Funko truly expanded on before becoming a pop culture staple. While it has become normal for big movies to receive a lineup of various Funko products, comic books have had to wait their turn, despite DC’s long history with the company. But Funko’s large-eyed, big-head style makes it a lot easier to translate various character iterations into Pop! statues.
Originally, DC Funko Pops! came out in 2010 with a lineup of Justice League and Gotham City villains under the banner of "DC Universe." Since then, DC has remained one of Funko’s biggest franchises, with DC characters and designs populating every Funko product line. Funko has also included DC as part of its growing Dropp NFT collection, which saw rarer characters become limited quantity physical figurines. Even as the collectible market continues to change, one thing is undeniable: Funko makes some of the most comics-accurate products out there.
10 Superman Blue
DC Funko Pop! #419
A 2021 New York Comic Con exclusive, the Superman Blue Pop! stands apart from other DC Funko Pops! for its monochromatic blue color scheme and sparking translucent blue lightning, derived directly from the comics. Superman Blue and his counterpart Superman Red are iconic aspects of Superman lore, originally created by Leo Dorfamn and Curt Swan.
A year later, at New York Comic Con, Superman Red received a Funko Pop! as well.
In the beginning, these Superman variants stemmed from Superman himself splitting into two, giving him different powers and weaknesses, though newer iterations have retconned the powers to be more of a gained asset (like a suit) rather than a direct bodily change. Most recently, the legacy of Superman Blue returned when Superman’s son, Jon Kent, earned his own Superman Blue-like abilities during the events of the line-wide Lazarus Planet crossover.
9 Batman and the Joker from the White Knight Universe
A Two-Pack Funko Pop! Set
The world of Batman: White Knight by Sean Murphy has continued to expand since its first issue in 2017, and two of its most iconic figures have since been immortalized as a rare San Diego Comic Con exclusive Pop! duo set: the Funko Pop! DC Heroes: Batman White Knight: Batman & Joker. Part of what made the White Knight universe so unique was the immediate contrast between Batman and the Joker that got more and more gray as the series continued.
How the characters are represented by Murphy defines his universe, so it was appropriate that the first of any Pops! from the White Knight universe is its starring duo and their stylistic quirks: Batman’s thicker logo and handy whip and the Joker’s mocking Batman T-shirt. The White Knight universe has grown to include four volumes, with more coming, so more Pops! on the horizon would be well-received.
8 Future State Yara Flor
A "Pops! With Purpose" Vinyl Figurine
The only Future State Funko Pop!, Yara Flor made a bold Funko debut as part of Funko’s "Pops! With Purpose" line, ing Rivet, an organization devoted to helping young people create social change. Future State was a line-wide DC storyline that introduced a new, future Justice League, setting up storylines for younger heroes to eventually take over the mantles of their predecessors. For Yara, that would be Diana Prince, DC's main Wonder Woman.
Created by Joëlle Jones, Yara currently holds the title of Wonder Girl in DC Comics, sharing the name with fellow superhero Cassie Sandsmark. Yara’s introduction introduced the Esquecida tribe to the DC Universe, bringing a whole new facet to Amazon lore. Despite being the third Wonder Girl, Yara remains the only one to receive a Funko Pop! figure.
7 World's Finest Superman / Batman Fusion
DC Funko Pop! #506
Superman and Batman’s iconic symbols rarely mix, but they did when Superman and Batman made use of Green Lantern’s ring in Batman / Superman: World's Finest #4 by Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Tamra Bonvillain, and Aditya Bidikar, fusing into one being. The 2024 San Diego Comic Con exclusive Funko Pop! commemorated the moment Batman and Superman fused their wills into one to take on the demon Nezha.
The Pop! not only honors the long-lasting friendship that has quite literally traversed universes, but everything their friendship has wrought, as their fusion also carries Wonder Woman’s golden lasso of truth and bears gloves the color of Green Lantern’s willpower. It truly isn’t just a combination of Superman and Batman themselves, but of everything they’ve ever stood for. Talk about an iconic Pop! for an iconic moment - fitting for a SDCC exclusive.
6 Wonder Woman: Odyssey
DC Funko Pop! #405
One of Wonder Woman’s iconic costumes, the character design from Wonder Woman: Odyssey by J. Michael Straczynski, Phil Hester, and Eduardo Pansica was represented as part of Wonder Woman’s 80th anniversary Funko Pop! lineup, which saw many of Wonder Woman’s iconic looks come to life in Pop! figures for readers to collect.
Wonder Woman: Odyssey in particular re-told Wonder Woman’s origin and gave her a new look, with shorter hair and a leather jacket - and, controversially, pants. The name plays into Diana’s Greek heritage, hinting at the type of journey that was to come. Though it was eventually undone as part of the New 52's reboot, Odyssey still retains its impact on Wonder Woman and her legacy.
5 Wonder Woman: A Twist of Fate
DC Funko Pop! #406
Also included in Wonder Woman’s 80th anniversary lineup from Funko was the character design from Wonder Woman: A Twist of Fate by Meredith Finch and David Finch, in which Wonder Woman studies to replace Ares as the God of War. The costume gave Diana a new piece of weaponry: daggers connected to her wristbands.
While Wonder Woman has always traditionally carried a sword, this new design detail ensured she was never without a blade and gave an additional golden touch to her more modest warrior’s suit. This change to her costume was likely one of the reasons it was included as a Funko collectible, as the line honored Wonder Woman’s extensive history by showcasing her unique outfits and story lines.
4 Batman Who Laughs
DC Funko Pop! #256
Batman Who Laughs is one of Batman’s most iconic multiversal counterparts, which earned him an eerie Funko Pop! in 2018 complete with a studded metallic headpiece and scarily toothy grin - unique compared to the usual Funko Pop! style where characters generally have no mouth. A Bruce Wayne infected by Joker toxin, Batman Who Laughs played a crucial antagonistic role in DC’s massive Dark Nights: Death Metal crossover event, eventually becoming a much larger threat.
With his long coat and unusual use of metal chains, it’s no wonder DC chose to give this character a Funko Pop!, as he represents the worst of both Batman and the Joker combined. In addition to a Funko Pop! figure, Batman Who Laughs has also received a Funko Soda, a rare achievement for a comic character.
3 Flashpoint Superman
DC Funko Pop! #251
One of DC’s most iconic stories, Flashpoint by Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert introduces a world where a simple change to the past rewrote the present to be a bleak, violent landscape, altering the direction of every single character. Instead of landing in Kansas, for example, Superman’s pod crashed in Metropolis, where he was taken in by the American government to be experimented on.
Following Flashpoint Batman and Flashpoint Wonder Woman, Flashpoint Superman received a Funko Pop! documenting the changes made to his body as a Hot Topic exclusive. The Pop! also had the possibility of being a rare chase Pop!, which had red eyes that would glow in the dark.
2 Batgirl of Burnside
DC Funko Pop! #136
Barbara Gordon has worn a lot of costumes over the years, but the costume from her Batgirl of Burnside era is one of her most recognizable—so memorable, in fact, that it earned a Funko Pop!. Batgirl of Burnside by Cameron Stewart, Brenden Fletcher, and Babs Tarr is an arc from the New 52's Batgirl series that saw Barbara Gordon return to college in Gotham’s Burnside neighborhood. Her new indigo-colored leather outfit firmly puts Batgirl in the modern age, and her Burnside stories involved technological dilemmas, setting Barbara up against opponents truly on her level.
Part of the New 52’s intentions was to bring new readers to fresh stories, and that’s something Batgirl of Burnside accomplished by letting younger readers see themselves in Barbara’s boots as she faced juggling college with the terrifying consequences of what advancements in technology could wreak. The series also confirmed that Barbara’s accessibility aid in her spine that allows her to walk is flawed and won’t be everlasting.
1 Superman of Earth-23
Digital Funko Pop! #84
Funko’s collaborations with Dropp has allowed Funko to release lesser-known characters as figures in limited quantities, testing the waters of various fandoms. For DC, it meant other variations of characters could be explored, dipping both into the DC multiverse and its past. One of those characters was Earth-23’s Superman. Leader of his Earth's Justice League - and the multiverse’s Justice League Incarnate - Calvin Ellis has been long overdue for a Funko Pop! since his debut in 2009.
Only 4,250 Pops! were made for Earth-23's Superman.
He might also carry the title of Superman, but Calvin’s character is genuinely different - and in a good way. He doesn’t just stand for truth and justice, but for heroism across the multiverse. DC bringing his character to its Funko sets has opened a doorway for more Pops! born from DC Comics' multiverse.
