Superman Has Dethroned Batman as DC's Most Interesting Hero
For decades, Batman has been the undisputed king of DC Comics, especially with the Absolute line going strong. But the Caped Crusader has finally been dethroned as the universe's most interesting character. Since the publisher's All-In initiative, properties like Superman, Green Lantern, and the Justice Society of America haven't felt this dynamic in years.
As much as some readers would love to insist that the dark and grim nature of Batman alone makes him interesting, this has simply never been true. The same old formula has been tired for years, and it's left the door open for other characters to actually bring some depth to the universe.
The 2020s Are Doing Justice By Superman In Comic Book Storytelling
One of the best surprises of recent memory has been Superman beginning his ascent back to the top of DC. It's up to readers where this began, but one can easily look to Phillip Kennedy Johnson's Warworld Saga as the turning of the tide for a new era for the hero. Unlike what came before, this was a brutal, visceral, and raw story that forced the Man of Steel to fight as a gladiator on an alien planet. There, he shook off the typical image of him as the small-town Boy Scout, reminding readers he could be so much more.
In the years since, DC has noticed there's growing demand for great Clark Kent stories, something they soon answered with Mark Waid's tenure on Action Comics. If that alone wasn't great enough, they also had the return of the World's Finest, courtesy of the same author. Through story arcs like Phantoms and House of Brainiac, the king of DC's science fiction has never felt more alive. The cherry on top has been Joshua Williamson's series, a saga that keeps pushing forward into the future.
By contrast, it's been years since Batman readers had a true instant classic on their hands, much less one that added any depth to him. For the most part, the last decade has been devoted to picking up plot threads from past runs, showcasing his rogues gallery and giving him team-up adventures. Finding a solo story with the intrigue and interest of a tale like Batman: The Cult or Batman: RIP has been harder than ever.
The Caped Crusader has been fine, but it's not lost on anyone that many of his most talked-about stories were told outside continuity. For Superman, the complete opposite is true, and there's never been a better time to dive into the world of Metropolis. The lighter, more creative touch feels like a breath of fresh air next to writers treading the same ground of what defines Bruce Wayne.
Green Lantern Has Also Experienced A Resurgence
Mirroring the comeback of Hal Jordan in 2004, Jeremy Adams' tenure on Green Lantern has thrust the Corps back into the spotlight masterfully. Whether it's Hal carrying his own solo title, the evolution of John Stewart, or seeing the full force in action, it's been a decade since the lore felt this rich and intriguing. Stories like Civil Corps and Starbreaker Supremacy have shattered reader expectations, and it just keeps getting better as the book holds the fate of the universe in the palm of its hand.
A departure from prior eras, the current Green Lantern world is one of cosmic-level political tensions, wars, infighting, and adventure. As various forces must duke it out for control of the cosmos, from the United Planets and Starbreaker to the Radiant Dead, the last three years have been hard to look away from. Next to the same old recycled brooding Dark Knight, probing the furthest reaches of the cosmos is a delight, and writers like Adams, Johnson and Morgan Hampton are keeping it so.
With HBO Max's Lanterns currently dominating ratings, there's no better time to become a Hal Jordan or John Stewart fan. The current roster of series does them justice and will thrill fans of the show.
The Absolute Universe Ironically Stole the Thunder of the Main Batman
In 2023, DC began its absolute line with Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta's Absolute Batman, which became a sales juggernaut. Despite some great stories by Matt Fraction, Tom Taylor, and Chip Zdarsky in the main continuity, the gruesome and brutal alternate book has stolen Bruce Wayne's thunder. An entire generation has discovered American comics through the series and, for some, it might as well be their true Dark Knight.
Instead, characters like Superman and the JSA have been able to shine brighter than ever before through runs like Mark Waid's Action Comics. Snyder's series might be exciting and entertaining, but the only real intrigue behind it stems from seeing how each character will be reimagined. In other words, the main gimmick is simply that it's unfamiliar, even if it's still a similar formula: a dark and brooding avenger of the night goes up against monsters.
Even in that universe, the Man of Steel feels so much more divergent from his Earth Prime counterpart that Jason Aaron and Rafa Sandoval's book demands more attention. His story has firmly embraced the Biblical roots of the character, who has been depicted as a blend of the stories of Moses and Jesus.
Unfortunately, Bruce Wayne has simply become too well-defined for readers and editors alike, leading to a feeling of character rigidity. In essence, both the publisher and fans alike have lower tolerance for any meaningful development for the Bat, where everyone else is allowed to change for the better. Superman can embrace family life, while the World's Greatest Detective is still delaying a moment of true catharsis and unity for the Bat Family.
Batman's Oversaturation Was Never Healthy For DC
Since the Bronze Age, Batman has been a powerhouse of a character for DC Comics. In fact, if every Bruce Wayne appearance in print formed their own publisher, it would be in the top three in the American comic book industry. This was never a healthy trend for the company, especially when it started to creep into the majority of its release schedule. It might have worked as a money-printing machine, but it also became a self-fulfilling prophecy: other heroes suffered from under-investment as great writers were all promoted to a Bat title.
The beauty of the DCU lies in just how varied it is, exponentially more than its competitor, Marvel. Any given story can cover war, dark fantasy, occult detectives, cosmic adventure, or existential horror. Superman has reclaimed his spot as the most interesting superhero at DC Comics, beating out Batman for the first time in years.
For fans who want to see the full breadth of what the DC Universe has to offer, this shift is a welcome change. The market is finally rewarding creativity and diversity over the same old formula, and that's good news for everyone who loves comics.