DC Comics has been putting out superhero stories for 88 years and has given readers some of the greatest comics of all time. These books followed the most powerful heroes and most evil villains, creating iconic characters that would stand the test of the decades. We all know their biggest series – Action Comics, Detective Comics, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Justice League of America – and the most well known standalone stories like Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns. There have been legions of lower-level but no less important titles that are rather well-known, getting their time in the sun before setting. Then, at the bottom of the barrel are the stories that bombed. Sometimes, these are terrible stories that fans just didn’t want to read. They can be some of the worst comics you’ve ever read. However, some of them are hidden gems.
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Over the years, numerous series have dropped and seemed dead on arrival. They got their print run and then they were gone. However, there was some word of mouth even while they were running and this has led to them having an amazing second life. Fans have discovered these books and they have become cult hits. These five DC titles all bombed but would become cult hits, with one of them giving DC the writer who would make them a force in the ’00s.
5) Chase
The ’90s were amazing for DC Comics. Unlike Marvel and Image, who were all about flashy art and didn’t really deliver much substance, they were concentrating on letting the best writers in the industry give readers brilliant comics. It was an amazing time to be a DC fan; there was so many great books to choose from. However, this surplus of riches was a problem because not every book was going to find an audience, which is what happened to Chase. This ten-issue series from Dan Curtis Johnson and JH Williams III followed DEO agent Cameron Chase on her missions investigating the superhero community. It was a book that combined spy action with superheroes in a new way and it was fantastic. Johnson and Williams III created an amazing main character and supporting cast, but it never found its audience. However, it’s the kind of book that everyone loves when they read it. Fans have rediscovered the book, realizing what we lost when this book was canned.
4) Flex Mentallo: Man of Muscle Mystery
Grant Morrison is one of the greatest comic writers ever, coming to prominence in the late ’80s with Animal Man and Doom Patrol. In the latter, they introduced the Man of Muscle Mystery Flex Mentallo. He was a take off of the old Charles Atlas comic ads about the wimpy kid who becomes a strongman, having learned to build his muscles in such a way that allows him to mess with reality. Eventually, the character would get his own miniseries, with Morrison joined by artist Frank Quitely. The story takes place on two levels; one sees Flex look for his friend the Fact and the other follows comic creator Wallace Sage as he decides to commit suicide. It’s a semi-autobiographical comic starring a character that no one had seen in years by the time it dropped in 1996. Fans didn’t know what to make of it and it bombed, one of Morrison’s biggest failures in the ’90s, if not their biggest. However, their fans found the book and loved it. It was reprinted in the early ’10s and it has finally found its fandom, becoming a beloved part of the Morrison oeuvre.
3) Major Bummer
The Mask was a huge hit for Dark Horse Comics, with writer John Arcudi and Doug Mahnke getting a lot of attention. Eventually, the two of them would make their way to DC Comics, where they would be given their own comedic superhero series, Major Bummer. This 1997 series followed Gen X slacker Lou Martin. He’s given superpowers by some aliens, developing superhuman strength and genius-level intellect. Instead of becoming a big name superhero, though, he ends up doing what he was doing before – nothing. The book was all about him having the most improbable adventures. The book got a showcase in Wizard magazine, but fans didn’t really find it. Arcudi and Mahnke did a fantastic job on it, though, matching their work on the various Mask comics. The book ran for 15 issues and then was gone. It has a cult following; not a lot of people talk about it anymore, but everyone who picks up an issue ends up hunting down the rest of them. It really is that good and it’s a shame that it never caught on.
2) Demon Knights
The New 52 is one of the biggest failures in DC history. Out of nowhere, it was announced that the entire line of DC books would be ended and relaunched with new number ones following Flashpoint. At first, it was successful, with fans buying the new books and getting interested, but it couldn’t sustain its momentum. However, the New 52 wasn’t all bad; there were numerous good series over its five year existence (technically, this version of the DC Multiverse lasted until 2021, but the New 52 story only ran from 2011 to 2016). , including Demon Knights, from writer Paul Cornell and various artists. This book was one of the gems of the early New 52, starring Etrigan the Demon, the Shining Knight, and various other medieval DC characters. The book actually had legs compared to some of the other comics on this list, getting almost two years and ending with issue #23. The book has become somewhat legendary among DC fans; while it can be hard to find in 2026, it’s worth the effort.
1) Star and STRIPES
Geoff Johns has gone down as one of the most important DC writers ever. In the ’00s, he was everywhere, working on the Flash, the Justice Society, Green Lantern, Superman, Hawkman, and more, writing the biggest events and helping chart the course of the DC Universe. However, none of that would have been possible without his first book at the company – Stars and STRIPE. This will take some explaining. So, in the Golden Age, there was a teen hero named the Star-Spangled Kid and he had an adult sidekick named Stripsey. The kid was powered by the cosmic converter belt and would eventually be killed. Stripsey would get put into stasis somehow (I think it was Seven Soldiers of Victory related), awaken in the present day and become a mechanic, getting married. His step daughter Courtney Starsmore found the cosmic converter belt, learned about her stepdad’s past, and the two decided to live up the legacy of Star-Spangled Kid. Johns, working with James Robinson and artist Lee Moder, based the character on his sister (who had died in a plane crash), giving readers 14 issues of teen superhero perfection. Courtney would move over to JSA, become Stargirl, and is now one of the most beloved DC heroes ever. This series was fantastic and DC should reprint it so it can finally become an actual hit.
What’s your favorite DC series that became a cult hit? Leave a comment in the comment section below and join the conversation on the ComicBook Forums!
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