While the biggest stars ofDC Comicshave remained the same for decades, the publisher’s stories have seen a great deal of change, redesign, and reinvention. Although some of these retcons and alterations were – and still are – unpopular, others have aged like fine wine, and continue to bear fruit even today.
If it weren’t for some of these stories of colossal change, DC might not be as successful or influential as it remains to this day. Ranging from tonal shifts to a character’s story, to an outright replacement and full-blown redesign,these DC Comics completely changed their characters, forever.
10The New Teen Titans Reinvented Dick Grayson
Marv Wolfman and George Pérez
In the 1980s, Dick Grayson made the shocking decision to retire as Batman’s sidekick, and join the Teen Titans. Thanks to the collaboration between Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Grayson later adopted the mantle of Nightwing, signalling the end of his time as a Dark Knight sidekick and the beginning of his own story.
The New Teen Titanstook Robin and turned him into a character who is now seen as DC’s best street-level vigilante, second only to Baman himself. Had Wolfman and Pérez not allowed Grayson to become a hero distinct from the world of Batman, the character likely would have fallen into obscurity as “the Golden Age Robin,” rather than a character unto himself. This arc channeled what so many young readers felt about their own identity, celebrating independence from one’s parents.
9"Hard-Traveling Heroes" Defined The Greens For Decades To Come
Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams
During the 1970s, Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams became arguably the best creative team at DC, thanks to their handling of both Batman and Green Lantern. After joining the latter book, they included Green Arrow in the roster, and began their “Hard-Traveling Heroes” run. This series followed the duo around America, where they’d fight criminals and face the social problems that allowed crime to fester.
The Hard-Traveling Heroes run achieved the impressive feat of DC beating out Marvel as the more socially-conscious publisher, thanks to its tackling of drug addiction, prejudice and social neglect. In most of these stories, Green Lantern and Green Arrow are confronted with a social ill, with Jordan taking on a conservative viewpoint to Queen’s progressive views. It was ultimately Green Arrow who fared best, as O’Neil embraced the idea of him as a modern-day Robin Hood. Since then, most Green Arrow stories have been defined by this era.
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8Shazam: The New Beginning Made Billy Batson The Key
Roy Thomas, Dann Thomas and Tom Mandrake
Shazam: The New Beginningheralded the post-Crisis DC makeover for Shazam, a character that DC had acquired only the decade before. In the Golden Age, the hero then known as Captain Marvel had a simple premise: Billy Batson would say the magic word, Shazam, and transform into the Captain, a champion of the Gods imbued with their powers. The story follows his new origin after Billy is taken in by Sivana, only to run away, meet the Wizard and become the Champion.
Shazam: The New Beginningushered in a few changes for the character, but the most lasting alteration isthe idea that Billy Batson’s mind remains when he turns into the Captain. This made the hero notably more wholesome, as he’s effectively the optimistic, all-American kid who represents the peak of what superhero escapism can be.
7Peter David’s Aquaman Set The Mold For His Modern Identity
Peter David, Martin Egeland and Howard Shum
One of the earliest heroes of DC’s Golden Age, Aquaman is a man who lives in both worlds, as a descendant of Atlantis who was raised on land. As a founding Justice League member, he has proven key to the DCU thanks to his unique powers. However, the Aquaman people know today thanks to the DCEU is a far cry from the 1940s version. It wasn’t untilIncredible Hulkwriter Peter David took over the title that readers got the rough, bearded Atlantean who has since defined the character in the mainstream.
Before Peter David’s Aquaman run, the character had been regarded by many readers as something of a joke, due to the fact his powers often required an aquatic setting to be useful.David, however, transformed him into a rugged hero closer in tone to Wolverine than to his Silver Age past. While some creative teams returned to his classic look, it always comes full circle back to the ’90s design.
6Green Lantern Rebirth Turned Hal Jordan From Villain To Icon
Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver
In the 1990s, Hal Jordan turned to evil when, during the “Death of Superman” event, Mongul and Cyborg Superman destroyed Coast City. After giving his life to save Earth inThe Final Night, Geoff Johns and Ethan van Sciver teamed up to redeem him in a way that absolved him of his crimes. TheGreen Lantern Rebirthminiseries retconned Hal’s fall as the work of a villainous parasite, Parallax. Here, it was revealed that the emerald hero was never the one responsible for the murders of his teammates.
Green Lantern Rebirth, as well as the subsequent ongoing series, took Hal Jordan from one of DC’s most shamed characters to a sales boom, second only to Batman. This miniseries didn’t just improve the character, it also pushed him back towards the status of a solo hero, rather than one who relied on the Corps.
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Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chang
Created by William Moulton Marston, Wonder Woman was among the first female superheroes in comics. Born on Paradise Island, the heroine made her way to “man’s world,” where she joined the war effort against the Germans during World War One. Since then, she has become a crucial part of the DCU, as a founding Justice Leaguer and one of the few heroes who can go toe-to-toe with Superman.
The New 52Wonder Womanis considered one of the era’s “love it or hate it” runs, as it made the heroine considerably more powerful, having her portrayed as the daughter of Zeus.This version of the character was significantly more of a warrior, something made clear when she replaced Ares as the God of War. Although aspects of this series have been retconned, it was an upgrade for the character and one of the better New 52 runs.
4Superman: The Man of Steel Redefined DC’s Hero For a New Era
John Byrne
AfterCrisis On Infinite Earths(Marv Wolfman and George Perez), John Byrne was charged with reinventing Superman for the Modern Age. As a character who slipped in relevance during the Bronze Age as Batman grew in popularity, the Blue Boy Scout was in need of a fresh start. Through his miniseries The Man of Steel, Byrne revised his origin and powers, exploring a “Year One” type story.
John Byrne’sMan of Steelincorporated elements of the Golden Age into the ’80s, but also gave him something of an abrasive personality, which carried into the animated series. His powers were reduced to make him more vulnerable and, best of all, the writer emphasized Clark Kent’s humanity, downplaying his alien roots. Although not every change has stuck, Kent’s association with Earth as his true home is the best part of Byrne’s Superman legacy.
3Showcase #4 Helped The Flash Launch The Silver Age
Robert Kanigher, Carmine Infantino and Joe Kubert
Throughout the Golden Age of comics, Jay Garrick was DC’s resident Scarlet Speedster, as well as being one of the first heroes to actually headline his own book. As a founding member of the Justice Society of America, he helped usher in the superhero age alongside Superman and Batman. Until the 1950s, he was the fastest man alive in all comics, and it wasn’t even close.
Showcase#4 dethroned Jay Garrick as the resident Flash, reinventing the entire character to now be Barry Allen, a younger man in a more modern-style superhero costume. This was part of an initiative spurred on by editor Julius Schwartz, who wanted the publisher to remain relevant for the new generation of readers – and it’s worked ever since.
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2Showcase #22 Made Green Lantern A New Breed of Superhero
John Broome and Gil Kane
Though the Green Lantern Corps is what many readers think of when they hear the mantle today, the original hero was entirely different. Debuting in the pages ofAll-American Comics#16, Alan Scott was the first hero to bear the name of Green Lantern. His story began when, in the aftermath of a train wreck, he discovered a mysterious lantern and ring that, when used, imbued him with magical powers.
As impressive a redesign as Barry Allen was for the Flash, he pales in comparison towhat Hal Jordan brought to the table.Showcase#22 took a fairly street-level magical hero and transformed him into a Buck Rogers/Flash Gordon mash-up, a space-based hero with science-based powers. Now, the hero’s abilities stemmed not from an unknown form of magic, but rather the power of will, and DC had a cosmic superhero for the American Space Age.
1Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Cemented His ‘Grim’ Image
Frank Miller, Klaus Janson and Lynn Varley
The Dark Knight Returnstakes place in a future where Bruce Wayne has retired as Batman, and Gotham is experiencing an unprecedented crime wave. In response to escalating violence from the Mutant Gang, Wayne returns to the cape and cowl to put an end to the brutality. However, as he does, he inadvertently triggers the return of Joker, and draws the ire of President Reagan for his vigilantism,leading to an epic showdown.
The work to transform Batman from, as Alan Moore once called him, “your jolly uncle” into a dark and brooding character began under Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams' run. However,it wasn’t until Frank Miller’sDark Knight Returnsthat this transformation was truly complete and, after its success, there was no turning back. To this day, the prestige miniseries is the blueprint for a good Batman story.
