DC: The New Frontier is a six-issue comic book limited series written and illustrated by Darwyn Cooke, published by DC Comics in 2004. The story is set in the 1950s and early 1960s, bridging the gap between the Golden Age and Silver Age of comic books. It depicts a world where Cold War paranoia and social change are forcing classic heroes like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman out of the public eye, while a new generation of heroes—including Hal Jordan, the Flash, and Martian Manhunter—begins to emerge.
The narrative is heavily influenced by the political and cultural climate of mid-century America, incorporating historical figures like President Dwight D. Eisenhower and referencing events such as the Korean War and the civil rights movement. The central threat is a primordial entity known as the Centre, a sentient island that views humanity as a plague and seeks to eradicate it, forcing the disparate heroes to unite for the first time.
The series was a critical and commercial success, winning multiple Eisner, Harvey, and Shuster Awards. It is widely praised for its retro art style, which evokes the clean lines and optimism of 1950s illustration, and for its mature, thoughtful storytelling that examines the transition from the simpler heroism of the past to the more complex, science-driven heroes of the future. It stands as a definitive love letter to the history of DC Comics.