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The Spectre Reading Order

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In comic books, dead men can come back to life to seek vengeance. Created by by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Bernard Baily, The Spectre belongs to this particular kind of superhero: the avenging spirit.

It all began a very long time ago when Aztar was part of a rebel band of angels led by Lucifer Morningstar. But he came to repent and was punished by becoming the vessel for God’s Wrath.

In More Fun Comics #52 (February 1940), hard-boiled cop Jim Corrigan is murdered by thugs and his spirit is then fused with Aztar/The Spectre. Together, they work to avenge victims and combat evil. He even was part of the JSA.

Jim Corrigan was The Spectre for a very long time, but he has not been the only host of The Spectre. The two other most important hosts were Hal Jordan (a famous Green Lantern) and Detective Crispus Allen. He would also sometimes wander hostless before being bound with another human host.

Though he is weaker without a host, The Spectre is one of DC Comics’ most powerful characters.

Throughout the years, the mythology surrounding him has been explored and expanded, and you can discover more about the Spectre in this following reading order!

The Spectre Reading Order

Jim Corrigan, host of The Spectre

The Golden Age era with More Fun Comics and All-Star Comics

Detective Jim Corrigan is murdered, but came back with a vengeance! Or more specifically, supernaturally empowered as The Spectre in the Golden Age of Superhero comic books. He soon joins the Justice Society of America in All-Star Comics.

Around the beginning of 1945, The Spectre simply disappeared from the DC Universe for 20 years.

The Spectre in the Silver and Bronze Age

The Spectre was revived in Showcase #60, more powerful than ever under writer Garner Fox and artist Murphy Anderson. The character is killed a few years later, only to be revived again.

A Modern Age Spectre

After Crisis on Infinite Earths and his fight against The Great Darkness, The Spectre was depowered but was also given his own series,  this time by writer Dough Mench. During this period, Corrigan is more central to the story, as an occult detective. The series lasted 31 issues.

The Spectre headlined a new series three years later, written by John Ostrander. If you know nothing about the Spectre, this is the perfect series to read, as he added some concepts to the Spectre’s history and explored moral issues.

Zero Hour: Crisis in Time! The biggest DC Event since 1985 Crisis on Infinite Earths, and The Spectre has a pivotal role in it. Go here for the reading order.

  • Zero Hour: Crisis in Time 25th Anniversary Omnibus
    Collects Zero Hour #0-4, stories from Showcase ’94 #8-9 and the Zero Month sampler and much much much more!
  • The Spectre (vol. 3) #0, #23-62
    Available on Kindle & Comixology

    • The Spectre (vol. 3) #0 is part of Zero Hour
    • The Spectre (Vol. 2) #35-36 are part of Underworld Unleashed.
    • The Spectre (Vol. 2) #47 is part of Final Night.
    • The Spectre (Vol. 2) #58 is part of Genesis.

Jim Corrigan’s soul finally finds peace, putting an end to his role as Spectre.

Hal Jordan, host to The Spectre

After Jim Corrigan ascended into Heaven, The Spectre Force wandered alone before being tricked to bond with Asmodel. Then, The Spectre goes on a rampage until Hal Jordan, the famous Green Lantern, became its new host (in Day of Judgement #5).

Hal Jordan is separated from the Spectre in Green Lantern: Rebirth #4.

Crispus Allen, host to The Spectre

Once again, The Spectre finds himself without a host and goes on another rampage, also going after the magic community before being bound to a new host, Detective Crispus Allen during Infinite Crisis (see reading order). Let’s notice that Crispus is killed by a corrupted cop named Jim Corrigan, but it is not the same Corrigan as the previous host of the Spectre. 

Following, The Spectre made several guest star appearances:

Jim Corrigan is back as the Host of the Spectre

The DC Universe was rebooted with New 52, as Jim Corrigan was back as the host of the Spectre with a new backstory introduced in Phantom Stranger. After that, he is a guest star or recurring character in a few titles including Batman Eternal. Spinning out of it, Detective Jim Corrigan stars in his very own series Gotham By Midnight!

After New 52 came Rebirth, an era where The Spectre appeared in Deadman and had his origin story once again revised in Detective Comics.

Following the Dark Nights: Death Metal event, the Infinite Frontier era started, and Jim Corrigan and The Spectre Force were eventually separated. A Dark Crisis is upon the DC Universe with Aztar being possessed by the Great Darkness and becoming part of the Dark Army.

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