DC Comics has been publishing superhero comics since 1938, creating many of the most popular characters in fiction. Everyone knows Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Dick Grayson, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, the Joker, Lex Luthor, Jim Gordon, the Flash, Cyborg, Justice League, the Teen Titans, and many more, and the publisher has put out what is probably thousands of titles over the decades. Some of the characters are so popular that they’re consistently published, whether it be in team books or solos, and some of them are perennial guest stars. Then, there are some who are cool, but don’t appear nearly as much as they once did.
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Being a DC fan is falling in love with a character in a new solo series or team book, getting deeper into them over the span of a few years, and then them vanishing. There are legions of amazing characters who most current readers have rarely read because it’s been so long since they were published. These ten DC characters are the coolest ones you’ve never read, characters whose days in the sun are few and far between.
10) Kate Spencer
Manhunter is a mantle that has been around the DC Multiverse since the Golden Age of Comics. There have been numerous Manhunters over the years, and you almost certainly haven’t read about them, but the best of them did have a book during the DC boom years of the ’00s. Kate Spencer was a lawyer who became the new Manhunter, and Manhunter (Vol. 3) ran from 2004 to 2009. Since then, she’s made few appearances, most notably in Event Leviathan and Checkmate, two underrated stories from Bendis’s unfortunate tenure at DC. Kate is an awesome character, and it would be great to see her more.
9) Mister E
Mister E was long one of the most feared men in the magical community. He was raised by a domineering religious father, abused and having his eyes removed, and made it his mission in life to destroy all evil supernatural beings. He was a pragmatic killer, using magic to defeat the most dangerous enemies in the world. He was part of DC’s ’70s horror books, got another chance in the early ’90s because of the original Books of Magic, and got a Vertigo series, but never really caught on. He hasn’t appeared in ages, but he’s a fun character.
8) Eternity Girl
Eternity Girl, by Magdalene Visaggio and Sonny Liew, was part of the second phase of Young Animal books. It starred Caroline Spear, a shapeshifter given the chance to end the universe. The whole story is a meditation on depression and identity, and it’s a fantastic comic anchored by an awesome character. Caroline feels real from the first page, trying to deal with who she is in a world where she feels nothing matters. This kind of story lives and dies by the main character, and Eternity Girl is a star.
7) Shade the Changing Girl
DC’s Young Animal imprint was fantastic, talking D-list characters and giving them new, weird relaunches. Shade the Changing Girl was based on the character Shade the Changing Man, and followed his back story to an extent, while also changing certain particulars. Loma Shade was tired of life on her homeworld Meta, so she stole the Madness Vest and went to Earth, taking over the body of a human teenager. Over the course of two series, she dealt with being human and dealing with her people coming to look for her. Shade was a great character, and the end of Young Animal was the end of her, but a return could make her a hot character.
6) Shade the Changing Man
Shade the Changing Man was first created in the Bronze Age by Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko. Rac Shade came from the world Meta and used the Madness Vest to fight evil, changing form, and fighting alongside teams like the Outsiders. Later in the ’80s, the character would be brought back by writer Peter Milligan and artist Chris Bachalo, and had one of the books that helped plant the seeds for Vertigo Comics in the ’90s, Shade the Changing Man. Shade has been gone since the end of his Vertigo series. He’s appeared in some backgrounds, but hasn’t been a part of anything important in a long time. DC should reprint his old series, but until then, he remains a hidden gem.
5) Crimson Avenger
Golden Age DC had some amazing heroes, and many of them have been taken by the winds of time. The concept of the superhero had come out of the pulp detective stories, and several heroes were more in that vein, including the Crimson Avenger. The Crimson Avenger was Lee Travis, a man armed with magical .45s that allowed him to get vengeance for the murdered. He would later get a more normal superhero costume, and along with his partner Wing joined the Seven Soldiers of Victory. Time has passed him by, and he rarely appears even in flashback tales, but he’s a super cool character (and even had someone take up his mantle in the modern day).
4) Hourman III
Hourman is another Golden Age hero, one of the original members of the Justice Society. His son Rick took up his mantle and the two of them have appeared in JSA and Justice Society of America numerous times. However, the third Hourman hasn’t gotten nearly as much focus in recent years. He was a nanotech robot who traveled through time and was a member of the Justice Legion A of the 853rd century. He’d get his own book in the ’90s, taking up the name Matthew Tyler and fighting evil in the present day. He appeared in JSA (Vol. 1) in the ’00s several times, but has since vanished, although he has showed up in the background sometimes. His old series is another that deserves to be reprinted, and he could use another day in the sun.
3) Lady Quark
Crisis on Infinite Earths is DC’s greatest event, and introduced various characters meant to be a big deal in the new singular DC Universe. Lady Quark lost her Earth in the conflict, but survived, helping battle the Anti-Monitor with her powerful energy powers and fierce demeanor. She ended up traveling the new universe with Harbinger and Pariah, joining the cast of L.E.G.I.O.N. She then faded away, and has appeared sporadically over the years. She rarely appears in big books nowadays, and new fans who come across her have no idea about her history.
2) Snapper Carr
Snapper Carr first appeared in Silver Age, and was the teen sidekick to the Justice League of America. Carr was the reader insert, the kid that got to live with the heroes and have adventures. He’s basically a relic of a long-dead time, like Marvel’s Rick Jones, and creators have been trying to find a role for the characters in the modern DC Multiverse, rarely finding one. He’s a great character, though, and has appeared in plenty of awesome books, but he’s been MIA for so long that most fans have no idea who he is and have never read a comic with him in it.
1) Grace Choi
Grace Choi first appeared in Outsiders (Vol. 3). She was the mouthy, strong member of the team and she ended up sleeping with both Arsenal and Thunder, the daughter of Black Lightning. She was one of the most fun characters in the book, bashing heads, insulting everyone, and being the lovable rogue. She joined the cast of Batman and the Outsiders (Vol. 2). However, that book failed and she’s since drifted through the DC Multiverse. She’s a lovable bruiser, is so much fun to read, and DC is missing her caustic wit.
What’s your favorite obscure DC character? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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