Abstract: Graphene, consisting of a hexagonal arrangement of carbon atoms on a single plane with sp2 bond, is the two dimensional (2D) allotrope of carbon with a number of unique properties. Prompted by the blossoming research in graphene, much attention has been focused on graphene hybrids and other 2D materials, i.e. hexagonal boron nitride, TMDs （transition metal dichalcogenides）, silicene, etc. This paper presents a brief review of the history and status quo of researches on carbon-based 2D atomic layers, especially graphene and its related hybrids with boron and nitrogen, along with a discussion about what can be expected of studies on 2D carbon-based new materials in the near future.