10 DC Graphic Novels You Must Read Before You Die

8. Static Shock: Rebirth Of The Cool

There's so much that can be said about Static, the classic Milestone character created by the late, great Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Derek Dingle and Michael Davis. Fans will most likely recognise Virgil Hawkins from the animated series of the same name, or indeed in Justice League: Unlimited, but most of his best material was reserved for his own comic series.

An African-American high school student caught up in a toxic cocktail of gun crime and police brutality, Virgil discovers he has the power to manipulate and generate electricity after being hit by the 'Big Bang', an event that gave birth to an array of super-powered citizens.

Although the character's initial run was lauded upon its release (as was Milestone as a whole), the character fell out of the spotlight after said series was cancelled. With McDuffie then heavily involved in the burgeoning DC Animated Universe, a cartoon show was created and, wouldn't you know it, people loved him.

McDuffie was then able to use the hero's newfound popularity and resurrect the original Milestone series. Now set in the mainstream DCU and not the Milestone 'Dakotaverse', Rebirth of the Cool was the comic every fan of the animated series wanted to read. It didn't just compliment the TV series, however. What it did do was reaffirm that Milestone's tenets - to strive for a more representative industry - are as important today, as they were back then.