14 best and worst retcons in comic book history

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The Joker, Jack Nicholson, Batman 1989, comic book

LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 22: A Joker costume from the 1989 Batman film worn by Jack Nicholson and designed by Rob Ringwood is on display at the DC Comics Exhibition: Dawn Of Super Heroes at the O2 Arena on February 22, 2018 in London, England. The exhibition, which opens on February 23rd, features 45 original costumes, models and props used in DC Comics productions including the Batman, Wonder Woman and Superman films. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) /

What are the best and worst comic book retcons in Marvel and DC Comics? Look no further than this list.

Simply put, a retcon in a comic book is when you’ve changed a character or a story in order to evolve a character or progress a story. It’s become a regular thing in comic books.

Sometimes it’s a great thing. We can look at Jason Todd as an example of this. When he was Robin, Jason Todd was despised on a level that even villains weren’t. To this day he’s known as the worst Robin of all time. The result was him being voted out of comics and killed by Joker (A Death in the Family). Seventeen years later, he was reborn and better than ever. As the Red Hood, he’s had some of the best development in DC Comics. So much so that people want more of him in movies and were excited to see him make his live-action debut in Titans.

There’s also terrible retcons like Spider-Man and Mephisto (we’ll get into that later). In this article, we’re going to highlight some amazing retcons. There’s also going to be some that make you scratch your head in confusion. Let’s begin with a fan favorite Dark Knight antagonist.

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