DC’s comics exist in a shared universe, meaning that none of their heroes live in a vacuum. Their main world is populated by hundreds of heroes and villains, all vying for attention across different comics. One of the biggest strengths of this shared universe is that the heroes can connect and work together, making the world feel more lived-in while giving readers two heroes for the price of one at the same time. Nothing brings these heroes together quite like an event. DC tends to have one or two major events a year, where a major threat forces everyone to work to dismantle it from their own angles.
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Some of the best-known and most beloved comic books of all time are events. Crisis on Infinite Earths literally rewrote what it meant to tell a DC story and set a standard that is still near impossible to meet. Blackest Night was a terrifying and impassioned tale that introduced one of the best retcons of all time. I could go on, but the point is clear. Today, to celebrate making it halfway through the 2020s, we’re going to take a look at the five best DC events of the decade so far and rank them. Just to be clear, we’re only counting massive, company-wide events, not major events for singular heroes. Without further ado, let’s take a trip through recent memory lane.
5) Lazarus Planet
Lazarus Planet followed the eruption of the Lazarus Volcano, coating the entire globe in magical rain that fundamentally changed the powers of most of the world’s metahumans. The Devil Nezha broke free from over a decade of imprisonment and possessed Damian Wayne, leading to an all-out war to stop the monster and restore balance to the world. This was an epic tale, but one of the story’s biggest strengths was the buildup to it and the characters it focused on. This event was spearheaded by Robin, but instead of other major DC names being the playmakers, the story revolved around fairly obscure and new characters.
Monkey Prince, Dreamer, Power Girl, and the various magic users like Zatanna and Klarion the Witch Boy were all given the spotlight, which is definitely unusual and welcome to see in such a massive event. Monkey Prince, Robin (2021), and Batman/Superman: World’s Finest all built up to this event over the course of years, which made it feel all the cooler when it finally kicked off. The ending was heart-wrenching and the perfect level of cheese, with the entirety of Gotham City giving pieces of their souls to revive Batman in an actual Gotham City Spirit Bomb. How can you not love that?
4) Titans: Beast World
Although the Titans only served as DC’s main hero team for a criminally brief time, their single event showed that they had what it takes to make it in the big leagues. When the ancient, planet-destroying monster called the Necrostar was unleashed, the Titans learned that it had only been defeated by Starro. Displaying power like never before, Beast Boy transformed into his own version of the intergalactic starfish and beat back the Necrostar, unaware that this was all a trap. Amanda Waller and the mysterious Doctor Hate, Raven’s demonic half given form, brainwiped Beast Boy and had him infect most of the world’s strongest heroes, transforming them into animal-people hybrids.
This was a really awesome event that showcased all of the Titans’ individual strengths and strong connection as a team. It also perfectly raised the tension between Waller and the superhero community even more, setting up for the next major event in a cinch. This was a fantastic Titans storyline that deserves all the praise it gets, especially with how much it focused on every member of the team in ways that made them feel vital.
3) Absolute Power
Absolute Power was the exact payoff that Beast World demanded, and it all started when Amanda Waller decided to bring down the concept of superheroes for good. The Trinity of Evil, composed of Waller, Failsafe, and Brainiac Queen, created their own Justice League out of Amazo robots, which robbed most of the world’s heroes of their powers. With the Justice League still disbanded, Green Arrow seemingly having betrayed everyone, and Jon Kent captured and turned into Waller’s mindless drone, the heroes were on the run like never before.
This event was the ultimate payoff to Waller’s entire character, seeing her snap and show just how mad she’d gone with the very power she accused superheroes of misusing. In the end, it wasn’t Superman, Nightwing, or any other major hero that stopped her, but the unknown hero Air Wave, who broadcast her confession to the entire world. Waller was beaten down in the most conclusive way. Not only was this event an awesome ride, but it set up for the incredible All-In initiative, and it cannot be understated how amazing that era is.
2) Dark Nights: Death Metal
In the sequel to Dark Knights: Metal and the long-awaited conclusion to the Perpetua saga, this event wasn’t just the final chapter to a Crisis-level series, but a love letter to the entirety of DC. Perpetua and the Batman Who Laughs remade the multiverse, supplanting it with the Dark Multiverse and trapping the world’s heroes in an apocalyptic nightmare world. After Wally West restored her memories, Wonder Woman kicked off a metal-themed rebellion to save everything, while the Batman Who Laughs usurped Perpetua and claimed her power for his own, becoming the Darkest Knight.
This was a battle of truth versus fears, where Wonder Woman had to accept the imperfections of her reality to set it right. This had some of the best tie-ins of any event, from Superboy-Prime’s legendary redemption arc to Wally West’s return to his classic Flash costume. Beyond its awesome story, this event also restored all the memories of the pre-New 52 timeline, meaning that all of our heroes remembered all of their lives, which to this day goes criminally underrated. This story was a genuinely awesome ride with the best aesthetic of all time, and it definitely stands up there with DC’s best.
1) DC K.O.
This event might not be finished yet, but with its introductory issues alone, this event has cemented itself as an instant classic. What truly elevates this event above the rest is its buildup, which has been slowly ramping up since it was all set into motion with the release of the DC All-In Special. The All-In era is legitimately one of DC’s greatest comic book eras, with the company firing on all cylinders the entire time and outputting an otherworldly level of quality. The hype leading up to Darkseid’s incredible return as King Omega has been insane, and the event itself is just as spectacular.
DC K.O. is both one of the best examinations of Superman’s character and the nature of heroism in DC, and an incredibly fun fighting comic that makes the kids inside of us all squeal. It’s a fighting tournament between some of DC’s biggest names, and it uses every single opportunity to celebrate each of its contestants’ incredibly storied histories. I can’t remember the last time a comic book embraced being fun this much. The enthusiasm and love for these characters break through every issue like a storm of pure adrenaline, and I cannot wait to see exactly where it goes when the new King Omega dukes it out with the unstoppable Darkseid.
So there we have the five best DC events of the first half of the 2020s. Which of these events is your favorite, or would you rather put a different major one up on this list? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!
