[Dr Kain]

Next is a character with a mixed history of both good and bad. Sometimes he can work being a hero, other times, not so much. After all, I’m not so sure you really could call him a hero, because he is the spirit of vengeance when portrayed properly:



My introduction to Spectre came from the “Infinite Crisis” mini-series back in 2006, but I really did not enjoy the character until I read both “Crisis on Multiple Earths” and “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” In those issues, the Spectre is more of a super hero, but it was his fight against the Anti-Matter Man that made him stand out to me. The guy grew humongous and was fighting the Anti-Matter Man in space, which was pretty awesome. And then again when the threat of the Anti-Monitor appeared.

Nevertheless, I really like the idea of the Spectre being the spirit of vengeance, which is why I was glad to get to see him portrayed as such in both “The Brave and the Bold” and in the animated Showcase short found on “Crisis on Two Earths.” I loved the entire style the Showcase short was as it harkens back to what I have read from the 70’s “Adventure Comics” portrayal of him. I have nothing against him being a hero type character who teams up with other heroes, but Spectre is at his best when he is the spirit of vengeance. I do wish DC would collect his earliest stories in a paperback since the big Showcase collection only collects those from the mid-60s through the early 80s. It is also interesting to see Jim when he is written as more of a tortured soul because he can never truly rest in peace thanks to him having to be the Spectre. The issues whenever Gwendolyn Sterling constantly hounds him into loving her back, wanting marry him, and when he does come back to life only to be killed again pages later, really bring more into his character than others. Sure, you have characters like Deadman that are in search of redeeming their souls, but for Jim, he knows that no matter what he does, there is no end to having to avenge those who have been wrongly murdered.

Like Dr Fate, there have been multiple people who have donned the name Spectre, and my favorite is Jim Corrigan. I went back and read some of the stuff when Hal Jordan was the character and he just did not work for me at all. It just seemed like a weird move having a former Green Lantern be the spirit of vengeance, especially one of Hal’s caliber. The stories with Crispus Allen were not bad, but they weren’t exactly stellar either. Still, he was essentially my first introduction to the character, so I do have to give him credit there.

Another similarity to Fate is that the Spectre also does not have any true enemies to call his own. Most of his enemies only reside when he is part of the Justice Society or something like a zombie outbreak, but other than that, there is no one really outstanding to mention.

Overall, I love all of the mythologies surrounding the Spectre and his tormented soul. I love the entire concept of his character and the methods he uses when exacting his revenge be it turning a man who created killer manikins into a manikin himself that was then tossed into a fire or turning an evil fortune teller into glass and shattering him. There is no out running this ghostly vendetta when he comes after you.