Unique beards are the cool thing right now. I know that because the logging industry has apparently spread across the nation and all I see are these lumberjacks with some pretty sweet beards. Sure, they're uber-popular and the new "in thing," but without beards, the nation of balding men wouldn't have anything to look forward to in terms of facial-accessorizing.

Whether you like them or don't, we can all agree that they're pretty interesting. They offer something interesting on a probably uninteresting face. The thing is that not everyone has the ability to pull off a beard. For some, hair just doesn't grow all over the face and we get what I like to call a "goatee and friends" situation of patchy hair. For others, it just doesn't fit their face. We don't see full on beards in comics as much as we should, but at DC, there isn't a lot of beard action going on, sadly. However, when beards happen, they're pretty epic, so we thought we'd check out some of the best beards in DC's history.

Drugged-Out Batman

For a hero who has such a dark past and deals with so much pain, you'd expect Batman to have at least an always existing 5 o'clock shadow, much like Thomas Wayne did during Flashpoint. Alas, there are only a few times Batman has had an actual beard. However, it is the fullest and most ridiculous of beards at DC comics.

While Batman wasn't training to be Santa Clause when his hair goes grey, he did grow one while dealing with the after effects of using Venom in LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT. What makes this beard a top beard is how large it is for a man who is usually clean shaved. The beard isn't out of control though. It actually looks a bit trimmed. I guess when you lose yourself, you still have time to trim things up. Sadly, this beard didn't last too long because Batman decided to clean himself up and not look like Alan Moore anymore. We'll miss you, Batbeard. We hardly knew thee.

Aquaman's Sea-Salt Conditioned Beard

There was a time, where Aquaman wasn't a clean-cut king of Atlantis. He was the master of the harpoon-hand and the master of the underwater beard. Sure, Aquaman appeared with a pretty sweet beard in the New 52, but Mera wanted him to shave it, and my heart was broken.

The beard we want to discuss lasted for 9 years, before it was cool. Could you call Aquaman a trendsetter? Yeah, totally. His facial-locks paved the way for the beard champions we know and love today, like Jared Leto (RIP Leto's hair and beard). Maybe you could say that Jared Leto totally based his look on Aquaman. Actually, let's just say that. Sadly, all good things come to an end, and in AQUAMAN #3, in 2003, Aquaman cut his flowing hair and amazing beard because it was "time for a change," and beard-lovers everywhere shed a single tear. Rest in peace, Aquaman's beard: 1994-2003.

His Name Says it All

It's really hard to leave out someone on this list with "beard" in his actual name, although we have NO problem leaving No-Beard off this list for very obvious reasons. You might not know who All-Beard is because his major appearance was in the Seven Soldiers of Victory arc by Grant Morrison.

However, he's a guy whose name says it all. He's nothing but a giant, grey, bushy beard. Because of this, he's on this list. Plus, check out those amazing eyebrows. If that hasn't won you over, how about the fact he's a subway pirate after Father Box? During his run in SEVEN SOLDIERS: GUARDIAN, this glorious beard, attached to this pretty nutty man, showed everyone in the DCU that you too can be "all beard," in your heart.

Rip Hunter's Perfect, Subtle Beard

Rip Hunter travels through time and sports the best consistent stubble at DC. Sure he's had a beard here and there, but nothing says "trying to fix time" like a man who keeps his hair short, but lets the face grow a bit of stubble. Whether he's travelling with Booster Gold or just not appearing in any DC books (hint hint, DC), Rip Hunter, which is almost an AMAZING name, keeps his face looking rough and tough.

What does stubble say about a character? Well, one of two things: "I work so hard at my job that I forgot to shave" and "I'm too busy unemployed and eating hot pockets that I forgot to shave." Considering Hunter's slender physique, I'm pretty sure he isn't shoving hot pockets down his pie hole. Unlike other characters, there's no story behind this facial hair. It is what it is. Get lost with in the perfect of time travelling stubble.

The Smarmiest Beard at DC

Nothing describes a character's personality better than Oliver Queen's facial hair. While this may break the rule of talking about beards and the overall looks of these characters because this is a goatee, it's still worth noting that Green Arrow's facial hair is amazing. While Green Arrow is all about using arrows... and being green, his facial hair is totally a part of his character.

It all really depends on who is drawing his facial hair though. At times, it's all over the place and sometimes, it's sculpted to perfection. The mustache and goatee combination begs the question, "did Oliver develop his facial hair based on his personality or did his personality develop based on his facial hair?" It's one of the few cases where a character's facial hair could be it's own entity. Anyway, what I'm trying to get at here is that no one at DC has more iconic facial hair, with Sinestro's mustache at a very close second. Sure, he's not the top of this list, but he also doesn't look like a lion.

That Time Lex Luthor Was a Man-Lion

Lex Luthor II wasn't along very often, but when he was, he had the most glorious head of hair and beard that anyone had ever seen. Why does he look like this? Well, right before Superman was killed off by Doomsday, Lex Luthor had his brain put into a new body, but this time, the body had the most well-conditioned hair in beard in the history of DC.

Luthor's take on Abraham Lincoln's stout stance on "no mustache's allowed" gave Luthor an incredibly memorable appearance that folks are still talking to this day, and by folks, I mean me. Sadly, the days of hanging out with his Supergirl and the soft winds blowing through his utterly-fabulous hair ended way too soon, as Luthor was way more worried about creating a replacement of Superman, which ended up being Superboy, over his own health.

Lex Luthor II, you had the greatest hair/beard combo in the history of comics and we will miss you greatly.

There you have it. Some of the best beards a DC. Understandably, some of you may be saddened not to see Superman on here from the current ACTION COMICS run...

Well, he's kinda here now, in all of his dad-beard glory.

What are some of your favorite beards at DC comics? Should characters have beards or should they all be clean shaven?