What retcons do you most like?

[DrNewGod]

I'm not 100% sure that it qualifies, but Miller's "Batman: Year One." The idea that Wayne had something of a strategy-driven mission to what he was doing just fits better than just randomly bashing criminals to ease his pain.

[Sandy Hausler]

[B]
Bette Kane's Flamebird Origin post COIE
The TT Annual story that reinvented many dated members stories gave new life to Bette she never would have had otherwise as the "old Batgirl".

Make that the ORIGINAL Bat-Girl.

[hareluyafan1]

Not sure if this qualifies as a retcon but I liked Dolphin's reintroduction in Rebirth. I liked that they brought back her muteness and streamlined her origin by making her an actual Atlantean (human altered by aliens into a pseudo-Atlantean is way too convoluted for me). Plus making her a sea-changed makes her far more distinct in both appearance and abilities.

In short, Rebirth Dolphin is my all-time favourite version of her.

[boltmonster]

Superman

Ma & Pa Kent being alive: It was something we'd only seen for Superboy. I'd argue that a character who lost his whole planet of origin has sufficient tragedy without killing off his parents too. Plus, there is more story to be told with them both alive than with one or both dead.

I grew up with the Modern Age Superman (Man of Steel mini-series - Reign of the Supermen). Having Ma and Pa Kent alive helped to make it relateable. It was perfect for when I was in junior high and high school. Everything after that timeframe is compared to that.

[Jim Kelly]

When I was a kid, SUPERBOY was one of my favourite comics. This told stories about Clark Kent living in the town of Smallville, with his foster parents Jonathan and Martha Kent--who had white hair and glasses and looked more like grandparents than parents. They ran a general store, where Clark would often help out.

In fact, in school, when we had to write about what we would be doing in twenty years time and then read that out to the class, I wrote that I would have white hair and run a general store--and when little kids came in the store, I would let them have free candy. I guess I never figured that twenty years was a relatively short time and I wouldn't have white hair by then. This also contradicted my other plan for the future, that I would have a mansion with a cave underneath it, and I would adopt a kid to fight crime with me--but maybe I knew enough to keep this plan secret from the class so no one would guess my alter ego.

I think that having those Superboy stories every month satisfied that need to see Clark in a family situation, where he's nurtured and loved. I didn't need to have that in the stories about Superman, because he was now a grown man and toughened to the vicissitudes of life. I feel like the retcons that brought Clark's adoptive parents back to life were trying to provide what those Superboy stories provided--but it took away from Clark's maturity.

And it seemed like the writers were trying to give him a much easier life--not the one of self-abnegation that he endured in pre-Crisis, but instead a life where Clark's personal needs had to be satisfied and nothing too bad could happen to him. Even the fact that he doesn't remember anything about Krypton--and only learns about it later--removes that suffering that was always with the classic Superman, where he couldn't put such a monumental tragedy out of his mind.

The post-Crisis stories went on to allow Superman to have a marriage with Lois Lane (and also an affair with Wonder Woman) and now even gave him a son--so he gets to perpetuate the happy home life from his youth in Smallville. Call me cold-hearted, but I like to see some fictional characters suffer and not grab the brass ring. The trade off for all that power and responsibility is that Superman doesn't always get what he wants. His suffering and sacrifice keeps him honest.

[Tzigone]

I'm surprised I didn't think of this one sooner - Jim Gordon having a daughter. I like how that turned out. I just completely forget it was a retcon most of the time.

[Rod G]

I'm surprised I didn't think of this one sooner - Jim Gordon having a daughter. I like how that turned out. I just completely forget it was a retcon most of the time.

I assume you mean Barbara.

[Starter Set]

Everything done to Wonder Woman by Azzarello.

[Aahz]

I assume you mean Barbara.

Probably before Barbara was introduced in the late 60s Gordon only had a son named Tony (who got retconned out of existence after COIE).

[Tzigone]

Probably before Barbara was introduced in the late 60s Gordon only had a son named Tony (who got retconned out of existence after COIE).

Yep. Jim having a daughter came out of nowhere. In fact, there were letters that complained about it (I probably would have been one of them if I'd been around at the time). Tony was only seen briefly. Brought back in the bronze age only to be killed off (which is a storytelling device I don't like - bring back characters only to kill them). I also don't like bringing them back to make them evil. So the Gordon boys are rather distastefully used, IMO. Though at least James Jr. wasn't like other characters who were actually good guys before they were brought back evil. I think. I haven't actually read his earlier appearances, but thought they were just cameos.

[Aahz]

Yep. Jim having a daughter came out of nowhere. In fact, there were letters that complained about it (I probably would have been one of them if I'd been around at the time).

To be fair there were barely any stories focussing on Gordons privat live, before Barabra was introduced.

Tony was only seen briefly. Brought back in the bronze age only to be killed off (which is a storytelling device I don't like - bring back characters only to kill them). I also don't like bringing them back to make them evil. So the Gordon boys are rather distastefully used, IMO. Though at least James Jr. wasn't like other characters who were actually good guys before they were brought back evil. I think. I haven't actually read his earlier appearances, but thought they were just cameos.

That's at least a better treatment than Gordons Wife got back than. She at somepoint in the bronze age it was iirc just said that she died a few years ago.

[sunofdarkchild]

Leslie did not kill Steph but they hid in Africa for a year. It wasn't that good a story, but it rescued 2 characters from the character assassination they got in one the worst stories DC ever produced.

[Tzigone]

Leslie did not kill Steph but they hid in Africa for a year. It wasn't that good a story, but it rescued 2 characters from the character assassination they got in one the worst stories DC ever produced.

Right. I don't know if I can say I actively like it, but am more relieved by it. I didn't list that one initially because I wasn't listing "fix-its" and that was definitely a fix it, because War Games/War Crimes was horribly horrible.

[Mistah K88]

I will second...third? forth? 60th? Jason Todd's origin being redone where it's not just Dick Grayson again... It was bad enough Jason's parents ALSO worked at the circus, but they didn't even TRY with "The Flying Todds".
Jason Todd's Lazarus pit resurrection...I mean I get making sense in a medium like comic books isn't PRIORITY but I feel that a reality warping punch didn't do much for me.
I can't believe no one has said this yet... Mr. Freeze's origin

Lex Luthor: CEO, while being a mad scientist is rather fun. I do find the untouchable corporate mogul to be one that was definitely benefited the character (bonus points to when they could effortlessly mix the two occupations)

Superman and Wonder Woman never dated: I'm probably going to be quite the minority here but I found that to be one of the most boring and predictable pairings in comics...

[Jackalope89]

I will second...third? forth? 60th? Jason Todd's origin being redone where it's not just Dick Grayson again... It was bad enough Jason's parents ALSO worked at the circus, but they didn't even TRY with "The Flying Todds".
Jason Todd's Lazarus pit resurrection...I mean I get making sense in a medium like comic books isn't PRIORITY but I feel that a reality warping punch didn't do much for me.
I can't believe no one has said this yet... Mr. Freeze's origin

Lex Luthor: CEO, while being a mad scientist is rather fun. I do find the untouchable corporate mogul to be one that was definitely benefited the character (bonus points to when they could effortlessly mix the two occupations)

Superman and Wonder Woman never dated: I'm probably going to be quite the minority here but I found that to be one of the most boring and predictable pairings in comics...

Oh, I agree with you on pretty much all of this. Just the Lazarus Pit part where I could go either way, honestly.