10 Best Dads in DC Comics, Ranked

Fatherhood is a vital theme throughout the DC Universe, with the biggest heroes having become parents in recent years. Heroes like Superman and Batman have joined the luxurious club of fatherhood, adding new dimensions to the characters and grounding them. DC has been less afraid of parenthood than Marvel, allowing its characters to become mothers or fathers to highlight their growth. Marvel fears that parenthood ages the characters and makes them less relatable to its target audience, even though becoming parents is a very natural process in real life. Making Batman and Superman into fathers didn’t make them less interesting; it heightened their characteristics and made them more relatable.

Fathers come in all shapes and sizes in the DC Universe, and we want to celebrate all of them. While Marvel continues dragging its feet in delivering real parental representation, DC has some of the greatest dads in comics. Here are the 10 best fathers in DC Comics, ranging from Superman to Deadshot.

10) Thomas Wayne

Thomas Wayne’s reputation has taken a hit in recent years. His identity as the Flashpoint Batman, a more ruthless Caped Crusader than his son, and his recently discovered affairs have painted a negative light on good old Thomas. Nonetheless, the character’s importance to the Batman mythos cannot be overstated. Thomas would imbue Bruce with a strong moral compass that would help define Batman forevermore. Batman’s entire crusade stems from the love for his parents, proving how great they were in the first place.

9) Jonathan Kent

Batman’s father became a murderous vigilante in Flashpoint, whereas Superman’s biological father became the manipulative Oz, who took his son away from him. Jonathan Kent comes across as a saint compared to other father figures from DC’s Big Two. Whereas Thomas Wayne had some skeletons in the closet, Jonathan was simply a good man. Jon is likely the most altruistic father figure in the entire DC Universe, helping Clark to become the hero he was always destined to be. Jon and Martha Kent’s upbringing proves that acts of kindness can help the world.

8) Zatara

Zatara, Zatanna’s father, gets lost among the pantheon of amazing DC Dads. His role is to provide lore to his daughter and be dead. Zatara is a classic hero who has been around since 1938, but he rarely gets to shine since his first death in the 1980s. Extraneous media, including the Young Justice TV show and DC Superhero Girls, would expand how much Zatara cared for Zatanna. Zatara sacrificing his free will and putting on Dr. Fate’s Helmet in the Young Justice show is an enduring act of fatherly love that would make any fan recognize Zatara as one of the best Dads in DC.

7) Batman

Batman is many things, but being a good father is debatable. While his relationship with his biological son, Damian Wayne, can be complicated, his dynamic with the extended Bat-family can equally be complex. Bruce’s stoic personality has often closed him off from the people he loves, including his extended family, yet he does care. Batman can’t provide the same emotional support to his son or adopted children the same way as the other DC Dads. He’s getting better at it, and his relationship with his son has continued to evolve the character in new and exciting ways. Maybe DC will finally bring his Earth-2 daughter, Helena Wayne, to the main universe.

6) Green Arrow

Similar to Batman, Green Arrow’s being a good father is highly debatable. He abandoned his biological son when he was born, not believing he was ready to be a father at the time. His ward, Roy Harper, also became a drug addict under his care. Nevertheless, Oliver Queen has tried everything in his power to make amends and improve his relationship with his son and sidekicks. Despite his faults, Oliver has made great progress with his relationships, particularly with his son Connor. Oliver serves as the glue for the Green Arrow family, evolving the group as one of DC’s most loving teams.

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5) Deadshot

It may seem odd to have a supervillain on the list of best DC fathers, especially since DC has historically featured many terrible supervillain Dads. The evil exploits of fathers like Deathstroke and Trigon can fill a book. However, Deadshot is different from the other supervillain fathers by actually caring about his daughter. While showing the bare minimum of affection towards your child should be a given, many supervillain fathers don’t do that. Furthermore, Deadshot goes out of his way for his daughter’s protection, and she has enough of a positive opinion on him that she decided to adopt a superheroic identity herself as Liveshot. Deadshot may still be a mediocre Dad compared to fathers like Superman, yet he still rises above the other villains, so we want to give him credit for that.

4) Alfred Pennyworth

Alfred Pennyworth may not have been the most present parent to his actual daughter, but he certainly stood up when raising an orphaned Bruce Wayne. Even though Thomas instilled morals that would continue defining Batman decades later, Alfred gave Bruce his heart and dedication. There would be no Batman without Alfred, and his long-lasting death in recent comics highlights how much his presence is missed. Not only was he a father figure to Bruce, but to the rest of the extended Bat-family. Everyone loves Alfred, and his mark on the Batman mythos continues to drive the lore. We could only hope to meet a butler half as great as Alfred.

3) Roy Harper

There’s a sharp difference between how the main heroes handle parenthood compared to their protégés. Whereas many heroes end up as absentee parents, sometimes unintentionally, the sidekicks are the ones who step up or actively take a role in raising their children. Roy Harper, Green Arrow’s sidekick, would have a daughter named Lian with the supervillain Cheshire.

Roy would quickly take responsibility, raising his daughter as a single father with the aid of his Titan friends. He would soon become DC’s premier Dad, with his relationship with his daughter being his defining characteristic for decades. DC foolishly got rid of Lian by killing her off and turning Roy back into a junkie. Fortunately, the company recognized its mistake, and Lian is back to being part of the Arrow Family as she always meant to be. Roy works best as a dotting father rather than the dire anti-hero he was for a few years.

2) Wally West

Wally West is one of those rare instances where readers get to witness the character grow into adulthood. Wally begins as the immature Kid Flash, remaining a prominent fixture in the Flash and Titans comics for years. He would eventually rise to the occasion when he decided to adopt the main Flash title after the death of his mentor, Barry Allen. From there, he grows from a hotheaded hero into a more mature and caring individual.

He would fall in love with Linda Park and would have twins, Irey and Jai. Some comic book shenanigans prevented the Park-West family from being the wholesome family unit we knew they could be, with the big one being that they were all erased from history with DC’s New 52. Fortunately, they are all back, becoming everything fans always wanted them to be. Wally has come a long way, and fans love to continue his journey as he navigates superheroics with his family, including his newly born third child, Wade.

1) Superman

Superman has always represented the pinnacle of humanity, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he would be ranked as the best DC father. Whereas Batman is rarely emotionally available to his children, Superman has the emotional fortitude to aid his son Jon when he needs it. Clark isn’t flawless in his parenting, with his biggest sin being allowing his son to travel with his mad father, Jor-el. This led to Jon returning home as a teen, skipping forward key parental moments that continue to sour fans.

However, Clark is a great father because he is a good person. His altruism is instilled in his son, and he continues to spread the ideals of truth and justice wherever he goes. We wish we could’ve seen more father and son bonding time before DC irrationally aged up Jon, but the company continues presenting Clark’s and Jon’s relationship as a positive one. Superman has recently stepped up and taken in some orphans under his wings, hopefully giving fans the growing up under Superman story we’ve all wanted.