The 5 Best DC Comics Of 2023
2023 was a massive year for DC Comics as the "Dawn of DC" era began, launching an exciting storytelling initiative for the publisher. As a result, it has led to one of DC's best outputs in some time, with the comics coming out being consistently high quality while offering readers all types of adventures featuring classic, new, and fan-favorite characters.
Choosing five comic books as the best of the year is a difficult task, as there's no way to avoid leaving out excellent titles deserving of credit and accolades. Books like "Hawkgirl" (by Jadzia Axelrod, Amancay Nahuelpan, Adriano Lucas, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou), "Action Comics" (by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Rafa Sandoval, Matt Herms, and Dave Sharpe), "Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville" (by Joanne Starer, Natacha Bustos, Tamra Bonvillain, and Ariana Maher), "Nightwing" (by Tom Taylor, Bruno Redondo, Lucas, Wes Abbott), and "Poison Ivy" (by G. Willow Wilson, Marcio Takara, Arif Prianto, Otsmane-Elhaou), "Blue Beetle" (by Josh Trujillo, Adrián Gutiérrez, Wil Quintana, and Lucas Gattoni), "Green Lantern" (by Jeremy Adams, Xermanico, Romulo Fajardo, Jr. and Sharpe), "Batman: City of Madness" (by Christian Ward and Otsmane-Elhaou), and "Danger Street (by Tom King, Jorge Fornes, Dave Stewart, and Clayton Cowles) are all can't miss series that helped to solidify a fantastic 2023 at DC Comics.
However, a handful of books stood out among the best DC had to offer in the past year — factoring things like their incredible art, writing, and meaning to the DC Universe. These are the five best DC Comics of 2023.
Alan Scott: Green Lantern
"Alan Scott: Green Lantern" (by Tim Sheridan, Cian Tormey, Matt Herms, and Lucas Gattoni) only debuted in October, but even with just two issues released so far, the comic has established itself as one of DC's best and most important stories of the year.
The comic reveals the previously untold history of Alan Scott, aka DC's first Green Lantern, and being a closeted gay man in the 1940s. It features the founding member of the Justice Society of America during one of the most difficult times of his life, as he balances being a superhero while trying to keep his personal life from tearing his very public one apart. Sheridan ("Teen Titans: Academy") pours his soul into the story, with poignant themes of courage, love, and overcoming fear coming through on every page. The writing makes everything feel natural and very real. Meanwhile, Tormey and Herms' artwork beautifully captures the time period, masterfully showcasing Alan's emotion and tender relationships — and when things need to be ramped up to showcase superheroics, the art is more than game to do so.
"Alan Scott: Green Lantern" is a throwback story forging a new path for one of DC's first heroes. The comic has lofty ambitions for rewriting a classic character's origin story and succeeds in every imaginable way. It's beautiful, heartbreaking, action-packed, and perfectly celebrates DC's Golden Age. Plus, the book features the arrival of an all-new Red Lantern, so for fans of the character, the comic excitingly dives into the Green Lantern mythos and offers a fresh story readers haven't seen before.
Birds of Prey
Kelly Thompson became a star writer at Marvel Comics, where her work on "Captain Marvel" was among the most consistently excellently written series in the publisher's lineup. So, when Thompson revealed they were tackling DC Comics' "Birds of Prey" alongside Leonardo Romero, Jordie Bellaire, and Matt Herms, there was reason to be excited. As the title's first arc comes to a close, there's little doubt Thompson was the perfect writer to lead the iconic superteam's latest incarnation.
Thompson's "Birds of Prey" is one of the funniest, most enthralling, and most dynamic books on the shelf right now. The talented writer chose a team whose members — Black Canary, Big Barda, Harley Quinn, Zealot, and Batgirl — have no business working as well as they do. Whether it's Big Barda referring to Batgirl as a "small bat," Harley's wild card nature mixed with her actual surprising effectiveness as a hero, or Black Canary trying to keep the team on track in the face of pure chaos, the chemistry this Birds of Prey team has is undeniable. The comic's wit is perfectly complemented by its flat-out gorgeous art, as Leonardo Romero's retro-inspired work feels as though it was pulled from the 1960s in all the best ways. Meanwhile, Jordie Bellaire's colors make everything stand out with a perfect palette — frankly, it would be a massive shock if they didn't win Best Colorist at the next Eisner Awards.
"Birds of Prey" has serious momentum and has the chance to be one of the best runs on the titular superteam ever whenever it comes to an end, which, hopefully, isn't for a long time.
Human Target
Tom King is no stranger to taking C and D-List heroes from the corners of the DC Universe and fascinatingly deconstructing them. From his work on "Omega Men" and "Mister Miracle" to "Strange Adventures" and "Danger Street," King continues to put his own unique spin on both classic and forgotten heroes and villains, often putting them through the wringer before building them back up.
However, his writing on "Human Target" (with Greg Smallwood and Clayton Cowles) felt like something new from the author. The story focuses on the titular hero, Christopher Chance, who attempts to solve his own murder before a poison he ingested kills him. The comic features numerous guest stars from "Justice League International," with each issue featuring a familiar face from the fan-favorite '80s-90s series. The noir-soaked atmosphere echoes the late Darwyn Cooke's "Parker" adaptations, with plenty of twists, romance, and detective work. In short, "The Human Target" keeps readers enthralled and guessing until the very end.
As incredible as King's script is, the true star of "Human Target" is Greg Smallwood. The artist provided his career-best work for the series, with a pop-art-inspired style fitting the retro tone of the book. There isn't anything conventional about the layout of "Human Target," as each page is designed to enhance King's script. The series' consistently unorthodox composition works well for the detective tale, creating a unique viewpoint of its main characters through lush and bold art, with its vibrant colors bringing the story to life. There simply wasn't another book that looked like "The Human Target" in 2023.
Unstoppable Doom Patrol
One of DC's strangest superteams, the Doom Patrol, has a storied comic history featuring some incredible runs by top talent throughout the years, with the likes of Grant Morrison, Richard Case, Rachael Pollack, Keith Giffen, Matt Clark, Gerard Way, and Nick Derington all leaving their own unique stamp on the beloved group of misfits. It's no debate, then, that "Unstoppable Doom Patrol" (by Dennis Culver, Chris Burnham, Brian Reber, and Pat Brosseau) had a tough act to follow. However, the creative team's interpretation of the decades-old superhero group rose to the task and brought something new and exciting to the table.
"Unstoppable Doom Patrol" reunites Robotman, Negative Man, Elasti-Woman, and Crazy Jane while adding a fresh new dynamic to the team by tasking them with tracking down metahumans created as a result of DC's "Lazarus Planet" event, which gave new people superpowers and changed the powers of some existing heroes and villains. The comic is packed full of heart, plays into and embraces the team's inherent weirdness, and isn't afraid to dig into different mediums, such as the television series, for inspiration. New characters Beast Girl and Degenerate fit seamlessly into the team, while Crazy Jane's taking on the Chief's leadership role ends up being a fun new direction for the antihero.
Creating an accessible comic starring the Doom Patrol is a big challenge, but Culver, Burnham, and company manage to re-center the team in the DC Universe and take them down an exciting path. The seven-issue series is flat-out excellent and will be remembered as one of the most beloved runs starring the team.
Batman/Superman: World's Finest
In the modern era, Batman has often been drenched in darkness, and the hero's lighter side has been an often-forgotten character trait. However, DC Comics reminded readers how fun the hero could be with "Batman/Superman: World's Finest" (by Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain, and Aditya Bidikar), which has been the publisher's consistently best ongoing series since it's debut — a fact that didn't change in 2023.
Like most of Waid's past and present work at DC, the comic is a love letter to the Silver Age and the comic book genre as a whole. Featuring both heroes at their best, "Batman/Superman: World's Finest" isn't afraid to be silly or serious and full of heart when needed. Whether it's adding to DC's storied history with the arrival of Superman's new sidekick, Boy Thunder, following a hilarious date night gone wrong between Dick Grayson's Robin and Supergirl, or the many cameos of classic DC heroes, like Metamorpho, the Doom Patrol, and the Metal Men, the book is everything readers could want from a series co-starring the titular heroes. Waid's scripts are bright, energetic, and fully aware of the character's roots; Mora's career-best art makes each page a visual treat; and Bonvillain's colors make his work sparkle.
At this point, DC should approve whatever project Waid and Mora want to do next, as the pair's current work on "Shazam" proves they make a creative team that is setting the gold standard for collaborative work.
Picking DC's best comic is no easy feat
The "Dawn of DC" era has given the publisher one of its best years in a long time, with the line producing quality titles across the board. So good, in fact, that narrowing down just five comics was a monumental task. Several factors were considered in selecting the comics for this list, including storytelling, writing, artwork, colors, and lettering. Additional considerations were made for plot consistency, impact on the status quo, and, most obviously, overall quality. Given the subjective nature of comics, we didn't account for any data from other reviewing sites. Still, we considered online conversation, buzz, and what people are discussing on social media.
While listing several honorable mentions, having every DC book we enjoyed in 2023 make it into the post simply wasn't possible. So, please put your pitchforks down if your favorite title didn't end up here. The past year was incredible for comics, especially for DC Comics, and with "Birds of Prey," "Alan Scott: Green Lantern," and "Batman/Superman's World Finest" continuing into next year, 2024 should be a great one, too.