Written by J.M. DeMatteis, Art by Michael Zulli & Vincent Locke, Legends of the DCU #35 is Part 3 of the 4-part story showcasing Hal Jordan as the new Spectre! Paralyzed and trapped by his psychic enemy, Caul, the Spectre fights his inner demons for the souls of everyone on whom he has ever passed judgment. Will he come to terms with his new mission and terrible power? Meanwhile, Caul is free to pursue his own ultimate goal: to escape his preordained death at the Spectre’s hands by triggering global armageddon!
This is one of the best Horror pages printed in a mainstream comic from the early Modern Era. Published as the inside front cover, this gorgeous, creepy full page splash of lost souls channels heavy Vertigo vibes. It’s a page one, title page and there is nothing else like it in the entire series.
J.M. DeMatteis reached prominence in the 1980s by creating DC’s Creature Commandos (coming to TV soon as part of James Gunn’s new DCU plan), winning awards for writing the gorgeous fairytale for adults, Moonshadow, as well as Kraven’s Last Hunt in the pages of Marvel’s Spider-Man comics and then famously rebooting the JLA as Justice League International –winning an Eisner Award in 2004 for the collected edition.
Michael Zulli is one of the truly great comic pencillers, best know for his own Puma Blues and for several gigs at DC’s Vertigo line, including Neil Gaiman‘s Sandman –for which he was nominated for three Eisner Awards.
Vincent Locke was frequently the inker of note on the best Vertigo comics, co-creator of A History of Violence (adapted as an Oscar-Nominated film by David Cronenberg), for which he won the Haxtur Award for Best Long Comic Strip, and created Dead World, which predated The Walking Dead by a full, fifteen years.
Spectre #20, 2nd App: Nicodemus Hazzard by John Ridgway
