DC Comics has been around for many years and has provided many stories for fans to enjoy. Many of the heroes have been popular enough to transgress printed pages, making leaps and bounds in other popular media. While these stories do have a succinct start, it's not often that they go into great detail about the hero’s true origin. Comics, at times, can be guilty of this as well.
Enter DC Year One. This event was established in 1995 and has been instrumental in helping fans understand the intricate details of some of their favorite characters. Villains as well as heroes have their motivations examined under the microscope, and lead to some interesting revelations with each page.
10 Batman Year One (1987)
The first and original of the Year One stories was written by Frank Miller. This signaled a new start to the famous dark knight that stayed true to his origins as they were first told. One element that was introduced was the psychological impact that the trauma of losing his parents had on him. This gives the character his now trademark dark tone, which is seen as he first begins to experiment with his skills on the streets of Gotham.
Miller does a great job of interweaving Batman’s story along with those of other key characters in the series. Characters including Selina Kyle and Harvey Dent play a role early in his life from this take his life story.
9 The Flash: Born To Run (1992)
The initial Year One edition of the Flash introduces a young Wally West into the world of super speed. He reminisces of his time meeting Barry Allen and suddenly being struck by the same accident that gave Barry his powers. Before he knows it, he’s learning how to use his own Flash abilities under his tutelage. He picks up the name Kid Flash from this point before eventually taking the mantle as the Flash.
There were two other Year One stories that followed. In 1995, The Flash Annual #8 details his struggle with accepting the full title as the hero, in hopes that Barry will return. In 2019, The Flash #70-75 steps in the shoes of Barry Allen and revisits his origin after accidentally time traveling and meeting his future self while discovering how to use his powers.
8 Guy Gardner (1993)
One of the lesser celebrated Green Lanterns, Guy Gardner, has a deep exploration of his origins after being kidnapped and cloned by the Draal. He is forced to relive the abuses from his alcoholic father while they pull his memories from his mind to be implanted into the clone.
Of the Green Lanterns from Earth, he definitely has one of the darkest origins. But despite this, his caring demeanor shines through while he conspires an escape with the other captured aliens.
7 JLA: Year One (1998)
The Justice League of America (JLA) had a year-long release detailing the origins of the team. This series was unique because it did not feature some of the long time favorites of DC at this point in time. Batman and Superman both had made active decisions to avoid being in the group. Wonder Woman was simply not introduced.
The series was instrumental in setting the tone for the league and focused on them learning about each other's abilities as they worked with each other to fight various villains around the globe.
6 Robin: Year One (2001)
The story of Dick Grayson is familiar to many fans. He was part of a well-known circus family before being orphaned. He was then taken under Batman’s wing and came to use his acrobatic skills to fight crime alongside the caped crusader.
The fact that Dick was still a child is obvious. As such, he treated many of these activities as a game. The story of Robin in this series is somewhat of a coming of age for him as he realizes the risk of putting himself in the enemy’s line of fire on his own and at Batman’s side.
5 Batgirl: Year One (2003)
Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) also had her Year One entry as a member of the bat-family. Another story that would be familiar to fans is retold creatively. Her journey towards fighting crime begins mostly by accident. While tenacious about her goals of growing up to fight crime, her father’s - Commissioner Gordon - refusal prompts her into rebellion which eventually leads to unexpectedly saving his and Bruce Wayne’s lives.
She eventually comes to learn more about fighting crime in a cape as she is given skills and equipment by the Dark Knight. It's through this that she develops into the well-loved Batgirl that is popular today.
4 Green Arrow: Year One (2007)
One of the most popular Year one stories besides Batman, the Green Arrow has some light shun on his boastful character. His origin is introduced as a belligerent, fun-loving elite. He is eventually thrown out of a ship and left for dead in the waters. As luck would have it, his body washes up along the shore of a mysteriously abandoned island. Having to survive in this environment is what eventually brings him to the point of re-examining his morals and revisiting his skills as an archer.
The story has everything that could be expected to mold someone’s character. Oliver survives through several near-death experiences and even a brief drug addiction to eventually arrive on top as the hero that is seen today.
3 Black Lightning: Year One (2009)
Black Lightning, one of the most historically important characters in DC, received his origin story in a Year One title in 2009. He was the first black character to have his own featured title with DC, paving the way for other characters like Green Lantern (John Stewart), Cyborg, and Static (an acquired character).
Jefferson Pierce finds himself back in the Metropolis Southside (nicknamed Suicide Slum) working on a grant to help teach and rebuild within the community. He finds the neighborhood overrun by the gang The 100, who is causing chaos in the city. After seeing that the authorities are slow to respond to crimes, Pierce takes it upon himself to fight crimes and eventually come to a confrontation with Tobias Whale. This is all done with the support of his family and his close friend Peter Gambi.
2 Wonder Woman Year One (2017)
To the first time reader, Wonder Woman’s Year One stories are a slightly confusing read. Her first year one happens in 1995 with the Wonder Woman Annual #4. This one does introduce an important character, Cheetah, but this story does not seem as pivotal as her remaining stories are.
The more impactful introduction of her character happens in 2017 as part of the DC Rebirth (Wonder Woman issues #2,4,6,10,12, and 14, with issue #8 serving as an interlude introducing Cheetah’s origins). The story places Wonder Woman into current continuity. It opens by showing the parallels in her life with Steve Trevor before they meet. When she eventually is integrated into western society, she is not immediately welcomed, and it takes quite a bit of convincing before it’s realized that she’s the hero that they need.
1 Superman Year One (2019)
Superman’s initial Year One books were less about his origins and more about introducing other characters and adventures into the new DC continuity. Frank Miller decided to change that with a more recent publication.
Readers get to see a young Kal-El shortly after he lands on the Kent farm. The story takes the journey through his life, with a high focus on his teenage years while he learns to deal with his powers around other people. Things take an unlikely detour as he dives into other ventures that include joining the navy and finding Atlantis before eventually continuing his adventure in Metropolis and meeting future Justice League members Batman and Wonder Woman.