10 Most Disappointing DC Relaunches, Ranked

As a longtime comic book fan, let me tell you, DC Comics practically invented the superhero universe, and that history is a double-edged sword. On one hand, they set the standard for everything that followed. But on the other, it’s hard to feel fresh when you’re the originator – you become the establishment everyone tries to outdo. This also means DC was the first to hit the reset button, essentially starting over with its characters. It all began way back in 1956 with Showcase #4, introducing Barry Allen as the new Flash, taking over from Jay Garrick and launching what we now call the Silver Age of comics. And believe me, that wasn’t a one-time thing! DC has relaunched its entire line – its heroes, its storylines – countless times since then.

DC Comics has a history of trying to refresh its storylines, and some of those attempts, like Crisis on Infinite Earths, have been huge successes. But not all of them work out. There have been several times when DC tried to boost interest in its characters but fell short. Here are ten DC relaunches that unfortunately didn’t live up to their potential, wasting some truly iconic characters.

10) DC Explosion

Most DC Comics fans today don’t know about the “DC Explosion,” a risky move the company made in the late 1970s that nearly put them out of business. Marvel Comics was dominating the market, and DC tried to compete by launching a lot of new titles and increasing the page count of their existing books. They introduced books set on alternate worlds and gave solo series to lesser-known characters, heavily advertising the expansion. However, comics were primarily sold through newsstands at the time, and newsstands tended to order more copies of established titles (like issue #100) than new ones (like issue #1). Unfortunately, most of these new books failed quickly, and the ambitious “DC Explosion” became known as the “DC Implosion,” signifying its dramatic failure.

9) “Brave New World”

The comic book event Infinite Crisis was a huge success and led to some exciting new storylines in the DC Universe. While follow-ups like 52 and “One Year Later” came next, DC also tried several other relaunches. One of these was “Brave New World,” which featured lesser-known characters. It began with a special 80-page, $1.50 issue, aiming to revitalize heroes like Martian Manhunter, Captain Marvel/Shazam, the Atom, and others. Though it was a decent comic, it didn’t capture the same excitement as the earlier Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1, and the series ultimately didn’t gain much traction with readers. DC was constantly trying to relaunch titles at the time, but this one lacked the popular appeal needed to succeed.

8) Si Spurrier’s The Flash (Vol. 6)

Many fans consider Wally West to be the best Flash, and his return in 2021 was widely celebrated. The comic series returned to its original numbering, and writer Jeremy Adams successfully reminded readers what they loved about Wally and his supporting characters. However, DC replaced Adams with Si Spurrier in 2023, relaunching the series with a new direction. While some enjoyed Spurrier’s take on The Flash, many readers quickly lost interest. Spurrier explored a lot of different ideas, which didn’t resonate with a large portion of the fanbase. Even those who liked the run found it became overly complex, and it’s best experienced as a complete story, especially the first year. Readers adored Adams’ writing, and when Spurrier’s run deviated from that established tone and style, many fans stopped reading.

7) Titans (Vol. 4)

Following the major event Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman stepped down, allowing the Titans, with Nightwing as their leader, to become the main superhero team. The Titans series (Vol. 4) was relaunched with a lot of excitement from fans who were eager to see them take the lead. While the series had its moments, it ultimately fell into familiar patterns, with the Titans facing the same old villains and threats they’d dealt with since their early days as the New Teen Titans—even revisiting the storyline of an evil Raven. Aside from the Titans: Beast World event, the series felt repetitive and didn’t fully capitalize on the potential of establishing the Titans as DC’s premier team.

6) Bendis’s Legion of Superheroes

The Legion of Superheroes were the first big team of teen superheroes, and over the years, they’ve been rebooted many times. Most of those relaunches were well-received, but one stands out as particularly disliked by fans: the 2019 version by Brian Michael Bendis. When Bendis moved to DC Comics from Marvel, DC gave him control of the Superman titles and all their teen heroes, both current and future. Bendis started with Legion of Superheroes: Millennium, which was a solid reintroduction to the team and featured Jon Kent traveling to the future to join them. However, the series that followed wasn’t as strong. This version really highlighted Bendis’s tendency to have characters simply talk at each other, and the dialogue felt repetitive, which disappointed many Legion fans. While the comic wasn’t bad, it didn’t really capture the spirit of the Legion, and it was ultimately cancelled after only a year.

5) Post-Zero Hour Hawkman

Hawkman is one of the most confusing characters in comics. He first appeared during the Golden Age of comics and led the Justice Society for many years. Later, during the Silver Age, his story was changed – he became an alien police officer from the planet Thanagar, and the original Golden Age version was moved to an alternate Earth. After the ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths’ event merged all those alternate Earths, Hawkman’s new origin didn’t make much sense. DC tried to address these confusing origins in 1995 with ‘Zero Hour: Crisis in Time,’ essentially combining all of Hawkman’s different pasts into one – even physically merging the different versions of the character. It was a strange and unexplained change, and it led to Hawkman disappearing from comics for quite a while.

4) Titans Academy

As a long-time fan, I really felt like the New 52 completely killed any momentum the Teen Titans had built up after their revamp in the early 2000s. No matter what DC tried, it felt like fans just weren’t interested in the team anymore. Then, after the Dark Knights: Death Metal event, DC relaunched a bunch of titles, including Titans Academy. The idea was to pair the original, now grown-up, Teen Titans with a new generation of teen heroes, letting them learn the ropes. Sadly, it didn’t really click with readers and the book was cancelled. Honestly, DC still hasn’t found the right formula to make the Teen Titans a success, and Titans Academy definitely wasn’t it.

3) “Infinite Frontier”

The storyline Dark Knights: Death Metal introduced the concept of the Omniverse, essentially a new name for the infinite multiverse, and led to a major revamp of DC’s comic lineup. However, the period was heavily dominated by Batman-focused titles. While Superman, Jon Kent, the Flash, Wonder Girl, and Wonder Woman each had their own ongoing series, almost everything else published by DC revolved around Batman. There were numerous limited series, many featuring Batman, and a significant number of Black Label books also starred him. Although the relaunch was called “Infinite Frontier,” it could easily have been called “Infinite Batman.” This all happened while DC was also trying to integrate ideas from Dan DiDio’s unpopular “5G” initiative – a plan to replace older heroes with younger legacy characters like Jon Kent, Jace Fox, and Yara Flor, and age some originals in real time. Things improved after Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, but it was a challenging time for DC fans who weren’t fans of Batman.

2) Bendis’s Superman Relaunch

Look, DC had finally gotten Superman back on track after the New 52, bringing back the classic version fans loved. Then Brian Michael Bendis jumped ship from Marvel, and DC handed him Superman and Action Comics. Honestly? It didn’t really work. His run started with Man of Steel and was…just okay. Now, Bendis did manage to give Superman a distinct voice, which was a problem he often had at Marvel – all his characters tended to sound like Spider-Man, and once you notice that, it’s hard to unsee it! He introduced some new villains like Rogol Zaar, Red Mist, Synmar, and this Invisible Mafia, but nothing really clicked. The reveal of Superman’s secret identity was…controversial, though I’ll admit Bendis made a decent case for it. Overall, he tried, but the books never really reached their potential, staying firmly in the ‘meh’ territory throughout his entire run.

1) The New 52

DC’s New 52 relaunch is widely considered a major misstep for the company. After years of carefully rebuilding its universe to resemble the classic pre-Crisis era – with varying degrees of success, but generally positive fan reception – DC decided to completely reboot everything due to disappointing sales. Led by Dan DiDio, this relaunch was rushed and poorly planned. While the initial sales were strong, they quickly declined. Readers became frustrated with the inconsistent storylines and lack of a cohesive universe, and many creators left the project due to the chaotic working environment. The New 52 serves as a warning, and hopefully, DC has learned from the experience.

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2025-10-29 16:43