Drop Everything & Read These 5 DC Comics Right Now

It’s a great time to be a DC fan right now. The comics are firing on all cylinders, and it feels like we’re in something of a renaissance for a lot of characters right now. On the one side, we’re slowly building towards DC’s next big event, which is capturing a magic and fun that the last few haven’t had in really interesting ways. If that’s not your cup of tea, the individual runs for each character are at a serious high point right now with strong, independent stories. And then there’s the Absolute Universe, which is reimagining DC’s most iconic characters in truly refreshing and creative ways while retaining what makes the characters special.

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However, between all the Justice League goodness, incredible Batman series, and must-read Absolute titles, it’s easy to let a few great titles slip you by. Reading every single issue can get pretty expensive, after all, especially when the general quality is so high that you don’t want to miss any issues of the series you’re already following. So today, we’re going to be looking at five series that you might not be picking up, but definitely deserve a read.

5) Supergirl

If you’re in the market for something that reads like it’s straight out of the Silver Age, then I cannot recommend this comic enough. Kara decides to move back to her old home of Midvale, where she has to deal with a brand new Kryptonian fan-girl posing as her. She works to show everyone what being Supergirl really means, and slowly learns that her sleepy town might not be as dull as she first thought.

This series is all feel-good moments and zany adventures, with a focus on being kind and learning to be a better person. This comic lets Kara have fun and make new friends, showing that everyone has something going on, but that doesn’t mean we can’t all get along. It’s like the Silver Age and comfort food had a baby, and I can’t recommend it enough if that’s the light story you’re looking for. It also introduced Princess Shark, who is spectacular in every conceivable way.

4) Cheetah and Cheshire Rob the Justice League

If you’re looking for something fun, full of character moments, and downright creative, then look no further than this comic right here. This comic gives you exactly what the title says it will, but it does it in the best way possible. Cheetah and Cheshire might seem like a strange pairing at first, but they actually bounce off of each other perfectly, and the idea is taken seriously enough to please every heist movie fan.

This series makes it extremely clear why trying to rob the Justice League is a terrible idea, but charges ahead anyway, and solicits promise not only an inspired team of characters who deserve some serious love, but also the inclusion of DC’s number one most underutilized hero, Sideways. This is a heist movie with supervillains stealing from superheroes, and it has some awesome interpersonal drama pushing it along. If any of that sounds up your alley, this comic is definitely for you.

3) Adventures of Superman: The Book of El

With all the awesome Superman stories going on right now, it’s easy to miss this first issue, but trust me when I say that you shouldn’t. This is Phillip Kennedy Johnson’s return to writing Superman, directly continuing where his critically acclaimed Action Comics run left off, dealing with the aftereffects of the “Warworld Saga” and tying into ideas presented all the way back in the Superman issues for Future State.

This story is recommended to anyone who wants to see Superman love his family to the moon and back, and thematically focuses on topics like Superman’s impact on the world, and what it means to be a part of his legacy, set to be explored by his far future descendant. Anyone who enjoyed Johnson’s run should definitely check this out, as it feels like it never skips a beat between then and now, and even people who haven’t can definitely pick this up to see some good old-fashioned Superman time travel shenanigans.

2) New Gods

Everyone knows that Darkseid died and became one with the Absolute Universe, but that transformation left a serious impact on the Prime Universe. New Gods picks up in the wake of that ascension, dealing with the fallout of Darkseid’s being gone as a new threat emerges to wipe out every New God in existence. Not only does this build essential lore for the event to come, but the emotional heart of this comic is really what sells it.

It dives deep into the minds and feelings of every god as they face struggles unlike anything before, forcing them to face their own mortality, and focuses heavily on how family and loved ones can be the light to pull us out of even the darkest pits. It’s a mystery wrapped in worldbuilding wrapped in familial love pushing back against despair, and I cannot recommend it enough, even if you don’t have much knowledge about the denizens of Fourth World.

1) Batgirl

I’m certainly a bit biased here, but Batgirl is easily one of the most fun comics coming out right now. It follows Cassandra Cain as she battles against the mysterious Unburied, an ancient sect of impossibly skilled ninjas who have it out for her entire bloodline, courtesy of her mom, Lady Shiva. Not only does this series explore the wonderfully nuanced and complicated relationship between the world’s deadliest mother-daughter pair, but it is filled to the brim with some of the best fights going on in comics today. This series perfectly juggles deep emotional moments as Cass pushes against and pulls closer to her mother and action that makes kung fu movie fans scream out in pure joy. This is the premier comic that blends emotion with heart-pounding action like only Cass Cain can. You’ll see heart-melting conversations and enemies shouting out their ultimate attack names in the same issue, and it’s wonderful.

So there we have five DC series that definitely deserve to be loved just as much as any other ongoing right now. What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!“