10 Criminally Underrated DC Comics You Must Read

Gotham City gets written off as the exclusive territory of the Bat-Family, but in 2007, another hero emerged with absolutely no crossover with the Bat-brand - Simon Dark. A Frankenstein of a character that protects the block of Gotham City known as “the Village”, the Dark's story grows into something truly great by the end with a struggle for control over the flow of demons into Gotham.

There were only eighteen issues in this series but the patchwork protector had a full range of storylines, with Steve Niles able to pack so much into this book. The plots involved can get pretty dark, such as the reason he looks like Frankenstein, but there's an odd air of fun about the whole thing. Scott Hampton on art is also a wonder to see as he uses the same grim and gritty art style for the covers in the main book - a frustratingly rare occurrence in the medium today.

Why was this gem overlooked? Well, it was published before digital distribution could make even the most indie comic a hit and it didn’t have a real jumping on point in an established property. Yes, it was set in Gotham, but that barely factors into the plot, especially when you had bigger events happening around that time.