with filming in Cincinnati, why not just use the building that inspired the Hall of Justice in the first place? At least the exterior anyway. We may just have our superhero tin foil hats on, but we wouldn’t be surprised if this bit of speculation turns out to be real.

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For years, fans have been clamoring for some kind of revival of Batman Beyond on the big screen, either in live-action or animation. The animated series, which turns 25 this year, retains a loyal following. DC Comics has even incorporated its characters and concepts into the comics. Well, a creative from Sony’s Spider-Verse films, along with writer/artist Patrick Harpin, actually did pitch a Batman Beyond animated film months ago and some of the gorgeous concept art is online. Spider-Verse production designer Yukhi Demers shared some of that art for the pitch via Twitter. In it, you can see Batman fighting off his adversary Inque. He’s hoping that it gets some traction and maybe the powers-that-be decide it’s worth a go.

In his post Demers said, “Before we pitched, they warned us, ‘there is absolutely no way we can do a 𝘉𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 movie’, but they loved our enthusiasm. We pitched the outline for the entire film, and what started as a ‘never’ turned into a ‘maybe’. In the time since, we’ve been pitching our way up the company hoping to get to James Gunn. This means it never made it to the proper offices of DC Studios. But there’s no way Gunn doesn’t see this now, and see the intense enthusiasm for such a project. Especially if it’s coming from the people behind Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse.“

Batman Beyond takes place in a relatively near future, where Gotham City has become Neo-Gotham, a futuristic amalgam of Blade Runner’s Los Angeles and Akira’s Neo-Tokyo. Average Gotham teenager Terry McGinnis loses his father to a violent crime, and falls under the mentorship of an elder Bruce Wayne. Long retired from crime-fighting, Wayne trains Terry to be the new Batman, wearing a high-tech futuristic suit.

While we’ve long clamored for a live-action Batman Beyond with Michael Keaton as the elder Wayne. However, we’d take the very same concept in animation. Hopefully, seeing these Batman Beyond animated art images alerts someone at DC Studios this chance is too good to pass up.

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Batman has been protecting Gotham City in the pages of DC Comics for a whopping 85 years. To honor his incredible legacy, The Folio Society, independent publisher of illustrated hardback books, in collaboration with DC, honors the Dark Knight’s first appearance with the release of DC: Batman.

This collectible compilation includes twelve seminal comics by a host of iconic writers and artists. These creators include Bill Finger, Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson, Denny O’Neil, Neal Adams, Marshall Rogers, Frank Miller, Dave Mazzucchelli, Alan Moore, Brian Bolland, and Kelley Jones. Former DC President, and Publisher Jennette Khan selected and introduced each story. You can check out images of the new scans from Batman #232 with art by Neal Adams, below:

Click To View Gallery

Along with the 320-page one-of-a-kind deluxe book, DC: Batman also comes with a stand-alone replica copy of Batman #1. Scanned in its entirety from an original 1940 copy, the replica copy of the Batman #1 comic book, which includes the original back-up strips and vintage ads, introduces DC’s Clown Prince of Crime, The Joker, and The Cat, later known as Catwoman.

Among the seminal comics included are the following stories from Batman’s publishing history:

Golden Age

“The Bat-Man,” from Detective Comics #27 (May 1939) by Bill Finger and Bob Kane, “Robin—the Boy Wonder,” from Detective Comics #38 (April 1940) by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, and “The Crimes of Two-Face!” from Detective Comics #66 (August 1942) by Bill Finger, Jerry Robinson, and George Roussos.

Bronze Age

“Batman and Green Arrow: The Senator’s Been Shot!” from The Brave and the Bold #85 (September 1969) by Bob Haney, Neal Adams, and Dick Giordano, “Daughter of the Demon” from Batman #232 (June 1971) by Dennis O’Neil, Neal Adams, and Dick Giordano, and “The Dead Yet Live” from Detective Comics #471 (August 1977) by Steve Englehart, Marshall Rogers, and Terry Austin.

Modern Age

“The Dark Knight Returns” from Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1 (June 1986) by Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, and Lynn Varley, “Batman: Year One—Chapter One: Who I Am—How I Come to Be,” from Batman #404 (February 1987) by Frank Miller, Dave Mazzucchelli, and Richmond Lewis, Batman: The Killing Joke (July 1988) by Alan Moore, Brian Bolland, and Richard Bruning, “The Last Arkham (Part One)” from Batman: Shadow of the Bat #1 (June 1992) by Alan Grant, Brian Stelfreeze, Norm Breyfogle, and “Knightfall Part 1: Crossed Eyes and Dotty Teas,” from Batman #492 (May 1993) by Doug Moench, Kelley Jones, Bob LeRose, and Norm Breyfogle.

Former DC president Jennette Khan sums up why Batman remains such an enduring myth in her introduction to this book:

“Trauma is a through-line in the Batman mythology. It has made psychopaths of Batman’s foes and brought him to the edge of madness himself. Batman’s battle is not just against criminals and crime. He fears the day he’ll look into a mirror and see, not Bruce Wayne’s face, but The Joker’s.” 

These comics have been reproduced in 10” x 7” treasury format. The anti-scratch laminated hardcover features Batman’s signature silhouette, with titles foil-embossed in yellow and midnight blue. The book itself has a pitch-black slipcase bearing the famous Bat-Signal. It’s a compendium of gothic artwork and Batarang-sharp storytelling. DC: Batman is an investigation into the adventures and pathology of one of the world’s most famous—and most troubled—superheroes.

DC: Batman will be available from for US $100/£65 on February 20, 2024, exclusively from Folio Society.

The post DC: BATMAN Hardcover Book Celebrates 85 Years of the Dark Knight appeared first on Nerdist.

The Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans special set both titular teams against a cosmic menace so huge, that it took both groups to take them down — the union of DC Comics’ Darkseid and Marvel’s Dark Phoenix. This comic was a true event, and came out a few years before either Marvel or DC produced Secret Wars or Crisis on Infinite Earths. This team-up only happened once, making it seem even more special today. It’s been over forty years now since it came out. Yet the ripples of this single issue are still felt in modern comics.

Many have called the MCU’s Infinity Saga “the greatest crossover event in history.” That statement takes me back to a time when the true “greatest crossover event” wasn’t a big-budget movie. It was this special one-shot comic book that blew my eight-year-old mind. In 1982, Marvel and DC, comics’ two biggest rivals, teamed up to bring together the two biggest hit titles at the time, The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans. The publishers united their respective teams for a single issue, written by X-Men scribe Chris Claremont and illustrated by Thor’s Walter Simonson. Here are five ways that Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans special is still important, and still an awesome read, even today.

The Return of Dark Phoenix

Even after 40 years, fans still view Marvel’s Dark Phoenix Saga as THE seminal X-Men tale. The story depicts the slow mental degradation of mutant telepath Jean Grey, now the cosmic entity known as the Phoenix, into the malevolent Dark Phoenix. Completely going against comic book norms of the time, Jean died at the end of the story. She sacrificed herself for the good of the universe. This storyline is so beloved it has been adapted for film not once, but twice.

Although Jean would eventually come back, the Dark Phoenix aspect of her would never truly return. Well, except for brief hints, teases, and misdirects here and there. However, the only time Dark Phoenix returned as a true threat to the universe was in this crossover, when Darkseid resurrected her himself. True, this story is technically out of continuity with the main Marvel titles. Yet it’s still Dark Phoenix unleashing holy hell on her teammates and family. Not to mention, she’s written by the man who created her, Chris Claremont. So I say it counts. This alone made this comic worth the cover price.

The Best Rosters of Both X-Men and Teen Titans Teams

Both the X-Men and the Titans have had several roster changes over the years, but this comic came out at the peak of the popularity of both series. It showcased what many fans consider to be both team’s best line-ups. Aside from Rogue (who had yet to join the team) and a handful of other X-Men, the roster here continues to be the X-Men’s most beloved by fans. As for the Titans, they have never had a better team lineup than the one depicted here. Eventually, it was the basis for the classic animated show, and later, their live-action series. If you want an epic tale with the best versions of both supergroups, this is still the story to read.

Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans Solidified Darkseid as the DC Universe’s Biggest Villain

At the time of this comic book’s publication, Darkseid had only existed for about twelve years at DC Comics. Most of his appearances were limited to Jack Kirby’s New Gods titles, as well as a handful of appearances in series like Justice League of America. But when Claremont and Simonson made him the “Big Bad” of the crossover special? This truly solidified Darkseid as the #1 threat in the DC Universe. Not long after, Darkseid began making his presence known in DC titles like Legion of Super-Heroes and others. Darkseid’s creator Jack Kirby drew quite a formidable version of him of course. But I’d argue Walter Simonson made him even more terrifying here. He set the template for how DC portrayed Darkseid for decades to come.

Welcome to the Source Wall

When Jack Kirby created the New Gods mythology for DC, one of its founding principles was the idea of “The Source. ” This was the energy and living consciousness of the universe. In his original stories, he referred to a barrier at the end of the universe where the Source ends. Kirby never visualized this, but Claremont and Simonson did for this crossover special. This was the first comic to ever show readers what the legendary Source Wall looked like. Today, the Source Wall is a staple of DC mythos. A few years ago, it played a huge part in the Justice League: No Justice mini-series.

Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans Elevated Deathstroke to Superstar Levels

At the time that this issue hit, the character of Deathstroke had only made a handful of appearances in the pages of The New Teen Titans. However, writer Chris Claremont knew a good character when he saw one, and utilized mercenary Slade Wilson in several tremendous action scenes throughout the issue, showcasing what a badass character he was. (He takes out Colossus like he was a rag doll!) That Deathstroke’s popularity took off big time after this comic hit the stands is certainly not a coincidence. Rob Liefeld created Deadpool as an homage to Deathstroke. Even Deadpool’s real name, Wade Wilson, is a riff on Deathstroke’s name Slade Wilson. Maybe watching Slade take on mutants inspired Liefeld to create Deadpool? All of which makes this issue even more impactful in comics history.

We can only hope one day, DC and Marvel give the fans what they want and reprint not just this comic book, but all their other crossovers. It’s a great story that deserves to be discovered by a new generation.

Originally published on May 24, 2018.

The post Why the X-MEN and TEEN TITANS Crossover Is Still the Greatest Event Comic Ever appeared first on Nerdist.

DC Comics and Marvel Comics have always been publishing rivals. However, once upon a time, the two companies would join forces to produce crossover event comics, stories that superhero fans went wild over. The crossover comics sold like hotcakes. This began in the ’70s, only ending in the mid-2000s. With separate mega corporations now owning each comic book company, the chances we’ll ever get events like these again are slim. In fact, these comics are all out of print, and unlikely to ever get reissued. But if you can track these down online, or at your local comic shop back issue bins, we think these are the greatest DC and Marvel Comics crossovers.

10. Darkseid vs. Galactus: The Hunger (1995)

by John Byrne

This is one of the more off-the-wall Marvel/DC crossovers of the ‘90s, written and illustrated by John Byrne at the height of his popularity. It takes place in a universe where both the Marvel and DC characters co-exist, and always have. (In fact, most of these crossovers retain that conceit). In Byrne’s one-shot tale, two of Jack Kirby’s most powerful alien villains meet at last. Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds comes to Darkseid’s home planet of Apokolips to consume it for energy. Darkseid throws everything a literal God of Evil can throw at a galactic force of nature, including armies of Parademons. The Silver Surfer gets caught in the melee. We won’t spoil the twist ending here, but it’s a fun one. Of all the DC and Marvel Comics crossovers, this one counts as perhaps the most Biblical in its proportions.

9. Batman vs. The Incredible Hulk

by Len Wein, José Luis García-López, and Dick Giordano

There should be no question; the Hulk could trample Batman in a cold minute. So this seems like a very odd premise for a crossover. In 1981 though, Batman was still a superstar thanks to endless reruns of Batman ’66. The Hulk was a household name thanks to his TV series. So, kids wanted to see them interact. Somehow, writer Len Wein and DC style guide artist José Luis García-López made this crossover comic work. Hey, if Batman can use his genius to beat Superman, why not Hulk? The story finds Bruce Banner working in the science division of Wayne Enterprises, hoping to find a cure for his condition. Although the two team up against the Joker, the truly wild thing here is that the main villain is the cosmic entity the Shaper of Worlds, an obscure Marvel baddie. Track this one down for the stellar art and wacky premise alone.

8. Superman/Fantastic Four: The Infinite Destruction (1999)

by Dan Jurgens and Art Thibert

This was the first-ever crossover of DC’s first superhero and Marvel’s “First Family.” It was printed in an oversized Treasury Edition one-shot, in the style of the first crossover editions. While it should probably be better than it was, it has interesting things that make it worth reading. Revealing that Galactus destroyed Krypton is a cool twist to the Superman mythology ,as is Galactus trying to make Kal-El his new herald. And since the evil Cyborg Superman was originally a character from DC’s own twisted version of the Fantastic Four, it’s cool to see him included. Some of the interactions between the FF and the Man of Steel are truly enjoyable too. However, the oversized format actually hurts the art by Dan Jurgens and Art Thibert. The Dan Jurgens/Alex Ross painted cover is killer though.

7. Daredevil/Batman: An Eye for an Eye (1997)

By D.G. Chichester and Scott McDaniel

As much as Batman and Spider-Man were no-brainers for a team-up, so too were urban vigilantes Batman and Daredevil. It finally happened in 1997’s Daredevil/Batman: An Eye for an Eye. While enjoyable, this story could be better, despite some pretty good art from Nightwing artist Scott McDaniel. Two-Face and Mr. Hyde team up in this story, becoming the primary villains. One of the more enjoyable reinventions in this one has former lawyer Harvey Dent/Two Face having a history with attorney Matt Murdock, which leads to some juicy character moments. The best part of this one-shot is how much the (very similar) Dark Knight and the Man Without Fear do not get along. The initial “fight before we team up” makes this one worth a read.

6. Spider-Man and Batman: Disordered Minds (1995)

by J.M. DeMatteis and Mark Bagley

Batman and Spider-Man were the biggest heroes of their respective companies in the mid ’90s, dominating comic sales (and Fox Kids’ cartoons). For all their differences, both heroes were born of tragedy, and have the two best rogues galleries in comics. Fans wanted a meetup for decades. It finally happened in 1995 in Spider-Man and Batman: Disordered Minds. Written by longtime Amazing Spider-Man scribe J.M. DeMatteis and illustrated by Spidey artist Mark Bagley, it pits the two heroes against a union of villains Joker and Carnage. Both are deranged serial killers locked away in creepy asylums, so the two merging makes sense. As it turns out, Joker enjoys the theater of murder more than Carnage does, who just wants to kill for killing’s sake. Not that Bats and Spidey got along any better. This one’s a true time capsule of where Batman and Spider-Man were as characters in the ’90s.

5. Superman and Spider-Man (1981)

By Jim Shooter, Marv Wolfman, and John Buscema

Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man was the first DC and Marvel Comics crossover in 1976, making comic book history. But it was their second meeting that was really the most fun. In the 1981 sequel, Superman and Spider-Man, written by Marvel EIC Jim Shooter and Marv Wolfman, and illustrated by Marvel legend John Buscema, Superman and Spidey join forces to stop Doctor Doom. Not traditionally a Spidey villain, the Latverian monarch was a big enough threat to unite Clark and Peter. What makes this one better than the original is that we get our first-ever Hulk vs. Superman fight in it, and Spider-Man takes on Wonder Woman too. All four characters were media superstars in 1981, with TV shows and movies in the zeitgeist. For the readership of the time, this was the ultimate comic book. Yes, it’s dated in many ways, as it’s 40 years old. But we still love it.

4. The Incredible Hulk vs. Superman (1999)

by Roger Stern and Steve Rude

It’s probably the oldest superhero nerd debate of all time. Who is stronger, Superman or the Hulk? Well, despite brief fights in other crossovers, their real smackdown took place in The Incredible Hulk vs. Superman one-shot, published in 1999. What elevates this one over the other Man of Steel vs. Jade Giant fights is that it actually has a strong story and superlative art, and isn’t treated as just one long battle, like Superman vs. Doomsday. Written by comics legend Roger Stern and illustrated by Steve Rude, the story takes place in an alternate 1960s Silver Age, with both Clark Kent and Bruce Banner reflecting their depictions during that time. Rude’s art also has a very retro flair which fits right in with this interpretation. So who won? We won’t ruin the outcome in case you read it. But this brawl is a doozy.

3. DC Versus Marvel/Marvel Versus DC (1996)

by Peter David, Ron Marz, Dan Jurgens, and Claudio Castellini

This crossover event was born purely out of necessity. In 1994, the speculator boom of the early ’90s led to a massive crash in the comics industry. Desperate for a big hit, Marvel and DC teamed up to bring fans the knockdown brawl they’d been waiting decades for. This four-issue series was written by Peter David and Ron Marz, and illustrated by artists Dan Jurgens and Claudio Castellini. The two publishers would alternate issues, so when DC Comics published an issue, their brand name came first. When Marvel Comics did, the title changed to Marvel Versus DC. It’s hard to call this series “good” in any traditional sense, but it is thoroughly enjoyable and will bring out the inner child of anyone reading it.

The story of DC Versus Marvel is a pretty basic one, highly reminiscent of Marvel’s Secret Wars. It has two godlike beings, one from each reality, using the heroes of each universe to fight it out, determining which universe is stronger. Super basic plot or not, it delivered what every DC and Marvel fan wanted—to see these superhero icons duke it out. Comic book fans actually got to vote as to who would win each fight, leading to the story becoming more of a popularity contest than a real match between characters. (Sorry, Wolverine would NOT beat Lobo.) Having said that, this series led to the brief Amalgam Universe, where DC and Marvel fused together. That was even more wildly silly fun. For all of its faults, it’s hard not to remember this one fondly.

2. JLA/Avengers (2003 – 2004)

by Kurt Busiek and George Pérez

In many ways, JLA/Avengers is the ultimate DC and Marvel crossover, over 20 years in the making. A version of this crossover event was nearly completed by artist George Pérez in 1983, before Marvel’s EIC Jim Shooter killed the project. Pérez gave up hope that he’d never get the chance to bring the greatest heroes of two Earths together in one epic story. He finally got to illustrate this magnum opus crossover event in 2003/2004. Unlike previous DC and Marvel crossovers, this comic absolutely hinged on the fact that the Marvel and DC Universes were separate and that their colliding together was the entire plot. This series emphasized the DC and Marvel universes were inherently different, almost destined to conflict.

Kurt Busiek, famous for writing Avengers and Superman, understood that the actual plot of a series like this was secondary. It was all about the small moments between iconic characters. What makes this book great is Black Canary dating Hawkeye instead of Green Arrow, or Wonder Man and Wonder Woman arm wrestling in a panel. And, of course, seeing every character ever to call themselves an Avenger or Justice Leaguer appearing on the page together was nerd nirvana. The four-issue mini-series is always an engaging fan service of a read, and a joy to look at in every issue. Sadly, it was the final DC and Marvel crossover. But man, what a way to go out. It’s truly criminal that this seminal comic is not perpetually kept in print. It should be, just to honor the late, great George Pérez.

1. The Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans (1982)

by Chris Claremont, Walter Simonson, and Terry Austin

What could possibly be better than the Justice League meeting the Avengers? How about DC and Marvel’s two biggest-selling teams of the ‘80s, the X-Men and the Teen Titans, joining forces? In 1982, both comics ruled the sales charts, and were at their peak creatively. So teaming them up for the Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans one shot was a true event. X-Men writer Chris Claremont wrote this special edition issue, illustrated beautifully by Thor artist Walter Simonson. The story is truly an epic one, featuring DC’s Darkseid resurrecting Marvel’s Dark Phoenix to use as a way of conquering all known reality.

Uncanny X-Men/New Teen Titans was written a mere two years after The Dark Phoenix Saga, when the death of Jean Grey was a fresh wound for the X-Men. Even out of continuity, this was a devastating moment for the mutant heroes. This special issue had Claremont writing at the peak of his abilities, foreshadowing many things that would occur in the regular Marvel continuity, such as Jean’s return. On the DC front, this story also predicted Darkseid becoming the DC Universe’s biggest bad, and Beast Boy developing a crush on Kitty Pryde foreshadowed his crush on the Titans’ own “evil Kitty,” Terra. Because of its high emotional stakes, incredible art, and iconic moments, Uncanny X-Men/New Teen Titans takes our top spot.

Hopefully, one day both DC and Marvel Comics find a way to reprint these issues. Perhaps the companies could collect them in an omnibus, with all proceeds going to charity? These are seminal comics, which don’t deserve to be deleted from history.

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One year ago, DC Studios co-head James Gunn announced an ambitious slate of movies and series. Since then, we’ve learned of many more characters joining the new DCU, like Metamorpho, Mister Terrific, Hawkgirl, and Guy Gardner. But there are a few DC Comics heroes we’re still hoping to see announced for Chapter 1 of Gunn’s DCU, called “Gods and Monsters.” We didn’t include Wonder Woman and Aquaman on our list, as they are almost certain to show up eventually. And we didn’t mention members of the Bat-Family like Nightwing, because it’s implied we’ll meet them in Brave and the Bold. Here are the DC Comics heroes we hope to see in Chapter 1 of the DCU.

Green Arrow (Oliver Queen)

Billionaire Oliver Queen, a.k.a. the vigilante called Green Arrow, became a mainstream hero after starring in the series Arrow for eight seasons. The Emerald Archer of Star City was so popular that he started his own branch of the DC Universe, the “Arrowverse.” But because he was in his own separate corner of live-action DC, we never got to see him suit up on the big screen with the likes of Batman or Green Lantern, his best bud in the comics. Hopefully, James Gunn will remedy that situation in his DCU, and add him in somewhere in Chapter 1. Maybe first as civilian Oliver Queen in the announced Green Lantern streaming series?

The Flash (Wally West)

After nine successful CW seasons and one underperforming solo movie, we think it’s time to put a moratorium on Barry Allen’s version of the Flash. Even if he is arguably the most famous of the Scarlet Speedsters. Gunn’s DCU does need a Flash, though. The character is way too important to leave on the side of the road. So we suggest Barry’s nephew and successor, Wally West, the former Kid Flash, as the DCU’s main Flash. Wally was the sole Flash for over 20 years in the comics, and is the current star of DC Comics’ Flash book. Also, the idea of a former kid sidekick who must inherit a heroic legacy is great source material for a series or movie—one that has yet to be realized in live-action.

Zatanna

Marvel Studios has made a superstar out of the Avengers’ resident sorceress, the Scarlet Witch. But the Justice League’s most famous resident spell caster, Zatanna the Magician, has not appeared in live-action since Smallville. Hopefully, James Gunn corrects this oversight. Before the old DCEU died, a Zatanna project was announced, written by none other than Saltburn writer/director Emerald Fennell. However, it was canceled before production began. The DCU needs its backward-talking mistress of magic, and we hope she shows up somewhere in “Gods and Monsters.” Perhaps in the supernatural-tinged Swamp Thing?

Vixen (Mari McCabe)

The mid-80s Justice League Detroit era was not particularly well-loved. In fact, fans hated it so much, DC killed off several prominent members introduced in that run. However, JL Detroit member Vixen survived and thrived, rejoining the League on several rosters. Supermodel Mari McCabe could summon animal powers via her African Tantu Totem, passed down from her ancestors. It allowed her to channel the speed of a cheetah, or the strength of a rhino, and more. The CW Arrowverse had two versions of Vixen. One in the present, and one as her WWII-era grandmother on Legends of Tomorrow. But hopefully Gunn and co. introduce Mari to the DCU soon. Maybe even played by Zoe Saldana, his old Guardians of the Galaxy pal? We think she’d kill it.

Martian Manhunter (J’onn J’onzz)

One of the founding members of the Justice League of America, the DCEU never really included J’onn J’onzz, the Manhunter from Mars—not until a cameo appearance in Zack Snyder’s Justice League, retconning Man of Steel actor Harry Lennix into the role. The character was a mainstay on the CW Supergirl series, played by David Harewood. For years, J’onn has been called the heart and soul of the Justice League, and the new DCU needs him as an anchor. We’ve been waiting years to see a live-action J’onn fight alongside Superman and Batman. We hope he appears, and a perfect place for him to pop up is in the Green Lantern streaming series.

The Question (Victor Sage/Renee Montoya)

Like Blue Beetle, the mysterious faceless detective the Question originated at publisher Charlton Comics, before transferring to DC in the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Victor Sage was a reporter who took on the faceless identity of the Question, to fight crime and look for the answers to the questions he posed as a journalist. A beloved version of this Question appeared in the Justice League Unlimited cartoon as a conspiracy theorist superhero. In the comics, Vic died of lung cancer, and passed on his superhero mantle to Gotham City detective Renee Montoya. Either version (or both) would make for great additions to the DCU. Maybe first in Peacemaker season two? After all, Peacemaker also started out as a Charlton hero.

Mister Miracle (Scott Free) and Big Barda

Jack Kirby’s New Gods characters almost had a movie of their own, before Warner Bros. pulled the plug on Ava DuVernay’s film. But Kirby’s Fourth World mythology is too rich to not appear in Gunn’s plans for his DCU. We think the best entry point for this mythology is a more Earthbound one—escape artist supreme Mr. Miracle, and his wife, the strong woman Big Barda. Both characters are from Darkseid’s planet of Apokolips; they escaped to Earth seeking refuge. The DCU might downplay those aspects of the characters in favor of a husband and wife team of circus performers and part-time superheroes. We’re not sure where they’d appear in Chapter 1, but both characters are friends and teammates of Booster Gold, who has a series coming.

Static (Virgil Hawkins)

The Milestone Comics heroes need to be introduced into live-action. Before the DC shakeup, there were preliminary plans for the electrically powered teen hero Static to show up. First appearing in 1993, young Virgil Hawkins gained amazing electricity powers after an accident exposed him to radioactive “Quantum Juice.” A comic book geek in real life, Virgil became a hero just like the ones he read about, or saw in video games. Of all the Milestone Comics heroes, Static has the most popularity, thanks to his animated series Static Shock. We’re not sure where he fits into Chapter 1, but we feel he should appear somewhere.

Deathstroke (Slade Wilson)

The superpowered mercenary Deathstroke is one of DC’s most popular antiheroes, and has made live-action appearances in both the Arrowverse, as well as the Titans streaming series. But although DC teased Deathstroke for the DCEU in the theatrical cut of Justice League, with actor Joe Manganiello, we never saw him face DC’s biggest heroes. So, he should appear somewhere in Chapter 1 of James Gunn’s plans. Certainly, The Brave and the Bold makes the most sense, if only because we’d see him take on the Bat-Family, particularly Nightwing. We know Gunn doesn’t want to carry over many former DCEU actors. However, Joe Manganiello only appeared for a few seconds. That shouldn’t count. Let him play Deathstroke for real in the DCU.

Fire and Ice (Beatriz Da Costa and Tora Olafsdotter)

These powerful ladies started from humble beginnings in the pages of DC Comics, in the non-continuity Super Friends series. Back then, they were known as the fire-projecting “Green Flame” and the polar-powered “Icemaiden.” But in the ‘80s, DC reinvented the duo as Fire and Ice, members of the Justice League International. The Brazilian Fire (Beatriz Da Costa) was the hot-tempered firecracker of the team (naturally), while her best friend Tora Olafsdotter was the shy and even-tempered Ice. The two were the perfect counterparts to JLI’s Booster Gold and Blue Beetle. They currently star in their own DC Comics series, and we hope they pop up in the Booster Gold Max series too.

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1984 is perhaps the most pivotal pop culture year in memory. So many of the movies, music, and television series debuting that year had an incredible impact, and their legacy continues to this day. Rarely has a confluence of circumstances resulted in so much memorable pop art happening all at once. And that was perhaps most true in the world of cartoons, toys, and comics—three mediums that often intermingled. Here, we celebrate the iconic properties that debuted in ’84, from Transformers to Ninja Turtles, and explain how they all still live on decades later.

Transformers

Under Ronald Reagan’s presidency starting in 1981, his FCC chairman pick Mark S. Fowler changed the rules that didn’t allow children’s programming to advertise directly to kids. By 1983, the airwaves were flooded with cartoons that were literally 30-minute toy ads. Shows were featuring everything from Pac-Man, to Smurfs, to 1983’s “Big Two,” He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and G.I. Joe. The “Big Two” cartoons continued to dominate as 1984 began, but another iconic brand that arguably dwarfed them—the Transformers—joined soon after.

Toy company Hasbro licensed transforming robot toys from the Japanese company Takara, which had already existed in that country since 1980. But in America, Hasbro wanted a whole mythology to go with the toys, something they didn’t have overseas as Diacolone or Micro Change. Hasbro hired Marvel Comics—specifically former Batman writer Dennis O’Neil—to develop the American names and personalities of Optimus Prime, Megatron, and the rest.

In the spring of 1984, the rebranded toys hit the shelves. In May, Marvel’s Transformers #1 also arrived, billed as “a 4-Part Limited Series.” The Transformers‘ catchphrase “More than meets the eye” became something every kid knew, overnight.

The Continuing Legacy of Transformers

Transformers was such an instant runaway success with kids, that the comics expanded from limited series to ongoing and ran until 1990. Then, the animated series arrived that fall, sending the brand into the stratosphere. The three-tiered approach– toys, comics, and cartoons—worked like gangbusters. The “More than Meets the Eye” robots from Cybertron became household names, and totally kicked the butts of their counterparts, the Go-Bots. Although the brand quietly went dormant in 1990, in the later part of the decade it returned as Beast Wars. From that point on, the brand became perennial, and a live-action movie franchise that has grossed billions of dollars followed. The biggest toy debut of 1984 is still as ubiquitous as ever decades later.

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars

Speaking of toys and Marvel Comics, their other big success that year was both a Marvel Comics series and an action-figure line. Interestingly, one was far more influential than the other. In the early ‘80s, Mattel Toys got the Marvel Comics license. They wanted their upcoming action-figure line to have a big comic book event to push it, so Mattel, after doing focus groups on kids, discovered their target demographic of little boys loved the words “secret” and “wars.” Thus, Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars was born. And then-Marvel EIC Jim Shooter took it upon himself to write the series.

Secret Wars was the first crossover event series between all of Marvel’s biggest titles, except for the grittier Daredevil and Doctor Strange. The story was simple enough. A cosmic being called the Beyonder gathered the best heroes and the worst villains to fight it out on an artificial planet called Battleworld, deciding what is more powerful, good or evil? Older readers scoffed at the story, but younger kids ate it up. Secret Wars sold better than any Marvel Comic in 25 years, and the “company-wide crossover” event was born. The next year, DC would do the same with their own Crisis on Infinite Earths.

The Continuing Legacy of Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars

Secret Wars as a toy line petered out after two waves, likely because of lack of big-name characters. The comics also launched the much-disliked Secret Wars II a mere two years later. But the original series introduced very important elements to the Marvel Universe, like Spider-Man’s black alien costume, which later became Venom, a character who is now one of Marvel’s most popular heroes. The ’90s Spider-Man: The Animated Series adapted the first Secret Wars, and it got a reboot/sequel of sorts in 2015, by writer Jonathan Hickman. That series will serve as the basis for the upcoming Avengers sequel, also titled Secret Wars. The pop culture legacy of this one comic book event series has truly lasted far past 1984.  

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Cartoonists and buddies Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird started Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a small print black and white comic on a lark. Interestingly, this happened after Eastman randomly doodled a turtle with a mask and a sword. From this one image, a full comic arrived soon after, which was meant to be a one-shot. That comic soon became a phenomenon. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 was a parody of popular Marvel heroes, poking fun at Marvel’s mutant X-Men, and the ninja world of Daredevil. The first issue debuted at a Comic-Con in May 1984, and had a limited print run of only 3,275 copies. It blew up and an ongoing series was next. They couldn’t keep this black and white series of anthropomorphic turtles transformed by toxic waste into formidable warriors off the shelves.

Much like Superman in the ‘30s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles became a pop culture staple almost overnight. Within four years of their 1984 debut, Ninja Turtles became an animated series, a live-action movie, and a massively successful line of action figures from Playmates. In the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, you simply couldn’t escape Turtlemania. It was everywhere. Of course, all of this kid-oriented entertainment was far more family-friendly than the original comics by a significant amount. But the core of Eastman and Laird’s idea was still there in this more mainstream version. And it all started with that 1984 comic book that was the sleeper hit of the century.

The Ongoing Legacy of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The Turtles remain a perennial brand to this very day, never leaving the zeitgeist for very long. They had three live-action films in the ’90s, one TV reboot after another, and even more movies. The “joke” comic became as popular, if not more so, than the comics it once mocked. And with the animated film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem hitting theaters recently, it’s an IP that shows no signs of slowing down. Soon, that film will have its own animated TV spin-off. Their peak of the ‘90s may be long over, but they are still a beloved part of popular culture.

Voltron

Much like Transformers before it, the animated series and toy line Voltron: Defender of the Universe doesn’t exist without Japanese origins. In 1981, Beast King Go-Lion aired in Japan, with a companion series airing later, Armored Fleet Dairugger XV. Both series featured several giant robots which combined to form one even more gigantic robot, who fought all manner of kaiju-like creatures on the planet Arus. Beast King Go-Lion were lion robots, naturally, and Armored Fleet were vehicles. Aside from that, the two series were not really connected.

American company World Events Productions—which bought both series—re-dubbed them, edited them for content, and combined them together as Voltron. This was done to meet the episode order needs for daily syndication. (Robotech would pull this trick a year later.) The series first aired on North American weekday afternoons in September of 1984, and it was an instant smash. Voltron instantly launched a franchise of toys, games, merchandise, and comic books. In 1986, World Events commissioned the Japanese studio Toei to combine both Voltron teams into one for a movie, despite neither series having anything to do with each other in their native Japan. For much of the ’80s, Voltron ruled the weekday afternoon airwaves.

The Continuing Legacy of Voltron

Voltron was very much a child of 1984, but it continues to resonate in popular culture. There was a ‘90s, reboot, another reboot in 2012, and Voltron: Legendary Defender, which aired 78 episodes over 8 seasons on Netflix. Work also continues on an eventual live-action Voltron for the big screen. Heck, the word “Voltron” has even become a verb in the Urban Dictionary. It means “to combine or assemble individual things (which may function individually) made separately into a common meta-product where they all work together synergistically for a common goal.” How about that for longevity? All of this ensures that the legacy of Voltron will extend way past its original expiration date.

Super Powers

Super Friends, the cartoon version of DC Comics’ Justice League, had existed on Saturday morning TV for over a decade by 1984. But the ‘80s was all about tying your cartoon with a larger toy and merchandise brand. When Mattel got the Marvel license and produced Secret Wars, Kenner Toys got the DC Comics license. They created a new line of 5” action figures, vehicles, and playsets based on the DC heroes, called Super Powers. Unlike Secret Wars, however, the first wave came out with all the DC heavy hitters like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc. It was an instant hit with kids, who loved how each figure had a special “action feature.”

Because of the new toyline, Super Friends on ABC Saturday Mornings was rebranded as Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show, and took on storylines and characters that reflected the action figure line. In the toy’s storyline, Darkseid and his minions from Apokolips were the main villains, and the show now reflected that. Marvel Comics legend Jack Kirby even illustrated two Super Powers tie-in comics series. The only time he ever drew DC’s Justice League heroes. The toy and merchandise line ran for three years—an eternity for any toy line at the time. All the merch surrounding the toys was from famed comic book illustrator José Luis García-López, whose renditions represented the DC heroes at their most iconic.

The Continuing Legacy of Super Powers

The legacy of Super Powers is pretty significant, even decades later. The idea of Darkseid as the League’s main villain stems mainly from Super Powers and Super Friends, as he’d barely fought the Justice League in the comics at that point. This is something that has stuck in the main DC continuity for years since. If you ever bought a “retro” DC t-shirt, chances are it used art from the Super Powers era.

In the last few years, McFarlane Toys has brought back the Super Powers line, with updated versions of the classic toys. In many ways, even forty years later, the Super Powers version of the DC heroes remains their most iconic.

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract

In the 1980s, New Teen Titans was DC Comics’ biggest-selling series by a country mile. Yet, the Marv Wolfman/George Perez comic book was constantly compared to Marvel’s hit Uncanny X-Men. Both series had a lot in common, as they were reboots of 1960s teams that weren’t terribly popular in their day. But Titans writer Marv Wolfman decided to use the comparisons to their advantage with a story that would run for two years and culminate in the team’s greatest epic—The Judas Contract. The storyline ran through summer 1984’s Tales of the Teen Titans # #42–44 and Tales of the Teen Titans Annual #3.

Marvel’s X-Men introduced readers to Kitty Pryde in 1979, a spunky sarcastic teen who would become a fan favorite. In response, Titans introduced Terra, a.k.a. Tara Markov, a 15-year-old wisecracking brat with earth-controlling powers. She’d get comparisons to Kitty Pryde almost right away. Then, Marv and George pulled the rug out from readers a year into her being a Titan. Tara was actually a sociopathic spy sent by the team’s mortal enemy, Deathstroke. He sent her to gain their trust and learn their secrets, after which Tara and Deathstroke would attack the team. Everything came to a head in the 4-part finale of the story, The Judas Contract. Terra would die trying to kill her former teammates. This included Beast Boy, who was in love with her. Perhaps most importantly, Dick Grayson would graduate from Robin the Boy Wonder into the adult hero Nightwing in this saga.

The Continuing Legacy of Teen Titans: The Judas Contract

Forty years later, Nightwing is one of DC Comics’ most popular heroes. The Judas Contract storyline continues to be adapted in various media. The 2003 Teen Titans animated series gave us a (very toned-down) version of the story. The 2016 animated movie Teen Titans: The Judas Contract adapted the story in a more mature fashion, as did the live-action Titans series (only with Ravager substituting for Terra). And while no one behind the scenes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer has ever mentioned it, The Judas Contract storyline was clearly an influence on that show’s third season, particularly the character of Faith. Whatever media form the Titans take in James Gunn’s DCU, be certain they will adapt The Judas Contract.

Long live these iconic properties that spawned toys, comics, and cartoons that still resonate with us today.

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New Year’s resolutions. Almost everyone makes them. Very few people hold to them. But what about superheroes? If you’ve got the powers of a god and you make a resolution to “eat less dairy,” do you have a bigger obligation to keep to it? Well, we may never get an answer to that question. But via DC Comics’ official Instagram, we did get the New Year’s resolutions to several of the company’s most iconic heroes. In fact, six of the seven main members of the Justice League all revealed their New Year’s resolutions going into 2024. Sorry, Martian Manhunter, maybe next year. You can check them all out down below:

Ok, so all of these Justice League New Year’s resolutions were very tongue-in-cheek. Although some of these are ones we think the actual characters might actually have in the comics. Wonder Woman vowing to “mediate daily on the freeing power of truth?” is very on brand for her. And, “Revise the contingency plan for my contingency plan’s contingency plan?” That sounds very Batman. Hey Bruce, how about no more contingency plans on how to stop your fellow Justice Leaguers in case they go bad without telling them first? That never goes well.

Speaking of being mind-controlled and going bad, we kind of love that Superman has “Make it the full year without being mind-controlled and going evil” as part of his resolutions. The world would surely be a better place if that happened less, Clark. We have enough “evil Supermans” on The Boys and Invincible. Some major DC Comics characters didn’t get to reveal their New Year’s resolutions alongside the Justice League. But we’d like to think Nightwing’s is, “Stop competing with my father figure.” Maybe Black Canary’s resolution is, “Stop raising my voice to Green Arrow, it makes his ears bleed.” Hopefully, next year we find out the DC Villains’ New Year’s Resolutions. Although we admit, we’re a wee bit scared to see the Joker’s.

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The DCEU may be over, but over the decade of its existence, it left more than a handful of films to be watched and debated about endlessly. Although the original plan was for all DC films to have an exclusive home at Max, as of January, 14 DC films are also now on Netflix. Although two of them are technically not DCEU films, just films based on DC properties. Chalk this one up to the realities of streaming service revenue in tough financial times for all the major studios. This is why many of these same films are now on ad-supported Tubi as well. The news came via Netflix’s Tudum.

So which DCEU movies can you now enjoy on Netflix? You can literally start with the first DCEU film, Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, and work your way down. Next is Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Aquaman, Shazam!, Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman 1984, The Suicide Squad, Black Adam, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

While that’s most of the DCEU films, there are a few still only on Max at the moment. 2023’s The Flash and Blue Beetle are still exclusive to that streaming platform, at least for now. Also, Zack Snyder’s extended 4-hour version of Justice League remains a Max exclusive. There are also two DC films not part of the DCEU as part of the Netflix deal—The Batman and the animated DC League of Super Pets.

As for classic DC Comics-based films, right now, most are only streaming on Max. Those include the four original Christopher Reeve Superman films (and Superman Returns) plus Supergirl and the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher Batman movies. Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is also there, too. For those brave souls out there, the 2004 version of Catwoman and Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern are also available to watch.

How long the previously mentioned DC movies will remain on Netflix is a mystery at the moment. However, if you have a fix to watch Cavill as Superman and Affleck as Batman and only have a Netflix subscription? Then now’s your chance to watch the “Martha scene” in BvS as many times as you like.

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She’s the most famous female superhero of all time, with comics published nonstop for over 80 years. And in those eight decades, Wonder Woman, both as a character and as a comic book title, has had many ups and downs. We’re here to count down to the best of the best, the greatest comic book creative team runs for Diana of Themyscira that truly defined DC Comics’ Amazing Amazon.

10. Wonder Woman (Vol.4) by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang

with Tony Akins, Goran Sudzuka, Aco

When DC rebooted its universe in 2011 in what it called “the New 52” initiative, no one got a bigger status quo change than Wonder Woman. Writer Brian Azzarello (100 Bullets) and artist Cliff Chiang’s (Paper Girls) run was critically acclaimed and sold very well. So why is it at the bottom of this list? It’s not a particularly good Wonder Woman comic. Much of it seems to disregard the original intent for Wonder Woman and the Amazons from her creator William Marston back in the Golden Age of comics.

In Azzarello’s take on Diana, she was not born of clay and given life by the gods with no male influence. Instead, she was the secret result of a torrid love affair between Zeus and Queen Hippolyta. The story revealed the Amazons as sexual assaulters and murderers of men, and then quickly removed them from the story. Azzarello’s reinterpretation of the Olympian Gods was extremely interesting, though, a highlight of the book. But they became more of a focus on the title than the titular heroine. DC would undo most of these changes, although Diana may or may not still be Zeus’ kid these days. DC doesn’t even seem to know. We do think some of the story choices here were bad for Wonder Woman. But objectively, as just a comic book about interfamily drama among gods, the craft on display is top-notch.

Issues in Brian Azzarello’s Wonder Woman run:

Wonder Woman Vol.4 #0-34, (2011-2014)

9. The Legend of Wonder Woman by Kurt Busiek and Trina Robbins

Writer Kurt Busiek is known for many legendary runs of comics for well-known heroes, specifically, Avengers, Superman, and his own creator-owned work, Astro City. In the mid-80s, he produced a love letter to Wonder Woman’s Golden Age heyday, along with underground comics legend Trina Robbins doing the art and helping with the plot. Robbins’ art style was a near-perfect mimic of Harry G. Peter, Diana’s principal artist in the ‘40s. Shockingly, Robbins became the first woman to illustrate Diana’s adventures, over 40 years after her creation. Hard to believe it took that long.

Released in 1986, this 4-part mini-series came out after Diana “died” in Crisis on Infinite Earths, but before her George Perez reboot. As the Amazons mourned their lost princess, her mother Hippolyta recalls an old adventure of her daughter’s. One where she battled Atomia, “Queen of the Atom Universe.” Told in complete retro style, this series featured many staples of ‘40s Wonder Woman. There was a precious little girl Diana befriends, and wacky super science. Plus, Wonder Woman always looking to rehabilitate an enemy before fighting one, a Golden Age staple. It was meant as a fond farewell to the Wonder Woman of old, and succeeds at doing so. Hopefully, one day DC will collect this fun throwback.

Issues in Kurt Busiek and Trina Robbins’ Wonder Woman run:

The Legend of Wonder Woman Vol.1 #1-4, (1986)

8. Wonder Woman (Vol.1) by Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru

The ten years of Wonder Woman stories after the death of her creator William Moulton Marston were mostly a dreary affair. The character was still popular enough that she survived the post-World War II decline in the popularity of superhero comics. But these uninspired stories focus too much on Diana’s romantic pining for pilot Steve Trevor. Then, the late ‘50s saw a renaissance in superhero comics, an era we now call the Silver Age. Wonder Woman got in on this change too, and the writer/artist duo of this time, Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru, produced some of the most off-the-wall (yet fun) Wonder Woman stories of all time.

During the Kanigher/Andru run, Diana got a new origin story. The first one where she had a father, the long-lost Prince Theno. The gods blessed her upon birth, hence her amazing powers. Following Superman’s lead, Diana had a “Wonder Family” of her own which included time-traveling versions of herself, like baby Wonder Tot and a teenage Wonder Girl. Wonder Girl was so popular, she would eventually evolve into her own, separate character for Teen Titans, Donna Troy. Silver Age Wonder Woman fought space aliens, and wacky characters like the Crimson Centipede, Angle Man, and even Paper Man.

Because of all these weird stories, clearly written with 8-year-olds in mind, Wonder Woman eventually began to feel like a relic of a bygone era. Especially as Marvel Comics grew in popularity as the ’60s rolled on. But many aspects of the Kanigher/Andru run stuck around in Wonder Woman lore. Although the idea of Diana having a father would go away by the early ‘70s, modern versions retain her being blessed by the Gods as a baby for example. Certainly not a complex series of stories, but filled with imagination just the same. And perfect for a young kid to read, even today.

Issues in Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru’s Wonder Woman run:

Wonder Woman Vol.1 #98-170, (1958-1967)

7. Wonder Woman (Vol.2) by William Messner-Loebs and Mike Deodato

We want to start by saying this run on Wonder Woman is somewhat problematic. The ‘90s art style of artist Mike Deodato is heavy on the cheesecake style, with Wonder Woman and her fellow Amazons practically all wearing thongs and overly sexualized togas. (We should add Deodato’s style has definitely evolved since then). But writer William Messner-Loebs’ storytelling skill was still on point, and made it so the reader can look past the extremely dated artistic elements. Messner-Loebs took over writing on Wonder Woman after five years of George Perez, who famously reinvented the character. An unenviable position, to be sure.

But after a couple of years of oddball stories, including one where Diana worked as a fast food employee, Messner-Loebs got to write his own Amazon epic. For twelve issues, he told the story of how Hippolyta was so disappointed in Diana’s failure to change the world, that she began a new contest to pick a new Amazon champion as Wonder Woman. The winner was Artemis, a surly Amazon from a militant tribe. One who thought she had what it takes to be a better Wonder Woman. But Diana didn’t quit the fight, even if she wore a hideous biker outfit to fight in now. This story is very “of its time,” but also fun. It introduced a very important member of the supporting cast in Artemis. Most importantly, it also reaffirmed why Diana was, and always will be, the best Wonder Woman ever.

Issues in William Messner-Loebs and Mike Deodato’s Wonder Woman run:

Wonder Woman Vol.2 #0, 90-100 (1994-1995)

6. Wonder Woman (Vol.3) by Gail Simone

with Terry and Rachel Dodson, Aaron Lopresti, Bernard Chang, Matt Ryan, Nicola Scott

After successful runs on the female-centric Birds of Prey, fans wondered out loud when writer Gail Simone would take on Wonder Woman, a character she professed much love for. The day finally came in 2007, when Simon took over writing duties on the third volume of Wonder Woman, which had been plagued with writer turnover since it began. She wound up being the female writer with the longest tenure writing Wonder Woman ever. Simone’s run built upon much of what came before, even largely hated events like Amazons Attack. And it made lemonade out of lemons.

Gail Simone’s Wonder Woman stories weren’t mainstream newsworthy and attention-getting, and there was no major reveal or change to Diana’s personality or history here. It was just really good comic book storytelling. She also created some truly memorable villains like the Circle, a band of Amazons who believed Diana’s supernatural birth was an abomination. Also Genocide, her physical rival in the way Doomsday was for Superman. A villain with incredibly creepy ties to Diana herself I won’t spoil here.

She also found a way to address the other pantheons of Gods, and how they related to the Olympians who gave Diana her powers. The artwork, primarily from Aaron Lopresti and Bernard Chang, showed off how good they were at just telling a story. This run ended the storyline of Wonder Woman that Perez had begun in 1986, and we could think of much worse ways to go out. Plus, Gail Simone’s Wonder Woman had talking apes in it as a supporting cast. That alone makes this an all-timer.

Issues in Gail Simone’s Wonder Woman run:

Wonder Woman Vol.3 #14-44, Vol.1 #600, (2007-2010)

5. Wonder Woman (Vol.2) by Phil Jimenez

with Roy Allan Martinez

When writer/artist Phil Jimenez came on board the monthly Wonder Woman title in 2001, he was already a well-known super fan of the character. He’s even the author of the Wonder Woman Encyclopedia. However, by the time he took over, the book had drifted from its core, altering the character to fit into stories about other DC characters the current writer wanted to tell.

Jimenez, whose art style draws heavily from George Perez’s interpretation, explored ideas post-Perez creators just glossed over. What did it mean to have two different tribes of Amazons on one island? What did it really mean for Hippolyta to time travel and replace her daughter in World War II history? And what did it mean for Diana and Donna Troy to effectively share a soul? Jimenez crafted compelling stories around these lingering questions with some of the most gorgeously rendered art the series had ever seen, before or since.

Most importantly, Phil Jimenez crafted the best single issue of Wonder Woman ever, titled “She’s a Wonder.” It covered reporter Lois Lane tailing Diana for a full day, examining what 24 hours in her existence were really like. Turns out, it wasn’t as perfect as most would like to think. Jimenez’s run only lasted three years, but I felt his deep love for the character on every page. Luckily, he got to return to the world of Diana in the Wonder Woman prequel graphic novel Historia, itself a masterpiece. If there’s any creator we’d follow on a Wonder Woman project anytime, it’s Phil Jimenez.

Issues in Phil Jimenez’s Wonder Woman run:

Wonder Woman, Vol.2, #164-188, (2000-2003)

4. Wonder Woman: Earth One, Vol. 1-3, by Grant Morrison and Yanick Paquette

Writer Grant Morrison is a legend when it comes to writing comics, and has been for the better part of forty years. Their runs on X-Men, Superman, Batman, and JLA are among the best ever for those characters. They finally gave fans their take on Diana in a series of three original graphic novels, Wonder Woman: Earth One, which came out between 2017 and 2020. Joining on all three volumes of Earth One was artist Yanick Paquette. He had briefly drawn the ongoing Wonder Woman series in the late ‘90s, but now his craft was on another level. It’s safe to say his version of Paradise Island remains the most beautifully illustrated ever.

While most other writers since William Marston had shied away from the sexual and BD/SM aspects of Wonder Woman, Morrison leaned in hard. They explored why it was both great and problematic at the same time. Their Diana was finally openly bisexual giving her a girlfriend at last. They also restored one aspect of Diana’s lore that DC disregarded for years, which was the weird sci-fi angle. We acknowledge that Morrison’s Earth One version of Wonder Woman is a love-it-or-hate-it affair. Some moments are overblown and almost campy, and many modern readers don’t like to be reminded of the innate absurdity of superheroes, something Morrison absolutely loves.

And yet, Morrison did what they almost always do with their take on iconic superheroes. They take pieces from decades of lore, and fashion them into something new and modern while honoring the past. There’s almost no era of Wonder Woman comics Morrison doesn’t lovingly homage in Earth One. Even the bad ones. Elements from Perez, Messner-Loebs, and Greg Rucka are all here in some form. All refashioned as a statement on 21st-century misogyny, and how to fight against it. For that, Morrison and Paquette’s three-part graphic novel series is well worth the time of any Wonder Woman fan.

Issues in Grant Morrison and Yanick Paquette’s Wonder Woman run:

Wonder Woman: Earth One, Volumes 1-3, (2017-2020)

3. Wonder Woman and Sensation Comics by William Moulton Marston, Harry G. Peter, Elizabeth Marston, Olive Byrne

In the cases of Diana Prince’s fellow Trinity friends Superman and Batman, their creators did not necessarily write their best stories. But in Diana’s case, her creator William Moulton Marston absolutely did weave some of her most formative tales, even if some aspects of them are cringe nearly 80 years later. It’s well documented how Marston, along with his wife Elizabeth and their partner Olive Byrne, wanted to create a modern feminist icon with Wonder Woman. Someone strong who would serve as the antithesis of the “bloodcurdling masculinity” of most comics back then.

With the help of artist and collaborator Harry G. Peter, whose art style was unique for the time resembling Victorian illustrations. Marston, Elizabeth, and Olive (who were uncredited) crafted stories of Amazonian super science, mythical lands, and bizarre villains. Perhaps more important were tales where Diana Prince helped her enemies become better people, and didn’t just throw them in prison and wait for their escape. Yes, some of these stories have problematic politics. Diana wasn’t so much for equality of the sexes, Marston believed women should rule over men. We don’t want to kink shame, but the focus on bondage imagery was over the top, and the less said about its depictions of the Japanese during World War II, the better.

And yet, more than almost any other Golden Age superhero comics of the time, Wonder Woman and Sensation Comics remain incredibly readable today, even if you’re often thinking “Wtf is going on” while reading them. The stories are wildly entertaining, featuring one wonderfully bizarre concept after another. It’s no surprise that so many prominent American feminists were readers of these comics as little girls. When Marston died in 1947, it marked the end of five years of wild and weird stories, soon replaced by other writers who didn’t adhere to Marston’s feminist views. But despite massive changes to Wonder Woman after Marston’s tenure, the core of what he created in these stories remains, and always shines through.

Issues in William Moulton Marston’s Wonder Woman run:

All-Star Comics #8, Sensation Comics #1-68, Wonder Woman Vol.1, 1-24 (1941-1947)

2. Wonder Woman (Vol.2, Vol.5) by Greg Rucka

with Drew Johnson, J. G. Jones, Rags Morales, Cliff Richards, James Raiz, Nicola Scott, Liam Sharp, Bilquis Evely

Prolific comic book writer Greg Rucka, famous for his work on Batman, has not just one but two excellent runs on Wonder Woman. He first took over the series with issue #295 back in 2004. Many previous runs after Perez’s tenure on the title focused on traditional heroics. Yet Rucka chose to focus on Diana’s role as ambassador of Themyscira. Her main function in society was to help people become the best versions of themselves through example. She even wrote a bestselling book to get her point across.

But Rucka didn’t shy away from portraying Diana as the greatest warrior on Earth. In the graphic novel The Hiketeia, she shows Batman just who is the most skilled fighter on the planet when she upholds her sworn duty to defend a young woman. When she takes on Medusa, she blinds herself to fight her, proving she doesn’t need eyes to take her down. Rucka also deftly deals with the consequences of Diana’s moral failing, when she kills Maxwell Lord to save Superman (and countless others).

In 2016’s Rebirth era, Rucka returned to Wonder Woman, this time restoring much of her original lore that was removed by the New 52 run. In “Year One,” Wonder Woman’s new origin story goes back to Marston’s original, while also keeping key elements of the Perez-era Amazons. For “The Lies,” Rucka and Liam Sharp address Diana’s role in the present time, and reimagine villains like Cheetah. Most creators are lucky to have one run on a particular superhero that is so great. Greg Rucka gets to say he had two.

Issues in Greg Rucka’s Wonder Woman run:

Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia (2002) Wonder Woman Vol.2 #196-226 (2003-2006), Wonder Woman Vol.5, #1-25, Rebirth Special #1 (2016-2019)

1. Wonder Woman (Vol.2) by George Perez

with Greg Potter, Len Wein, Chris Marrinan, Jill Thompson, Colleen Doran

After the sales highs of the Golden Age, Wonder Woman as a comic book rarely sold like gangbusters. However, a clause in the contract with her creator’s estate meant DC had to publish Wonder Woman comics, or the company would lose the rights. Wonder Woman was too valuable as an IP due to merchandise sales to ever let her go but the actual comics were neglected creatively for years. The only exception was the bump when the Lynda Carter Wonder Woman series was on the air. DC used their big 1985 continuity reboot Crisis on Infinite Earths to give Diana a big makeover. The trouble was, no one wanted the job.

Artist George Perez was already a comics superstar thanks to his work on The New Teen Titans and The Avengers. When he finished drawing Crisis, he realized Superman and Batman had major creators doing their respective reboots; Wonder Woman had no one. So he volunteered, and along with writer Greg Potter, did a massive overhaul of Wonder Woman in 1986, bigger than almost anything that had been done before. Under their guidance, the Amazons became more like the warriors of Greek myth than ever before, and the importance of the Olympian pantheon went into overdrive. The artwork and stories were detailed and epic, somehow evoking ancient myth and modernity at the same time.

Under Perez, Diana was powered up, befitting her status. She didn’t need an invisible plane to fly anymore, she could do so on her own power. Her super strength was now on par with Superman’s. Her longtime love interest, Steve Trevor, became an older man who was like a big brother. Perez was in no rush to give Diana a love interest. Perhaps the biggest change, the secret identity trope was done away with. Diana Prince was over, she was just Princess Diana, ambassador of Themyscira. Not only that, he made her principal supporting cast a single mother and daughter, amping the feminism of the title harder than anyone since Marston himself. However, unlike Marston, fewer people were tied up.

Perez illustrated the book for only 25 issues, but wrote (and did covers) for the entire five-year run. Sales and critical acclaim for Wonder Woman were better than they’d been in decades, and it was the foundation for the next two decades of Wonder Woman storytelling, including many of the other great and creative runs on this list. Both the modern animated and live-action versions of Wonder Woman owe George Perez an incredible debt for his version of Princess Diana. For this reason, we rank it as the greatest of all time.

Issues in George Perez’s Wonder Woman run:

Wonder Woman Vol.2, #1-62, Annual #1-2, Wonder Woman: War of the Gods #1-4 (1986-1991)

The post The 10 Greatest Wonder Woman Comic Book Runs, Ranked appeared first on Nerdist.

He may not be your favorite superhero, but if he’s not, your favorite superhero exists because of him. When Superman debuted in Action Comics #1 in 1938, it changed the comic book industry forever, starting a wave of superhero media continuing to this day. And while many other characters have overshadowed him recently, with Superman: Legacy on the way, don’t ever count out the big guy’s pop culture staying power. But with 85 years of Superman comic book runs from incredible creators, which ones are the very best? Here is our ranking of the best comic book eras in the Man of Steel’s long career.

10. Mark Millar

with Dave Johnson, Andrew Robinson, Walden Wong, and Killian Plunkett

Writer Mark Millar, known today for edgy fare like The Authority, actually started his American comic book career writing several wholesome Superman stories. These were contained in the pages of Superman Adventures, based on the ‘90s cartoon. As fun as these were, his next most famous Superman story became his most revered, 2003’s Superman: Red Son. Although a non-continuity Elseworlds story, this series explored a world where Kal-El landed in the Soviet Union, not Smallville. In Russia, cape wears you he grew up as a tool of the state.

What’s fascinating about this story over other Elseworlds is how Kal-El’s innate sense of fairness and goodness shines through. No matter where they raised him. It helped that the art by Dave Johnson, Andrew Robinson, Walden Wong, and Killian Plunkett was consistently top-notch too. Most writers on this list have far more Superman stories under their belt than Millar. So it says a lot that mostly because of just three issues, he left his mark on the Man of Steel.

Issues in Mark Millar’s Superman Run

Superman: Red Son #1-3 (2003) Superman Adventures #19, 25-27, 30, 31, 36, 52 (1998-2000)

9. Kurt Busiek

with Stuart Immonen, Carlos Pacheco, Jesus Merino, Pete Woods

Writer Kurt Busiek was already a comics legend for his runs on Avengers and Marvels before going to DC and taking on Superman. But when he finally did, his Superman stories were among the best ever in the modern comics era. His first Superman story was an Elseworlds tale, Secret Identity. This four-part series was set in our world, centering on a guy whose parents, unfortunately, gave him the name Clark Kent. But when Clark actually starts developing powers like the fictional man he’s based on, everything changes. This mini-series follows Clark throughout his life as he struggles to live up to the fictional legend of Superman, and what his legacy means. Artist Stuart Immonen does some career-best work here, and it’s a truly fantastic read.

After that incredible run about the “fake” Superman, Busiek took on the real deal in both Action Comics and Superman. His “Up, Up, and Away” arc (co-written with Geoff Johns) focuses on what it would be like for Clark Kent to still be heroic after a year with no powers, emphasizing what made him “super” wasn’t his Kryptonian genetics alone. It also explored what it would be like to take up the cape after a year as an ordinary man. Busiek’s later “Camelot Falls” storyline really explored Kal-El’s biggest weakness outside Kryptonite: magic. The late artist Carlos Pacheco brought an unparalleled sweeping grandeur to Superman during this run. Busiek’s era is one that definitely deserves more attention and truly is one of comics’ best Superman runs.

Issues in Kurt Busiek’s Superman Run

Superman: Secret Identity #1-4 (2004) Action Comics #837–843, 850, 852–854 (2006–2007), Superman #650–675, 712, Annual #13 (2006–2011)

8. Mark Waid

with Leinil Francis Yu

Mark Waid has written some of the best Flash and Justice League stories for DC, and many argue his Kingdom Come mini-series is one of the best Superman stories ever. And while it is, since it focuses on the DC Universe as a whole, we’re not counting it as just a Superman tale. And yet, Mark Waid still makes the cut, despite mostly writing random Superman issues here and there until 2003. In that year, he and Leinil Francis Yu created the 12-part mini-series Superman: Birthright, which retold Superman’s origin story for the 2000s.

Waid made Superman more a citizen of the world than just America in Birthright, and introduced the concept that the “S” shield as the Kryptonian symbol for hope. Waid writes about Superman’s innate goodness in a way that’s not goofy or unbelievable, but truly endearing. Yes, it’s yet another Superman origin story. And not even our favorite on this ranking! But Superman’s origin story is retold and reinterpreted so many times because frankly, it’s that great. It’s practically Biblical. And Birthright is one of the best versions of this story told in the comic book medium.

Issues in Mark Waid’s Superman Run

Superman: Birthright #1-12 (2003-2004)

7. Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason

with Doug Mahnke

2011’s “New 52” reboot of the DC Universe elevated some characters, but others got the shaft. While Grant Morrison’s New 52 Action Comics was a brilliant reimagining, it strayed too far in some ways. Taking away his marriage to Lois Lane after 20 years, pairing him romantically with Wonder Woman, and wearing armor to boot, didn’t work long term. So in 2016, DC began their “Rebirth” era, and no one benefitted from this more than Superman. Writer Peter Tomasi, who was an editor at DC before writing monthly comics, brought back the classic nature of Kal-El, and actually improved him, together with co-writer and series artist Patrick Gleason.

During Tomasi’s run, mostly illustrated by co-author Patrick Gleason and Doug Mahnke, Clark Kent was married to Lois Lane again, and she and Clark had a young son, Jonathan Kent. Lois and Clark were raising young Jon in Smallville, foreshadowing TV’s Superman and Lois. Peter Tomasi focused his stories on the Kents as the coolest parents on Earth, alongside all the big world-ending battles. For years, Superman has been the avuncular “dad” of comics, and Tomasi and Gleason brilliantly made that literal with his Clark, who became the father everyone wished they had. Superman fans were lucky to have this era last a good four years.

Issues in Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason’s Superman Run

Superman Vol. 4 #1–25, 27-28, 33-39, 42-45, Annual #1, Special #1 (co-written with Patrick Gleason, August 2016 to July 2018)

6. Jeph Loeb

with Tim Sale, Ed McGuinness

Writer Jeph Loeb has written some of the most defining tales for both Batman and Spider-Man, but also for the Man of Steel as well. This run began in the 1998 four-part mini-series Superman For All Seasons, which leaned heavily into the cozy, Americana aspects of Clark Kent’s story. Tim Sale, Loeb’s frequent collaborator on series like Batman: The Long Halloween, drew every page like it was sunrise over a Kansas cornfield. Each of the four issues featured narration by someone close to Superman, showing us how they saw him. Loeb and Sale portrayed the vastly different ways Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Lana Lang, and Pa Kent viewed Superman, and his role in the world.

Not to be overshadowed by his past work, Loeb wrote a long run on the main Superman title, with artist Ed McGuinness. Loeb complemented McGuinness’ broad cartoony art with stories that suited it. These included a return to Krypton, and Joker getting the powers of Mister Mxyzptlk. Most memorable though? When Lex Luthor harnessed the prejudices of the American people in an effort to become President of the United States. (You know, stuff that only happens in comics). Loeb would eventually write some stellar Batman/Superman stories in a subsequent team-up book. But his solo Man of Steel adventures remain all-timers.

Issues in Jeph Loeb’s Superman Run

Superman For All Seasons #1-4 (1998), Superman vol. 2 #151-182 (1999-2002)

5. Geoff Johns

with Gary Frank, Adam Kubert, Pete Woods

Almost no one is better at DC Comics in rescuing lost elements of past continuity and giving it modern relevance than writer Geoff Johns. After tackling Green Lantern, JSA, and Teen Titans, in 2006 he turned his attention to Superman. Somehow, he found his way to incorporate all of Superman’s lost eras into a cohesive whole. At first, he had help from his professional mentor Richard Donner, who co-wrote his first Superman arc with him. Donner just so happened to direct Superman: The Movie, don’t ya know?

Working with amazing artistic collaborators like Gary Frank, Johns gave Clark and Lois an adopted Kryptonian son, restored Kal-El’s connection to the Legion of Super-Heroes, and combined every version of Brainiac into the ultimate iteration of the classic villain. He even made Bizarro fun instead of annoying again. The best chapter in Geoff Johns’ run was the six-part Secret Origin. A new retelling of Clark’s oft-told backstory, it found a way to unite everything. There were elements of John Byrne’s ’80s take on Clark Kent, to the 1978 film, to Smallville, and more. All combined into the best version of Superman’s origin story yet. The Geoff Johns run was relatively brief in the grand scheme of things, but it made an incredible impact.

Issues in Geoff Johns’ Superman Run

Action Comics #837–840, 844–846, 850–851, 855–873 (2006–2009), Superman: Secret Origin #1-6 (2009-2010)

4. Grant Morrison

with Frank Quitely, Rags Morales

Grant Morrison is one of the greatest voices in comics, and has written definitive runs on most of the famous superheroes at this point. And many feel their All-Star Superman is the most definitive take on the character yet. And we’re inclined to agree that, as its title suggests, it’s absolutely stellar. Produced with frequent collaborator Frank Quitely, Morrison told a 12-part story about Superman facing his own impending death, after his cells absorb too much solar radiation on a rescue mission.

All-Star is a celebration of everything we love about Superman, further solidifying him as a man who does good just without tragic motivation. Morrison knows how to embrace the wacky Silver Age side of Superman with earnestness, and somehow, things like Krypto the super dog don’t seem so silly anymore. Almost no part of Superman’s extensive mythology isn’t celebrated in some way in All-Star. This is a comic about the world’s oldest superhero that just might make you cry at the end.

And then, there’s the polar opposite of All-Star, Morrison’s 2011-2012 “New 52” reinvention of the character for Action Comics with artist Rags Morales. Morrison went back to 1938 for their take on Clark’s early years, making him a “hero of the people.” He’d stop the corrupt and abusive, only with godlike-level powers. Eventually, the “New 52” Superman went hard sci-fi, explaining how Superman got into a costume that was an alien suit of armor. That part of the book strays a bit far from what we want from Superman on the regular, but as an Elseworlds tale, it rocks. They are easily the Man of Steel’s most important 21st-century creative voice.

Issues in Grant Morrison’s Superman run

All-Star Superman #1-12, (2005-2008) Action Comics Vol. 2, #0-18, (2011-2013), Superman and the Authority #1-4 (2018)

3. John Byrne

with Jerry Ordway, Marv Wolfman

Despite massive success on the big screen, by the early ‘80s, comic book Superman was seen as a relic of a bygone era. He was too squeaky clean, too powerful to write stories around. Everything about him felt stale. After DC Comics cleaned house continuity-wise with Crisis on Infinite Earths, they gave Superman a major overhaul, going “back to basics” with one of Marvel’s most famous creators at the helm, John Byrne, who was partially responsible for the success of the X-Men.

Byrne revamped Superman’s origins and mythos in his 1986 Man of Steel mini-series, stripping away much of the goofier Silver Age aspects of his character (no Superboy career, so super pets, etc.) There weren’t thousands of other Kryptonians anymore. He truly was the Last Son of Krypton. Following Man of Steel, he wrote and drew a relaunched Superman and Action Comics, where he revamped both Superman’s supporting cast and villains for the modern era. He even un-killed Ma and Pa Kent, giving Clark a world in Smallville to go home to.

Marv Wolfman and Jerry Ordway worked in tandem with Byrne on Adventures of Superman at the same time. No one character got a better upgrade in the Byrne era than Lex Luthor, who went from cackling mad scientist to megalomaniacal CEO and one of the most powerful men on Earth. Much of the ‘90s Superman: The Animated Series was based on Byrne’s run. Although his run only lasted two years and roughly 50 issues, it remains a high watermark in Kal-El’s career. And it put Superman comics back on the map.

Issues in John Byrne’s, Jerry Ordway’s, and Marv Wolfman’s Superman Run

The Man of Steel #1-6 (1986), Superman Vol. 2 #1-22, Action Comics #584-600, Adventures of Superman #424

2. Mort Weisinger’s Silver Age Era

with Otto Binder, Jerry Siegel, Al Plastino, Curt Swan

Most of the names on this list are modern, adhering to what we think of as a creative team “run” on a specific title. This practice mostly didn’t start until Marvel in the ‘60s. Before then, different writers and artists tackled superhero characters, thinking readers didn’t care who was writing or drawing them. But in Superman’s case, the main creative force behind his stories for 15 years was a man named Mort Weisinger. Under Weisinger’s tenure, the Superman mythology expanded greatly, more so than in any other time.

Technically, Weisinger started on the Superman books in 1954, introducing spin-offs for Jimmy Olsen and Lois Lane. But in 1958, his genius really started to flourish, when Weisinger hired Otto Binder, who wrote the bulk of Captain Marvel stories for Fawcett Comics. He was mostly paired with artist Al Plastino, whose happy whimsical style was the perfect complement to Binder’s take on Superman. Most of the covers for the Binder/Plastino Superman issues were by Curt Swan, arguably the definitive Superman artist of all time. Jerry Siegal, Superman’s co-creator, came back to DC in 1959 as well, and wrote much better stories for the character in the Weisinger era.

From 1958 to 1969, Weisinger introduced elements like Supergirl, Krypto the Super Dog, the Legion of Super-Heroes, many shades of Kryptonite, and Kal-El’s powers coming from Earth’s sun. Then there are the villains, like Brainiac, Bizarro, and Parasite. Also, the Phantom Zone and its criminals, including General Zod. And although he didn’t create it, Otto Binder (under Weisinger’s guidance) greatly expanded the importance of the Fortress of Solitude. Under his watch, Krypton went from a footnote in Superman’s history to a full fleshed-out culture. Eventually, all those additions accumulated into too much (hence the post-Crisis Byrne reboot.) But almost no one contributed to Superman lore more. And silly as they are, these stories are just fun. And all foundational to what we think of today as Superman.

Issues in the Mort Weisinger Superman Era

Action Comics #241- 392, Superman Vol. 1 #120-231, Adventure Comics #247-396 (1958-1970)

1. Mike Carlin’s “Triangle Era”

with Dan Jurgens, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern, Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, Karl Kesel

Our number one slot of Superman eras is a weird one, because it doesn’t belong to one creative team. It belongs to several, all working in concert over several years under one editorial voice. That of Mike Carlin. After John Byrne left the Superman books in 1988, sales dipped, and Clark Kent was back to where he was in terms of fan apathy. With three Superman titles still being published a month, group editor Mike Carlin suggested a format that would tie all these separate titles into one grand narrative. Carlin instituted a small triangle on the cover of each issue, saying where each issue of Superman, Adventures of Superman, and Action Comics fell in each respective year’s timeline. And it worked.

Writer/artist Dan Jurgens, industry vets Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway, Jon Bogdanove, Tom Grummett, Karl Kesel, and a few more largely forged this “triangle era” in its early days. With the addition of Superman: Man of Steel, the saga was now a weekly soap opera, something even X-Men and Spider-Man at Marvel weren’t at the time. And it flourished because each title’s individual teams talked to each other and truly coordinated under Carlin’s direction. This was something unprecedented in mainstream superhero comics.

The first year of the “triangle era,” 1991, didn’t see a big bump sales-wise. Despite the huge change to the mythos of having Lois Lane finally learn Superman’s true identity, as she and Clark become a true power couple at last. At a frustrated editorial meeting early in 1992, Mike Carlin jokingly said “What if we just kill him?” And then, they did. “The Death and Return of Superman” created a massive event in comics, rarely seen before or since. Sales soared, and the Superman titles became an addictive weekly fix and top DC seller for years following. The “triangle era” technically lasted until 2002, but really ran out of steam around 1997. This was when Superman got electric powers, a gimmick story best forgotten. But for those first five years, it was as good as the Last Son of Krypton’s stories ever were. Or may ever be again.

Issues in the Superman “Triangle Era”

Superman Vol. 2 #51-176, Action Comics #661-785, Adventures of Superman #474-598, Superman: The Man of Steel #1-119 (1991-2002)

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After all the reshooting, rebooting, and release date rejiggering, right as 2023 comes to a close, James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is finally out. The behind-the-scenes story of the movie has been full of intrigue. Stuff had to be reshot to put Ben Affleck in it, then reshot to take him out. The high-profile Amber Heard trial means she probably had several scenes cut. The movie moved from release date to release date. In the midst of all this, a company-wide relaunch means Aquaman 2 is the unplanned ending to the entire DCEU. With all of that, you’d hope the movie was a trainwreck, or better yet, a triumph. It’s neither.

It’s a very odd place in which I find myself when it comes to this review. As with most films I review, I try to approach the movie on its own merits first and foremost. Then, if applicable, I think about the greater place in its respective franchise or cinematic universe. With Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, I can’t help but think about it in terms of the strange, uneven, and ultimately failed endeavor that was the DC Extended Universe. For every unexpected success—Wonder Woman and the first Aquaman—we had a bevy of bloated, po-faced attempts to ape the Marvel model. It was a cinematic universe without a clear vision, ethos, tone, or level of quality.

Aquaman made an ungodly amount of money in 2018, which surprised literally everyone. Jason Momoa’s charisma, the vibrant Atlantean vistas, and James Wan’s innovative and frenetic action sequences all worked in its favor. I will say this for both that movie and its sequel: they remain gleefully unrelated to the other DCEU movies. Sure, Arthur Curry appears in other DCEU products, but none of that infiltrates his story.

This movie finds Arthur and Mera (Heard) married and with a newborn baby. He’s finding the business of ruling Atlantis not everything it’s cracked up to be. He spends most (or all) of his evenings drinking beer at his dad (Temuera Morrison)’s lighthouse. Unfortunately, David Kane, a.k.a. Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) still wants revenge from what happened in the first movie. To that end, he has found a mystical black trident which gives him terrible powers. It also affords him knowledge of where to find a long-buried fuel source. That ore causes the Earth to overheat, ruining the surface environment and poisoning the underwater inhabitants. If he succeeds, it’ll free a dormant army of the dead. It’s bad, is what I’m saying.

In order to fight Manta, Arthur will need the help of his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson), who has been imprisoned since the events of the first movie. Can the unlikely family put aside their differences for the good of the planet? Oh, also Randall Park is here as a scientist under Manta’s employ who very quickly decides he doesn’t want to be involved but can’t leave. Park’s Dr. Shin gets a whole lot of screentime, more even than Black Manta, and certainly more than either Mera or Nicole Kidman’s Atlanna.

The biggest issue with the movie is you can see all the fingers in the pot. Arthur has a baby, but the baby only matters for the plot. Most of the theming of the first movie—family, duty, romance—take a backseat to lofty environmental messaging, which itself feels pretty tacked on. Mera as a character only exists to get Arthur out of trouble at the last second. The Orm-Arthur relationship is the most fleshed out in the movie, but it isn’t set up at all in the early part of the movie. And Manta is a half-note villain who doesn’t even get to be his own person because a ghost monster has him in a thrall.

Who knows how much the actual plot changed during the many years of production and post-production? As with way too many of these movies, even if you hadn’t heard of all the studio issues, you’d be able to tell something was off. I didn’t love the first Aquaman movie but at least it felt of a piece with itself. All of Momoa’s frat-dude charm here feels oddly out of step with the rest of the movie, but the movie doesn’t even comment on it. He doesn’t succeed or fail because of that, he doesn’t grow or change. And because nothing really resonates, the humor doesn’t feel earned.

Ultimately, who cares? I don’t want to keep kicking this movie, or this franchise, when it’s down. Wan, Momoa, and the rest of the crew have been put in a truly unenviable position. Most of us know this is the end of the franchise, there will be no more Momoa as Aquaman. (Caveat: unless this movie somehow makes bank the way the first one did.) This isn’t the worst movie in the franchise by a longshot. It’s not even the worst DCEU movie to come out this calendar year. It’s simply the last one.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is the most rare of movies: a franchise entry released with no hope of furthering a franchise. DC movies need a clean break, and it just stinks for everyone involved they announced the clean break with four more movies on the horizon. It’s enjoyable enough, it has a few decent action sequences. If you want more Aquaman, go see it. At least it has a CGI seahorse.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom ⭐ (2.5 of 5)

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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With the recent news via Deadline of Sean Gunn’s casting as billionaire Maxwell Lord in the DCU, comics fans may have started to see a potential plan form. Many know Max Lord as a Wonder Woman villain, a role DC gave him in the 2000s. It’s a role he also played in live-action in Wonder Woman 1984, as well as The CW Supergirl series. But when the character originated, he wasn’t evil at all. He was a smarmy business executive to be sure, but his intentions were ultimately noble. And he intended to form a new Justice League, one which would represent the whole world. A Justice League International.

A post about about Maxwell Lord from James Gunn’s Instagram (around the same time Gunn was mentioned for the role) seemed to confirm that he prefers the Justice League International version of the character, and not the modern villainous version. So this begs the question, with Max and other JLI characters already announced for the DCU, does this mean the world’s goofiest iteration of the Justice League is on the way for live-action? We don’t know, but it sure seems to be pointing in that direction. Before we explain how this could work, here’s a brief history of the Justice League International in the comics, and how Max Lord was tied to them.

The Justice League Reinvents Itself (Take One)

For the first quarter century of its existence, the Justice League of America consisted of DC’s biggest stars. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman were almost always front and center. They were usually flanked by DC’s second tier of heroes, like Green Lantern, Aquaman, and the Flash. The roster expanded over the years, but the superstars were always at the core. But by 1984, sales dipped on JLA, and DC decided to take the Teen Titans/X-Men approach. Mix in new, younger heroes, with some classic old-school members. And thus, Justice League Detroit was born. Okay, so that was not their official name. But since their HQ was a bunker in Detroit, and not a satellite in space, the name stuck.

The DC trinity left the book, leaving stalwarts like Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, and Elongated Man in charge. But the focus was on new, younger members like Steel, Vixen, Vibe, and the unfortunately named Gypsy. All of these members visually evoked pop culture trends of the moment, like breakdancing or MTV pop stars like Cyndi Lauper and Tina Turner. Within a year or two, it was hopelessly dated. Fans rejected it. The new JLA series was a flop, and DC canceled it after only two years. But then they tried something new. And this time, the new take worked.

How Justice League of America Became Justice League International

After the Crisis on Infinite Earths reboot, the biggest DC icons were rebooted and re-energized. But there was no Justice League comic on the horizon. The editors of Superman, Wonder Woman, and Flash didn’t want their characters playing in someone else’s sandbox as they reestablished them, so they forbade them from joining any new Justice League series. DC editor Andy Helfer asked the Batman office to let them use the character, and they relented. Allegedly they felt bad that this new League had no stars. This new Justice League was simply “The Justice League.” No more “of America” in the title. They launched their own new #1 issue in the spring of 1987, from the creative team of writers Keith Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis, and artist Kevin Maguire. Those first issues sold like hotcakes, despite almost no big names in the group besides Batman.

Aside from longtime Leaguers like Batman, Martian Manhunter, and Black Canary, this League’s roster was largely newcomers. Not necessarily newcomers to comics, but to the team. They were known heroes, but with lesser degrees of fame. There was Captain Marvel/Shazam, as well as former JSA member Doctor Fate, two 1940s relics. New Gods characters like Mister Miracle also joined, and the team’s resident Green Lantern was not the well-respected Hal Jordan or John Stewart. It was blowhard Guy Gardner, who no one really liked. In fact, Batman sucker-punched him in the face once, to the visible delight of all his teammates.

A new character, a mysterious financier named Maxwell Lord elevated the League to a new status, as the United Nations’ first official superhero team. Like a sovereign country, they would have embassies all over the globe. By issue #7, DC Comics renamed the series Justice League International. Eventually, the story revealed that Lord encountered a supercomputer from New Genesis, home of the powerful New Gods. It programmed him to use his vast wealth and resources to fund a group of metahumans to replace the now-defunct Justice League of America, in order to protect the Earth from various threats.

Justice League International Mixed Comedy with Superheroics

From the start, JLI was different. Giffen and DeMatteis leaned heavily on comedy, in the middle of the dark and grimy age of comics. The series was genuinely laugh-out-loud funny, but it was also a great superhero adventure series. Guy Gardner was the JLI’s resident arrogant jerk, who rubbed everyone on the team the wrong way. Batman was the gruff uncle who occasionally visited, while Martian Manhunter was the always exasperated dad of the family.

Meanwhile, Blue Beetle and new member Booster Gold (who joined in issue #4) were the constant wisecracking “big brothers” of the team, while Captain Marvel was the dorky kid brother just happy to tag along. JLI became the home of known DC characters—ones often treated with disrespect or considered as jokes. JLI later brought in true D-list characters, like Fire and Ice, a duo who originated in some old Super Friends comics, or the Russian hero Rocket Red. JLI made the readers fall in love with them.

The comedic tone of the writing blended perfectly with Kevin Maguire’s detailed art. The artist had a knack for drawing hyper-realistic facial expressions, so the team’s constant laughter or shock always came through. The series was a big hit for DC, who then spun off several titles. The main JLI book became Justice League America, while its spinoff team was Justice League Europe. A Justice League Quarterly series appeared, and several crossover events took place between them all. Fans responded to the blend of comedy and action, with character interactions that, while mostly funny, could get downright serious. If there was any live-action superhero property these days that reflects the tone of JLI, it’s probably James Gunn’s own Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy.

Is James Gunn Bringing the Justice League International into the DCU?

With the addition of Max Lord to the DCU, one of the key pieces of the Justice League International team is in place. They’ve already cast Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), with Booster Gold officially announced as getting his own streaming series. The Blue Beetle film hinted heavily that Ted Kord is still out there. And if they absorb Beetle into Gunn’s new DCU, we assume that includes Ted too. Add in Batman (we know he’s coming) and Justice League Europe member Metamorpho, and the core of Justice League International is right there. But what form will it take in live-action?

At some point in the future, there will be a new Justice League movie. We doubt it will feature anything but DC’s biggest heroes in the lead. It’s hard to sell a $250 million movie on characters like Fire and Ice, or Mister Miracle. However, it would make sense for Gunn to develop two branches of the League. The “Big Guys” for the movie franchise, and the JLI for an ongoing TV series. Maxwell Lord could form a separate League for the United Nations, and we’d get to see a streaming series featuring them before we even see the famous icons get together to save the Earth.

Gunn perfected the comedic superhero team dynamic for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. He could work similar magic for the JLI for the DCU. Maybe bigger characters like J’onn J’onzz the Martian Manhunter and Batman could be the liaisons between the All-Star League up in their orbiting watchtower, and the “little guys” on Earth. It would be truly wild if the first Justice League we see in Gunn’s DCU was the era when the roster mostly consisted of so-called “lovable losers.” But wouldn’t that be the most James Gunn move ever? If we suddenly hear casting announcements for characters like Fire, Ice, and Rocket Red, then we think it’s safe to say it’ll the Justice League International will be well on its way soon.

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Aquaman may not have the Rogues Gallery of some of his Justice League teammates like Batman, Superman, or the Flash. His baddies aren’t even on the level of Green Lantern’s or Wonder Woman’s, if we’re being honest. But that’s not to say they are all bargain basement baddies. The King of Atlantis has a few truly lethal and memorable villains who have plagued him over the decades, and these are the best of the best. Or should we say the worst of the worst?

7. The Scavenger (Peter Mortimer)

The villain known as the Scavenger was just as his name suggests—an underwater scavenger. First appearing in 1968’s Aquaman #37, Peter Mortimer wore a high-tech underwater diving suit, which he used to rummage through the ocean floor for lost treasure and powerful weapons. All of this, of course, brought him into conflict with Aquaman. Scavenger made a handful of appearances in the Silver and Bronze Age of comics. Eventually, he gained mystical powers, which made him a bigger threat. The New 52 reboot of the DC Universe brought him back to basics. Once again, he was a scavenger looting the ocean for ancient Atlantean artifacts. Only this time, he had a much cooler suit.

That much cooler suit helps him land a spot as one of Aquaman’s best baddies.

6. The Shark (Karshan)

The Shark is not to be confused with the Suicide Squad’s King Shark; that’s a totally different guy. No, the villain called the Shark actually originated as an antagonist for Green Lantern Hal Jordan, way back in Green Lantern #24 in 1963. His backstory was your basic Silver Age origin for a villain. A radioactive explosion went off in the ocean, transforming a basic tiger shark into a humanoid hybrid—one who only wanted to seek out prey and devour them. While he was mostly a Green Lantern adversary at first, as a water-based creature, it was inevitable he would wind up as an Aquaman villain. When he fought Arthur, he took on the Atlantean identity of Karshan. He wasn’t as menacing looking as later, similar villains like King Shark. At least not at first. But for some time there, he was a big thorn in Aquaman’s side.

5. The Fisherman

The Fisherman is one of those Silver Age Aquaman villains that just had that extra something creators and fans liked, so he kept coming back. His real name has never been revealed. He’s one of DC’s many pirates who use oceanic motifs as part of his schtick. Still, his look is slightly more memorable than the others. This is mainly because he literally used a giant titanium steel fishing rod as his main weapon. All while wearing a yellow fisherman’s cowl too. Oh, and with thigh-high boots. Because why not? He’s one of the few comic villains who made it into the ’60s Aquaman cartoon, which probably helped him, recognition-wise. DC eventually revealed his goofy fisherman’s hat was actually a parasitic entity that controlled his victims! That fact alone is so bizarre and off-the-wall, that it earns The Fisherman a place on this list.

4. Kordax

When writer Peter David created a whole history and lore for ancient Atlantis in his 1990 series The Atlantis Chronicles, one of the best additions was the villainous Kordax. He was born to an ancient Atlantean queen, but then abandoned after his birth because of his green-scaled body and (unusual for Atlanteans) blonde hair. But Kordax didn’t die when abandoned on the reef, because he had the power to telepathically communicate with sea life. And he learned to control them, and later, use them to do his bidding.

Kordax returned as an adult and tried to claim the Atlantean throne, but failed in his coup. Because of his unique hair color, blonde hair became a sign of evil to Atlanteans. And this was also why the Atlantean people abandoned his descendant Orin to die. Centuries later, he returned, and became a lethal enemy for his descendant Orin, now Aquaman, in the Sea King’s ’90s solo series written by his creator, Peter David. Aquaman ultimately killed him, but he made his mark in his short time as an Aquaman adversary. He will at least be referenced in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

3. Charybdis

Charybdis didn’t make a ton of appearances in many Aquaman comics. However, he inflicted the most pain on Arthur Curry than anyone other than Black Manta. Created by Peter David and Martin Egeland and first appearing in 1994’s Aquaman #1, Charybdis and his wife, Scylla were named for ancient monsters from Greek mythology. Both were high-profile terrorists who attempted to kill Aquaman for fame and money. But when Scylla was herself instead killed, Charybdis lost his mind with grief.

Similar to Marvel’s Rogue, Charybdis could absorb powers from others. He attempted to absorb Aquaman’s power, and then controlled a school of piranha to eat Aquaman’s hand, leaving nothing but bones. (He’d later replace that lost hand with a giant hook, which was pretty badass, we can’t lie). Charybdis couldn’t control Aquaman’s power, and he himself fell into a pool of piranha. But since this is comics, he didn’t really die. Instead, he melded with the creatures and absorbed their traits, and became Piranha Man. The name Piranha Man might sell more action figures, but we still like the name Charybdis better.

2. Ocean Master (Orm Marius)

Aquaman’s second most important villain is his own half-brother Orm, also known as Ocean Master. Orm has had several backstories over the years, but he’s always been Arthur Curry’s bitter sibling. First appearing in 1966’s Aquaman #29, he was originally a high-tech pirate. In the post-Crisis era, DC reinvented him as a sorcerer who wielded Atlantean magic, and the half-brother of Aquaman via his human father, Tom Curry. Peter David’s version was Aquaman’s half-brother via sharing the same father, this time the ancient Atlantean sorcerer Atlan.

In Geoff Johns’ New 52 era take on the character in 2011, he was an Atlantean royal, the other son of Queen Atlanna, who had a vendetta against the surface world for their pollution of the oceans, and who sought to destroy them. This was the version Patrick Wilson played that made it to live-action in the Aquaman film. Regardless of how he was related to Aquaman and by which parent, his role as the wildly jealous half-sibling was always constant. It always made the stakes between himself and his arch-enemy truly personal. Add to that a memorable design (that helmet is both goofy and cool), and he’ll always be one of Aquaman’s most famous bad guys.

1. Black Manta (David Hyde)

Over the decades, Aquaman faced off against many air-breathing undersea criminal types in diving suits. Many of which remain forgotten today. So why did Black Manta, who debuted in Aquaman #35 in 1967, rise to the top? And why is David Hyde the greatest of all Aquaman villains, even over his jealous half-brother Orm? Three reasons: His costume design is cool as hell. Never underestimate the power of a killer look in superhero comics. Second, he appeared in the Aquaman animated series, and later, on the Challenge of the Super-Friends. And finally, he committed the worst act ever done by a supervillain to their arch-enemy—he murdered Aquaman’s young son.

Ever since that seminal story back in the ‘70s, Black Manta became Arthur Curry’s most famous foe. The Joker to his Batman. Modern comics have given Black Manta more layers and backstory, including revealing his motivations against the King of Atlantis. One of those reasons is that he blamed Aquaman for the death of his father. Because of all of these things, Black Manta was not only a villain in the first Aquaman film, played by Yayah Abdul-Mateen II, but also in the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom as well. For all of these reasons, we highly doubt anyone will ever replace Black Manta as Aquaman’s most notorious enemy.

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