While my usual modus operandi for Five Comics is to put together a theme that feels topical for something going on in the week, I'm always trying to workshop more out-there themes with more experimental groupings. Here's one that I'm very excited to explore. THE THEME: Comic books as they're known now are generally accepted to have truly begun when Action Comics #1 (Superman's debut) came out in 1938, officially kicking off the Golden Age of Comics. However, vigilante characters like Batman that most people alive today associate with comics predate comics themselves, appearing in pulp magazines (which themselves can be considered the predecessors of modern comics) and even radio shows. My selection of five today will feature such characters from before the age of comics, all of which have been reimagined by Dynamite Comics for the modern day. Now, my familiarity with this era of literature is extremely limited (I know a bunch of characters, but only through adaptations), so this is as much a learning experience for me as I'll be taking the time to look some of these names up. THE COMICS: ![]() THE BLACK BAT #1 Publisher: Dynamite Comics Writer: Brian Buccellato Artist: Ronan Cliquet Not to be confused with DC's Batman, this Black Bat came along right around the same time as the Dark Knight (and that apparently led to legal disputes back then). This guy is a lawyer named Tony Quinn who went blind (that sounds familiar...) after a case gone awry. He now moonlights as a vigilante out for revenge against his corrupt former clients. You only get bits and pieces of this origin in this issue, and there's an interesting twist at the end that I don't think was a thing in the original stories. ![]() GREEN HORNET (2018) #1 Publisher: Dynamite Comics Writer: Amy Chu Artist: German Erramouspe Odds are you might be familiar with the Green Hornet by way of the 2011 movie starring Seth Rogen, but the character has existed since 1936, having debuted in a radio drama. This particular comic is set in the modern day, as it's Britt Reid Jr. who's taken up the mantle. Unfortunately, he's gone missing, so it's up to Kato (the original Green Hornet's partner, who's now an old man) and his daughter to find him. It doesn't seem like they're about to find him anytime soon, though, so in the meantime, someone has to step up as the new Green Hornet before all the criminals take notice. ![]() THE LONE RANGER #1 Publisher: Dynamite Comics Writer: Brett Matthews Artist: Sergio Cariello Like the Green Hornet, you've probably heard of the Lone Ranger thanks to a movie that came out in the early 2010s, but he got a similar start as the lead of a radio drama that debuted in 1933. This comic follows the classic origin story almost verbatim, as John Reid, a young Texas Ranger, manages to survive an ambush set up by outlaws thanks to the intervention of Tonto, a Native American who eventually becomes the Lone Ranger's companion. ![]() THE SHADOW #1 Publisher: Dynamite Comics Writer: Garth Ennis Artist: Aaron Campbell The Shadow has an interesting history, with origins going back as the narrator of a radio show and eventually starring in his own magazine all the way back in 1931. In this one, we see a tiny bit of the titular character using some of his almost supernatural abilities to take down a whole crowd of criminals, as well as his alter ego Lamont Cranston talking to bigwigs. ![]() THE SPIDER #1 Publisher: Dynamite Comics Writer: David Liss Artist: Corton Worley The Spider is kind of the same style of vigilante as the Shadow (similar aesthetic, gratuitous use of guns, morally gray), though he came along two years later, and borrows from Zorro in that he brands his victims. This version retains some elements of the original (name, associates, origin), but the setting is now in modern day, and the story's building up an encounter with a mysterious villain. Though a lot of what I read here are reimagined versions of characters who are nearly a century old, it was still a fun exercise to read about them and then look up their decades-long histories (including aspects of their stories that carried over to these versions). Seeing how the superhero tropes of today were present/got their start from characters like these was a really enjoyable and informative experience, especially as a lifelong fan of comics. Hopefully this selection was as interesting to you as it was to me; I don't know about anyone else, but I love reading about stuff I know very little about, and I like digging up obscure trivia. PANEL(s) OF THE WEEK: - end -
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