Even superheroes can use a little help from their friends every now and again, and the great news is that the DC Universe is full of some top tier friendships—bromances if you will—that allow for just that. These cape-and-cowled pals have proven time and time again that friendship can be a powerful tool against all kinds of cosmic forces—it can even transcend the laws of time and space in the right circumstances! Let's take a look at eight of the DCU's very best and most enduring bromances, from decades-long partnerships to accidental BFFs and everything in between.
 

1) Bruce and Clark

The original best bros of the DCU, Superman and Batman have been friends since the late 1930s when they first (briefly) met in the pages of Superman #76. That's a whopping 84 years, for anyone interested in doing the math. Since then, the two titans have had each other's backs time and time again. They've shared ongoing team-up books, fallen out, reconciled, starred in films, gone on double dates—you name it.
 

2) Hal and Barry

Spoilers, but this is actually one of two times you're going to see Hal Jordan appear on this list—apparently the second Green Lantern is a social butterfly! This time, however, we'd like to highlight his connection with bestie Barry Allen. While the two have been interacting with one another for years, you can see a version of their first meeting in The Flash Annual #2 and get a great taste of what their friendship is like throughout the New 52's Justice League comics!
 

3) Booster and Ted

Bruce and Clark might be the original bromance of the DCU, but Booster Gold and Ted Kord might be the most prolific. The two of them together aren't known as 'Blue & Gold' for nothing! With a friendship that started back in their Justice League International days and stayed true, even through death, Booster and Ted have been palling around, pestering Martian Manhunter, and generally being friendship goals for decades.
 

4) Wally and Dick

Bruce isn't the only hero in Gotham City to have a super-powered best friend. Dick Grayson's connection with Wally West started back during their days as the original Teen Titans and persisted through adulthood. You can even read the story of how they used to take yearly vacations together in a one-shot story in The Flash Plus!
 

5) Maps and Olive

Boys aren't the only ones allowed to have bromances—we love besties of all genders. Just take a look at Maps Mizoguchi and Olive Silverlock, two unlikely friends who first met up in the pages of Gotham Academy. The two of them wound up working together as amateur detectives to solve some of the Academy's more bizarre mysteries and became almost inseparable in the process.
 

6) Billy and Freddy

It's hard to be a teenager who can become an adult superhero with all the powers and abilities of a whole pantheon of magical gods, so it's critical to have some good friends to keep you from losing your cool. Thankfully, Billy Batson has the entire Shazamily these days, but back in the beginning, his best friend Freddy Freeman was key to supporting him. Freddy and Billy may not always see eye to eye on how to use their abilities, but they always work things out in the end.
 

7) Tim and Kon

Bruce and Clark were definitely the blueprint for this specific Gotham City/Metropolis crossover. Tim and Kon were their generation's Batman/Superman duo, having met up originally in the pages of Young Justice before going on to form their own iteration of the Teen Titans with their friends Bart Allen and Cassie Sandsmark. The whole team shared an immeasurable bond with one another, but Tim and Kon went to a whole other level. Tim even briefly considered using a Lazarus Pit to revive Kon after his untimely (and ultimately temporary) death, despite knowing the risks.
 

8) Hal and Ollie

If this list proves anything, it's that opposites really do attract sometimes. Hal Jordan and Oliver Queen's most famous team-up, the Green Lantern/Green Arrow series showcased just how differently these two men moved through their respective lives, with Hal being the by-the-books officer of the GLC and Ollie being the anti-establishment bleeding heart. Sure, these differences caused a lot of friction over the years, but also established an unbreakable bond that transcended death. If that's not a bromance for the ages, we don't know what is.
 

Mason Downey writes about comics, movies and superhero history for DC.com. Look for more of his work on GameSpot, IGN and Polygon and follow him on Twitter at @rustypolished.

NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this feature are solely those of Mason Downey and do not necessarily reflect those of DC Entertainment or Warner Bros., nor should they be read as confirmation or denial of future DC plans.