DC: Diverse or Dumb?

[lemonpeace]

There is often the idea that Marvel (especially in recent years) does diverse characters better than DC, I want to see if that's true. So, what are the all-time best stories/runs/titles from DC featuring/focusing on diverse characters, particularlly characters of color and LGBT+ characters?

Essential Reading

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[Marvell2100]

Black Panther
Luke Cage, Hero For Hire -later to become Powerman and Iron Fist.
Miles Morales, Spider-Man
Iron Man(Jim Rhodes wore the armor)

[lemonpeace]

Black Panther
Luke Cage, Hero For Hire -later to become Powerman and Iron Fist.
Miles Morales, Spider-Man
Iron Man(Jim Rhodes wore the armor)

maybe I should've clarified, I'm looking for DC'S all-time best featuring characters of color, LGBT+ characters, etc

[Marvell2100]

maybe I should've clarified, I'm looking for DC'S all-time best featuring characters of color, LGBT+ characters, etc

Are you looking for solos or can the person have a great run as part of a team?

If so, Bronze Tiger in Suicide Squad.

[poroto678]

I really liked when Cassie Cain was Batgirl.

Also, the Authority! Amazing book. And Orlando's Midnighter. Really good.

[dkrook]

maybe I should've clarified, I'm looking for DC'S all-time best featuring characters of color, LGBT+ characters, etc

Not much more to see, D.C. buries its black characters in favor of the white classic ones. Cyborg has literally been regressed for only God knows why when Walker was evolving has look and give him potential to be a better, higher profile character. This being said there are no good runs for black characters.

[lemonpeace]

Not much more to see, D.C. buries its black characters in favor of the white classic ones. Cyborg has literally been regressed for only God knows why when Walker was evolving has look and give him potential to be a better, higher profile character. This being said there are no good runs for black characters.

I'm sure there are some good runs for black characters, I mean by your own admission Walker must have been doing something right with Cyborg if you feel the character has been regressed. even still, are there any good LGBT runs? latinx led runs? pacific islander, asian, Arab, etc. led runs?

Are you looking for solos or can the person have a great run as part of a team?

If so, Bronze Tiger in Suicide Squad.

they can be solo or team runs, as many you can think of

[Gero4568]

Tony Isabella's various stints on Black Lightning
J.H Williams III on Batwoman

[J. D. Guy]

I'm sure there are some good runs for black characters, I mean by your own admission Walker must have been doing something right with Cyborg if you feel the character has been regressed. even still, are there any good LGBT runs? latinx led runs? pacific islander, asian, Arab, etc. led runs?



they can be solo or team runs, as many you can think of

Rebirth's Green Lanterns during the 1st half as written by Sam Humphries. Not so much after he left, but it was excellent prior. It did wonders for both Lebanese-American Simon Baz and Hispanic-American Jessica Cruz, as heroes, as a duo and on personal. familial levels. Simon's New 52 origin and backstory was also well done.

People cite David Walker's DCYou run on Cyborg, but I also extend that into John Semper Jr.'s run in Rebirth. Both writers provided things for Cyborg that he needed, in spite of any constraints they likely had while doing so. I'd say the definitive version of modern Cyborg lies between the culmination of these two runs (and maybe early Justice League: Odyssey). Honorable mention to Kevin Grevioux's short 2-something issue contribution.

We Are Robin for Duke and his compatriots (of their team of 5 throughout the majority of its run, there were 3 different persons of color), and Batman and the Signal for Duke in particular, as short-lived as the latter was.

New-Superman, and by extension, its natural evolution of New-Superman and the Justice League of China. This book written by Gene Luen Yang was superb. It lasted for a time compared to some of its contemporaries, but it was still most certainly short-lived. It deserved to be a perpetual mainstay, as far as I am concerned, doing its thing and expanding the team's influence and resume.

Jaime Reyes' Blue Beetle. I found something to enjoy in most of his runs, and his first, pre-Flashpoint one is often remembered fondly for how it fleshed out Jaime and his immediately family and friendgroup (Paco and Brenda).

The New 52's Firestorm Nuclear Men, prior to the re-tool halfway that "went more traditional), was excellent in my eyes. It was adding to the Firestorm mythos while being excellent studies for both Jason and Ronnie. Jason was at his peak then; he was superbly smart and studious, but he was proactive (not passive, though he still had his doubts and worries) and didn't take mess from anyone, not even Ronnie in his more "jock-ier" moments (young man was woke). It helped that both could become their own Firestorm, again, before the re-tool.

While also short-lived and not some kind of explicit study on diversity, I loved Scott Lobdell's Doomed, which featured a lead of color (never did have the time to explore Reiser's ethnic background), along with a subplot with his roommate who was gay and was dealing with a superpowered form he couldn't control of his own. Then there was Reiser's love interest, who we couldn't delve into as far as her true role was concerned.

These are what come to mind for me for now, but there were other series that were diverse in their leads and stories that I enjoyed (Midnighter was fun, and I loved Batman and Robin: Eternal, for a couple of quick examples). If more come to mind, I'll probably post them then.

[The no face guy]

There is often the idea that Marvel (especially in recent years) does diverse characters better than DC, I want to see if that's true.

Essential Reading

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I think Marvel has the edge on heroes of colour, DC often seems stuck in 1960's demographics, on the other hand, I think DC has a far better representation of notable female characters (X men aside) Wonder Woman, Zantana, Black Canary, Batgirl, Huntress, Powergirl, VIxen, pretty much the whole Birds of Prey cast, and beyond.

Marvel has always had good characters like Rogue, Storm, Mockingbird, and the Scarlet Witch, but for whatever reason, they don't seem to catch on like the women of DC, to the point, that Marvel pissed their readership off by replacing Logan, Hawkeye and Thor. Not the best way to bring in diversity without hurting your bottom line.