Who has been DC's Ms. Marvel-style breakout?

[Holt]

In the last decade or so, who is a newer character who has really broken out in a similar fashion?

[Agent Z]

I'd say Jessica Cruz and Jaime Reyes. The latter was basically Ms Marvel before she was made and the former has gotten quite a bit of praise for a new character.

[Robanker]

Jessica Cruz is if I had to guess. She's crossed over into animated series and movies already and survived her introduction phase to the point where other writers are using her (unlike Simon, who generally nobody cares to use).

There's also The Batman Who Laughs, but I'd rather not discuss such a braindead fanboy concept any further than I already have.

[Electricmastro]

Assuming "newer" can stretch back to the 90s, then probably Harley Quinn. Went from simply being a supporting character to a more prominent character, not just in leading her own books, but also team books such as Suicide Squad and Gotham City Sirens.

[Robotman]

It could have been Cyborg but DC screwed that up royally. Obviously he was given a huge promotion as a Justice League founder. he started out as a mopey tragic character but his character progression/story arc should have lead him to a point where he was a fun wish fulfillment character like one of the Trinity. Where he was as a character in the Walker/Reis run should have happened years before. But once Cyborg was finally given a cool character design and seemed to actually enjoy his powers, he was sent back to square one and was once again the tragic freak superhero.

Jaime Reyes could have been big for DC too. A character was an eye catching design, good supporting cast, interesting back story, and one of the very few Latino superheroes around. Yeah his solo didn’t sell very well but other DC mainstays like Martian Manhunter, Black Canary, etc. have had a difficult time over the years holding down a solo series. Jaime had some mainstream success in tv and video games, so DC really shouldn’t have shelved him multiple times. Put him on a Titans roster or even make him the junior member of the Justice League.

I guess Jessica Cruz would count as a success. Wouldn’t say she’s been a breakout character on the level of Ms. Marvel. Naomi is off to a good start. Here’s hoping DC continues to promote her and doesn’t just forget about her.

[lemonpeace]

no one really. The closest right now could be Jessica Cruz, who's been having a really nice rise lately, but it's been nothing like Ms. Marvel's. Naomi has the potential to be that but it's too early and DC has not shown that they know how to grow characters organically or effectively, especially women and especially people of color(i still have hope they will turn it around one of these days). Sideways had a good buzz but he's MIA nowadays. Jaime could've been the one, looked like he might've gone the distance too, but DC couldn't stick to their guns but he's gotten enough clout that he's liable to return and his star could turn any day with the right run. Wallace West and Aqualad have weathered the fandom storm and appear to be here to stay but they are sorely underdeveloped compared to Kamala and not nearly as beloved nor do they have the clout she does; they need some solo material and more prominent roles. Duke Thomas has a small passionate little fandom (or at least according to Bryan Hill) but he's probably the least established character of all of these options (which is funny because Naomi isn't even a year old).

[Robanker]

no one really. The closest right now could be Jessica Cruz, who's been having a really nice rise lately, but it's been nothing like Ms. Marvel's. Naomi has the potential to be that but it's too early and DC has not shown that they know how to grow characters organically or effectively, especially women and especially people of color(i still have hope they will turn it around one of these days). Sideways had a good buzz but he's MIA nowadays. Jaime could've been the one, looked like he might've gone the distance too, but DC couldn't stick to their guns but he's gotten enough clout that he's liable to return and his star could turn any day with the right run. Wallace West and Aqualad have weathered the fandom storm and appear to be here to stay but they are sorely underdeveloped compared to Kamala and not nearly as beloved nor do they have the clout she does; they need some solo material and more promedant roles. Duke Thomas has a small passionate little fandom (or at least according to Bryan Hill) but he's probably the least established character of all of these options (which is funny because Naomi isn't even a year old).

Duke had the dubious honor of being another Bat in an already overcrowded belfry where as Naomi is kind of her own thing. While being in the Bat books gives him the widest exposure, it's also extremely sink or swim because he has to land immediately, and he didn't, much like Bluebird in that respect.

[Digifiend]

Agreed with those who said Jessica Cruz. She was added to DC Superhero Girls, so that's a success in my book. They used her in a Justice League animated movie too. However, she has a way to go to catch up to Kamala, who's been a regular in both the Avengers cartoon and Marvel Rising, will be the main focus character in the new Avengers video game, and has had a live action series announced.

[Skedatz]

no one really. The closest right now could be Jessica Cruz, who's been having a really nice rise lately, but it's been nothing like Ms. Marvel's. Naomi has the potential to be that but it's too early and DC has not shown that they know how to grow characters organically or effectively, especially women and especially people of color(i still have hope they will turn it around one of these days). Sideways had a good buzz but he's MIA nowadays. Jaime could've been the one, looked like he might've gone the distance too, but DC couldn't stick to their guns but he's gotten enough clout that he's liable to return and his star could turn any day with the right run. Wallace West and Aqualad have weathered the fandom storm and appear to be here to stay but they are sorely underdeveloped compared to Kamala and not nearly as beloved nor do they have the clout she does; they need some solo material and more prominent roles. Duke Thomas has a small passionate little fandom (or at least according to Bryan Hill) but he's probably the least established character of all of these options (which is funny because Naomi isn't even a year old).

Honestly, I think his biggest problem was, "I'm like Spider-Man, guys!" And when your entire shtick is basically being what amounts to an homage character, it doesn't give the character enough ground to gain traction. That's the only reason I think the Terrifics are working in the same vein - They're a lot like the F4, but they feel like they're not basically the F4 done slightly differently.

[Exciter]

Assuming "newer" can stretch back to the 90s, then probably Harley Quinn. Went from simply being a supporting character to a more prominent character, not just in leading her own books, but also team books such as Suicide Squad and Gotham City Sirens.

Yeah, in the past 10 years Harley has risen to become one of DC’s most popular characters. She’s realistically probably in the top 5 at this point and far eclipses Ms. Marvel. I saw so many Harley Quinn’s last Halloween.

[Jim Kelly]

To me Ms Marvel will always be Carol Danvers, but I'm going to assume from the question that this latest version of Ms Marvel has become popular with the Marvel fanbase and that the OP means a diversity character who has inherited the costumed identity of a previous character and gained support from the DC readership. In that case, I'd say Cassandra Cain's Batgirl, because she is a diversity character who has inherited the costumed identity of a previous character and gained support from the DC readership. I know she lost the Batgirl codename, but she's still highly popular with the fans.

[Electricmastro]

Yeah, in the past 10 years Harley has risen to become one of DC’s most popular characters. She’s realistically probably in the top 5 at this point and far eclipses Ms. Marvel. I saw so many Harley Quinn’s last Halloween.

And I imagine some might conclude you to be wrong because Harley doesn't have a $1 billion solo movie, but yeah, I don't think that means the other media she has been in and the impact she has had should be completely dismissed.

[Ascended]

To me Ms Marvel will always be Carol Danvers, but I'm going to assume from the question that this latest version of Ms Marvel has become popular with the Marvel fanbase

She's become a pretty big deal, yeah. She doesn't sell terribly well in floppies; the old guard comic fans seemed to look at her like an intruder, and her existence meant Carol couldn't return to the name and had to remain Captain. But Kamala sells real well in other formats like digital and trade and has been getting a solid push in comic events (she was even an Avenger for a while) as well as larger media; she's been in cartoons, video games (and is going to be a PoV character in the new Avengers game), and will be getting a Disney+ show as well, which will springboard her into the films. She also became something of a protest icon on the West coast, back when everyone was screaming about trump trying to get Muslim Americans out of the country. Her face was plastered all over California cities as a sign of solidarity. So she's becoming quite a big deal, yeah.

Why is that though?
Why didn't Jaime catch on in comics but in the cartoon he's quite popular, I've seen a lot of fans
Jessica, I see her popular among Tumblr crowd but not much anywhere else so the push to DC Superhero Girls is the right idea, but a lot of characters are in DC Superhero Girls. It's not that special.

Why DC doesn't push them? Why DC drops the ball?
Is it the usual? Because they're only interested in classic characters? The Trinity, The Justice League, select characters from the Batfam, New Teen Titans adaptation, Harley, Joker...

Simple answer is different audiences. Comic fans tend to be older and stick with the same characters they've always stuck with. Jaime was fantastic, and his first series was one of the best things DC had at the time. But fans passed on it because they were angry about Ted dying (even though no one gave a damn about him until he was six feet under). It's really, really hard to get comic fans to read anything they haven't read before, and if it's a new concept/character you better hope for a miracle.

Its easier for characters like Jaime to find success in other formats where the audience is mostly going in blind, and only have a passing familiarity with the biggest name characters like Clark and Bruce and Diana. To the average person Jaime is just another character they're experiencing for the first time, but to a lot of comic fans he's the reason Ted Kord died and some kind of usurper.

But its also DC's sh*t management. That's *at least* as much of a problem as the fanbase. Didio and co. have an idea of what *they* want the DCU to be, and seem to give little thought to the market itself or what fans want, or what might catch on with people. Didio knows they need to find new readers, but seems to think that worn out 90's aesthetics are what will get them....which is completely out of touch.

Anyway....who's DC's Ms. Marvel? I hesitate to include Harley, since she's been around for twenty years, but she's certainly the break-out success of the last decade. Cruz might fit the bill, but she hasn't had the impact Kamala has. I'm going to vote for Naomi; she's super new, with only six issues and a guest appearance under her belt, but her sales actually increased as her mini went on, which is practically unheard of in the direct market, she's gotten a ton of push from DC and Bendis, and if they can keep that momentum going she has the potential to be DC's next big breakout star. But, just like Marvel had to keep pushing Kamala and keep the pressure and focus on her for more than five seconds, DC will have to invest over time with Naomi. And DC has too much ADHD for that to look likely. Still, I hope it happens, because Naomi is awesome and deserves to be more than another missed opportunity.

[HandofPrometheus]

So much candidates but also so much squandered potential because DC is managed by morons.

[skyvolt2000]

In the last decade or so, who is a newer character who has really broken out in a similar fashion?

Going back to 2009-NOBODY.

Yes you have guys like Jaime but WHO drops the ball? DC Comics.

Harley like Deadpool ALWAYS had someone willing to use them in an ongoing, duo book or team book. That went hand in hand with outside of comic book store merchandise.
So if someone was interested in Harley-you had not only merchandise but books with her to sell to folks BEYOND the comic book store.

Ms Marvel broke out because she had a book that despite gators sold over a million copies (not counting digital). She has what 9 volumes not counting hardcover versions.

As for folks dressing up like her-excluding the official Halloween costume-hers is rather hard to make.
Old school Harley's outfit is not. Not sure about her current look.


DC could have BURIED Marvel with the number of guys that they dropped the ball on.