Captain Marvel Adventures (1946)

Whiz Comics #2 (cover-dated Feb. 1940) was published in late 1939. The comic’s lead feature introduced audiences to Billy Batson, an orphaned boy who, by speaking the name of the ancient wizard Shazam, is struck by a magic lightning bolt and transformed into the adult superhero Captain Marvel. Shazam’s name was an acronym derived from  the six immortal elders who grant Captain Marvel his superpowers: Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury.

In addition to introducing the main character, his alter ego, and his mentor, Captain Marvel’s first adventure in Whiz Comics #2 also introduced his archenemy, the evil Doctor Sivana, and found Billy Batson talking his way into a job as an on-air radio reporter with station WHIZ. Captain Marvel was an instant success, with Whiz Comics #2 selling over 500,000 copies. By 1941, he had his own solo series, Captain Marvel Adventures, while he continued to appear in Whiz Comics, as well as periodic appearances in other Fawcett books, including Master Comics.

The Hobbit (1989)

In 1989, Eclipse comics published a three-part comic book adaptation with a script by Chuck Dixon and Sean Deming and illustrations by David Wenzel.

  • Unwin Paperbacks released a one-volume edition in 1990, with cover artwork by the original illustrator David Wenzel.
  • Del Rey Books released a reprint collected in one volume in 2001. Its cover, illustrated by Donato Giancola, was awarded the Association of Science Fiction Artists Award for Best Cover Illustration in 2002.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Flaming Carrot Crossover (1993)

The TMNT are onboard a blimp, traveling to Central America after a devastating storm has crippled much of North and South America. The Turtles are accompanying Colonel Blade, who is using the dirigible to bring relief supplies to those affected by the storm. Upon landing and unloading, Blade receives new instructions from the local ambassador: he’s to travel to the Abecero Penninsula and restore contact with a missing research team. Joining the Colonel and the Turtles on the mission will be archaeologist Professor Daub.

Meanwhile, back in the USA in the secret headquarters of the Mystery Men, the team of unsual heroes (Flamng Carrot, Bondoman, The Shovelor, Mystic Hand, Star Shark, The Zeke’s, the Spleen, Screwball and Mr. Furious) is called into action to find the same research team that the TMNT and Blade are seeking.

Deathmate (1993)

In a world that had been long since become a terrible place, Solar reluctantly granted the wish of his lifelong companion, Gayle Nordheim to dissipate the lifegiving energy that had kept her alive and young for so long. So unable to contain his grief over her death, Solar was literally split in two. The remaining Solar vanished into a life of seclusion while the new persona went off to find other planes of reality to explore.[3]

There, in a dimension between what is real and unreal, he encountered a creature of incredible power, a woman from a distant universe, Void. The two fell in love, a love that wound end all time literally. Upon consummating, their combined energies fused, unwarping the fabric of time, spiraling backwards and eating away at their distinct timelines. In an instant, things were not as they should be: heroes fought alongside those who had been their enemies in a different world; great men who would bring justice to the world died horrible, untimely deaths. Only men with the gift of foresightGeoff McHenry and Prophet, knew that all was not as it should be. Where they had seen a future so clearly before, there was now nothing.

Geoff and Prophet are resolved to gather the heroes of this amalgamated universe together to fight the battle to save all time.

Grim (2022)

Jessica Harrow is dead. But her journey has only just begun! Discover the world of the afterlife, where Jessica has been recruited as a Reaper, tasked with ferrying countless souls to their final destination. But unlike the rest of the Reapers, she has no memory of what killed her and put her into this predicament. In order to unravel the mystery of her own demise, she’ll have to solve an even bigger one – where is the actual GRIM REAPER?

Glamourpuss (2008)

Glamourpuss is a Canadian independent comic book written and illustrated by Dave Sim which was published from April 2008 to July 2012 and ran for 26 issues. The comic was published bimonthly, with 24 pages of story and art, and back issues remaining available throughout the comic’s print run. The premise of the book is threefold: a parody of fashion magazines, a history of photorealism in comics, and a surreal super-heroine comic.

Planet Comics (1940)

Planet Comics was a science fiction comic book title published by Fiction House from January 1940 to Winter 1953. It was the first comic book dedicated wholly to science fiction. Like most of Fiction House’s early comics titles, Planet Comics was a spinoff of a pulp magazine, in this case Planet Stories. Like the magazine before it, Planet Comics features space operatic tales of muscular, heroic space adventurers who are quick with their “ray pistols” and always running into gorgeous women who need rescuing from bug-eyed space aliens or fiendish interstellar bad guys.

Real Heroes & True Comics (1941)

One of the first series of comics dedicated to educational topics was True Comics, published by Gworge J. Hecht’s Parents’ Magazine Press, beginning in 1941. Designed to convey not only information but also wholesome attitudes, the series covered a variety of materials, but many issues were devoted to patriotic stories from American history or to biographies of famous American (and occasionally non-Americans, such as Winston Churchill) from the past. The series also included stories of the exploits of the FBI, designed to heroize law enforcers and demonize criminal. These fact-based comics were enough of a commercial success that the series ran until 1950.

Web of Evil (1952)

From the people who brought you Captain Marvel comes horror. Web of Evil was an anthology horror comic published by Quality Comics, and was acquired by DC Comics when DC bought Quality in 1956. It rivaled EC’s horror comics, often considered the measuring stick for greatness in this genre. With its smart writing, consistently high-end artwork, and willingness to push-the-envelope with its, violent, graphic depiction of scenes of the macabre, Web Of Evil, as with several EC horror titles, ended up getting Quality Comics in hot water, metaphorically.

 

Seduction of the Innocent (1985)

In homage to the great pre-Code horror comics, Eclipse Comics presented its own Seduction of the Innocent, reprinting classics from now-forgotten National Comics and Toby Publishing.