The Best Dc Comics to Read Right Now

2021 is a recovery year for DC Comics, emerging from the terminal fumes of DC Rebirth, Death Metal, and the Dan Didio editorial reign, with a unique opportunity to carve out a new vision for the publisher. The year began with the two month "Future Country" timeline, before segueing into a wide variety of series relaunches and creative turnover in DC's Infinite Borderland.

The sheer amount of change makes this twelvemonth a little more difficult than previous years in determining all-time ofs and entrance points, simply honestly, information technology also makes for one of the most interesting lineups DC'due south had in a few years.

Beneath you lot'll find the best DC Comics of 2021, updated throughout the yr as new comics are released and I read new favorites!

Related:

Best Comics of 2021

All-time Marvel Comics of 2021

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The Joker

To say James Tynion IV is having a moment is an understatement. When Tynion was announced every bit the adjacent Batman author afterwards Tom King'due south non-quite-100 issue run, information technology felt a bit like a tentative stopgap with one of DC's nearly reliable regulars and disciple of DC mainstay Scott Snyder. Now, it'south clear it was a prescient passing of the torch to arguably the *best* writer of American comics in 2021.

Since taking over Batman, Tynion has delivered "Something is Killing the Children," "Department of Truth," "Wynd," "The Squeamish House on the Lake," and the horror anthology "Razorblades" (with Steve Foxe). My full best of 2021 list basically requires a category *only* for his works. Oh, and not by accident, his postal service "Joker War" Batman has offered the best take on Gotham since *at least* the "Wedding of Batman and Catwoman."

For my money, the most fascinating thing about this era of Batman is Tynion's willingness to truly create new characters for the shared universe. Given the history of publishers taking advantage of creators, there's been a deliberate resistance to giving away the best ideas, but Tynion is in such an inventive space information technology hasn't mattered. Whether or not yous're in love with Punchline, Clownhunter, Ghost-Maker and the similar, the mainline title only feels *fresh* in some thrilling ways.

Still, it's Tynion's piece of work with Guillem March on "The Joker" that stands out to me every bit the best of the bunch. Post Joker War and Space Frontier #0 , the clown prince of crime is the world'due south most wanted criminal (even more then than usual), and former Gotham Police Commissioner Jim Gordon is put on the case to track him downward. The noir-ish take on DC's underbelly outside of Gotham is vivid, tense, and gripping, as is the determination to predominantly focus on The Joker through the touch of his evil on the Gordon family.

The Dainty House on the Lake

Speaking of Tynion, I tin can't remember the terminal fourth dimension a first event had an approval rating as high as the first effect of the eight issue Black Characterization serial, The Nice Business firm on the Lake. It seems similar every unmarried critic I respect *adored* this serial debut with a fervor I actually don't remember I've seen since Tom King and Mitch Gerads on Mister Phenomenon . They're non wrong either, as The Nice Firm on the Lake is a fashionable reimagining of the apocalypse, with Alvaro Martinez joining Tynion'sThe Department of Truthcreative person Martin Simmonds as withal some other disciple of Bill Sienkiewicz blending the lines of comics and reality.

Catwoman: Lonely City

My favorite DC Black Characterization launch of 2021 is Cliff Chiang'southward vision of a future for Selina Kyle and Gotham City, inevitably seen as a response to Frank Miller'sThe Dark Knight Returnsbut with a flavor all its ain. After long runs as the creative person on works like New 52Wonder WomanandPaper Girls, Chiang strikes back here doing virtually everything in "Lonely City," writing, drawing and coloring the piece of work.

Between this and characteristically strong piece of work from Ram V, it's a proficient year to be a Catwoman fan.

For more than, check out my interview with Cliff Chiang!

Arkham City: The Order of the World

I have a confession: I don't get Dan Watters and Dani'sCoffin Spring . I respect it, and I capeesh it, only I definitely do notbecome it. Which is a shame because I accept it on expert authority from my own insecurity that all the cool kids certainly dear this Image Comics book!

Fortunately, Watters and Dani team-up with theCoffin Boundteam of Brad Simpson and Aditya Bidikar to tackle Gotham City in the wake of Joker's assault on Arkham Aviary. All Batman's most mentally unstable villains – at least those that didn't die in the Joker'southward assault – are at present loose as Gotham descends into a new Arkham City.

That? That I get.

Watters and team approach the the familiarity of Batman'southward rogues gallery through the lens of a Psychologist working with the GCPD, inviting comparisons to aGotham Primalthat'south even more on the fringes, and with a much healthier dose of righteous xc's nostalgia.

The Other History of the DC Universe

The gap between the announcement of John Ridley'southward perspective on the DCU and the bodily oversized concrete Blackness Label books was and so large that it feels like a small miracle that the content actually lived upward to the hype. Remarkably, all that potential of University Award winning screenwriter John Ridley taking on the DC Universe is actually met, with a fascinating exploration of the role of race, social status, and class in the well worn superhero comics landscape.

Guiseppe Camuncoli illustrates what is effectively a serial of 5 biographies from the POV of Black Lightning, Mal Duncan, Katana, Renee Montoya and Thunder (the daughter of Black Lightning). This is DC'sMarvels, but if Busiek and Ross were more interested in society than supes.

Green Lantern: Far Sector

NK Jemesin and Jamal Campbell's Far Sector is an instant classic, finally last this yr with the best Green Lantern story in years. On one hand, the introduction of Jo Mullein is the kind of starmaking character entrance that should permeate the shape of DC's Green Lantern mythos for years to come up, and on the other hand, it would well-nigh be meliorate if Jo wasn't wasted the way Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz, and arguably fifty-fifty John Stewart have been in the many decades of occasionally tepid Greenish Lantern ongoings.

Swamp Thing

Ram 5 is one of my favorite writers in comics right now (These Brutal Shores, The Many Deaths of Laila Starr, Blue in Green are all must reads!), only I don't retrieve he's had the standout Big 2 work to quite make him the household comic fan must-buy he should exist. That'south changing with Swamp Thing,a wonderful express series with Mike Perkins and Aditya Bidikar.

Ironically, Ram 5's work onCatwomanis every bit equally good, merely it's the use ofFuture Stateas a launching pad for Levi Kamei's function as the new DC Swamp Affair that feels truly special, like we're at the outset of a special creative genesis.Swamp Thingfeels like a work very much in conversation with the character's legacy (particularly Alan Moore's), but building towards something nosotros've never seen before, and that's exactly what shared universe comics should do.

Robin

DC Rebirth ensnared Damian Wayne, son of the bat, in the very mannerly Super Sons , but later five years of the World'southward Tiniest, it's time for a new await for Damian. Joshua Williamson and Gleb Melnikov take Damian out of Gotham and into a League of Lazarus Hunger Gamesesque assassin tournament to launder off the battering of Tom King'sCity of Bane . Easily one of my favorite surprises from DC in Infinite Frontier.

Nightwing

If nosotros're being honest, the bar for a dearest Infinite FrontierNightwingrelaunch was remarkably low. After literal years of wandering the wastelands with the lost memories of Ric Grayson, Tom Taylor and Bruno Redondo return Dick Grayson, Nightwing, to Bludhaven and the familiar challenges of Nightwing's past. The departure this time is that after the death of Alfred in "Urban center of Blight," the bat-family father figure leaves Dick an immense fortune, and now it'southward upward to him to solve the problems of Bludhaven with tremendous wealth.

It's an interesting set-up, and Tom Taylor brings precisely the aforementioned level of center and human being empathy to Dick Grayson as he'southward done across both the DC and Marvel universes for years at present. The real star, though, is the fashion and flair of Bruno Redondo and Adriano Lucas, capturing a unique blend of David Aja'due southEagleand Chris Samnee'sDaredevil.

Wonder Adult female

I put off checking out Infinite FrontierWonder Adult femalefor a long time. I really wanted to dear the K. Willow Wilson and Mariko Tamaki runs, but was never especially enamored with either (despite loving both writers!). After the alleged starring part in the hypertime chaos of the tremendously disappointing Death Metal, what would make this era ofWonder Womanany different?

In the hands of Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad, and Travis Moore, the answer is to mix up Diana's mythology, landing her in a mystery of Norse gods instead of her usual Amazons and Olympians. Maybe it'southward just the apropos amount ofGod of WarI've been playing lately, simply information technology'due south thrilling to watch Diana navigate the Aesir and Vanir with fresh eyes, familiar only dramatically different from the Asgard of Marvel'due south Thor-poesy. In addition to the alter of realms,Wonder Womanis also full of just the correct amount of surprise DC Universe cameos and intrigue.

Superman Ruddy & Bluish

I'g mostly skeptical of the surge in "color" based album comics (Harley Quinn: Black, White & Reddish, or Curiosity'sWolverine Ruby White and Blood), butSuperman: Red & Blueis a standout exception. It'due south riveting to lookout man rotating roundtables of excellent comics creators accept their shot at a 10 page short Superman story to friction match the character'due south impossibly rich & iconic legacy. The anthology format works wonders for Superman, a character with such a depth of mythology and thematic resonance to work with.

There's a lot of great work throughout the drove to appointment, but standouts for me so far include theBury Boundcreative team with a Mxyzptlk story, James Stokoe with archetype Argent Age Superman sci-fi, and Daniel Warren Johnson's "Generations." Truly, though, in that location are far more hits than misses, and the nice matter well-nigh anthologies for Superman is y'all're non stuck with a creative team y'all don't like! My master criticism is I'd like to run into more from the Superman family/mythos, every bit the Chuck Dark-brown and Denys Cowan accept on Val-Zod is a dainty surprise in the bunch.

Superman and The Authority

Grant Morrison's "last" DC Comics work, a four issue miniseries starring an aged Superman and a reformatted Say-so, is a fascinating capstone on a glorious career writing Supes. I love the conclusion to focus on a mail service-acme Superman, to reverberate on how the Justice League have helped and failed the globe in equal measures over the decades, and to consider a passing of the torch as Superman moves from unbeatable brawler to team-assembler and strategist.

Mikel Janin gets to graduate from gorgeousBatmanfine art to gorgeous and regularlyforeignFort Superman work, every bit Morrison calls dorsum to favorites similar Natasha Steel, Ultrahumanite, and the New Gods.

Honestly, though, the all-time writing you lot'll find on the field of study matter comes hither, from David Mann's piece on the full history of Morrison and Superman!

Mister Miracle, Source of Freedom

I'thousand pretty endlessly interested in new futures for Shilo Norman, the successor to Scott Costless's "Mister Miracle" curtain from Jack Kirby'south New Gods. Apart from Kirby and Grant Morrison's work onSeven Soldiers, there isn't a heckuva lot of material though! Shilo's story gets a new spin throughFuture Countryand now into a half dozen upshot miniseries.

Brandon Easton does interesting work here exploring Shilo as an private, and specifically every bit a black celebrity whose skin color isn't known by the doting fandom of the greatest escape creative person show on earth. Fico Ossio and Rico Renzi give "Source of Freedom" an explosive vibrancy, making it truly one of the nigh spectacular visual glasses across the DC line correct now.

Honorable Mentions: Static Stupor: Flavour One, Batman, Catwoman, Titans Academy, Trounce & Lobo, Batman: Urban Legends, Rorschach

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Source: https://www.comicbookherald.com/the-best-dc-comics-of-2021/

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