Best Comics of 2023

From men without fear to boy wonders taking a long-overdue turn in the spotlight, 2023 had some of the best comics in a long while.

2023 was a rough year if you were a fan of the comic books on film genre. The CW put the final nail in the Arrowverse’s coffin, while The Flash marked the end of the Snyderverse and The Marvels marked the MCU’s lowest low to date. 

But for comics fans, it was a blockbuster year. Events like Fall of X are bringing exciting closure to some of the most intriguing mysteries in years, while DC came out of Dark Crisis and Lazarus Planet to a renewed slate of storytelling. 

If you love your four-color heroes, 2023 was a year to remember. With that in mind, these are our picks for the best Marvel and DC comics of 2023. 

The Fantastic Four reminded fans why their familial bonds are important by briefly breaking up the quartet.

5. Fantastic Four

The Fantastic Four had a great run under Superior Spider-Man creator Dan Slott, and it seemed like it would be the run to beat. Go figure; they did. 

Volume 7 takes Marvel’s First Family to new, seemingly improbable heights. Separated from loved ones and splintered as a family, the FF found themselves on a journey of rediscovery as they kicked this volume off. 

Since then, they’ve reunited, met The Thing’s legendary Aunt Petunia, pushed the Invisible Woman’s powers to the limit, and even fought dinosaur versions of themselves. Throughout it all, the run has been a fun, adventurous romp focused on the FF, their relationships, and how they impact their own little slice of the Marvel Universe. 

Tom King’s Wonder Woman shines as a powerful DC heroine.

4. Wonder Woman

Tom King has been the name in comics for the past decade or so. His work on titles like The Vision, Strange Adventures, and Batman has made him a household name. 

To describe the announcement of his Wonder Woman run as exciting would be an understatement. And it delivered in spades with a stellar opening adventure, a tense set-up as Wonder Woman found herself outlawed, and a balletic fight as Diana proved why she’s DC’s strongest fighter. 

It is bittersweet to see the character get another reboot, putting her ongoing back at single digits while other characters cross the 1,000 issues threshold. But the gripping tale of Diana and the mystery surrounding her daughter Trinity, all under the masterful hands of King and artist Daniel Sampere, make for one of the best things DC ever put out. 

Daredevil’s ultimate sacrifice to defeat The Hand made him one of 2023’s most tragic heroes.

3. Daredevil

Fans knew Daredevil was going to be in for a rough ride when this run started in 2022, but I don’t think anyone really grasped what that meant. 

2023 kicked off with Daredevil and The Punisher having the biggest knock-down drag-out fight in their comics history. That was only the beginning, too. Daredevil ended this run in hell – literally – fighting off demons in an effort to prevent The Hand from becoming Earthly conquerors. 

It’s a run that ended on a wild note but one that kept readers on the edge of their seats. It didn’t hurt that it dove-tailed so beautifully into the current run, which has already had a hell of a hook in the form of a resurrected amnesiac Matt Murdock rediscovering his Daredevil days. 

Silver Age throwback tales and a return to Kingdom Come made World’s Finest stand out in 2023.

2. Batman/Superman: World’s Finest

One of the grandest losses of DC’s many reboots has been the iconic Silver Age stories fans grew up with. It was seemingly inevitable that some older fans would be left behind as the DC Universe 

Thankfully, Mark Waid and Dan Mora refused to let the era die. The duo brought it back in bombastic fashion with Batman/Superman: World’s Finest in 2022, but the book’s continued success in 2023 has cemented it as one of DC’s most joyful books. 

From its throwback reimagining of Batman and Superman’s first meeting to the tense return to Mark Waid’s dark epic Kingdom Come, World’s Finest is one of the most consistently entertaining books on the market. It’s also a gem of a title for fans of more classic stories. 

Nightwing finally took his place as DC’s most important hero.

1. Nightwing

It’s hard to imagine anyone topping the year Nightwing has had. The former Robin has always been a fan favorite, but 2023 was the year he leaped into center stage at DC Comics (where, arguably, he belonged). 

After spending 2022 tied up in Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, 2023 kicked off with Nightwing #100, a celebration of the character that made him DC’s front-and-center superhero. It also put him and his Titans comrades at the forefront as the DC Universe’s new Justice League. 

For longtime fans, it’s thrilling to see Dick finally get the recognition he so rightfully deserved. It’s also a long overdue delight to finally see him in a well-adjusted relationship with Barbara Gordon and continuing to build bonds with his brothers, Jason Todd and Damian Wayne. Now if only he and Batman could patch things up…

Those are our picks for the best Marvel & DC Comics of 2023. For more comic book news, be sure to stay locked to Dexerto.

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