Wanted (2003)

As with Superman: Red Son, Millar claims that the concept for the series occurred to him when he was a child. In this case, it came to him after his brother told him that there were no superheroes any more because they had all disappeared after a great war with their respective supervillains. It was modified from a pitch by Millar for a Secret Society of Super-Villains series.

1986, the year of the aforementioned war in which the supervillains took over and made their world “darker and grittier”, has real world significance to the world of comic books. It marks the publication of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen, and the completion of the 1985-86 Crisis on Infinite Earths series.

Batman – White Knight Presents – Generation Joker (2023)

When the rebellious twins run away in a stolen Batmobile, only Joker Jack Napier’s quickly fading hologram has any hope of getting them home safely and keeping them out of the family business. But a life of crime isn’t the only temptation young Bryce and Jackie are facing: the kids uncover a dark secret that could bring their dad back to life for good!

With a wild array of Batman’s former enemies and allies on their tails, will the kids succeed in reviving the Dark Knight’s greatest foe?

The Marvels (2021)

A thriller that will take readers across the Marvel Universe – and beyond! Kurt Busiek (MARVELS) is back, with the biggest, wildest, most sprawling series you’ve ever seen – telling stories that span decades and range from cosmic adventure to intense human drama, from street-level to the far reaches of space, starring literally anyone from Marvel’s first heroes to the superstars of tomorrow! Featuring Captain America, Spider-Man, the Punisher, the Human Torch, Storm, the Black Cat, the Golden Age Vision, Melinda May, Aero, Iron Man, Thor and more – and introducing characters destined to be fan-favorites! Get to know Kevin Schumer – an ordinary guy with some big secrets – and the mysterious Threadneedle! But who (or what) is KSHOOM?

 

Droids V2 (1994)

In 1994, Dark Horse Comics published a new series of Star Wars: Droids, continuing the story started in Dark Horse Comics Nos. 17–19. Set before the events of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, the mini-series ran for six issues. A Special No. 1 was released in January 1995, followed by a second mini-series that ran for eight issues. A one-shot titled Star Wars: Droids – The Protocol Offensive was published in September 1997.

Starman V2 (1994)

In Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #1 (September 1994), writer James Robinson and artist Tony Harris introduced Jack Knight, the son of the first Starman. He wields a cosmically-powered staff, but refuses to wear a costume, instead preferring a T-shirt, leather jacket (with star emblem on the back), a Cracker Jack prize sheriff’s star, and light-shielding tank goggles. Jack briefly joined the JSA, but soon retired at the end of the Starman series, passing along his cosmic rod to the JSA’s young heroine, Stargirl. He starred in this critically acclaimed series from 1994 until 2001.

Amazing Spider-Man (Silver Age)

Due to strong sales on the character’s first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15, Spider-Man was given his own ongoing series in March 1963. The initial years of the series, under Lee and Ditko, chronicled Spider-Man’s nascent career with his civilian life as hard-luck yet perpetually good-humored teenager Peter Parker. Peter balanced his career as Spider-Man with his job as a freelance photographer for The Daily Bugle under the bombastic editor-publisher J. Jonah Jameson to support himself and his frail Aunt May. At the same time, Peter dealt with public hostility towards Spider-Man and the antagonism of his classmates Flash Thompson and Liz Allan at Midtown High School, while embarking on a tentative, ill-fated romance with Jameson’s secretary, Betty Brant.

By focusing on Parker’s everyday problems, Lee and Ditko created a groundbreakingly flawed, self-doubting superhero, and the first major teenaged superhero to be a protagonist and not a sidekick. Ditko’s quirky art provided a stark contrast to the more cleanly dynamic stylings of Marvel’s most prominent artist, Jack Kirby, and combined with the humor and pathos of Lee’s writing to lay the foundation for what became an enduring mythos.

E-Man (1983) First Comics

When Staton became art director at First Comics, the publisher acquired the rights to the character from Charlton and launched a series. Cuti was asked to write the title, but his obligations to DC Comics prevented him from accepting. The series was initially written by Martin Pasko, who had previously worked with Staton on Plastic Man and Metal Men. After Pasko’s run, Staton and Paul Kupperberg wrote the series until Cuti took over as writer with issue #24.

As a direct-market publisher not distributed to newsstands, the First series was not obligated to seek Comics Code Authority approval and could address more mature topics than Code-approved comics. Where the Charlton series featured broad whimsical themes, the First Comics series engaged in more specific satire directed at targets including the X-Men, Steven Spielberg, and Scientology.

The first 10 issues each contained a one-page parody of the Hostess snack advertisements that ran in comics through the 1970s and 1980s. These parodies were written and drawn by different creators and featured characters from across the independent comics industry.

Tales of the Unexpected (1960’s)

In response to the restrictions imposed by the Comics Code Authority, DC began a new science-fiction series in 1956. The series featured artwork by Murphy Anderson, Gil Kane, and many others, with stories by John Broome, Gardner Fox, and additional writers. It was an anthology comic for many years, publishing a variety of science fiction stories. The series featured Space Ranger as of issue #40 and running through #82 (April–May 1964) Other features included the “Green Glob” (issues #85–98, 100, 102, 103) and “Automan” (issues #91, 94, 97). The series’ last issue as Tales of the Unexpected was #104 (December 1967–January 1968). As of issue #105 (February–March 1968), the title was shortened to The Unexpected.

X-Men V5 (2019)

The flagship of the X-titles featuring world-building stories of the mutant renaissance featuring an overlapping cast members. Some of the stories include the introduction of Apocalypse’s grandson, Summoner, leading in to the X of Swords crossover; a new villain group called Hordeculture, featured later in the Empyre tie-in; Professor X, Magneto and Apocalypse attending the World Economic Forum; Mystique’s side mission during the attack on Orchis in House of X and the follow up mission to destroy Nimrod, leading into the Inferno storyline; the mutant rite Crucible, which is followed up in Way of X; and an adhoc team of Wolverine, Synch and Darwin assault of the Vault; the King Egg of the Brood race, a follow-up on a story started in the New Mutants; a tie-in to the Empyre event featuring Vulcan, and Magneto and the rest of the mutant nation fighting the Cotati; Cyclops, Marvel Girl and Storm helping with the kidnapping of Xandra, Majestrix of the Shi’ar Empire; and the X-Men election following its disbandment upon the formation of the Krakoan government.

Echolands (2021)

Hope Redhood, holds the key to excavating its dark, strange past—if only she and her crew can escape a tyrannical wizard and his unstoppable daughter. But fate will send them all on a path leading to a war between worlds.ECHOLANDS is a landscape format, mythic-fiction epic where anything is possible—a fast-paced genre mashup adventure that combines everything from horror movie vampires to classic mobsters and cyborg elves, to Roman demigods and retro rocket ships. It’s going to be a helluva ride!