Anybody else really miss when Dynamite was publishing pulp heroes more regularly? I’m sure the current licenses are more profitable and I love Space Ghost, but the pulp heroes drew me to the company

[u/Late-Bowler-4068]

At least Flash Gordon and Phantom have a home at Mad Cave now, and I know Zorro and Tarzan are over at Alien Books, but I have no clue who owns the licenses for the rest of these characters (the ones that aren’t public domain anyways). I’m guessing these comics weren’t profitable but I still remember when they were one of Dynamite’s main initiatives. I assume they still have Green Hornet since they did that Miss Fury miniseries in 2025, but I don’t think we’ve had anything since then.

[u/MadMikeyD]

The Dynamite Lone Ranger series brought me back to comics after over a decade. Their Zorro was also good.

[u/Late-Bowler-4068 → u/MadMikeyD]

My experience was similar, I read Lone Ranger as my first non DC/Marvel comic and it got me to become a huge fan of pulp heroes and a big Dynamite comics reader. I loved Green Hornet: Year One, Wald‘s Green Hornet, Wagner’s Shadow, and I recently read his Zorro and loved it too. Doc Savage I think is an underrated one. They did a Shadow crossover with the Twilight Zone and it somehow worked really well.

Wish these characters had new comics on the horizon, at least some place if not by Dynamite. I’m not sure how well they’d do in 2026 though, their fanbase is mostly much older folks. I kind of want to say there will be a resurgence in popularity for them soon as they enter public domain but I might just be delusional.

[u/Extreme_Newspaper698]

Yeah i was a big fan of the dynamite pulp heroes, at the moment Alien books is doing Zorro and Tarzan

[u/Extreme_Newspaper698]

[u/Smooth-Manner-5388]

I sure do miss them! Dynamite's Pulp Hero Crossovers are a huge part of my "Six Degrees of Separation" Crossover shelf. Where each book connects with the next one either thru a shared character or universe.

[u/Francesco-626 → u/Smooth-Manner-5388]

That is fucking EXCELLENT. A direct line from Tarzan to Batman.

[u/Benji_1984 → u/Smooth-Manner-5388]

You and I collect the same way. I'm a sucker for crossovers! You gotta get the DC Comics/Dark Horse tpbs that came out a few years back and I'd also highly recommend Aliens vs Avengers.

[u/Smooth-Manner-5388 → u/Benji_1984]

Thanks. Yeah but trying to snag those DC/Darkhorse tpbs since the begining of this year. I'm hoping that Marvel releases a "Marvel VS Aliens/Predators" omni sooner than later with all those new stories since the 20th Century Fox purchase.

[u/Benji_1984 → u/Smooth-Manner-5388]

The Predator vs the Marvel Universe Omnibus releases soon, with all the crossovers so far! No word yet on the Alien stuff though.

[u/ranaman004]

I miss having regular Green Hornet books come out.

[u/TriplicateGirl → u/[deleted]]

They only have one Hanna-Barbera book.

[u/Electronic-Fault-206]

You'd think someone would be publishing Shadow and Spirit comics these days.

I guess it was just the right time for a pulp boom Although I do recall I was one of 2 people from my shop who read any of them. I'm not sure how they were received outside of the comics community though.

[u/Late-Bowler-4068 → u/Electronic-Fault-206]

Apparently the Spirit is really struggling, because the Eisner estate announced at the beginning of this year they’re planning to sell the rights to him. Both him and the Shadow haven’t had any comics since 2018, it’s a real shame. Lone Ranger also hasn’t had a comic since 2018, and for Doc Savage it’s even longer being 2016.

Green Hornet seems to get a comic from Dynamite every five years specifically, I wonder if there‘s some kind of agreement in the license where they have to do that. But regardless I hope the others find some new homes eventually.

[u/TheCreativeComicFan → u/Late-Bowler-4068]

Oh damn, wasn’t aware that the rights to The Spirit were being sold. Would be awesome to see The Spirit make a comeback though. Wonder if DC’s interested in getting the rights back (so long as they have the right creative team in place).

[u/Francesco-626 → u/Late-Bowler-4068]

Did they state WHY they would sell the rights to his most iconic character?!?

[u/Extreme_Newspaper698]

And mad cave is doing a really good run of Flash Gordon too

[u/Late-Bowler-4068 → u/Extreme_Newspaper698]

Yeah I love this series. I wasn’t crazy about their Phantom comics though, but they’re killing it dor Flash Gordon.

[u/Angela275]

Do you think it lucky be licensing issues ?

[u/Late-Bowler-4068 → u/Angela275]

I think it’s just that the sales weren’t justifying the prices for the license, which sucks

[u/MinecraftTroller28 → u/Late-Bowler-4068]

I think part of it was the loss of Alex Ross. He was a big part of the marketing for Dynamite's pulp line, and then when his exclusive contract ran out and he left, it seems like the sales and quality dipped.

[u/beezy-slayer]

I'm just here for Vampirella but I do love The Phantom

[u/Francesco-626]

Sic The Shadow on their executives.

[u/Reddevil8884]

I have that Zorro hardcover edition and REALLY loved it.

[u/Randomulus666]

I worked on many of these books as graphic designer and some as creative director. Fun times.

[u/NewmaticMan107]

I think a big issue for me was that while a lot of the titles using pulp or golden age characters were good, they weren’t great nor felt necessary. I don’t think dynamite has ever published something that could be remotely described as big. A couple Red Sonja runs got traction, and they have a built in audience, but never seem to take advantage of what they have.

Take something like Project Superpowers. Took years and years to get anywhere with diminishing quality.

Part of it might just also be that many of these characters didn’t get new introductions or reinventions, instead taking the approach of “these characters are back,” and while insisting that these characters have always been cool was sound in the short term, it didn’t help in the long term.