10 Best New DC Heroes of the Last 10 Years

The best thing about the DC Universe is that it’s always expanding and making room for exciting new heroes. There’s always going to be a place for icons like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. But every once in a while, creatives spice the DCU up by adding a new character into the mix. Do they always take? Absolutely not. But every once in a while, we’re lucky enough to get a hero that adds something special. Maybe they have a new or interesting power, or they complement a hero or team well enough to be brought back for future stories.

Since the days of DC Comics’ big DC Rebirth initiative, there have been hundreds of stories with dozens of brand-new heroes pitching in to protect the DC Universe from evil-doers. We’ve gotten incredibly unique and funny characters like Monkey Prince, as well as amazing representation in the form of heroes such as Dreamer. It’s hard to narrow down the best new heroes to just 10, especially when there have been so many cool ones in the last decade. But read on to see who I’d say are 10 of the best new DC heroes from the last decade.

10. The Super Twins

Technically, yes, this is two characters. The Super-Twins, Osul-Ra and Otho-Ra, aka Red Son and Starchild, were adopted by Superman after his mission to liberate Warworld from Mongul’s rule. The two are Phaelosians, distant cousins to Kryptonians with all of the same powers. Despite their young age, the two are pint-sized powerhouses, especially Osul-Ra, who was blessed with one of the God-Aspects of the Old God, Olgrun. Despite their short time, the two have been cool additions to the Superman lore, filling in a gap left behind by Jon Kent after he was aged up.

9. Flatline

Maybe I should have put Flatline in the villains list, but honestly, Nika gives antihero vibes more than anything else. Flatline is a metahuman who can take on the skills of anyone who dies within close proximity to her. She was introduced in the Robin series a few years ago, where she competed in the Lazarus Tournament alongside him. The two had a brief romance, though they’ve yet to really commit to any long-term, long-distance relationship. Still, Flatline was an incredibly unique character who really gelled with Damian, so hopefully her next appearance isn’t too far off.

8. Monkey Prince

When it comes to interesting heroes from the past decade, it doesn’t get more fantastic than Monkey Prince. Inspired by the legend of Sun Wukong, Marcus Sun is a clone of the Monkey King who was discovered by the Ultra-Humanite and raised by his daughter. Upon maturing, Marcus discovered the full range of his powers, which included the ability to separate and control his limbs via telekinesis, shape-shifting, and create clones of his own. The biggest shame is that after his limited series ended, Monkey Prince’s appearances have been few and far between (something DC needs to correct ASAP).

7. Yara Flor

While Future State didn’t exactly pan out, it was worth it for the introduction of Yara Flor, the most recent incarnation of Wonder Girl. Yara is the daughter of an Amazon and a Brazilian River God and is one of the toughest fighters of her generation. Between her Amazon and divine heritage, her strength far surpasses many of her sisters, short of just Wonder Woman. Yara also possesses a degree of hydrokinesis, though this power doesn’t come up as often. In her short time, Yara Flor has become a real fan-favorite and one of the most popular Wonder Girls.

6. Xanthe Zhou

Xanthe Zhou, aka the Envoy, is an incredible character. After making a special appearance in one of the Lazarus Planet specials, Xanthe starred in the miniseries Spirit World. As a spirit envoy, Xanthe is responsible for tending to the souls of the dead while also taking care of any magical threats that make it to the realm of the living. They possess several magic powers, including the ability to summon needed items by burning joss paper. Despite their miniseries ending some time ago, Xanthe has continued to pop up and even became a member of the Justice League.

5. Absolute Martian Manhunter

I know Martian Manhunter has been around for decades, but the title character in Absolute Martian Manhunter is so damn different, he’s pretty much a different character entirely. The Martian is a psychic entity that saved FBI agent John Jones from an explosion and has teamed up with him to stop the Martian’s insidious counterpart, the White Martian. The Martian is a noble being, desiring to help rid people of their negative thought patterns and heal them. Absolute Martian Manhunter is a serious trip, and the series will change everything you know about the alien hero.

4. Super-Man

Superman might have been around since the dawn of the superhero, but Super-Man (note the hyphen) has only been around for a decade. Kenan Kong was once just an average bully until he was selected by the Ministry of Self-Reliance to be China’s very own Superman-like hero. Infused with Superman’s qi, Kenan possesses the full range of Clark Kent’s powers. But what really puts Kenan over the top is that he also has an immunity to magic. Though he started out as a bully, becoming Super-Man gave Kenan the perspective he needed to become a better person.

3. Sideways

Spider-Man is such a cool hero, I can’t blame DC Comics for wanting its own. Sideways was one of the few characters created for the post-Dark Nights: Metal initiative, New Age of DC Heroes. Derek James fell through a rift and was exposed to the energies of the Dark Multiverse, later emerging with the power to create rifts of his own. So Derek became the social media star and superhero Sideways. His brief series remains one of the best DC Rebirth-era titles, and I will continue to champion its proper return and bring Sideways back to the spotlight.

2. Dreamer

Much like Harley Quinn or Livewire, Dreamer was created as an original character outside of the DC Universe before making her way into the comics proper. Nia Nal is the ancestor of the Legionnaire hero Dream Girl and has many similar powers, including precognitive abilities and the ability to astral project. Since she arrived in the DCU, Dreamer has become one of the most popular trans superheroes in modern comics. And if she wasn’t cool enough, Nicole Maines, who portrayed Dreamer in the Supergirl television show, has been writing Dreamer off and on for the past few years!

1. Green Lantern Jo Mullein

Arguably, the short-lived imprint Young Animal’s greatest legacy, Sojourner ‘Jo’ Mullein was the start of the limited series Far Sector, a detective story set in the far reaches of the DC Universe. It was a critically lauded comic that fans everywhere loved. So it’s no surprise Mullein was pushed hard during the Infinite Frontier era and later featured in the mainline Green Lantern books (and later the title character of Absolute Green Lantern). Jo has all the powers of a Green Lantern, but what makes her truly unique are her sleuthing skills, as she’s considered the Corps’ best detective.

Who’s your favorite DC Comics hero from the past decade? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!

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