The Spectre

Every October, I like to scour my own archives for the spookiest back issues available, but this year, one found me. It's like something out of a scary movie --- I went to my barber for a haircut and, mixed in with the regular magazines in the waiting area, they had an issue of The Brave and the Bold. It was one that I'd never read before, a terrifying team-up between Batman and the Spectre where they confront a mad sorcerer who wields the eldritch power of the Dragon God. And when I looked up from reading it, I discovered that the barber shop had closed down... ten years ago this very night!

For a character who's been on superhero teams since the '40s, the Spectre sure does tend to cause a whole lot of trouble. I mean, sure, sometimes it's the harmless fun of turning criminals into candles and burning them until the wax melts into a pool of eternal torment, but every now and then, the embodiment of the Wrath of God can go a little too far. Which, you know, is probably something someone should've told the Midnight Shift of the Gotham City Police Department. Alas, the message seems to have gotten to them too late. When Gotham By Midnight #10 by Ray Fawkes and Juan Ferreyra hits stores next Wednesday, Detective Corrigan is going to have a whole lot of trouble keeping his more wrathful half under wraps. Check out a preview below!

On November 26th, DC releases the first issue of Gotham By Midnight, a new series by Ray Fawkes and Ben Templesmith that blends black magic and police procedurals, and exposes the supernatural shenanigans that go on below the surface of Batman's hometown. Along with recent successes Gotham Academy, Arkham Manor, and the newly-revamped Batgirl, the book is part of a substantial overhaul and expansion of DC's Bat-family of titles under editor Mark Doyle. ComicsAlliance sat down with writer Ray Fawkes to get some insight on what he and Templesmith have planned for Detective Jim Corrigan -- who longtime DC fans know is the original host of the vengeance of God, the Spectre -- and his shadowy squad of GCPD operatives.

Q: Just re-read Gotham Central and it got me wondering, what's the deal with the Spectre? -- @BatIssues A: The Spectre was originally created in 1940 by Jerry Siegel and Bernard Baily, but it's worth noting that some sources -- including legendary editor Roy Thomas, who's about as big a fan of DC's Golden Age titles as you're likely to find -- give Siegel full credit for the whole concept, and that's the first interesting point. After all, Siegel is, as you may have heard, the co-creator of arguably the most enduring and significant character in comics history, who's known for his incredible physical strength: Slam Bradley. Oh, and also Superman, I guess.

Each weekday, ComicsAlliance brings you a carefully selected variety of links from around the web about comics and comics-related media, including movies, video games, toys, and whatever else might be worth noting. Quite frankly, these are items you may just need to know about to have a productive day. Take a look at today's hand-picked links after the jump.

It's safe to say that former Vertigo editor Mark Doyle has been blowing our minds since he took over as editor of DC's Batman line, launching and relaunching titles like Batgirl, Grayson, and Gotham Academy that feel exciting, entertaining, and refreshingly different from DC's "house style." Now add another title to the pull-list; the horror series Gotham By Midnight, by Ray Fawkes and Ben Templesmith. Gotham By Midnight tells the story of the Gotham City Police Department's horror beat, the "midnight shift" that deals with monsters, ghosts, and a creepier class of creep. The book is headlined by a familiar name from the Bat-universe, Detective Jim Corrigan -- who happens to be host to the vengeful divine force The Spectre. It sounds like Gotham By Midnight has the potential to be a very left-of-center Gotham Central.

As hopeful as Justice League fans are about the possibility of DC Comics' flagship heroes teaming up in a proper feature film come 2015, it seems those currently enjoying the magical and mystical corner of DC's New 52 in titles like Swamp Thing and Justice League Dark have just as much to be excited about in the not-too-distant future...

It was just last month that we told you about Boston Brand aka Deadman's possible possession of The CW Network, but it seems yet another supernatural DC Comics character may be haunting your televisions in the not too distant future: The Spectre...

After years of pairing its animated features starring A-list characters with shorts showcasing arguably lesser-known quantities, Warner Home Video is pulling a Pixar and packaging its less-lengthy tales into the "DC Showcase Original Shorts Collection" on November 9...