Posted on October 7th, 2022

Being one of the big two comic book publishers, DC Comics has established a vast and varied pantheon of superheroes over the decades. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman have long since been their flagship heroes known as "The Trinity," but others have made their way into the mainstream to become favorites in their own right.

Comic books and comic book-based media have skyrocketed in popularity in more recent years, which, in large part, helped these characters gain bigger exposure and fan bases. The voting community of Ranker compiled a list of their 10 most popular heroes made up of long-time favorites and underdog characters.

Shazam

DC's Shazam has gradually been gaining traction in the mainstream thanks to the Shazam! movie, where costume designers created one of the DCEU's best suits. His alter ego Billy Batson is a child, but gains the ability to turn into the superhero Shazam as a grown metahuman. The superhero is a testament to what simpler, more lighthearted characters and stories can bring to the table in a resonant way.

Shazam's premise is a refreshing change of pace from the dark and gritty, giving a cheerful and interesting dynamic of a "Superman" that's ultimately still going through the literal growing pains of a kid. All the while he's still handling the responsibilities and level of power on a similar scale to Superman.

Green Arrow

The early goings of the Arrow TV series helped bolster Green Arrow's popularity, but he's been respectably well-known in DC's comics. Similar to Bruce Wayne, Oliver Queen is a rich philanthropist who used his identity to masquerade the Robin Hood-like persona of Green Arrow.

But he grew to be a compelling character in his own right away from being an alternate Batman character. One of his most iconic comic book arcs is as a duo with Green Lantern. The premise of the story, and the background of the two superheroes' respective worldviews, made for thought-provoking social commentary.

Aquaman

Undeservedly so, Aquaman was often on the wrong side of many jokes within superhero fanbases. The misconceptions didn't do the hero justice in making people realize how valuable he is to the Justice League.

More modern-age comics started fixing the misunderstandings surrounding the character, telling interesting stories displaying Aquaman's true power and tackling issues like finding a sense of belonging. He's a perfect character for the latter basis, as he's someone caught between two different worlds and communities while feeling responsibility toward both.

Martian Manhunter

One of DC's dark-horse superheroes that deserves more recognition is Martian Manhunter. The underrated powerhouse character started getting more attention partly thanks to the excellent Justice League and Justice League Unlimited DCAU animated shows.

The shape-shifting martian serves as a compassionate intergalactic crime fighter and is often depicted as the Justice League's empathetic heart and soul. In terms of live-action, the most fans have gotten was the tease in Zack Snyder's Justice League. With the potential the character has, many fans undoubtedly hope that he makes a return to add to the DCEU's diverse cast of heroes.

Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)

The Hal Jordan iteration is arguably the most conventionally used version by DC Comics. He's one of the three most iconic incarnations of Green Lantern alongside Alan Scott and John Stewart. One of the narrative benefits of the Green Lantern persona is how varied different versions can be, as the Green Lantern Corp. is an intergalactic peacekeeping force filled with them.

It makes the possibilities endless on what kinds of characters to explore. Hal Jordan has provided some memorable stories, though, with his aforementioned ideological character study with Green Arrow as a highlight. The perspectives the two gain make for one of DC's hallmark friendships.

Wonder Woman

One of the most iconic superheroes in general, Wonder Woman earns her title as one of "The Trinity." Along with Superman and Batman, the Princess of Themyscira is one of the core pillars and founding members of the Justice League. Wonder Woman's demonstrated incredible feats of power, devotion to her convictions, but also shows human compassion.

The superhero is also partly responsible for breaking tired genre tropes of the "damsel in distress," while bringing to life colorful, sweeping stories involving Greek mythology and the different eras of humanity. The latter of which in part told through her involvement with the Justice Society.

Flash (Barry Allen)

Barry Allen is the most synonymous character to the Flash persona and is also a mainstay in the DC Universe's most important events. The Flash is often the superhero first to come into fans' minds when thinking of superspeed. He was even one of the main superhero characters responsible for DC's successful revitalization of the genre, taking it into the Silver Age of comics.

The "Fastest Man Alive" is a great and pivotal character for exploring the multiverse concept. Undoubtedly the most noteworthy story arc of the Flash is his Flashpoint crossover that presented wide-spreading ramifications for DC's multiverse.

Nightwing

Dick Grayson established the Dynamic Duo with Bruce Wayne's Batman and has proven to be one of the most beloved and important Bat-family characters. After falling and growing out of being a sidekick superhero, Dick stretched out and made an identity of his own in the form of Nightwing.

His charismatic, kindhearted, and empathetic nature made for an excellent emotional anchor for his adoptive father and being a fan-favorite on his own merits. Bruce himself has said that Dick Grayson represents a purer form of Batman is meant to be. Fans generally seem to agree, believing that he's the one person most suitable for inheriting the Batman mantle.

Superman

The Son of Krypton is one of the most famous characters that's become synonymous with the word "superhero" in general. Clark Kent's story as Superman is a timeless one of how good humanity can collectively be. It's also a celebration of embracing people of all walks of life, as despite being a Kryptonian, Superman represents the purest form of what it means to be human as a true "Man of Tomorrow."

He's the embodiment of what people should strive to be, while still being a compelling character that suffers and triumphs through his trials and flaws. Superman also completes a great friendship and dynamic with Batman in the comics, which is often the central focus in titles such as World's Finest and events like Kingdom Come.

Batman

Unsurprisingly, the Dark Knight himself endures as DC's most loved superhero. Batman is second in popularity only to Marvel's Spider-Man, with the former making up some of the comic book medium's most acclaimed comics. His high benchmark of quality ranges from having some of the best rogues galleries of DC villains to gripping psychological and crime-noir stories.

In his best arcs, Batman's stories represent exceptional cases of exploring the traumatized flaws of the psyche, as well as how someone can take moments of excruciating emotional pain and forge them into an indomitable force for good and redemption. That even in periods of overbearing darkness, there's always a path back. Redemption is another timeless message because it has to be if humanity is to persevere.

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