Following the comic book crossover event Flashpoint, DC Comics rebooted its entire superhero universe in a publishing initiative known as the New 52, which also brought in elements of Wildstorm and Vertigo into the main DC Universe. While the reimagined line gradually transitioned into a more traditional incarnation of the DCU starting in 2016 with DC Rebirth, the relaunch led to several acclaimed comic stories as creators took the iconic characters in new directions.
Now, CBR is taking a look back at some of the best stories published during the New 52.
Batman
After a critically praised tenure on Detective Comics, Scott Snyder teamed up with superstar artist Greg Capullo to launch Batman at the start of the New 52 with the epic storyline "The Court of Owls." After Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City after spending time away running Batman, Inc., he discovers a secret society that has manipulated the course of the city's history for centuries.
Under Snyder and Capullo, the Caped Crusader's adventures ventured into the deepest, darkest corners of Gotham and flirted with outright horror rather than standard superhero fare. By the story arc, Zero Year, the creative team began to take additional risks by reinterpreting Batman's origins with post-apocalyptic intensity.
Swamp Thing
Snyder and Yanick Paquette initially relaunched Swamp Thing at the start of the New 52, reintegrating Alec Holland into the DCU to much critical-acclaim and solid sales. When writer Charles Soule took over the book, he doubled down on the possibilities of having Swamp Thing protecting the world of plant life in the heart of the DCU.
Under Soule, Swamp Thing faced a Scarecrow-controlled Superman and cross paths with his old frenemy John Constantine as he continued to defend the Green in the service of the Parliament of Trees while navigating his complicated relationship with longtime love interest Abby Arcane.
Aquaman
For years, Aquaman had largely been considered by the general public as something of a joke due to his seemingly useless ability to communicate with sea life. After years positioning Green Lantern as one of DC Comics' best-selling properties, Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis teamed up to relaunch Aquaman as one of the coolest superheroes in the new DCU.
Pitting Aquaman and Mera against the ravenous Trench, the creative team would later explore the hidden history of the character, including a previously unseen team known as the Others and Arthur's half-brother Ocean Master making his own bid for the throne of Atlantis. The comic run would prove influential on the Aquaman solo film, including designs straight from the New 52 title.
Animal Man
Just as the world of flora had its champion in Swamp Thing, Jeff Lemire and Steve Pugh reimagined Animal Man as the champion of the world of fauna in the New 52. Lemire and Pugh kept the focus on Buddy Baker's family as he navigated his public superhero life as Animal Man and the deadly consequences that came with it.
The relaunched Animal Man would venture more into horror than it ever had before as the Baker family experienced triumph and tragedy while Buddy learned he was connected to something known as the Red just as Alec Holland was connected to the Green. This culminated in a crossover between the two titles in an alternate future titled Rotworld, which pit the two heroes against Anton Arcane.
Gotham Academy
As the Batman line of comic titles grew, acclaimed creators took new directions to expand the mythos, with Becky Cloonan, Brenden Fletcher, and Karl Kerschel launching a best-selling series taking place in a private school named Gotham Academy. Set on the fringes of the Gotham's crazier superhero activities, the ensemble cast navigated the social perils of adolescence and burgeoning maturity with the strange, often sinister, possibilities of life in Gotham.
As Olive adjusted to live in the eponymous school, familiar faces -- including a certain Dark Knight -- would enter the story as the city's mayhem spread to Gotham Academy, with its students struggling to stay survive as much as pass their classes.
Batgirl
After Gail Simone and Adrian Syaf restored Barbara Gordon as Batgirl at the start of the New 52 in an acclaimed run for the first couple years of the relaunch, Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher, and Babs Tarr would take the superhero in a bold direction as the "Batgirl of Burnside."
The creative team focused on Barbara as a young, single 20-something in Gotham's hippest neighborhood, balancing her civilian life with her superhero career. A fresh blast of young adult fun, the new direction would lead to DC launching similarly influenced titles reimagining their characters for younger audiences.