10 Best DC Comics Characters Created by Scott Snyder, Ranked

He’s one of the biggest names at DC Comics right now, and he’s helped bring a number of the publisher’s greatest characters to life. I’m, of course, speaking of Scott Snyder, the lauded writer who has really left a sizable imprint on the DC Universe in the last several years. Known for his bombastic, epic storylines like Dark Nights: Metal, Snyder has come up with a lot of unique ideas that have really pumped new life into various corners of the DC Comics franchise. Love him or hate him, you have to admit the guy loves swinging for the fences.

And when making those big swings, Snyder has introduced a lot of fascinating new characters. He’s made a couple of additions to the Bat-Family, like Harper Row and Duke Thomas. And he’s introduced some truly beloved additions to DC canon, like the Court of Owls. And that’s not even getting into all the ways he’s shaken up the comic book scene with Absolute Batman and its myriad of reimagined icons. Snyder has been in the game for a while, and he’s introduced a lot of new characters, but read on to discover ten of his best additions to the DCU.

10. Umbrax

The Emotional Spectrum was a beloved addition to the Green Lantern Corps mythos, and Snyder went a step further when he revealed the existence of the Invisible Spectrum. At the center of this mysterious force is the dark entity Umbrax, a powerful being connected to the Ultraviolet Corps. Umbrax used its power to assimilate entire planets and their sentient populations, adding them to its corps. Umbrax didn’t reach the popularity of other Lantern villains like Atrocitus or Larfleeze, but the idea of a hidden aspect to the Emotional Spectrum was cool, and Umbrax was quite the interesting threat.

9. Bluebird

It wasn’t long into Scott Snyder’s run on Batman in the New 52 that he introduced a young woman named Harper Row. Harper is a streetwise youth with a knack for engineering, and after a few team-ups with the Dark Knight, she ended up adopting a hero moniker of her own, Bluebird. Bluebird has worked with the Bat-Family a few times, though she’s not the most consistent member. I did find it odd that Harper was explicitly billed as a ‘fan-favorite’ after her earliest despite most fans feeling otherwise, but she really came into her own as a hero.

8. Mr. Bloom

Mr. Bloom was one of the original villains from Scott Snyder’s Batman run, and boy, was he quite the unique addition. As his name implies, Bloom makes seeds that he can plant in others to give them abilities (as well as murder them). Bloom also has a strange physiology that allows him to survive the most grievous injuries as well as take control of fire and ice. He was a real wildcard whenever he popped up, though he eventually met his end in the miniseries Task Force Z. I hope he eventually returns, because he’s got a great gimmick.

7. Perpetua

Undoubtedly one of the greatest cosmic villains created by Scott Snyder. Perpetua is from a race of beings known as the Hands, strange beings from outside the Source Wall. She’s also the mother of some of the DCU’s most iconic cosmic beings, the Monitor, the Anti-Monitor, and the World Forger. She’s one of the most powerful beings in DC cosmology and was a huge part of Snyder’s Justice League run, as well as Dark Nights: Death Metal. She hasn’t been seen as much as of late, but she could easily return to challenge the heroes once more someday.

6. Jarro

If there’s one original character created by Scott Snyder that absolutely no one hates, it’s Jarro. As you can probably guess, Jarro is one of Starro’s spores, one taken in by Batman to study. However, Jarro grew to view Batman as a father and love him as one. His love for the hero ran so deeply that Jarro even tried to brainwash Batman and the League to prevent them from being killed by the Legion of Doom. I think we all love cute comic book characters, and when it comes to Scott Snyder’s creations, they don’t get cuter than Jarro.

5. The Batman Who Laughs

Like him or hate him, you can’t deny that the Batman Who Laughs is absolutely one of the biggest characters created by Scott Snyder. The Batman Who Laughs hails from the Dark Multiverse, more specifically, a world where Batman broke his number one rule and killed the Joker, resulting in Bruce being poisoned by Joker Venom. As a result, Batman went insane and destroyed his world before being recruited by Barbatos to attack the Prime Multiverse. I’m not the biggest fan, but you have to admit, a villain with Batman’s determination and Joker’s insanity is a dangerous threat.

4. Absolute Joker

The Joker from Absolute Batman is so different, he may as well be a different character altogether. One of the richest men on the planet, Joseph ‘Jack’ Grimm IV is a cold, calculating billionaire with a dark secret. Though the world knows him as one of the greatest philanthropists, he’s actually a monster in disguise. Literally, his true form is a demonic monster, and thanks to his incredible wealth, Grimm has private islands where he hunts down and consumes his enemies. There’s still so much we don’t know about this Joker, but what we do know is absolutely terrifying.

3. The Court of Owls

Arguably, the greatest and longest-lasting villains created by Scott Snyder during his Batman run. The Court of Owls is a secret cabal of elites who have been secretly controlling Gotham for centuries. Aided by immortal, brainwashed enforcers known as Talons, the Court has kept a tight grip on Gotham, at least until Batman became aware of them. Though their influence isn’t what it once was, they still exist and pop up every once in a while to cause a major problem for Batman and his family. They’re not Joker or Two-Face, but they’re damn creepy in their own way.

2. Duke Thomas

It was so cool seeing Duke Thomas’ rise. He started out as a part of We Are Robin, a youth movement to patrol Gotham in the wake of Batman’s absence. But Duke found himself becoming a legit part of the Bat-Family before too long and was taken under Batman’s wings. Unlike Bruce’s previous proteges, Duke actually has powers, specifically the power to manipulate light and darkness. As such, Duke became the Signal, Gotham’s premier hero during the daytime. To this day, Duke continues to keep his city safe as a valued member of the Bat-Family.

1. Absolute Batman

Sorry if it’s cheating putting a Batman at the top of this list, but given the immense success of Absolute Batman, it just felt right. Absolute Batman is a Bruce Wayne without any of the advantages of his Prime Universe counterpart. No family fortune, no company, nothing. Just grit, determination, and whatever he can cobble together. Absolute Batman is quite possibly the best Batman we’ve had in years. An oversized tank lashing out at the injustices of the world, particularly those committed in the name of profit? It’s no wonder fans everywhere have latched onto this version of Bruce.

What’s your favorite DC Comics character created by Scott Snyder? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!

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