Is there anything more needlessly complicated in comic books than superhero family trees? If you thought keeping up with general continuity was a challenge, we dare you to try and unweave the complicated web that is the Summers familial tree. Between alternate realities, ever-growing numbers, editorial mandates, and near-constant death and rebirth, keeping track of superhero relations…
Every superhero has their own coterie of supervillains, but no one has a rogues’ gallery quite like the Dark Knight. With the Joker, the Riddler, the Scarecrow, the Penguin, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Two-Face, Bane, Ra’s al Ghul, Mr. Freeze, and all the other all-time classics, one might assume there’s just no room for any…
Back in the early 1960s, there was only one Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. That changed as time passed, thanks to various clones, numerous animated and live-action movie adaptations, the expansion of the Marvel Multiverse, and, eventually, the establishment of the Spider-Verse. There are tons of variations of Spider-Man, including many women, children, and different versions of Peter…
In the world of comic books, there are few rivalries as heated as Batman and the Joker. The two of them couldn’t be more different. Yet, within the past 75 years of their existence, there have been moments when the Joker and Batman join forces. As unbelievable as it sounds, it’s true. There are a…
There may be no more honored title in all of comic books than the official leader of the Avengers, and it’s a job that’s been held by a surprising number of characters over the years. Those more casually associated with the franchise might assume Captain America is just always in charge by default, but that’s not…
In the DC universe, Superman can be treated more like a god than a superhero, but when it comes down to it, there are plenty of ways to beat Superman. Superman has a number of weaknesses that make him susceptible to a variety of different strikes. Powerful magic users, telepaths, and anyone with a chunk of…
Gotham should consider itself lucky that Batman is protecting them, because the most dangerous Batman villains could overpower entire worlds if they were put in a dimension without the Dark Knight. Every hero has their rogues’ gallery, but Batman has some particularly horrific ghouls he faces off with across the very mean Gotham streets. Batman is often…
In the real world, death is the end, but for the heroes of DC, permanent death is more of a theoretical concept. It makes sense when you think about it; characters who have been around for decades can’t disappear for good or publishers would have a serious deficit where superheroes are concerned. For DC, that…
The blockbuster films of Batman, Spider-Man, and Superman have cemented these characters’ origins in the minds of audiences around the globe. At this point, multiple radioactive spiders have already bitten multiple cinematic Peter Parkers. Many more Marvel heroes have had their stories adapted to the silver screen, but one can always count on comic book continuity to…
There might not be a more famous superhero in the annals of American popular culture than Batman. And the Dark Knight’s 80+ years of comic book history offers up a lot of competition for the saddest Batman moments. In addition to losing numerous fights to baddies, the Dark Knight has been framed, lost loved ones, seen his city fall…
