#10 The Nail As the title suggests its literally a nail
that shatters the potential future for Superman, and if youre a fan of the last son of krypton
then this Elseworlds is a must read.
Twenty four years in the past a flat tire caused by a nail on the truck of Jonathan
and Martha Kent stop them from ever discovering that Kryptonian spaceship with baby Clark
inside.
As such the present day team only consists of Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the flash,
Hawkwoman, the atom, Martian Manhunter and the Green Lantern.
A lot goes down without Superman being there to carry most of the team.
The Joker lets out prisoners in Arkham Asylum with these energy-generating gauntlets that
he also used to trap Batman and kill both Robin and Batgirl.
Wonder Woman becomes not so wonderful when shes framed for destroying the White House
which leads to rioting.
This outbreak in disorder and chaos ultimately leads to Lex Luthor controlling the United
States and using flying robots to enforce his laws.
If you're a fan of the Justice League you should definitely read this one because its
a whole new thing without Superman.
The whole team dynamic changes to the point where Green Lantern is the strongest hero.
#9 Speeding Bullet This DC Elseworld's story explores the idea
of what the DC world would look like if Superman never landed in Kansas, but rather landed
in Gotham.
So as such he would be plucked up and raised by Thomas and Martha Wayne instead of John
and Martha Kent.
I know two Marthas, but hey if you can put that aside for a moment to embrace this bulletproof
Batman then you'll realize how cool this story is.
However even with this new Bruce Wayne Kal-El hybrid, the Bats parents are still fatally
killed, unfortunately that's usually their fate in these storylines.
Although its what also leads this universes Bruce Wayne to discover his supernatural abilities
and decides to use them to fight crime as the Batman.
Hes so shocked by his parents being killed that he actually blasts the criminal with
his laser eyes, which is just so satisfying.
So if you've ever said to yourself - man how cool would it be if Batman had superpowers
- well then you're in luck my friend because Speeding Bullet is all that and more.
#8 Red Rain The story of Dracula has been used many times
in the past by both Marvel and DC Comics, but Red Rain took things to a whole new level
of creepy vampire stories.
In this Batman Elseworlds tale we see the Dark Knight defending Gotham from the Lord
of the Vampires.
Ultimately Batman becomes a vampire as well, but we feel like that almost makes sense for
his character.
The repercussions of such a dark Batman storyline leads to a tragic telling of Gothams mightiest
heroes and villains.
Plus the story for this DC Elseworlds comic isn't the only reason why we encourage you
to read it.
The artwork is absolutely unparalleled and has been said that its the eeriest Batman
art to date.
So whether you're a long time fan of the dark versions of the Bat or if you just enjoy scary
stories in general, Red Rain is a must read.
#7 Red Son Superman Red Son was a three part mini-series
published in 2003 and begins with the premise of what if Superman had been raised in the
Soviet Union.
When Kal-Els spacecraft lands on a Ukrainian farm instead of in Kansas we see a drastically
dark transformation of the Superman we know and love.
He goes from fighting for truth and justice to being described as the Champion of the
common worker who fights a never-ending battle for Stalin, socialism and the international
expansion of the Warsaw Pact.
The writers make it very clear that even the last son of Krypton is not immune to nationalism.
This scary story shows just how easily the nurturing in a particular area of the world
at a particular time in history could radicalize even the noblest amongst us.
The plot uses real history of Soviet Russia post World War 2 bringing to life the perspective
from Americas opposition and dropping Superman into the mix of it all.
#6 Justice Riders If you were a fan of the HBO show WestWorld
and comic books, Justice Riders is a must read for you.
Although admittedly it has nothing to do with the show WestWorld and precedes its time,
it is an exploration of the Justice League as heroes in the wild wild west.
The excellent thing with this storyline is that it never depends on Superman or Batman
to make things exciting.
As you can tell from our last few points much of the DC Elseworld usually has a prime focus
on either Bruce Wayne or Clark Kent in their alternate forms.
However for this one its a world in which Wonder Woman, Flash, and Martian Manhunter
trade in their outfits for a more cowboy style appearance.
Never has Wonder Womans lasso made more sense than in this storyline.
Its truly a breath of fresh air if youre growing tired of all the Batman and Superman based
stories.
#5 Thrillkiller Thrillkiller was a one shot three issue miniseries
published in 1997 that took place on the alternate timeline of Earth 37, set in the early 60s.
It sees Batgirl and Robin taking on a female Joker.
Bruce Wayne works for the Gotham PD, and Barbara Gordon has purchased the Wayne Manor, using
it to fight crime with her assistant and lover, Dick Grayson.
The Joker is known as a gangster named Bianca Steeplechase, who eventually poisons Robin,
masquerades as the mayor’s wife, and ends up kidnapping and torturing Bruce Wayne.
Needless to say, it’s a dark period piece, all set at the dawn of the sexual revolution
and the beginnings of the Vietnam war.
And it finds Batgirl doing the one thing Batman in the main continuity refuses to do; kill
the Joker.
She drowns her in Gotham River.Thrillkiller was a one shot three issue miniseries published
in 1997 that took place on the alternate timeline of Earth 37, set in the early 60s.
It sees Batgirl and Robin taking on a female Joker.
Bruce Wayne works for the Gotham PD, and Barbara Gordon has purchased the Wayne Manor, using
it to fight crime with her assistant and lover, Dick Grayson.
The Joker is known as a gangster named Bianca Steeplechase, who eventually poisons Robin,
masquerades as the mayor’s wife, and ends up kidnapping and torturing Burce Wayne.
Needless to say, it’s a dark period piece, all set at the dawn of the sexual revolution
and the beginnings of the Vietnam war.
And it finds Batgirl doing the one thing Batman in the main continuity refuses to do; kill
the Joker.
She drowns her in Gotham River.
#4 The Dark Knight Returns The Dark Knight Returns is arguably one of
the most prolific comic miniseries in DC’s history, and is largely responsible for a
resurgence in darker, grim takes on the caped crusader that often prevails in our depictions
of the superhero to this date.
Set in a futuristic dystopian Gotham where technology runs rampant, a 55 year old Bruce
Wayne comes out of retirement as Batman to take on a new flood of crime in Gotham City.
But he isn’t met without opposition; the Gotham PD aren’t big fans, nor are a new
hyper-violent street gang called the Mutants.
When the US government begins to see Batman’s return as a major threat, Superman is deployed
to take him on, culminating in one of the most memorable battles between the two iconic
heroes.
Penned by Frank Miller, it’s a much more bleak take on the caped crusader, featuring
him as a hardened, cynical vigilante still suffering from a traumatic past that haunts
every move he makes.
#3 Gotham By Gaslight One of the most beloved Elseworlds stories
to date, Gotham by Gaslight is set in the 19th century, following Bruce Wayne’s beginnings
as the caped crusader just as Jack the Ripper has shown up in Gotham City.
Criminal activity is on the rise in the city, and Bruce finds himself framed by Jack the
Ripper for a series of murders after a bloody knife is found in his bed.
After escaping from prison, Bruce ends up discovering the identity of the famous serial
killer; a man who had worked with his father, Thomas Wayne, and went insane after his mother
Martha Wayne had rejected his advances, and thus murdered both of them.
A sequel was produced as well, Batman Master of the Future, which took place in 1892, a
handful of years after Gotham by Gaslight, but it failed to get the same rave reviews
as its predecessor.
#2 Amazonia From 1997, Wonder Woman Amazonia is a one
shot that takes place between 1888 and 1928 on Earth 19.
When a mysterious explosion kills Queen Victoria and all of her immediate family members, a
mysterious individual named Jack Planters claims to be a distant heir to the throne,
and becomes King Jack; a tyrant who actually murdered the royal family in order to come
into power.
It’s implied that this is Jack the Ripper, who had also murdered four Whitechapel prostitutes
for practice prior to knocking off the royals.
So where does Wonder Woman fit into this narrative?
Diana, while this is happening, is abducted off of Paradise Island by Steve Trevor, who,
on this earth, is rather wicked.
He forces her to marry him, and by 1928, Diana has become a star in London Theatre, but in
response to the militaristic society King Jack has created, she organizes a resistance.
Under his rule the British Empire is incredibly misogynistic, has suspended all womens’
rights, and has declared an unjust war against France.
So Diana steps up, and ends up working with Jack’s son, Princes Charles, to take the
tyrant down.
#1 Kingdom Come Written by Alex Ross and Mark Waid in 1996,
Kingdom Come is one of the most nerve wracking alternate realities to exist within the DC
multiverse.
It is a deconstructionist tale that explores the toxic dynamic between traditional out
of touch superheroes and a new generation of vigilantes who are largely amoral and irresponsible,
and not above committing murder and other heinous acts to stop criminals.
Batman, of course, finds himself in the middle of these two groups, trying to de-escalate
the tension in hopes of preventing a metahuman war.
The Justice League has stepped down, and a new team of heroes led by a character named
Magog have put the earth in peril; during an attack on Parasite, thanks to reckless
planning, millions of Americans are irradiated and killed, and a large portion of america’s
food production is wiped out, putting the nation in precarious circumstances.
It only goes downhill from there.
And that has been the Top 10 Scary DC Elseworlds Stories You Need To Read