10 Best New DC Characters Of The 21st Century

Before, during and after DC Comics announced their hard reboot - the New 52 - the decision was met with a sceptical response from long-time readers in the best cases. The relaunch erased an enormous amount of history from the universe and de-aged the world be ten years, enabling new readers to enter the world comfortably without too much concern for previous continuity; in this regard the New 52 was a success.

However, both new and old readers alike can agree that Scott Snyder's and Greg Capullo's 52-issue run on Batman was incredible. Its greatness resided in its ability to push the boat out with bold and large concepts that may sound ridiculous on paper. The highlight of the run comes at the start in the joint story arcs "The Court of Owls" and "The City of Owls", which introduced the court as an Illuminati-like organisation stationed in Gotham City.

Batman's discovery and paranoia of the Court leads to a mental breakdown while trapped in their underground labyrinth. Watching the World's Greatest Detective crumble under his physical and mental disorientation is a distressing experience readers won't soon forget.

The Court of Owls don't do the dirty work themselves, instead engineering an orphan each generation to become one of their Talons. The revelation that Dick Grayson was originally meant to become one before being adopted by Bruce Wayne, worked to elevate the latter's character in a time where he was at risk of growing stale.