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Elvira, Mistress of the Dark Comic Book’s History, From DC to Dynamite

Amateurs of horror are certainly familiar with Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Played by Cassandra Peterson, Elvira is a campy horror-themed TV hostess with a razor-sharp wit and an iconic gothic sense of style–her plunging black dress and beehive hairdo are immediately identifiable. She rose to fame in the early 1980s as the Movie Macabre star, a show featuring her clever, satirical, and innuendo-filled commentary on low-budget horror films. 

Her popularity led her to host another type of horror show, as she became one of the caretakers of DC’s House of Mystery, the horror anthology comic book. Since then, her adventures in comics have taken a different path, as she became the protagonist of a long-running series—not just the hostess—before coming back in a pop-culture-heavy series that Dynamite regularly publishes. So today, we are taking a look at Elvira’s comics history.

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Mystique Reading Order (X-Men)

Some mutants are older than they look. We all know that Wolverine‘s healing factor slowed down the effects of aging granting him an extended lifespan. But he is not the only Marvel mutant to have quite a long life. This is also the case of the mysterious and dangerous Mystique.

Mostly known as Raven Darkhölme, Mystique has hidden behind many aliases, such as Sherlock Holmes, Foxx, Surge, Raven Wagner, and more. Her true identity is still a mystery, despite having made her first appearance in Ms. Marvel #16 (January 1978), more than 47 years ago.

This unknown past fit quite well with the shapeshifting mutant terrorist who found her way to the Marvel Comics page by accident. Artist Dave Cockrum simply drew a beautiful woman who was colored by Paty Greer (the future Mrs. Cockrum) and Marvel colorist Andy Yanchus. When Claremont saw the design, he asked for information about her and if he could use her. He came up with the name Mystique and included her in Ms. Marvel.

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ROM: Marvel’s SpaceKnight, from failing toy to hit comics

In the late 1970s, the success of the Star Wars comics led to even more licensed comics. One of them was The Micronauts, a set of action figures that Bill Mantlo and Michael Golden turned into a successful comic book series. A success that Parker Brothers noted and hoped to be reproduced with one of his new toys, ROM the Spaceknight.

From The ROM Toys to The ROM Comics

Then Marvel Comics editor-in-chief, Jim Shooter asked writer Bill Mantlo and artist Sal Buscema–two creatives who were open to work on non-superhero comics, in fact, Buscema was the only artist who agreed to do it—to develop a story as the toy came with close to no story element.

Mantlo was not aware of the toy before that and immediately thought about doing something in the vein of 1950s sci-fi with a touch of Arthurian myths. He added tragedy and Brandy Clark, ROM’s human ally, who eventually becomes romantically linked with him. But Jim Shooter and editor Al Milgrom himself provided a few ideas.

The final result has often been compared to the Silver Surfer, but ROM the Spaceknight had his own rich mythology that helped him stand apart. ROM is a noble warrior from the utopian planet Galador who volunteers to become a Spaceknight—a cyborg warrior—to battle the Dire Wraiths, a shape-shifting alien species threatening the universe—his primary weapon is the Neutralizer, which banishes Dire Wraiths to Limbo. Rom sacrifices his humanity to become a Spaceknight, clad in powerful armor that enhances his abilities but also isolates him emotionally.

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John Stewart’s Evolution: From Green Lantern Backup to Corps Leader

Among the Green Lanterns from Earth, John Stewart is one of the most popular and he may be gaining more fans soon as he is one of the main characters in the Green Lantern TV Show coming on HBO–played by actor Aaron Pierre.

Created by Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams in Green Lantern vol. 2 #87 (1971), John Stewart was one of the first African-American superheroes to appear in DC Comics. Still, he didn’t immediately become one of the most prominent ones.

In fact, after this first appearance, he only came back four years later for a team-up with the Justice League of America (in Justice League of America #110, in 1974). He then continued to pop up only sporadically in Green Lantern comics until the mid-1980s with Crisis on Infinite Earths and his time as the main protector of sector 2814 in Green Lantern (from #182 to #200).

It was a slow start but John Stewart’s cosmic adventures are still going strong today.

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What to Read This Month: The Best Comics of April 2025

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Last month, we launched our new column, helping you navigate the overwhelming number of collected editions released each month. Between Marvel or DC Omnibus, the Epic Collection, DC Finest, Compact editions, and everything else publishers put out, there’s always way there’s always more to discover!

That’s why we’re back with a selection of notable releases for April, highlighting some great stories from members of the Batfamily, sci-fi stories, and an ecological tale. 

Without further ado, here are our picks for April!

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Comic Book News of The Week #3: A New History of the DC Universe and More!

What’s going on in the Comic Book World? Life can be pretty busy, so we highlight recent news and articles that may catch your interest!

Lost in the DC Universe Continuity? Mark Waid and a team of artists will make it easier to understand soon with New History of the DC Universe, a four-issue series that will align all of DC’s continuity over the past 90 years through the eyes of Barry “The Flash” Allen. 

“This is my dream project,” said series writer Waid. “It’s a chance to realign all of DC’s sprawling continuity into one master timeline, and to be joined by some of comics’ greatest artists to make it shine. With new information for even longtime fans, plus Easter eggs galore, this series will be an essential read for DC fans.”

The debut issue features art by Jerry Ordway and Todd Nauck, who join Waid in chronicling Barry Allen’s journey from the birth of the DC Universe to the rise of the Justice Society and the Golden Age of Heroes.

“I’m having an absolute blast with this project,” said co-artist Nauck. “Mark has come up with something cool for me to draw on every page, and it’s been an honor to share art chores with a comics legend like Jerry Ordway. The DC editorial team has coordinated a wealth of deep-dive references for me to draw from, and I’m learning new aspects of DC history I hadn’t known before—and I’ve been reading DC comics for decades!”

“As one of the artists who was part of Crisis on Infinite Earths in the 1980’s, added co-artist Jerry Ordway, I am thrilled to be involved in telling the story of this newest DC Universe with Mark and Todd.”

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Metamorpho: DC Comics’s Element Man, Rex Mason

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Metamorpho DC Comics Elemental Man

During the mid-1960s, unconventional comic book heroes like the Doom Patrol or the Metal Men found a bit of success at DC Comics. To build some more on what seems to be a trend, writer Bob Haney and artist Ramona Fradon were asked to create a new character in the same vein. The result was Metamorpho, who debuted in The Brave and the Bold #57 (January 1965).

Also known as the Element Man, Metamorpho found immediate success and started appearing in other popular comics like Justice League of America (even if he refused to become a full-time member). He also got his own ongoing comic book series, but it lasted only 17 issues. However, this was by far the end of the character.

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45 Must Read Comics about World War II

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This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Armistice of the Second World War. Considered the largest and deadliest war in history, involving more than 30 countries, WWII shaped the world we live in today. Causing immense human suffering and physical destruction on an unprecedented scale, its conclusion resulted in a reshaping of the world’s political, economic, and social systems, laying the groundwork for international relations for the remainder of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first century.

When it comes to our duty of memory, comics offer a unique way to revisit World War II. From historical accounts to personal experiences, they depict the war’s events, and figures, providing different perspectives on a conflict that shaped the modern world.

Explore our curated list of 45 World War II comics and graphic novels — from personal family sagas shaped by conflict to graphic depictions of the war’s most brutal battles. These stories capture the trauma, sacrifice, and enduring impact of WWII through intimate portraits and large-scale historical events.

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Micronauts: Marvel Comics went into the Micro Verse

In 1977, Marvel Comics was not doing that well until the movie Star Wars helped propel the newly launched comics based on George Lucas’s creation to the top of the charts. It was such a massive hit that the company started looking into more licensed comics, from Godzilla to Hanna-Barbera cartoon adaptations, Edgar Rice Burroughs comics, and Battlestar Galactica. It represented 20% of Marvel Comics’ production and some fans were not too happy about that. But it was a commercial success and it was not going to stop any time soon.

Introduced in 1974 by Japanese toy maker Takara (also known as Tomy in English), Mircoman was included in the line “Henshin Cyborg” but was not an 8 or 12-inch action figure, as it was the standard back then, but was 3.75-inch tall. The marketing used the size to sell the idea that this miniature bionic alien came from a place called Micro Earth. It was so successful that Microman got his own line. Soon, the American company Mego started importing them into the US under the name Micronauts.

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Lady Mechanika Reading Order, A Guide to Joe Benitez’s Steampunk Comics

Created by comic artist Joe Benitez, Lady Mechanika is a steampunk-inspired comic book series that debuted in 2010 with the one-shot Lady Mechanika #0 (later subtitled “The Demon of Satan’s Alley“). Originally published by Aspen Comics, then later under Benitez Productions, the series is composed of multiple miniseries.

Set in a steampunk world full of advanced Victorian-era technology, alchemy, and supernatural elements, the Lady Mechanika comic book series follows the adventures of a woman with mechanical limbs who has no memory of her past. Lady Mechanika is a detective and adventurer who is using her skills to uncover mysteries, battle villains, face off against shadowy organizations, and piece together the story of her origins.

Called by the tabloids “Lady Mechanika,” she’s the only survivor of a mad scientist’s cruel experiments that gave her mechanical limbs. With no memory of her past or captivity, she started a new life as an adventurer and private investigator, solving cases others couldn’t or wouldn’t. Still, she never gave up searching for the truth about her past.

With the help of Mr. Lewis, her loyal engineer who assists her with gadgets and technology, and later the young Winifred “Winnie” Huxley, Lady Mechanika navigates a world rich with clockwork automatons, airships, and a blend of science and magic. Read More »Lady Mechanika Reading Order, A Guide to Joe Benitez’s Steampunk Comics