DC Comics has been providing readers with superhero comics longer than anyone else, telling the stories of the greatest heroes and most dastardly villains of all time. They helped set the standard for comics publishing for decades, giving readers some of the best books of all time. One of the best parts of the publisher over the decades has been its flagship titles. These are the most important books in the series, the ones that get the most attention, feature the best characters and creators, and have the most impact on the publishing line. Now, obviously there were some signature DC books that weren’t the best, but they also gave readers some of the best signature books of all time.
For decades, DC’s history has sometimes been defined by its signature books. Some of them have become legendary, era-defining books, and are still considered some of the best comics of all time. These are seven of DC Comics’ best books, works that embody everything the publisher is good at when it comes to comics.
7) Preacher
Vertigo changed comics in the ’90s, giving creators a home where they could tell any kind of story they wanted, while also allowing them to own their work. Vertigo has some great books, and the publisher has had some masterpieces over the years, but the best of them is definitely Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s Preacher. The story of Jesse Custer’s search for God with his girlfriend Tulip and best friend Cassidy, an Irish vampire, is a violent, irreverent, and profound story about humanity, religion, America, love, family, and more. It’s a book to be praised to the heavens (ironic, given its subject matter), changing the tone of Vertigo and ending the ’90s in epic style.
6) Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern
If you had told someone in the 2000s that one of the best-selling and most important books of the 2000s would be Hal Jordan’s solo book, no one would have believed him. But here we are. Green Lantern (Volume 4), written by Geoff Johns in collaboration with Carlos Pacheco, Ivan Reis, Doug Mahnke, Ethan Van Sciver, and numerous other artists, became one of the industry’s best-selling books in the 2000s, especially after the incredible Sinestro Corps War. Basically, anyone who read DC in the mid-to-late 2000s almost certainly read this book, which laid the groundwork for one of the best event books of all time, Blackest Night.
5) Snide/Capullo Batman (Vol. 2)
The New 52 has long been maligned, but it’s not entirely terrible. In fact, this book had one of the greatest masterpieces of all time: Batman (Volume 2). This is the epicenter of the legendary Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo heroics, including such great stories as “Court of Owls,” “Death in the Family,” “Year Zero,” “Endgame,” and “Superheavy.” This book was great. Synder and Capullo work together perfectly, and we get some backstory from the likes of James Tynion IV and Jock. This is consistently the best New 52 book and remains a fan favorite.
4) Golden Age Action Comics
Most people would say that since DC Comics took its name from Detective Comics, it would be a good representation of the publisher’s golden age, but we all know that this is actually an action comic. This was the book that introduced readers to Superman and became one of the best-selling comics of its time. Like most Golden Age books, it was an anthology book with lots of characters of all kinds. Action Comics was a collection of great stories from some of the best creators of the time. There’s an argument that “that doesn’t hold up”, but the same argument could be made about Stan Lee’s comics from the Silver Age, and yet everyone praises them. It’s in keeping with the times in the best way possible, and without it DC wouldn’t exist.
3) New Teen Titans in the early 80’s
The late ’70s weren’t a great time for DC Comics. DC Explosion was supposed to be the ultimate shot at how to sell against Marvel, but a bunch of Explosion books struggled, so DC Implosion was done. Things were terrible, but then something happened that no one expected. Marv Wolfman and George Perez’s New Teen Titans came out and surprised everyone. Teen Titans has failed before, but this reboot has found a way to connect with audiences thanks to a great creative team. We all know how great “The Judas Covenant” is, but if that’s the only NTT story you’ve read, you’re missing out. This book is the perfect balance of character and action and remains great almost 50 years later.
2) J.L.A.
Grant Morrison is one of the best team book writers in comics, and one of their best superhero works is the JLA. JLA went down in the mid-90s and quickly became a huge hit thanks to positive word of mouth. This book shot to the top of the pack of DC books, and it did so by bringing back the greatness of the Justice League. The Justice League was a team of the best DC characters fighting the most dangerous enemies. The book was a mainstay of DC Comics throughout the Morrison government, with Mark Waid also writing several issues, and was the best book on the stands for four years. This is a masterpiece of superhero action, and if you haven’t experienced it yet, you should.
1) Justice League of America (Vol. 1)
The Justice League is the greatest team in DC history, and was the publisher’s flagship team from its debut in 1960 until around the early ’80s, when the New Teen Titans took that title. For those 20-odd odd years, Justice League of America (Vol. 1) was the best in superhero comics, and at a time when comics cost less than a dollar, it gave readers, well, the best bang for their buck. It was a book that combined all of DC’s greatest heroes, as well as a lower-level but still great cast of heroes as the team began to expand, hurled them into universe-shaking threats, and included numerous multiverse crossovers during its run. It was what DC was all about in the Silver and Bronze Ages, and it’s still going strong today.
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