5 Relationships DC Needs to Bring Back

Skip to content DC’s superhero comics, at the end of the day, are character-driven. Yes, the meat of any story usually revolves around a battle between good and evil in some metaphorical or, most often, very literal sense, but the reason to pick any one book over the other always comes down to character. These heroes differentiate themselves through their personalities, connections, and supporting cast far more than they ever could with just style or abilities. The reason that these comics have gone on for decades, and are poised to go on for decades more, is that fans connect with the characters. A major part of fans connecting to a character is letting that character bond with others around them.

These relationships between characters are often the driving forces behind some of DC’s greatest stories. Superman’s comics would be so much less alive without his romance with Lois Lane, and the friendship between Barry Allen and Hal Jordan has impacted every Flash and Green Lantern duo in existence. These relationships, be they familial, romantic, or platonic, are what help these heroes feel like real people. Yet, even though they are so important, DC has let some of their best friendships fall to the wayside for far too long, and their loss is felt. Today, we’re looking at five pairs that DC has to give us more of and going over exactly what makes them so great.

Stephanie and Damian have always had a strong connection. She became Batgirl in the same Bat-Fam revolution where he became Robin, and they immediately hated each other. Damian is an arrogant gremlin, and Steph is the underdog who everyone looks down on, but overcomes her disadvantages with her scrappy persistence. They got along like oil and water, butting heads over everything. Damian saw himself as having been born with the right to be where he is, while Steph has had to fight for every ounce of respect she got. Their disagreements were hilarious, but the real greatness of their relationship came when Steph finally saw through Damian’s attitude.

Instead of looking at him like a fun-sized assassin with a mouth, she saw him as a lost kid who was trying to find something to hold onto. Steph knew exactly what that was like, and helped teach Damian how to be an actual kid. She became the big sister that Damian loved to hate, but also the one he could turn to whenever he needed to feel normal. There’s no dynamic like theirs in Gotham, and it was incredible, but nowadays they’re practically strangers. We need more of these two interacting, and we need it now.

Jimmy Olsen is Superman’s best pal, so why is he never actually present in the Man of Steel’s comics? It’s unreasonable to expect Jimmy to have his own ongoing dedicated to this like back in the day, but he hardly ever makes appearances in any of Superman’s titles, despite the Man of Tomorrow starring in three at present. The last time we saw Jimmy play any significant role in the mainline comic was in Superman (2023) #5, over three years ago. The last time he had any significant role in any Superman story was in Superman Unlimited #4, over a year ago. We need more of this red-headed walking accident.

Jimmy and Superman’s friendship might just seem like a gag on the surface, and believe me, it generates a metric ton of comedy, but it goes deeper than that. As much as Lois is Clark’s easiest link to everyday humanity, Jimmy is the same for Superman, and that distinction is important. Jimmy being there to pal around with Superman or ask him to pose for pictures humanizes the Man of Steel in costume, which is necessary. Already, he has to fight off allegations of being boring or, God forbid, stoic. Showing Superman telling jokes and doing a couple of zany episodes with his best pal sells that, in the costume or not, Superman is a person like anyone else, and he loves fun.

Ray Palmer and Carter Hall hardly interact anymore, which is a massive shame, because for years their friendship was a defining aspect of the Justice League and DC’s broader universe. You might not know it from a glance, but these two have one of DC’s most enduring friendships, and it wasn’t forged because they were forced to come together or started off hating each other like most other heroes. These two developed a friendship from their first appearance, and over the decades, that deepened into a bond of brotherhood. They revealed their identities to each other very early on, Hawkman was the Atom’s best man, and, heck, they even shared a title for a brief period in the 70s.

The main appeal of their friendship is that, at the end of the day, it’s just two guys who are good friends. There’s nothing deep or overly complicated, and no unnecessary drama shoved into it for the sake of things. Hawkman and Atom are simply best friends, and seeing something so uncomplicatedly pure is a breath of fresh air. Their friendship was always present when they were on teams together, and it helps show that even the lesser-known heroes have dynamics and connections outside of the A-listers. This friendship is exactly what DC needs to help its massive cast of heroes feel like a group of people, instead of colorful characters.

One of the most forgotten yet most important relationships in DC is that between Wonder Woman and the Holliday Girls. This group of college gals was some of Wonder Woman’s first friends in Man’s World, and they served as both her eager companions and enthusiastic students. Etta Candy was the leader of the bunch, and while she’s evolved into an entirely new character, none of the other Holliday Girls are anywhere to be seen, and not only is this a massive blow to Wonder Woman’s supporting cast, but it’s a significant cut from what she represents.

Wonder Woman is meant to be a symbol of female empowerment and freedom, but we rarely see her interact with normal, everyday women. The Holliday Girls are the perfect companions for Diana, as she can teach them the Amazonian ways that further her mission of peace, and they can help Diana learn what it’s like to be a woman in this brave new frontier she’s ventured to. There’s a bottomless well of untapped story potential here, but it has never been explored in a modern context. This is a dynamic that needs to exist because of how much it does to tie Wonder Woman to the real world and humanize her in such a beautiful way.

Everyone knows that Batman and Gordon have one of the most instrumental and beloved friendships in comics. Their collaborations on fixing Gotham from both inside and outside the law generate a dynamic that has served for generations. Gordon putting his trust in a man whose name he refuses to learn is incredible, and Batman relies on and trusts Gordon in a way that he doesn’t with anyone else. That relationship is alive and well, but the one that died is the unbreakable friendship between Jim Gordon and Bruce Wayne. See, long before Gordon worked with the Dark Knight, he was fast friends with Bruce, but that relationship is practically gone.

Bruce and Gordon have a distinct dynamic, with the Commissioner being aware that Bruce is definitely a deeper, better man than he lets on, and Bruce doing all he can to play the innocuous socialite. They play off of each other very well, and it does wonders to deepen their already incredible bond. These two can bring something entirely different to the table, and give Bruce a reason to interact more with crime scenes in Gotham, which is desperately needed. Batman comics have long tried to forget that Bruce Wayne is anything other than Batman’s name, but we need Bruce back in a major way, and this relationship is a great way to tie him further into things.

Which forgotten DC relationship do you think needs to be brought back? Let us know in the comments below!