Over 24,000 unique characters populate the DC multiverse. A select few are beloved and celebrated from year to year, while others are stars that rise and fall with time. But the magic of DC is that anyone, from the A-List all the way down to Z, can get the opportunity to shine in a way they never have before. As we come to the end of the year, we like to celebrate the characters who’ve had the greatest glow-ups in 2024. It’s time to elevate!
Rina Mori
In 1997, DC launched a line called Tangent Comics, defamiliarizing the entirety of the DC Universe as we knew it down to the proper nouns. One of the most interesting figures to come out of this was a mystical take on the Green Lantern—one that, along with the rest of the Tangent Universe, few among us ever expected to see again. But that Green Lantern has returned, now with an actual name and identity, as part of DC’s 2024 Elseworlds relaunch in The mere idea promises revisitations, further explorations and the showcase of brand new worlds in our ever-expanding multiverse. What could be a greater glow-up, after nearly thirty years, than getting your name and a solo series?
Big Barda and Cassandra Cain
The unlikely friendship of these two peace-seeking warriors from different worlds has been one of the great developing storylines in the DC Universe, as we’ve seen them grow closer every month in Kelly Thompson’s award-winning Birds of Prey.Even as the team consistently rotates, Barda and her “Small Bat” have become staples we never want to let go. But it’s been a banner year for each of these heroes individually as well. Thanks to Ngozi Ukazu’s incredible Bardagraphic novel, the former leader of the Female Furies has never had a clearer, more resonant story presentable to brand new audiences. And just in time for the Best Bat’s 25th anniversary, Cassandra Cain is finally starring in her own solo ongoing series again, where she belongs.
Kite Man (Hell Yeah!)
From an obscure Silver Age one-timer, to a memetic punchline in Tom King’s Batman,to a breakout role in the Harley Quinn animated series, it’s tough to name a character from DC’s deep bench who’s had a higher rise than Kite Man. In Harley Quinn, Matt Oberg’s performance as Poison Ivy’s corny boyfriend was clearly always meant to be a placeholder as Ivy and Harley’s relationship developed. But in the process, we couldn’t help but feel something for this well-meaning idiot who really never did anything wrong except not be Harley Quinn. In this year’s spinoff series, Kite Man struck out on his own with a new romantic partner in Golden Glider and took over ownership of a super-villainous dive bar so he could have a place where everybody knows your name. Even if your name happens to be Kite Man.
Plastic Man and Zatanna
This seventh year of DC’s Black Label line has continued to grace us with complex, mature takes on the heroes of the DC Universe, but none have benefited more from that treatment this year than Zatanna Zatara and Eel O’Brian. The captivating artwork of Javier Rodriguez in Zatanna: Bring Down the Househad DC’s mistress of magic looking like a hand of four aces, as Mariko Tamaki took her down a rabbit hole through the secrets of magic. Meanwhile, Plastic Man No Moregave the JLA’s stretchable clown the Pagliacci treatment, depicting the inner turmoil of a lifelong comic relief who finds himself ill-equipped for a crisis demanding serious attention. As much as we love the line’s rich collection of Batman stories, it’s the Black Label titles exploring DC’s less storied characters that keep us coming back.
Booster Gold
DC went “All In” this year with an all-inclusive Justice League Unlimited,extending membership to the DC Universe’s most prestigious superhero team to practically every cape and costume you can think of. The promise of this new era is opportunities for anyone to rise to the A-List. Proving that in the tone-setting DC All In Specialthis year was Booster Gold—the DCU’s perennial, lovable loser who, after accepting membership to the League from Superman himself, made an unfathomable heroic sacrifice which will place him at the center of DC’s developing tale of two universes locked in opposition in the years to come. He may be off the board in the short term, but make no mistake, Booster Gold is the hero to watch.
Supergirl
Season two of the heartwarming My Adventures with Supermanproved that even after hooking up our lead couple, this show still has the juice. The heart of this sophomore season was Superman’s cousin, whose deeply emotional arc encompassing her transition from a tool for Brainiac’s intergalactic conquest to a lover of life and humanity gave us a fresh take on Kara’s story while honoring her character’s core. It also didn’t hurt that this anime-inspired design is one of the freshest looks she’s ever had.
Dreamer
If we were deciding on a main character in the mainline DC Universe this year, you could make a strong argument that the title should go to Nia Nal: the half-human, half-Naltorian alien refugee from The CW’s Supergirl series written in the comics to this day by her on-screen actress, Nicole Maines. Within the space of twelve months, Dreamer had her origin story finally told in full in the Bad Dream graphic novel, developed close friendships with Galaxy and Jon Kent, served a reluctant term alongside Harley Quinn in the Suicide Squad and even saved the entire world in the final fight against the forces of Amanda Waller in Absolute Power.2024 has truly been the year that Dreamer made her debut to the world as a Super Hero with a capital S. Where does she go from here? As far as we can tell, the only limits are her dreams.
The Creature Commandos
Of all the heroes who could have possibly kicked off the James Gunn and Peter Safran era of DC Studios production, we don’t think anyone would have put their money on this team of monsters and misfits. And yet, it oddly fits. Coming up through the monster factory of Troma Films and gaining a reputation for elevating oddballs and misfits on projects like The Suicide Squad,Peacemakerand Guardians of the Galaxy, with Creature Commandos,Gunn sets a tone that the new cinematic DC Universe isn’t just going to be playing the hits. From the likes of Frankenstein, Doctor Phosphorus and the Weasel on out, this new era comes with a mission statement to give our weirdos their due.
Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman
Truth be told, as much as we like to celebrate the little guys, almost nobody’s had a bigger year than DC’s Big Three. And that’s all thanks to one new initiative: the Absolute Universe. It’s no secret by now that Absolute Batman,Absolute Wonder Womanand Absolute Supermanhave proven to be some of the biggest titles DC’s flagship characters have seen in years, thanks to fresh, bold reimaginings by their creative teams which take them places we never thought possible. A Diana denied from Paradise, a Kal-El without the Kents and a Batman stripped of his wealth have given us a devious world that demonstrates how, despite all odds stacked against them and the stripping away of their most familiar elements, what truly makes a hero comes from within. With three opening salvos this strong, we can’t wait to see what paces the Absolute Universe puts us through next.
You might have noticed we said almost nobody’s had a bigger year than our big three. There is one exception…
Sofia Gigante
We thought we would be watching a show about the Penguin this year. How foolish we were. From the first episode on, viewers of HBO’s The Penguinwere transfixed by Cristin Milioti’s haunting performance as the miniseries’ central antagonist. Once “The Hangman” of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s Batman: Dark Victory, The Penguin subverts everything we thought we knew about the heiress to Carmine Falcone with a narrative arc that winds us through the politics of Gotham’s underworld, the cruelty of Arkham Asylum and what it takes to keep the pace with Gotham’s greatest monsters. Milioti’s Sofia Gigante gave us an on-screen character portrait on par with Heath Ledger’s Joker, representing the greatest rise this year for a character mostly forgotten. Free Sofia!
Alex Jaffe is the author of our monthly “Ask the Question” column and writes about TV, movies, comics and superhero history for DC.com. Follow him on Bluesky at @AlexJaffe and find him in the DC Official Discord server as HubCityQuestion.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Alex Jaffe and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.
[[{“value”:”Over 24,000 unique characters populate the DC multiverse. A select few are beloved and celebrated from year to year, while others are stars that rise and fall with time. But the magic of DC is that anyone, from the A-List all the way down to Z, can get the opportunity to shine in a way they never have before. As we come to the end of the year, we like to celebrate the characters who’ve had the greatest glow-ups in 2024. It’s time to elevate!
Rina Mori
In 1997, DC launched a line called Tangent Comics, defamiliarizing the entirety of the DC Universe as we knew it down to the proper nouns. One of the most interesting figures to come out of this was a mystical take on the Green Lantern—one that, along with the rest of the Tangent Universe, few among us ever expected to see again. But that Green Lantern has returned, now with an actual name and identity, as part of DC’s 2024 Elseworlds relaunch in The mere idea promises revisitations, further explorations and the showcase of brand new worlds in our ever-expanding multiverse. What could be a greater glow-up, after nearly thirty years, than getting your name and a solo series?
Big Barda and Cassandra Cain
The unlikely friendship of these two peace-seeking warriors from different worlds has been one of the great developing storylines in the DC Universe, as we’ve seen them grow closer every month in Kelly Thompson’s award-winning Birds of Prey.Even as the team consistently rotates, Barda and her “Small Bat” have become staples we never want to let go. But it’s been a banner year for each of these heroes individually as well. Thanks to Ngozi Ukazu’s incredible Bardagraphic novel, the former leader of the Female Furies has never had a clearer, more resonant story presentable to brand new audiences. And just in time for the Best Bat’s 25th anniversary, Cassandra Cain is finally starring in her own solo ongoing series again, where she belongs.
Kite Man (Hell Yeah!)
From an obscure Silver Age one-timer, to a memetic punchline in Tom King’s Batman,to a breakout role in the Harley Quinn animated series, it’s tough to name a character from DC’s deep bench who’s had a higher rise than Kite Man. In Harley Quinn, Matt Oberg’s performance as Poison Ivy’s corny boyfriend was clearly always meant to be a placeholder as Ivy and Harley’s relationship developed. But in the process, we couldn’t help but feel something for this well-meaning idiot who really never did anything wrong except not be Harley Quinn. In this year’s spinoff series, Kite Man struck out on his own with a new romantic partner in Golden Glider and took over ownership of a super-villainous dive bar so he could have a place where everybody knows your name. Even if your name happens to be Kite Man.
Plastic Man and Zatanna
This seventh year of DC’s Black Label line has continued to grace us with complex, mature takes on the heroes of the DC Universe, but none have benefited more from that treatment this year than Zatanna Zatara and Eel O’Brian. The captivating artwork of Javier Rodriguez in Zatanna: Bring Down the Househad DC’s mistress of magic looking like a hand of four aces, as Mariko Tamaki took her down a rabbit hole through the secrets of magic. Meanwhile, Plastic Man No Moregave the JLA’s stretchable clown the Pagliacci treatment, depicting the inner turmoil of a lifelong comic relief who finds himself ill-equipped for a crisis demanding serious attention. As much as we love the line’s rich collection of Batman stories, it’s the Black Label titles exploring DC’s less storied characters that keep us coming back.
Booster Gold
DC went “All In” this year with an all-inclusive Justice League Unlimited,extending membership to the DC Universe’s most prestigious superhero team to practically every cape and costume you can think of. The promise of this new era is opportunities for anyone to rise to the A-List. Proving that in the tone-setting DC All In Specialthis year was Booster Gold—the DCU’s perennial, lovable loser who, after accepting membership to the League from Superman himself, made an unfathomable heroic sacrifice which will place him at the center of DC’s developing tale of two universes locked in opposition in the years to come. He may be off the board in the short term, but make no mistake, Booster Gold is the hero to watch.
Supergirl
Season two of the heartwarming My Adventures with Supermanproved that even after hooking up our lead couple, this show still has the juice. The heart of this sophomore season was Superman’s cousin, whose deeply emotional arc encompassing her transition from a tool for Brainiac’s intergalactic conquest to a lover of life and humanity gave us a fresh take on Kara’s story while honoring her character’s core. It also didn’t hurt that this anime-inspired design is one of the freshest looks she’s ever had.
Dreamer
If we were deciding on a main character in the mainline DC Universe this year, you could make a strong argument that the title should go to Nia Nal: the half-human, half-Naltorian alien refugee from The CW’s Supergirl series written in the comics to this day by her on-screen actress, Nicole Maines. Within the space of twelve months, Dreamer had her origin story finally told in full in the Bad Dream graphic novel, developed close friendships with Galaxy and Jon Kent, served a reluctant term alongside Harley Quinn in the Suicide Squad and even saved the entire world in the final fight against the forces of Amanda Waller in Absolute Power.2024 has truly been the year that Dreamer made her debut to the world as a Super Hero with a capital S. Where does she go from here? As far as we can tell, the only limits are her dreams.
The Creature Commandos
Of all the heroes who could have possibly kicked off the James Gunn and Peter Safran era of DC Studios production, we don’t think anyone would have put their money on this team of monsters and misfits. And yet, it oddly fits. Coming up through the monster factory of Troma Films and gaining a reputation for elevating oddballs and misfits on projects like The Suicide Squad,Peacemakerand Guardians of the Galaxy, with Creature Commandos,Gunn sets a tone that the new cinematic DC Universe isn’t just going to be playing the hits. From the likes of Frankenstein, Doctor Phosphorus and the Weasel on out, this new era comes with a mission statement to give our weirdos their due.
Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman
Truth be told, as much as we like to celebrate the little guys, almost nobody’s had a bigger year than DC’s Big Three. And that’s all thanks to one new initiative: the Absolute Universe. It’s no secret by now that Absolute Batman,Absolute Wonder Womanand Absolute Supermanhave proven to be some of the biggest titles DC’s flagship characters have seen in years, thanks to fresh, bold reimaginings by their creative teams which take them places we never thought possible. A Diana denied from Paradise, a Kal-El without the Kents and a Batman stripped of his wealth have given us a devious world that demonstrates how, despite all odds stacked against them and the stripping away of their most familiar elements, what truly makes a hero comes from within. With three opening salvos this strong, we can’t wait to see what paces the Absolute Universe puts us through next.
You might have noticed we said almost nobody’s had a bigger year than our big three. There is one exception…
Sofia Gigante
We thought we would be watching a show about the Penguin this year. How foolish we were. From the first episode on, viewers of HBO’s The Penguinwere transfixed by Cristin Milioti’s haunting performance as the miniseries’ central antagonist. Once “The Hangman” of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s Batman: Dark Victory, The Penguin subverts everything we thought we knew about the heiress to Carmine Falcone with a narrative arc that winds us through the politics of Gotham’s underworld, the cruelty of Arkham Asylum and what it takes to keep the pace with Gotham’s greatest monsters. Milioti’s Sofia Gigante gave us an on-screen character portrait on par with Heath Ledger’s Joker, representing the greatest rise this year for a character mostly forgotten. Free Sofia!
Alex Jaffe is the author of our monthly “Ask the Question” column and writes about TV, movies, comics and superhero history for DC.com. Follow him on Bluesky at @AlexJaffe and find him in the DC Official Discord server as HubCityQuestion.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Alex Jaffe and do not necessarily reflect those of DC or Warner Bros. Discovery, nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.”}]]
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