DC has been putting out comics for a long time. Having created some of the most respected heroes of all time, DC has cemented its place in pop culture as one of the originators of the superhero genre- without Golden Age DC, superheroes wouldn't exist in the form they do today. DC has put some of the greatest stories of all time but there are plenty of influential DC stories that many fans have never read at all.
These stories changed both comics and the publisher but because of age or relative obscurity, they've gone unread by many.
10 All-Star Comics #3 Introduced The Justice Society Of America
1940's All-Star Comics #3, by writer Gardner Fox and artist Everett E. Hibbard, is one of the most important comics in history and not just because it introduces the Justice Society of America, which is very important, but because it was the first time a publisher took all of its superheroes and put them on a team. It's the first team book ever and it changed the industry.
From 1940 on, superteams would be big money for publishers and the Justice Society started that revolution. The team would fade into obscurity in the post-WWII years but would come roaring back in the Silver Age. Over the years, it would become a home to many powerful characters and have some amazing stories.
9 Showcase #4 Is Widely Considered The Beginning Of The Silver Age
Showcase #4, by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino, is the first appearance of Barry Allen but it's also considered the beginning of the Silver Age of comics. The early Silver Age years, from 1956 to 1961, is when DC really hit its stride, bringing superheroes back to the mainstream and introducing characters like Hal Jordan and Martian Manhunter.
Showcase #4 is directly responsible for the DC Universe as fans know it, using rebranded heroes to create new mythos, unknowingly laying the groundwork of the Multiverse, and bringing superheroes back in a huge way, adding a dash of science fiction to the proceedings.
8 All-Star Comics #8 Is The First Appearance Of Wonder Woman
All-Star Comics #8, by writer Gardner Fox and artists Everett E. Hibbard, Stan Aschmeier, Ben Flinton, Cliff Young, Jack Burnley, Sheldon Moldoff, and Bernard Baily, is the first appearance of Wonder Woman, the most important woman in comics. Wonder Woman would go on to revolutionize women in comics and become one of the most important DC characters of all time.
Wonder Woman blazed a lot of trails and comics would look very different without her. While her story is only one part of this anthology comic, she would soon go on to star in Sensational Comics, one of the first women to headline her own book.
7 Detective Comics #27 Is The First Appearance Of Batman
Detective Comics #27, by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, is the first appearance of Batman, one of the most popular characters in pop culture since his creation. While it wasn't exactly the Batman that readers know today, all of the trappings were there, supplied by Bill Finger, whose contributions to the character were largely unsung because of Bob Kane's contract.
Detective Comics would soon become one of the best-selling comics of the day and even give the publisher its future name- DC. Batman is still one of DC's most important - if not the most important - characters and this book started it all for him.
6 Action Comics #1 Gave Readers Superman And Superheroes As Readers Know Them
Action Comics #1, by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, created the modern comic industry as fans know it. Superman's first appearance heralded a new type of comic character, one that was very different from the pulp heroes that appeared up to that point, a superpowered protector of the downtrodden, created by two Jewish kids from Cleveland.
Superman has been through massive changes over the years and this comic was the catalyst for all of them. It's become holy writ, laying down everything about the character that fans needed to know and changing pop culture forever.
5 Flash #123 Is The First Appearance Of DC's Multiverse
Flash #123, by writer Gardner Fox and artist Carmine Infantino, holds a very important place in both DC and comics in general. It brought the Jay Garrick version of the Flash back but more than that, it created something that would define DC for decades - the Multiverse. By establishing that the adventures of the WWII heroes took place on a different Earth, the comic landscape was changed forever.
The Multiverse concept would go on to become a staple of DC before being brought over to Marvel in the '80s. While DC's has been destroyed and reborn many times over the years, it's still one of the defining features of the publisher.
4 Gotham By Gaslight Is The First Elseworlds Comic
After the end of Crisis On Infinite Earths, the Multiverse was gone but writers and artists still wanted to do Multiverse stories. So, Elseworlds was born and the first Elseworlds tale was Gotham By Gaslight, by writer Brian Augustyn and artist Mike Mignola. Focusing on Batman in Jack the Ripper era London, it was a very different approach to the character and the Multiverse concept.
Elseworlds books scratched the alternate Earth itch and were also completely different from Marvel's What If.... It took familiar characters and put them in entirely new situations, with some beloved tales coming from this concept.
3 JSA #21 Was The Beginning Of Black Adam's Time As a Hero
JSA #21, by writers Geoff Johns and David S. Goyer and artist Buzz, didn't seem super important at the time but would prove to be extremely influential - it was when Black Adam joined the Justice Society. Black Adam had long been a Shazam villain and was brought back in JSA. This issue saw the first time the villain joined the forces of good.
Black Adam is about to be played by Dwayne Johnson in his own movie and this comic is pretty much the start of all of that. It ingratiated the characters with younger readers, showing that he was more than a generic Shazam villain.
2 JLA: Rock Of Ages Was The Blueprint For Grant Morrison's Future Stories
JLA: Rock Of Ages, by writer Grant Morrison and artists Howard Porter, Gary Frank, and Greg Land, took place in JLA #10-15 and saw the team battle the Injustice Gang, Lex Luthor's alliance of the Joker, Circe, Doctor Light, Ocean Master, and Mirror Master. However, the real rub of the story came when Aquaman, Flash, and Green Lantern are sent to a dark future where Darkseid ruled all.
Morrison loved to layer their stories with things they would do in the future and so much of Rock of Ages would play into events of their later stories. It's probably the most important volume of their JLA run, which is no small feat.
1 Cosmic Odyssey Is One Of The Greatest DC Cosmic Stories Of Them All
Cosmic Odyssey, by writer Jim Starlin and artist Mike Mignola, saw the heroes of Earth and New Genesis team up with Darkseid to fight against the embodiment of the Anti-Life Equation. It was one of the first times the good guys ever teamed up with Darkseid and it was written by the master of cosmic storytelling, Jim Starlin, creator of Adam Warlock and Thanos over at Marvel.
It also saw John Stewart's arrogance result in the destruction of the planet Xanshi, an integral moment in his development. It's an amazing story that more people need to read.