As the release of Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League approaches, many fans of DC Comics will be wondering if any other teams could make their way into the gaming sphere. DC Comics is filled with interesting teams, and the Justice League and the Bat-Family are probably best-known, fans don't see many others outside the comics and animated movies. With Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, fans will get the chance to experience characters such as Killer Shark and Captain Boomerang outside movie adaptations that often stray from the comic versions.
DC video games are influenced more by comics than movies. A good example is the Arkham series, which did not resemble Christian Bale’s Dark Knight, but was closer to many iterations of the comics with smaller villains like Calendar Man. There are many teams within the pages of comics that are loved by fans, and these are worthy of having video games that could help pave the way for a DC video game universe.
Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lanterns remain one of the most popular groups within DC Comics, with unforgettable standalone storylines and a leading role in most major events. In many ways, the Green Lantern Corps would make great protagonists for a series, opening DC games to extraterrestrial threats and could introduce big villains like the Anti-Monitor.
A Green Lantern game could focus on multiple Lanterns, as there are four major characters that have held the name in the comics: Hal Jordan, Jon Stewart, Guy Gardner, and Kyle Rayner. These games could also give other Lanterns, like Jessica Cruz and Alan Scott, a chance to shine despite being overshadowed by more popular Lanterns in the past. With DC games using more teams, the Green Lantern Corps would be a great way to expand the current universe while paving the way for the Justice League.
Team Arrow
By far, DC’s most successful gaming venture has been the Arkham series, which delivered a revolutionary combat system, open-world content, and a grim story. Green Arrow has long been compared to Batman for sharing tropes, as Oliver Queen and Bruce Wayne have similar origins. In many ways, Team Arrow is very similar to the Bat-Family, as both teams rely more on human physicality and weapons rather than superhuman power. This would make Team Arrow a wise choice to enter the fray as DC’s next Arkham-style series.
Green Arrow gained popularity with the release of the CW show Arrow, but a lot of the themes found in the comics were left out. A Team Arrow game could shift the focus away from Oliver Queen’s Green Arrow and focus more on his son, Connor Hawke. While fans would love to play as Queen, Connor Hawke is renowned for his hand-to-hand combat, and would translate much better to a video game. Further, these games could follow the Arkham series, with the first few titles centering Oliver Queen before he passes the mantle to his son.
Sentinels of Magic
The Sentinels of Magic are a group of sorcerers and wizards from the DC Universe that includes popular heroes such as Zatanna, Raven, and Doctor Fate. The group is often described as one that acts behind the scenes within the DC Universe, taking on magical threats as the Justice League protects the Earth from superpowered enemies. With a decent list of heroes to choose from, a Sentinels of Magic game could showcase DC’s magic-based characters using exciting combat and a deep storyline.
Magic-based video games have started to grow in popularity with the upcoming Hogwarts Legacy as games like Ghostwire: Tokyo gives players the chance to fight using old magic techniques. These ideas could be adopted to make many of the Sentinels more enjoyable characters. It has also taken part in numerous crossovers with other superhero teams, the Justice League and the Bat-Family included, which could open the possibility of a crossover game down the line.
The Arkham series breathed life into DC’s video game ventures and opened the way for numerous new titles. While Batman and his allies have combat styles that are much easier to recreate in a video game, Marvel has proven that there is a place for super beings in gaming with Spider-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy. While DC should continue to create more games with different characters, staying true to the comics and the style of games it has put out before should undoubtedly lead to more success.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League is in development for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S.