comics
January 27, 2024
Menu
Comic book companies like Marvel and DC have decades of stories under their belts and a lot of continuity. This has allowed them to make a lot of changes to established characters, making the lore of these universes deeper and richer.
There have been occasions where some established heroes have been replaced, with other characters taking the mantle and carrying on with their legacy. While results have been mixed, a selected few are worth praising. We’ve taken the time to list the best replacements in comics. Let’s begin.
The Robin role had been a very difficult one to use. Due to the criticism of Batman having a “child soldier”, there was a period in the late 80s, after the death of the second Robin, Jason Todd, at the hands of the Joker, that Batman had no sidekick and did his thing solo.
That was all well and good, but DC decided to create a third Robin, Tim Drake, to follow in the steps of Jason and the first one (and most popular), Dick Grayson, now known as Nightwing. Tim was inspired by Batman and wanted to aid him in his crusade, but the Dark Knight was very reluctant after what happened to Jason, which meant that the new Robin needed to prove his worth.
Tim Drake was slowly introduced in the role of Robin during the 1990s, and writer Chuck Dixon wrote several miniseries starring the character, creating some of the best stories involving this Robin. While many people prefer Dick Grayson as the overall superior character, most fans view Tim as the best Robin.
The 90s were a period of comic change, with many established DC characters replaced by new, more modern heroes. Thus, the mantles of heroes such as Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman were changed for short periods due to poor reception. However, Kyle Rayner as Green Lantern stuck for a while.
The Green Lantern series struggled in the early 90s, so they decided to turn the main character, long-term hero Hal Jordan, into a villain called Parallax and make him responsible for destroying the entire Green Lantern Corp across the galaxy. However, one Lantern ring fell into the hands of a young artist called Kyle Rayner, and he decided to carry on that legacy.
Kyle had a lot in his favor: a strong origin story, a down-to-earth demeanor that made him very relatable, and creative constructs due to his background as an artist. Writer Ron Marz knew how to tell compelling stories with the character, injecting new life into the Lantern series.
Barry Allen’s death during the Crisis on Infinite Earths event in the mid-80s is the stuff of legends in comics: he gave his life to stop the Anti-Monitor from destroying reality itself, and his death was handled in a very epic and poignant manner. The event ends with his sidekick Wally West, also known as Kid Flash, taking the mantle of the Scarlet Speedster.
The beautiful thing about Wally as The Flash, and one that arguably made him the best superhero replacement in history, is the fact that we see him grow a lot. During his time with the mantle, he became an established hero in his own right, became the fastest speedster in canon, learned a lot of new abilities, got married, had kids, built connections with many characters, and so on.
In an industry where change is so difficult to apply, Wally’s growth for almost twenty years was beautiful, and most Flash fans view him as the best-written one in the franchise.
Many people don’t know this, but Ted Kord was the second Blue Beetle. The first one was Dan Garrett, who had worn the mantle during the days when the character belonged to Charlton Comics, eventually passing the mantle to Ted, who gained a lot of exposure when the property was sold to DC Comics.
In layman’s terms, Blue Beetle is a Batman with a sense of humor and a lighthearted tone. He is funny, a bit clumsy, loves being a hero, has fun gadgets, and you know he is trying his best. His chemistry with Booster Gold has also been legendary, making them one of the best duos in comic book history.
The original Nova, Richard Rider, usually struggled with comic readers and never really made an impact in the stories he was in, except for New Warriors in the 90s. So, when the new Nova, Sam Alexander, was introduced in the 2000s, there was an appetite for someone new.
What made Sam a lot more interesting was that he was a better-developed character, had a stronger origin story with his long-gone father, and was involved in many incredible stories that made him a lot more enjoyable to watch in action.
Might as well end with a controversial one! Writer Grant Morrison decided to take Bruce Wayne out of commission during the Final Crisis event in 2009, and DC replaced him with his first and best pupil, Dick Grayson. While that might have been a dubious decision at first, considering how different Bruce and Dick are in terms of personalities, it was an enjoyable period for the Batman title.
Dick was a better-adjusted Batman, showed a lot more willingness to be a team player, and his Dynamic Duo partnership with Robin, Damian Wayne, was very compelling, especially considering that now Dick had to train the new Robin. In addition, it was a nice break from the usual Batman stories.
So there you have it, the World’s Coolest Nerd’s list of the best replacements in comic book history. While seeing a beloved character get replaced is difficult, it is palatable when you get the right person for the job. What is your favorite replacement in comic book history? Let us know in the comments!
