Summary
DC Comicsprides itself on the iconic roster of heroes. Fromclassics like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, all the way to more modern and reinvented and reformed heroes like Harley Quinn.DC Comicshas come a long way, and as DC enters 2024, it’s the perfect time to look at how their creative endeavors have brought new heroes into the mix, which could even have a live-action future over at the DCU.
Every year, the writers and artists over at DC Comics will bring in new heroes to creatively challenge themselves, and bring in new characters that add to the decades of lore for the fan-favorite DC heroes. These heroes more than proved themselves to be added to the roster of DC’s best new heroes of 2023.
Creators: Josh Trujillo; Adrián Gutiérrez
First Appearance: Blue Beetle: Graduation Day #3 (March, 2023)
Whilst Green Beetle didn’t exactly come off as a hero, her determination to help the Justice League and Blue Beetle against an impending invasion certainly proves that there’s more to this character than first realized. Like most of the best new heroes in DC, Green Beetle has a change of heart, and even she states that she’s just a “goth girlfrom Bludhaven”, someone who never expected to be a metahuman, and certainly someone who never expected to be a guardian for an alien race.
Green Beetle’s alias as Nitida runs deeper than one might think, but her story is still yet to be told as a member of The Horizon. Hopefully, there’s more for her story, and for Jaime Reyes, as the allegiance of Beetles and Scarabs in the cosmic DC Universe could be a lot of fun.
6Bloodwynd
Creators: Dan Jurgens, Dan Watters, Max Dunbar
Raphael Arce became Bloodwynd after the Lazarus Rain embued him with the powers of empathy which he used to help others and absorb their pain within Metropolis. When readers meet Raphael, they learn that he has helped over 327 people, but Raphael, wanted to do more, so he attempted to absorb the pain of all of Metropolis. However, Raphael absorbed the memories of Doomsday, until Martian Manhunter came to assist.
Raphael sacrificed himself to absorb Doomsday, and stop this monster from manifesting within himself, and he was crushed down into a Psychic Gem. Yet, Raphael’s story does not end there, as his descent into Hell provided him with a fraction of Doomsday and Martina Manhunter’s powers, which he used to free souls from the eternal torment of Hell.
5Deadeye
Creators: Chuck Brown; Alitha Martinez
One might not expect the nephew of Amanda Waller to be a hero, and perhaps neither does said nephew. Archie never wanted these powers, nor did he seemingly want to work as a psychic assassin for Amanda Waller as a former A.R.G.U.S. agent. Deadeye’s true motives have not been revealed, but the fact that he did not kill the villain sent to take his life, perhaps proves that he is morally corrupted, but still good at heart.
Deadeye hasa bone to pickwith Waller, especially for the currently unknown treatment of him and his brother. Deadeye has an impressionable outfit, along with some cool powers like Psychokinesis, which allows him to tap into the Astral Plane.
4Peacewrecker
Creators: Joshua Williamson; Rafa Sandoval
The term hero has to be used pretty loosely around the allies of Amanda Waller. Their morality is often grey, leaning more towards death as punishment. Waller often allies herself with morally corruptible fighters so that she can use them as a knife to act upon her bidding, and that couldn’t be more true for Peacewrecker, a character who is essentially a female version of Peacemaker.
Peacewrecker has a specific mission from Waller, which involves keeping all Earth’s metahumans in check or killing those who do not abide. Whilst Peacewrecker has fought her fair share of iconic heroes already, her act as a vigilante proves that she’snot all villainous, even if she is more bad than good.
3Marilyn Moonlight
Creators: Joshua Williamson; Jamal Campbell
A new anti-hero rides into Metropolis. Marilyn Moonlight andSuperman may have gotten off on the wrong footafter she shot him with luminous bullets, but that isn’t to mean she’s all bad. Hero, and villain, they’re bland concepts to Marilyn Moonlight, whose true extent of vigilantism is yet to be seen fully, but it has readers interested, especially with her powers and design.
Marilyn Moonlight disappeared into a beam of light, which had an effect on Superman; showing him a vision of the Old West. Marilyn’s manipulation of light comes from photokinesis powers, which can even be used to recharge Superman’s dependency on yellow sunlight.
2Xanthe
Creators: Alyssa Wong; Haining
DC’s newest magic user made a strong impression when they interacted with icons like Cassandra Cain and John Constantine. Xanthe is a non-binary hero who acts as a Spirit Envoy. With multiple magical abilities at their side, Xanthe proves themselves by delivering goods to people within the Spirit World.
There’s something lovely about Xanthe’s powers and how they use them. The fact that they are their for those in the Spirit World without a family may provide comfort to some readers who often feel alone. Paired with Xanthe’s non-binary identity, this new hero is certainly one readerswant to see more of.
1Trinity
Creators: Tom King; Daniel Sampere
The future of Wonder Woman is looking as bright as ever with Trinity taking the helm, the potential future daughter of Diana Prince of Themyscira. As some might know,Batman and Supermanboth have sons, with Damian and Jon respectively. The only member of the DC Trinity without a child was Wonder Woman, until now. Trinity brings all the hope, wisdom, and optimism of Wonder Woman to comics, all with a new outlook thanks to her youth.
Trinity brings forth the next generation of superheroes for DC, and now the new age of heroes assembles its own Trinity thanks to the children of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. People have responded well to Trinity, and readers eagerly await the Trinity Special from DC Comics that comes out on June 23, 2025.
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