Berni Wrightson Master of the Macabre was created by Bruce Jones with the full cooperation of the master himself. Originally published by Pacific Comics, it reprints Wrightson’s early horror stories, some of which appear here in color for the first time. The series ended with issue #4 but was briefly continued when it was picked up by Eclipse, which published issue #5.
One of Pacific Comics first titles, the original run of Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers lasted thirteen issues, plus a special, through January, 1984. All were written, illustrated, and edited by Jack Kirby.
In the last issues of the Pacific series, Kirby crafted an origin story for Captain Victory which he tied into the New Gods comic book that he had written and drawn for DC Comics in the 1970s. It was suggested that Captain Victory was the son of Orion, of the New Gods. Orion was not specifically named, but a number of clues were planted, including equipment said to belong to Captain Victory’s father that was identical to the astro-harness ridden by Orion in the earlier series. Additionally, Captain Victory’s grandfather, Blackmaas, was illustrated only as a cast shadow, but a shadow that to many readers bore a resemblance to Orion’s father, Darkseid.
Elfquest (or ElfQuest) is a cult hit comic book property created by Wendy and Richard Pini in 1978. It is a fantasy story about a community of elves and other fictional species who struggle to survive and coexist on a primitive Earth-like planet with two moons. Several published volumes of prose fiction also share the same setting. Elfquest was one of the first comic book series to have a planned conclusion. Over the years Elfquest has been self-published by the Pinis through their own company Warp Graphics, then Marvel Comics,[ then the Pinis again, more recently DC Comics and then Dark Horse Comics.
The Hero Discovered follows Kevin Matchstick, an alienated young man who meets a wizard called Mirth and discovers that he, among other things, possesses both a magic baseball bat and superhuman abilities. In the course of the comic, he defeats the nefarious plans of a being called the Umbra Sprite. He ultimately discovers that Mirth is Merlin, the baseball bat is Excalibur, and he is, in some ambiguous way, King Arthur. All the chapter titles are lines from Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
The Badger was originally published by the short-lived Capital Comics company and then First Comics. He was created by writer Mike Baron in 1983 and published through the early 1990s in a titular series that ended when First Comics also ceased all publications. Since the ongoing series ended in 1991, new Badger titles have been released through Dark Horse Comics, Image Comics and IDW Publishing.
Megaton Man is a creator-owned comic book series published by Kitchen Sink Press beginning in 1984. Donald Simpson wrote and drew the series, in which the title character first appeared and starred. The original Megaton Man series ran for ten issues, but the character was later revived in a limited series, The Return of Megaton Man, and a series of one-shot issues spun off from the concept. In 1994, Simpson left Kitchen Sink to form his own company, Fiasco Comics, through which Simpson self-published his new title Bizarre Heroes, featuring Megaton Man (and many members of his old supporting cast) as part of a large ensemble cast.
The Brute is a Neanderthal who is thawed from a block of ice after thousands of years of entombment. Part of the short-lived Atlas superhero line from former Marvel publisher Martin Goodman.
Silver Star is written, and drawn by Jack Kirby, first published by Pacific Comics in 1983. Featuring a title character who becomes super-powered due to genetic mutation, the series continued Kirby’s run of creator-owned work. Reprints of the original series and new stories based on it have subsequently been published by other comic book companies.
Wu Teh and his brother Ling were augmented by the radiation they were exposed to from the explosion of the dormant bomb on top of Mt. Fuji. Though it is never shown exactly how this radiation changed them, it is implied that like their grandfather, they became full of vigor and strength. Beyond these abilities, Wu Teh was a skilled martial artist who mastered several forms of hand-to-hand combat while at the monastery in the Himalayas.
The Scorpion ran three issues, cover-dated February to July 1975. The premiere was written and drawn by character creator Howard Chaykin. On the second issue, Chaykin’s pencil art was inked by the team of Bernie Wrightson, Michael Kaluta, Walt Simonson and Ed Davis.
Citing lack of control over his creation, Chaykin quit and the third issue was produced by writer Gabriel Levy and penciler Jim Craig, with uncredited inker Jim Mooney.
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