DC Retroactive was a one-shot line of comic book titles launched by DC Comics

DC Comics

DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...

. It revisited the most important periods (grouped by decades) of the company’s main characters: Batman

Batman

Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...

, Superman

Superman

Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...

, Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....

, Green Lantern

Green Lantern

The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...

, the Justice League

Justice League

The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....

 and the Flash

Flash (comics)

The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....

. These comics were published with cover dates of September and October 2011

2011 in comics

-January:*January 4 Axel Alonso is named editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, replacing Joe Quesada.-September:*During the whole month of September DC Comics released 52 brand new titles as part of their The New 52 publishing scheme after canceling all titles in August.-Conventions:*July 2–3 -...

. The DC Retroactive comic books followed the Flashpoint events and were launched just before The New 52

The New 52

The New 52 is a 2011 revamp and relaunch by DC Comics of its entire line of ongoing monthly superhero books, in which all of its existing titles were cancelled, and 52 new series debuted in September 2011 with new #1 issues. Among the series being renumbered are Action Comics and Detective Comics,...

line wherein DC titles were relaunched starting from #1.

This featured different characters with a nostalgic version of their most representative decades. DC brought back some of the most relevant creative teams in the history of its main characters. Dennis O'Neil

Dennis O'Neil

Dennis J. "Denny" O'Neil is an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement....

 wrote Batman

Batman (comic book)

Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...

during the 1970s, as well as working with artist Mike Grell

Mike Grell

Mike Grell is a comic book writer and artist, known for his work on books such as Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Jon Sable Freelance.-Early life:...

  on the mid-1970s version of Green Lantern

Green Lantern (comic book)

Green Lantern is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics heroes of the same name. The character's first incarnation, Alan Scott, appeared in All-American Comics #16, and was later spun off into the first volume of Green Lantern in 1941. That series was canceled in 1949 after 39 issues...

.

The Retroactive line also brought back writers and artists had not worked for DC for many years; some of whom had retired from comics, such as Rich Buckler

Rich Buckler

Rich Buckler is an American comic book artist and penciller, best known for his work on Marvel Comics' The Fantastic Four in the mid-1970s and, with writer Doug Moench, co-creating the character Deathlok in Astonishing Tales #25...

, who drew one Wonder Woman story. Mike W. Barr

Mike W. Barr

Mike W. Barr is an American writer of comic books, and mystery, and science fiction novels.-Biography:Barr's debut as a comics professional came in DC Comics' Detective Comics #444 , for which he wrote an 8-page back-up mystery feature starring the Elongated Man...

, Cary Bates

Cary Bates

Cary Bates is an American comic book, animation television and film writer.-Biography:Bates began submitting ideas for comic book covers to DC Comics at the age of 13, and a number of them were bought and published, the first as the cover to Superman #167...

, Norm Breyfogle

Norm Breyfogle

Norman Keith "Norm" Breyfogle is an American comic book artist, fine artist, illustrator, and writer. He was involved with the character of Batman consistently from 1987-1995. Breyfogle has worked on many different characters for most comic book publishers at one time or another...

, Gerry Conway

Gerry Conway

Gerard F. "Gerry" Conway is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics vigilante The Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man...

, Tom Mandrake, and Len Wein

Len Wein

Len Wein is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men...

 worked on the characters which they were associated with in the past.

Each comic book was launched in a 46-page format, split between 26 pages of new content, plus 20 pages of reprinted tales.

Ben Abernathy

Ben Abernathy

Ben Abernathy is the senior editor at WildStorm Productions a comic book company that also acts as an imprint of DC Comics.-Biography:Abernathy has held editorial positions at both Dark Horse Comics and Marvel Enterprises before moving to WildStorm....

, the editor of the project, stated "It's the creators working on the characters that so many fans grew up reading. Readers have a real fondness and love for the material. And the opportunity to revisit that era, with the creators who made it great, is a welcome change from everything else going on in the industry these days." Abernathy also noted that “The mandate given was, basically, we wanted to tell a fun story that was set in the era, whether it be posed as a 'lost story', 'story they always wanted to tell' or maybe something connected to the reprint."

Titles

Issue	Cover date	Writer(s)	Artist(s)	Citations
Batman Batman (comic book) Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...  - The '70s	September 2011 2011 in comics -January:*January 4 Axel Alonso is named editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics, replacing Joe Quesada.-September:*During the whole month of September DC Comics released 52 brand new titles as part of their The New 52 publishing scheme after canceling all titles in August.-Conventions:*July 2–3 -...	Len Wein Len Wein Len Wein is an American comic book writer and editor best known for co-creating DC Comics' Swamp Thing and Marvel Comics' Wolverine, and for helping revive the Marvel superhero team the X-Men...	Tom Mandrake
Batman - The '80s	October 2011	Mike W. Barr Mike W. Barr Mike W. Barr is an American writer of comic books, and mystery, and science fiction novels.-Biography:Barr's debut as a comics professional came in DC Comics' Detective Comics #444 , for which he wrote an 8-page back-up mystery feature starring the Elongated Man...	Jerry Bingham Jerry Bingham Jerry Bingham is an American artist who has worked in the fields of comic books, commercial illustration, and design...
Batman - The '90s	October 2011	Alan Grant	Norm Breyfogle Norm Breyfogle Norman Keith "Norm" Breyfogle is an American comic book artist, fine artist, illustrator, and writer. He was involved with the character of Batman consistently from 1987-1995. Breyfogle has worked on many different characters for most comic book publishers at one time or another...
The Flash Barry Allen The Flash is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Comics universe. He is the second character known as the Flash. The character first appeared in Showcase #4 , created by writers Robert Kanigher and John Broome and penciler Carmine Infantino. His name combines talk show hosts Barry Gray...  - The '70s	September 2011	Cary Bates Cary Bates Cary Bates is an American comic book, animation television and film writer.-Biography:Bates began submitting ideas for comic book covers to DC Comics at the age of 13, and a number of them were bought and published, the first as the cover to Superman #167...	Benito Gallego and Sal Buscema Sal Buscema Silvio "Sal" Buscema is an American comic book artist, primarily for Marvel Comics, where he enjoyed a ten-year run as artist of The Incredible Hulk...
The Flash Wally West The Flash is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash....  - The '80s	October 2011	William Messner-Loebs William Messner-Loebs William Messner-Loebs is an American comic book writer and artist from Michigan, also known as Bill Loebs and Bill Messner-Loebs...	Greg LaRocque Greg LaRocque Greg LaRocque is an American comic book illustrator.Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, LaRocque worked as an assistant teacher at the Professional Institute of Art while still a teenager. He started his art career in the advertising field...
The Flash - The '90s	October 2011	Brian Augustyn Brian Augustyn Brian Augustyn is an award-winning comic book editor and writer. He has often worked, as both an editor and writer, with writer Mark Waid.-Biography:...	Mike Bowden and Joe Seung
Green Lantern Hal Jordan Harold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker...  - The '70s	September 2011	Dennis O'Neil Dennis O'Neil Dennis J. "Denny" O'Neil is an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement....	Mike Grell Mike Grell Mike Grell is a comic book writer and artist, known for his work on books such as Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Jon Sable Freelance.-Early life:...
Green Lantern - The '80s	October 2011	Len Wein	Joe Staton Joe Staton Joe Staton is an American illustrator and writer of comic books.-Career:Staton started his work with Charlton Comics in 1971 and gained notability as the artist of the super-hero book E-Man...  and Andy Owens
Green Lantern Kyle Rayner Kyle Rayner is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually in those starring the Green Lantern Corps, an extraterrestrial police force of which Rayner is a member. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks, Rayner first appeared in Green Lantern vol...  - The '90s	October 2011	Ron Marz Ron Marz Ron Marz is an American comic book writer, known for his work on titles such as Silver Surfer, Green Lantern, Marvel vs DC, Batman/Aliens and Witchblade.-Career:...	Darryl Banks Darryl Banks Darryl Banks is a comic book artist. He worked on one of the first painted comic books, Cyberpunk, and teamed with the writer Mark Ellis to revamp the long-running The Justice Machine series for two publishers, Innovation and Millennium....  and Terry Austin Terry Austin (comics) Terry Austin is an American comic book artist, working primarily as an inker. He is best known for his work embellishing John Byrne's pencils on The Uncanny X-Men from 1977–1981.-Early life and career:...
Justice League Justice League The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....  - The '70s	September 2011	Cary Bates	Gordon Purcell Gordon Purcell Gordon Purcell is an American comic book artist, perhaps best known for his Star Trek work, in particular his photorealistic renditions of the actors who play that franchise’s characters, as well as those of similarly licensed books, such as X-Files, Xena, Lost in Space, Godzilla, The Young...  and Andy Smith
Justice League - The '80s	October 2011	Gerry Conway Gerry Conway Gerard F. "Gerry" Conway is an American writer of comic books and television shows. He is known for co-creating the Marvel Comics vigilante The Punisher and scripting the death of the character Gwen Stacy during his long run on The Amazing Spider-Man...	Ron Randall
Justice League - The '90s	October 2011	Keith Giffen Keith Giffen Keith Ian Giffen is an American comic book illustrator and writer.-Biography:Giffen was born in Queens, New York City....  and J. M. DeMatteis J. M. DeMatteis John Marc DeMatteis is an American writer of comic books.-Early career:Born in Brooklyn, DeMatteis graduated from Midwood High School and Empire State College. He worked as a music critic before getting his start in comic books at DC Comics in the late 1970s...	Kevin Maguire
Superman Superman (comic book) Superman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character Superman began as one of several anthology features in the National Periodical Publications comic book Action Comics #1 in June 1938...  - The '70s	September 2011	Martin Pasko Martin Pasko Martin Pasko is a writer and editor in a diverse array of media, including comic books and television.Pasko has worked for many comics publishers, but is best known for his work with DC Comics over three decades. He has written Superman in many media, including television animation, webisodes, and...	Eduardo Barreto Eduardo Barreto -References:...  and Christian Duce
Superman - The '80s	October 2011	Marv Wolfman Marv Wolfman Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...	Sergio Cariello Sergio Cariello Sergio Cariello is a Brazilian-American comic book artist. He has done work for many major comic publishers through his career, including Marvel Comics and DC Comics, as well as popular independent companies like CrossGen Comics and Dynamite Entertainment.-Career:Sergio Cariello knew he wanted to...
Superman - The '90s	October 2011	Louise Simonson Louise Simonson Louise Simonson, born Mary Louise Alexander , is an American comic book writer and editor. She is best known for her work on comic book titles such as Power Pack, X-Factor, New Mutants, Superman: The Man of Steel, and Steel...	Jon Bogdanove Jon Bogdanove Jon Bogdanove is an American comic book artist and writer. He is best known for his work on Power Pack, Superman: The Man of Steel, and for creating the character Steel with writer Louise Simonson in 1993.-Comics:...
Wonder Woman Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....  - The '70s	September 2011	Dennis O'Neil	J. Bone J. Bone J. Bone is an Eisner Award nominated Canadian comic book artist and writer who has worked on such titles as DC Comics' Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Super Friends...
Wonder Woman - The '80s	October 2011	Roy Thomas Roy Thomas Roy William Thomas, Jr. is an American comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. He is possibly best known for introducing the pulp magazine hero Conan the Barbarian to American comics, with a series that added to the storyline of Robert E...	Rich Buckler Rich Buckler Rich Buckler is an American comic book artist and penciller, best known for his work on Marvel Comics' The Fantastic Four in the mid-1970s and, with writer Doug Moench, co-creating the character Deathlok in Astonishing Tales #25...  and Joe Rubinstein Josef Rubinstein Josef "Joe" Rubinstein is a comic book artist and inker, most associated with inking Marvel Comics' The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.-Career:...
Wonder Woman - The '90s	October 2011	William Messner-Loebs	Lee Moder and Dan Green