DC Comics has created one of the most vast collections of heroes and villains ever. The company has been producing superhero comics for 88 years nonstop, creating an entire multiverse of amazing characters. We all know the A-listers – Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Nightwing, Harley Quinn, the Flash, Green Lantern, and the like – and then there’s an entire ecosystem of B-list heroes, good guys who are well-known but don’t have the name recognition outside of the comic fandom. These characters play an important role in the DC Multiverse. See, the big guys have to stay pretty static, because they’re the ones that everyone knows, so they get the most attention. They have to stay as close to the platonic ideal as possible so new fans can recognize them.
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However, the B-list guys are more flexible. You can mold them and shape them into something else, taking readers on journeys they’ve never been on before. Some of these heroes have become iconic in their own right, reaching levels that no one ever thought they’d go. Sometimes, though, those pushes led to nowhere. They were the next big thing then their time came and went, leaving them in the worst place imaginable. These five B-list DC heroes deserve better than they’ve gotten, including an icon or two of ’90s DC Comics.
5) Tim Drake
I started reading comics as a hobby in 1991, just as Tim Drake was getting started. He was the Robin I grew up with and I watched him do something that Jason Todd couldn’t do in the ’80s – actually become Robin. Tim Drake earned the mantle in a way no one else had; he was able to step into it and make it his own. Creators found a way to make him his own hero while still keeping the trademarks of Robin that fans wanted. He had his own solo series well into the 21st century, but the harbinger of his downfall was Damian Wayne. Damian has ended up becoming something of a perfect Robin and has overshadowed Tim. Since then, Tim has been pushed far into the background, despite being one of the most popular Robins ever. He’s been getting some play in recent years, but this is the character that made Robin into a big deal again after Jason Todd; he deserves so much better than he has right now.
4) Plastic Man
Plastic Man is a character who has been around for decades, a joke hero who has become one of the most potent beings in the DC Multiverse. He can stretch and shape his body into anything; so, he can can grab you from across the room and he can also transform his body into a rocket ship and fly you into space to end the fight. He’s basically indestructible and immortal, having survived once on the bottom of the ocean for thousands of years. Plas is one of Batman’s favorites, because the Dark Knight knows that he can handle anything thrown at him. Over the years, Plas has had his share of solo books or he shows up in a team book and fans always love him, but then he disappears again until DC decides that maybe they should give him another a try. He’s an amazing hero and deserves a long term role in a team, something to get him popular enough to have his own book again. Plas is the best of the best and he should be an A-lister by now.
3) Donna Troy
Donna Troy is DC’s most confusing character. Her origin has been retconned more times than the multiverse has been rebooted, which is saying something. Currently, her origin is the simplest it’s been in ages – she was an orphan rescued from a fire by Wonder Woman and raised on Themyscira, where she was eventually given powers and ended up joining Diana in Man’s World to fight evil. She’s been a member of the Teen Titans, the Titans, and the Justice League and is the mentor for both Wonder Girls, Cassie Sandsmark and Yara Flor. Donna is, in a lot of ways, the Jean Grey of the DC Multiverse. She has a rather intense fandom who have stuck with her through all of the rather annoying changes made to her history. She’s something of an icon and yet she’s rarely if ever had any solo series. She can be confusing, but she’s ready for more attention.
2) Animal Man
Animal Man was once a Z-list Silver Age DC character who was seemingly destined to languish in the background of event comics. Grant Morrison changed all of that. The Scottish writer changed the character in numerous ways and went super-meta with Animal Man’s book, creating a timeless classic. He became a big part of early Vertigo but would fade away before the ’90s were over. He’d get another series in the New 52, joining the Justice League Dark, but other than that he’s been absent. Animal Man is one of those characters that everyone loves; he may be a B-lister but every DC fan knows who he is and the role he’s played in the DC history. You’d imagine that more creators had a pitch for the character, but for whatever reason, he’s mostly retired. Get the right creative team on his book and DC has a massive hit on their hands. Animal Man is an icon with DC fans and we would love to actually see him show up more.
1) Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner became a low key legend in the ’90s. Introduced to take over as Green Lantern from Hal Jordan, Kyle stepped up and revitalized the mantle. Between his solo book and his role in JLA, he was getting some of the best stories that any Green Lantern ever had. Fans loved him, but then DC decided that the Silver Age greats were the best and Hal came back. Kyle was pushed into the background as other Lanterns like John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and Kilowog showed up. DC would sometimes remind readers about how great Kyle is, but he dropped in prestige and appearances until recently, when he took over Green Lantern (Vol. 7). This is the biggest push he’s gotten in ages, but it’s not enough. Kyle is one of the most fleshed out and exciting Lanterns of them all. Hopefully, his recent solo stardom will lead to him becoming a major player in the Lanterns, maybe even back to his own solos series.
What DC B-lister do you think deserve better? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
