DC Comics has been dropping the greatest superhero stories imaginable for decades. The publisher created the most legendary characters of the Golden Age, redefined what the superhero could be several times over the Silver Age, made some of the greatest comics of all time in the Bronze Age, and have been wowing readers in whatever age we’re in now (the Internet Age? I don’t know, above my pay grade). Many of the greatest creators of all time have given readers some of the coolest runs ever, stories that have helped make the world’s finest superheroes even better than before. We all know the greats, but they are just the tip of the iceberg.
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Under the surface, there’s decades of runs that haven’t gotten the love they should have. Some of these books are known to fans, but can be hard to find at times. Others are less well-known, and also nearly impossible to find, but they are all worth hunting down. These ten DC runs are amazing, and there’s a good chance you never read them.
10) Abnett’s Titans (Vol. 3)
DC Rebirth lived up to its name, to an extent at least. A lot of character got chances at stardom again. So, Titans by writer Dan Abnett and various artists including Brett Booth, Kenneth Rocafort, and Brandon Peterson brought back one of DC’s most beloved groups. Abnett is one of those writers who has a great pedigree with teams, writing great runs with Andy Lanning on the Legion of Superheroes and Guardians of the Galaxy. Abnett wrote Titans (Vol. 3) for its 36-issue run. His team of Titans was based on the original Teen Titans, so we got Wally, Nightwing, Donna Troy, Tempest, Bumblebee, Lilith Clay as Omen, and Arsenal. It’s a pretty great book. It gets a rebrand towards the end that spun out of Justice League: No Justice that isn’t as great as the beginning, but still good. This book doesn’t feel like a rehash of the standard Titans stories for the most par, and Abnett does a fantastic job with team.
9) Phil Jimenez’s Superwoman
Phil Jimenez is one of the greater writer/artists ever, and he’s done fantastic with superheroines. When DC Rebirth came along, Jimenez was given the reins of Superwoman, a book starring the New 52 Lois Lane and Lana Lang, who both were given powers when the New 52 Superman died. This book takes a massive twist right off the bat, as a major death rocks the world, and leaves the survivor in battle against the twisted Lena Luthor. Jimenez was on fire with his book, and I’m not going to spoil the twist. This series is beyond excellent, and if you can get it, you won’t be disappointed.
8) Marc Andreyko’s Manhunter
Manhunter is a legacy mantle that has somehow survived for decades, and the best series starring an iteration of the character was Manhunter (Vol. 3), which was written over its 38-issue run by Marc Andreyko, with Jesus Saiz, Jimmy Palmiotti, and several other artists. This version of the hero was lawyer Kate Spencer, fighting crime in both of her lives, and trying to deal with a mantle that has driven many to death. This book was saved from cancellation by its rabid fans and it was worth it. Mid ’00s DC was on fire and this book was one of the lesser known gems of the time.
7) Ram V’s Detective Comics
Detective Comics doesn’t sell nearly as well as Batman, but it’s been turning out banger runs for years now. In 2022, Ram V, one of the best writers in the mainstream comic industry, took over the book and gave readers the amazing Batman epic “Gotham Overture”. This story began with issue #1062 and ended with issue #1089, pitting Batman against the Orgham family, immortal Indian nobles who have been manipulating Gotham for centuries. This story is amazing, and it also has some of the best back-up stories you can imagine. V works with writers Simon Spurrier and Dan Watters and artists Rafael Albuquerque, Ivan Reis, Dali, Caspar Wijngaard, Liam Sharpe, Guillem March, Riccardo Federici, Stefano Raffaele and many more to craft an amazing narrative. This story is a completely unique Batman story, a masterpiece that takes a walk on the weirder side of the Dark Knight for a story you’ll never forget.
6) Judd Winnick’s Green Arrow (Vol. 3)
Green Arrow is one of DC’s most storied vigilantes, with the ’00s being his best decade since the ’80s. Green Arrow (Vol. 3) was kicked off by writers from outside comics like Kevin Smith and Brad Meltzer, with Judd Winnick, who was one of ’00s DC’s go-to writers, joining the book with issue #26, writing it until issue #75, and finishing up with Green Arrow and Black Canary #1-14. Winnick wrote the Emerald Archer from 2004 to 2009, giving readers hit after hit in one of DC’s most fruitful decades with artists like Phil Hester, Ron Garney, Ron Lim, Scott McDaniel, and Cliff Chiang.
5) Peter David’s Supergirl
Peter David’s run on Supergirl (Vol. 4) is one of the crown jewels of ’90s DC. This series ran for 81 issues, and starred the post-Crisis Matrix Supergirl (a protoplasmic shapeshifter from a dead alternate Earth) bonding with Linda Danvers, a troubled teenage girl, and trying to unravel the enigma of who Linda was. David worked with Gary Frank (before this, they had worked on The Incredible Hulk together), Ed Benes, and numerous other artists, taking this series in directions that paid homage to the past while still feeling modern. DC should keep this consistently in print, because it’s amazing, so new readers can experience more easily.
4) Peter David’s Aquaman Books
Peter David gave readers numerous amazing runs in the ’90s, and fixed one of DC’s most maligned characters: Aquaman. David was given the reins of the post-Crisis King of Atlantis with 1990’s The Atlantis Chronicles, giving readers a new history of the sunken kingdom. In 1993 he wrote the four-issue miniseries Aquaman: Time and Tide, and wrote Aquaman (Vol. 5) #0-46. This series leaned into Arthur as warrior king of the deep, taking away his hand, giving him an harpoon, and redefining his powers and enemies. This is perfect Aquaman, one of the ’90s best runs.
3) Chase #1-9, #1,000,000
Speaking of ’90s DC series that don’t get enough love, we preset Chase from Dan Curtis Johnson and J.H. Williams. This ten-issue series starred DEO agent Cameron Chase as she dealt with the various headaches of her job investigating the heroes and villains of the DC Universe. This book was low key fantastic, but it never really found a readership. It’s the definition of an underrated gem, a character focused espionage/detective comic that should have had more of a chance to spread its wings.
2) Dan Abnett/Andy Lanning/Butch Guice’s Resurrection Man (Vol. 1)
Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning were doing well with the Legion when they were given the chance to create an all-new hero in Resurrection Man, with legendary artist Butch Guice, who passed away last year. This book starred Mitch Shelley, a man who was kidnapped and loaded with tektites, which allow him to die and resurrect with new superpowers. This 28-issue series followed Mitch as he searched for the truth of what happened to him, amazing adventures with Guice’s brilliant art.
1) Grant Morrison and Mark Millar’s Aztek: The Ultimate Man
Grant Morrison and Mark Millar are two of the most well-known writers in comics, and their grudge is just as widely known. However there was a time in ’90s DC (I know, I know) when they were a team and one of their most interesting works together is Aztek: The Ultimate Man (they also had Swamp Thing and The Flash runs during this period that are worth your time). This ten-issue series starred an all-new hero, empowered by the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl to save the world. This is weird superhero goodness for a hero that was meant to be a bigger deal. Morrison would finish the hero’s story in JLA‘s “World War III”, and it’s a shame we never got the full story. However, what we got was definitely worth checking out.
What’s your favorite underrated DC run? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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