The DC Comics Universe

During the early 1970s, DC Comics experimented with what was referred to as “relevancy comics,” sending superheroes Green Lantern and Green Arrow on a cross-country tour of America. Although the journey was cut short, DC has continued to publish narratives that reflect the times nonetheless, From the newspaper reporting of Lois Lane to Batman helping the helpless, from Superman fighting for a more inclusive truth and justice to Teen Titan Starfire battling apartheid, relevancy comics live on at DC.

Batman: Paul Is Dead

Four months after a Detroit DJ used hidden clues on a Beatles album to reveal the secret death of Paul McCartney, Batman attempted to solve a similar mystery involving British band the Twists.

Batman: The Rodney King Tape

One year after four Los Angeles police officers were found “not guilty” in the videotaped beating of Rodney King, the murder of an African American by Gotham City police is also videotaped.

Batman: The Theft of the Mona Lisa

The famed painting was not only stolen from the Louvre in 1911 but in a DC Comics storyline featuring Batman in the present and Leonardo da Vinci’s inspiration being kidnapped in the past.

Heroes Against Hunger

In 1986, DC Comics published a special benefit comic featuring Batman and Superman fighting famine in Africa that was part of a world-wide effort to raise funds for the real-world Ethiopia.

Lois Lane: When It Rains, God is Crying

A special two-part comic book miniseries in 1986 featured the famed reporter for the Daily Planet investigating missing children, similar to efforts in the real world during the decade.

Robin: Case of the Kidnapped Crusader

Tom Carson, a consumer advocate within the DC Comics Universe similar to Ralph Nader in the real world, visits Hudson State University and is rescued from a kidnapping attempt by Robin.

Starfire: Apartheid No More

The DC Comics superhero Starfire traveled to South Africa in 1986 and witnessed the atrocious treatment of blacks firsthand just as the anti-apartheid movement in U.S. was hitting its stride.

Superman and the Declaration of Independence

During the American Bicentennial in 1976, Superman is sent back in time by the alien Karb-Brak to the year 1776, where he witnesses the historic signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Superman’s Mission for President Kennedy

In a storyline created before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Superman is called to the Oval Office to lend a hand in promoting physical fitness to the youth of the United States.

Teen Titans: The Mad Mod and Swinging London

The DC superhero group head to London in 1968 with American rock star Holley Hep, where they encounter a Carnaby Street fashion designer who uses his clothing to smuggle contraband.