DC Comics is moving into 2023 on a high point. Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths has ended, bringing back the infinite earths. Batman Vs. Robin set the stage for Lazarus Planet. Action Comics #1050, by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Tom Taylor, Joshua Williamson and more, has set up the new Superman family status quo. The DC multiverse is ready for its next phase and 2023 can be a huge year for the publisher if they play their cards right.
The last few years have been full of promises by DC, but they’ve mostly just delivered more Batman. In 2023, there’s no excuse for not giving fans what they want. There are characters that DC could reintroduce or resurrect that would make fans very happy.
10/10 Cassie Sandsmark Is Due For More Spotlight
The Young Justice generation of sidekicks has been mostly forgotten for years. The Wonder Comics reboot of the book had its fans, as did the recent Dark Crisis miniseries, but these heroes never really got the chance they deserved. With Tim Drake in his own series and Conner Kent getting his Round Robin miniseries, one character needs her chance.
Cassie Sandsmark is a fan-favorite Wonder Girl. She’s also the only one of the original Young Justice quartet – Conner, Tim, Bart, and Cassie – who never had a solo book. Cassie is an amazing character and it would be nice if 2023 brought her more prominence.
9/10 Renee Montoya Is Gotham City Police Commissioner But She Can Do Better
Renee Montoya is a character that looked like she was on the cusp of stardom. Montoya took the place of the Question, finally getting a berth in the DC Universe beyond being a police officer. The New 52 destroyed all of that, and it took years for her to regain prominence, as she’s now the Gotham City Police’s commissioner.
It’s nice to see Renee, but it would be even better if she was the Question again. Combining the two roles – of commissioner and the Question – would be amazing. Renee is a beloved character and just getting more of her in any way would be wonderful.
8/10 Jesse Quick Has Tons Of Potential
2022 has seen two big developments for fans of Jesse Chambers. In The Flash, she joined up with Wally and Wallace to find Barry during the Dark Crisis crossover issues. The year also saw the return of the Justice Society, both in Dark Crisis and their own series. Both of these could easily mean one great thing in 2023: more Jesse Quick content.
Jesse Quick is an amazing character with loads of potential. She’s not only a powerful speedster, inheriting her father’s Speed Force connection, but she has her mother’s super strength and durability as well. Quick has always been a fun character, and there are so many directions she can go in 2023.
7/10 More Zatanna Is Better Than Less Zatanna
2022 saw Zatanna appear in Justice League as part of the Justice League Dark back-ups and the main story in several issues. She’s always been a linchpin of DC’s powerful magical community, and is a favorite of DC fans. She’s been continually appearing in book since 2018, but much of her year in 2022 was eaten up by her “death.”
2023 should make her an even bigger part of things. Zatanna is a massively popular character. Keeping her around is a great idea, whether it be in a team book, possibly a new Justice League comics, or a solo series. Zatanna is a gateway character for DC’s magic side, so keeping her popular will keep it healthy.
6/10 Hawkman And Hawkwoman Are An Iconic Couple That Don’t Get Enough Attention
The Justice League’s biggest romances are beloved by DC fans, but one that hasn’t gotten a lot of play in the last few years is Hawkman and Hawkwoman. Carter and Sheira have a long history, as they’ve been together in multiple forms, reincarnating through time and space. Since 2020’s Hawkman ended, the couple has been missing.
Hawkman and Hawkwoman have mostly been associated with the Justice Society rather than the Justice League in recent years. Luckily, the JSA has made a return in 2022. Making the Hawks more important in 2023 would be great, as they are DC icons with a history that stretches back to the Golden Age.
5/10 Batwoman Needs A Home In 2023
The Bat-Family are DC’s greatest crimefighters. With DC’s Batman reliance, they get treated very well, but in 2023 one member deserves better. That’s Batwoman. She’s been a pretty big deal at DC since her debut in 52, starring in her own solo series for years. Since DC Rebirth, she’s mostly been part of an ensemble in Detective Comics.
The end of 2022 has seen Detective Comics return to a more Batman-centric direction, so Batwoman’s home is basically gone. The character is beloved by fans, and needs to appear more in 2023. Seeing as she’s mostly been the main character of Detective Comics, it might be time for her to get a solo book again.
4/10 Mary Marvel Proved She Had A Huge Fanbase In 2022
Shazam comics have been around for decades, but 2022 saw something brand new happen: Mary Marvel became the champion of Shazam. The New Champion of Shazam was highly anticipated, with fans got very mad when it was revealed that there would only be four issues of the book. Mary Marvel is loved by the DC fanbase, and 2022 showed that.
DC needs to listen to its fans in 2023 and give Mary Marvel more spotlight. A new Shazam book has been announced, so she’s no longer going to be the champion. However, there are still plenty of places for her to appear.
3/10 Firestorm Has Been Absent For Years
Firestorm was a huge character in the late-70s and early-80s, but he hasn’t been a big deal in a long time. Over the years, DC has tried many ways to bring Firestorm back to prominence, with little success. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Firestorm can definitely be made a big deal again if given the right push.
A character like Firestorm can’t be thrown immediately into a series, mini or ongoing. Instead, having him appear in other books, getting him back into the public eye, is the right way to go. Firestorm is a Justice League stalwart, so when that book comes back, it may be time for him to return with it.
2/10 Supergirl Needs A Bigger Place In The Superman Family Push
Superman isn’t DC’s most powerful hero, with some surprising candidates being his superior. One of those is Supergirl, a character who has been woefully underused. 2022 saw her brilliant Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow end, and she made some appearances in Action Comics. 2023 looks to be a big year for the Superman Family, but even with that, Supergirl deserves more.
Supergirl is an icon. If there’s any character out there who needs to be in more books, including a possible solo book, it’s her. DC is looking to expand the Superman Family, and a key to that can be Supergirl. Making her popular again should be a top priority.
1/10 Mister Terrific Has Needed To Be An A-Lister For A Long Time
Some DC heroes need a book in 2023 and chief among them is Mister Terrific. Throughout the 2000s, he was the leader of the Justice Society, but his star fell for years because of the New 52. He’s been getting more spotlight since then, with appearances in Strange Adventures, The Flash, Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, and more. His appearances should increase in 2023.
Mister Terrific has everything he needs to be a star, he just needs higher profile appearances. While it looks like he won’t be in Justice Society of America, there are still plenty of books he could appear in. Mister Terrific can easily be Batman-level given the right push.
