DC Comics is competing against Marvel for the spot of the best comic book publisher, thanks to their rich and iconic range of characters. DC's heroes are as iconic as their villains, and there are countless brilliant comics that showcase the strength of these characters. While some series concluded on perfect notes, other comics require further exploration.
DC's stories represent a long, ongoing narrative, which means its best heroes always have their adventures in a continuous format. Less successful heroes are often relegated to miniseries, events and short ongoings that haven't been returned to print for years. Not every comic needs a sequel, but so many stories deserve follow-ups to continue or conclude a character's journey.
10 Tom Strong
Alan Moore & Chris Sprouse
Tom Strong is DC's resident pulp adventure hero crafted by Alan Moore. The Watchmen writer's most underrated creations, Strong combines several comic hero tropes as a polymathic hero, who is an inventor, scientist and explorer all in one.
Tom Strong's stories are a place for creativity, sci-fi and classic adventure, all of which fit DC. Since Strong's official placement within the DCU in the Terrifics, there's room for anything from solo adventures exploring the DCU or crossovers with heroes like Batman.
9 Batman/Tarzan: Claws Of The Catwoman
Ron Marz, Igor Kordey & Dave Dorman
Batman and Tarzan made for the most compelling team-up in a '90s Dark Horse/DC crossover. The two share a very similar backstory, both being orphans to wealthy parents who turned to a life of heroism, albeit in very different settings.
Batman/Tarzan: Claws of the Catwoman followed the duo saving a lost city in the jungle from an evil archaeologist set on plundering its treasures. The comic was just one adventure, and a reunion between the two on a new mission a la Indiana Jones could be a great story.
8 Damage
Robert Venditti, Tony S. Daniel & Aaron Lopresti
Damage was created to replicate the Hulk formula for DC, following a very similar story of a man who'd transform into a monster on the run from the government. His solo series documented his human counterpart, Ethan Avery, as he fled everyone from the Suicide Squad to the Justice League.
Whether Damage's story continues in a miniseries, event or as a new ongoing, the dangling plot thread of the monster still at large deserves a conclusion. The idea of having a Hulk-like hero traversing the DCU is something that has great potential.
7 The Grim Knight
The Grim Knight was the breakout character of Scott Snyder and Jock's Batman Who Laughs miniseries, which followed Batman as he hunted the eponymous villain. The Grim Knight accompanied BWL on his mission, and was an alternate version of Batman who used guns.
The Grim Knight and his own backstory made a strong impression on fans of Elseworlds tales, and was even teased as having his own miniseries. However, it never materialized. A story that gives the villain a satisfactory conclusion would be incredibly welcomed.
6 Venditti's Hawkman
Robert Venditti & Bryan Hitch
DC gifted Hawkman his greatest story in the 2018 series, by Robert Venditti and Bryan Hitch. The series chronicled his exploration of his past lives, a journey that sent him on a cosmic odyssey and led him into a showdown with ancient, other-dimensional god.
Hawkman's story ended with him and Hawkwoman being sent back in time to their Golden Age JSA friends, where they remained. The conclusion left Hawkman open for more Golden Age adventures that could fill in the gaps for his story after losing his immortality.
5 Green Lantern/Space Ghost
James Tynion IV, Chris Sebela & Howard Chaykin
Green Lantern/Space Ghost brought fans an excellent space-based superhero team-up they never expected. It came in a slew of DCU & Hanna-Barbera crossovers, and the meeting of Hal Jordan and Space Ghost was one of the series' more intriguing stories.
Green Lantern/Space Ghost showed how the two space-faring, cosmic superheroes were a perfect match. When two heroes are such a great fit for each other's stories and villains, they deserve further team-ups. Space Ghost himself is long overdue for an official entry to the DCU.
4 Doomsday Clock
Geoff Johns & Gary Frank
Doomsday Clock was one of the most highly anticipated comic sequels of all time as it promised to unite the Justice League with the Watchmen. While the series itself was great, it was missing its wow factor, serving as more of a mild crossover than anything else.
Doomsday Clock should have been a more direct team-up adventure book that compared and contrasted both teams in their prime. It also teased a possible crossover between Marvel and DC. Whichever idea is picked up as a sequel - or even both - the series left fans wanting more.
3 Batman/Hellboy/Starman
James Robinson & Mike Mignola
Batman/Hellboy/Starman united three of the most popular superhero comics of the '90s, following the titular team-up in the wake of the kidnapping of the original Starman by supernatural Nazis who were intent on summoning a primordial, Lovecraftian monster.
Batman/Hellboy/Starman followed its three heroes on an adventure from Gotham to a fortress in South America. A return not just of the team-up but also of Jack Knight back into prominence would be great for comics, and there are few stories that could do it as well as a new crossover.
2 Endless Winter
Ron Marz, Andy Lanning, Marco Santucci & Howard Porter
Endless Winter was a 2020 mini-event that introduced the villainous Frost King to the DCU, a metahuman Viking with powers over winter. The Justice League tried to battle the Frost King and save people from his violent ice creatures and the harsh winter.
Endless Winter also explored the "Justice League Viking," the team-up of Viking Prince, Black Adam, Hippolyta and an ancient Swamp Thing. This combined with the open-ended conclusion to Frost King's story both leave a lot of potential for further exploration.
1 Batman/Judge Dredd
John Wagner, Alan Grant & Simon Bisley
Batman and Judge Dredd have always starred in brilliant team-ups thanks to their similar personalities but contrasting tactics of fighting villainy. Their four crossover stories each brought something new to each respective hero, whether it was Joker meeting Dredd or the two heroes in a battle royale.
Whether it's Batman returning to Mega City One or Dredd making his way to Gotham again, there's still so much potential between the two. Batman especially has a wide range of villains who could threaten both he and Dredd.