Article contributed by David Allen
Mainstream superhero comics have become pretty grim over the last couple of decades. DC, the home of Superman and Batman, is no stranger to this trend. Not too long ago, the Joker cut off his own face in Detective Comics. In Teen Titans, Wonder Dog turned into a crazed beast and mauled two characters. Former Green Arrow sidekick Arsenal attacked some guys in an alley because, in his drugged mind, he mistook a dead cat for his daughter. What happened to all of the fun and hopeful comics?
There is a place for dark, gritty storytelling in superhero comics. Still, it’s easy for readers to feel overwhelmed with the increasingly mature output of mainstream superhero publishers. Thankfully, in an ocean of grimdark stories, readers still can find the occasional oasis of superhero tales that are bright, optimistic, and fun. Here are five of the most underappreciated DC comic book runs that put fun first.
5. Smallville: Season 11
Smallville is both famous and infamous. The television series premiered in 2001 and attempted to bring superheroes to the small screen. In order to make Superman appealing to younger viewers, creators Alfred Gough and Miles Millar focused on a teenage Clark Kent. The ten seasons of Smallville were, in essence, his journey toward becoming Superman.
The show, throughout much of its run, rejected the trappings of the comic books. “No flights, no tights” was the basic rule of the series. When the finale aired in 2011, the show still refused to put star Tom Welling into a Superman suit. Fans of this version of Clark Kent never got to see “their” Superman in action. Then, in 2012, DC comics returned to the world of Smallville with a Season 11 comic book continuation. Bryan Q. Miller was brought into the fold as writer, in part thanks to his extensive history with the franchise. Miller actually started his television career as an unpaid intern for Smallville. Before the series was over, he had become its Executive Story Editor.
What Makes Smallville: Season 11 So Much Fun?
As a continuation of Smallville, the book is nearly flawless. Miller obviously knows these characters and does a fantastic job picking up where they left off. More than that, he manages to boldly move many of the characters in new directions.
The art is also quite good, thanks to a rotating staff of artists. Although some artists attempt to capture the likeness of the actors, most focus on drawing the characters themselves. This creates some inconsistency between story arcs, but it never distracts from the overall sensibilities of the book.
The appeal of Smallville: Season 11, however, goes a lot deeper than seeing Tom Welling’s version of Clark Kent properly become Superman. There’s more to enjoy here than catching up with beloved television characters. The stories are simply really good Superman tales.
A More Traditional Superman Comic
At the time Smallville: Season 11 hit shelves, DC was going through its “New 52” reboot. Two main continuity Superman comics were available at the time. In Action Comics, Grant Morrison was crafting a highly unusual, but fun Year One style Superman story. A younger, inexperienced Clark Kent fought against injustice while still coming into his full powers.
In Superman, Dan Jurgens tried to tell traditional Superman stories with mixed results. The “New 52” Superman was young and brash, a far cry from the seasoned, mild-mannered character of the previous continuity. When writer Scott Lobdell replaced Jurgens on Superman, things got…weird.
In short, neither main Superman comic book at the time actually featured a traditional depiction of Superman. Smallville: Season 11, however, managed to lean on the continuity of the television series while crafting traditional Superman tales. Each story seemed to move the Smallville continuity closer to something Superman’s comic book fans would find familiar.
Superman meets Batman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern for the first time. He travels to the future and encounters the Legion of Superheroes. He tussles with Lex Luthor and deals with a crisis on a parallel Earth. These stories feel both familiar and, thanks to the Smallville flavour, fresh.
Smallville: Season 11: The Bottom Line
At the time DC published Smallville: Season 11, it may have been the best monthly Superman comic book on the market. Today, the book continues to hold up well as a series of alternate reality Superman stories that are a lot of fun.
4. Power Girl
Who is Power Girl?
Like so many DC characters, Power Girl is…complicated. Through several reboots, DC editorial has continuously recontextualised the character. The most popular version, however, is simply an older, grown-up version of Supergirl from a parallel Earth.
Continuity baggage, however, is not Power Girl’s sole sticking point. Her costume, while iconic in its own right, has also been a source of debate among fans and creators. It features a “cleavage window”, an actual hole in her clothes that reveals part of her breasts. She has become, in some ways, one of the most sexualised characters in DC comics.
What makes Power Girl so much fun?
So, how does a character like Power Girl end up on a list of comic books that are, above all else, fun? Chalk it up to the creative team of Jimmy Plamiotti, Justin Gray, and Amanda Conner. The trio had a memorable 12-issue run on Power Girl’s solo series that kicked off in May of 2009.
The best way to describe the series is lighthearted and fun. The super heroics and the action set pieces are big and bombastic, but the book never takes itself too seriously. Palmiotti and Gray find the humour in moments both big and small and imbue their stories with witty, playful dialogue.
Amanda Conner’s art is a revelation here. The characters are expressive and full of personality. She manages to perfectly capture the spirit of the dialogue and situations. Power Girl is a stunningly gorgeous comic book.
Power Girl – The bottom line
After the first 12 issues, the entire creative team departed and author Judd Winick took over writing duties. The tone of the book shifted dramatically, and, although Winick is a capable writer in his own right, Power Girl never managed to recapture the pure joy of those first 12 issues.
3. Blue Beetle
Who is the Blue Beetle?
There have been three distinct Blue Beetles over the decades. Dan Garrett was the first Blue Beetle and drew his power from a mystical scarab. Ted Kord, who had no superpowers, became the second Blue Beetle. His time as a member of the Justice League alongside best friend Booster Gold ushered in a golden age for humorous super heroics in the 1980s.
Then, Ted Kord died in the lead-up to DC’s 2005 crossover Infinite Crisis and a new Blue Beetle made his debut. Teenager Jaime Reyes may be, arguably, the best Blue Beetle to date. Dan Garrett’s mystical scarab, which turns out to actually be an alien weapon, fuses to Jaime’s spine. The artificial intelligence of the Scarab envelops Jaime in armour and provides him with weapons and the ability to fly.
What makes Blue Beetle so much fun?
Blue Beetle, which began publication in 2006, was simply ahead of its time. It managed to combine the teenage super heroics of Ultimate Spider-Man with the cultural touchstones of something like Ms. Marvel, which didn’t come along until 2014.
Jaime, as a Latino teenager living in El Paso, Texas, reflects the culture of his community. This adds a distinct flavour to his adventures. His voice, his family life, even his friendships are distinct. Much like Ms. Marvel’s storytelling benefits from Kamala Khan’s cultural background, so does Blue Beetle. The book has a clear, culturally relevant voice.
Blue Beetle is also successful in bringing teenage super heroics to life. As a rookie superhero, Jaime struggles to figure out his powers and find his way. Much like Peter Parker in Ultimate Spider-Man, he brings a lot of humour to the role of superhero.
Cully Hamner and Rafael Albuquerque crafted a unique visual style for Blue Beetle. Both artists perfectly capture the environments of Texas. Backgrounds are clean and detailed, but never cluttered. The characters are distinct and expressive. Since the book deals with teenagers, they each made sure the characters were emotionally expressive.
Blue Beetle – The bottom line
John Rogers and Keith Giffen created a banger of a book with Blue Beetle. Giffen left the book after a few issues, but Rogers continued to craft a 25-issue run that builds to an incredible climax. Although the book continued for several issues after Rogers departure, it never quite recaptured the spirit of those first 25 issues.
Jaime has become a bit of a breakout character, showing up on Smallville and in various animated series. He has a solid fan base. Yet, despite relaunches and attempts at new solo series, nothing quite compares to the first 25 issues of his debut comic book.
2. Starfire
Who is Starfire?
Starfire is easily one of the most recognisable DC characters. She had a memorable role in the legendary New Teen Titans comics of the 80s. Starfire also played a major part in the 2003 Cartoon Network Teen Titans series. Currently, she is a member of the Teen Titans team in the live-action HBO Max series.
Yet, despite her apparent popularity, there hasn’t been much of an effort to catapult the alien Princess Koriand’r into solo stardom. Enter Jimmy Plamiotti and Amanda Conner, who penned 12 issues of Starfire. Much like their work on PowerGirl, Stafire is bright, colorful, and above all else, filled with humor and fun.
What makes Starfire so much fun?
The orange-skinned alien princess decides it is time for her to build a normal life for herself. Kori settles on moving to Florida, where she battles a hurricane, makes new friends, and struggles with Earth customs and everyday life.
The series leans heavily into the “fish-out-of-water” scenario of an alien trying to build a “normal” life for herself on Earth. There are lots of misunderstandings and tongue-in-cheek humour. Palmiotti and Conner also bring their trademark wit to the dialogue. The book oozes fun.
Although Conner herself doesn’t take on art duties, Elsa Charretier and Emanuela Lupacchino bring a similar, lighthearted brightness to the book. Each artist has a distinct style and does a fantastic job creating a truly beautiful comic book. It’s almost impossible not to smile when reading Starfire.
Starfire – The bottom line
How this series never found an audience large enough to keep it in publication will forever be a mystery.
1. Batgirl
Who is Batgirl?
Stephanie Brown is Batgirl. She should still be Batgirl in current DC continuity.
DC originally introduced Stephanie as “The Spoiler”, a supporting character in Robin. There, she served as a thorn in Tim Drake’s side, as well as his love interest. She was the daughter of a villain, Cluemaster, but decided to be a hero. Stephanie was a deeply flawed character who made a lot of mistakes and “got in the way” as much as she assisted Robin.
She had a chance to briefly serve as Robin herself. Then, in an attempt to prove herself to Batman, she incited a gang war that left her “dead”. Of course, no comic book character ever stays dead. She returned and revealed she had only faked her death. The character seemed aimless, unfocused, without a clear direction or future after her return.
Then, writer Bryan Q. Miller got a hold of Stephanie. Her luck was about to change.
What makes Batgirl so much fun?
Batgirl may be the most underappreciated series on this list. It had its fans, no doubt about it. When DC revealed Stephanie Brown as the new Batgirl, however, fans of previous Batgirls Cassandra Cain and Barbara Gordon were unhappy with the choice. Many never gave the book a chance. What they missed out on is a contender for the title of best Batgirl book to ever hit the stands.
Stephanie decides to take up the mantle when Cassandra Cain, the previous Batgirl, discards her suit and abdicates the role. Once again, Stephanie plays the spoiler, fighting crime as Batgirl when those around her wished she wouldn’t. Eventually, Barbara Gordon, the original Batgirl, decides to mentor Stephanie. What follows are 24 issues of pitch-perfect super heroics.
Hope, humour, and relationships
Stephanie Brown’s Batgirl became the infusion of hope, of fun, of humour that the dark and grim Batman line so desperately needed at the time. Stephanie gets knocked down time and time again, but she keeps getting back up. She makes mistakes, but she learns from them. She is fallible and human, but driven to help those around her.
Most importantly, she has fun as a superhero. Even through all of her trials and tribulations, she truly enjoys her role as Batgirl.
Her relationship with Bruce Wayne’s son Damien is one of the highlights of the book. Stephanie became, in essence, a big sister to Damien. Their banter, snarky and hilarious, made every team-up a delight. Miller managed to make Damien likeable at a stage in his development when he was still difficult to like.
Most of the art during Miller’s 24 issue run came from the minds of Lee Garbett & Dustin Nguyen. They managed to create a Gotham City that is both familiar and unique. This is Gotham City, but not the gothic, gargoyle-infused and rain-soaked metropolis. There’s room for light, for brightness to shine through the darkness.
Batgirl – The bottom line
Batgirl was another victim of the “New 52” reboot at DC. After the reboot, Barbara Gordon returned to the role of Batgirl herself. DC wiped Stephanie Brown’s tenure as Batgirl from continuity. She ultimately regressed, her character growth wiped out, and once again took on the identity of Spoiler. It still seems like the wrong choice.
Anybody looking for a fun Bat-family book should start with Batgirl. It’s simply the best.
Yeah, for me, the New 52 reboot, ended the DC universe