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Scarab (Vertigo)
Encyclopedia
Scarab is an American comic book
limited series
written by John Smith
and published by the Vertigo imprint
of DC Comics
, featuring a superhero
called Scarab.
It ran for only eight issues between November 1993
and June 1994
, although the character later reappeared in DC's Justice Society of America
series.
asked John Smith
for his ideas about a possible Doctor Fate
series. However, Smith's proposal was deemed "too extreme" for an established character and he was asked to rework the ideas for DC's mature readers imprint Vertigo, giving the line their interpretation of DC's Golden Age history and characters. Scarab was subsequently cut down from an ongoing series
to a limited series
, which, with pencils by Scot Eaton
and inks by Mike Barreiro, ran for eight issues between 1993-1994.
agents, Dazzler and Creed, appear in Scarab #7. A lot of John Smith's stories are set in the Smithiverse and are usually part of a broader plan but the appearances in Scarab was more due to the problems that Smith had encountered with the series, "by that time I was probably just so sick of the thing I thought - 'Fuck it. I’ll rip off my own story' – and stuck in ‘Indigo Prime’ as a lazy way out.".
#1, the book that began the new JSA series in 1999, James Robinson and David S. Goyer
refer to Sendak. Wesley Dodds asks the Gray Man to contact the old man in regards to finding the baby that will become the new Doctor Fate. In issue #1 of JSA he appears in uniform at the funeral of Wesley Dodds and later tells the JSA members some of his history, including that he "dropped out of sight after '44". The character has since appeared in JSA #16 and 18, in a storyline written by Goyer and Geoff Johns
.
American comic book
An American comic book is a small magazine originating in the United States and containing a narrative in the form of comics. Since 1975 the dimensions have standardized at 6 5/8" x 10 ¼" , down from 6 ¾" x 10 ¼" in the Silver Age, although larger formats appeared in the past...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
written by John Smith
John Smith (comics)
John Smith is a British comics writer best known for his work on 2000 AD and Crisis.Smith's work is characterised by intricate, sometimes obscure plots and an interest in taboos and the occult, told in an elliptic, fractured narrative style reminiscent of Iain Sinclair or the cut-up technique of...
and published by the Vertigo imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
of DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, featuring a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
called Scarab.
It ran for only eight issues between November 1993
1993 in comics
-January:* Doom Patrol #63: " The Empire of Chairs," Grant Morrison's final issue as Doom Patrol writer.-February:* Action Comics, with issue #686, suspends publication following "The Death of Superman."...
and June 1994
1994 in comics
-Year overall:* Huge changes in the marketplace force many retailers and small publishers out of business...
, although the character later reappeared in DC's Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
series.
Vertigo series
The series came about when Stuart MooreStuart Moore
Stuart Moore is a writer and editor of comic books and novels.-Career:Moore's writing includes the original science-fiction series Earthlight and PARA; Iron Man, New Avengers/Transformers, and Wolverine ; Firestorm and Detective Comics ; the multicultural superhero team The 99; the comics...
asked John Smith
John Smith (comics)
John Smith is a British comics writer best known for his work on 2000 AD and Crisis.Smith's work is characterised by intricate, sometimes obscure plots and an interest in taboos and the occult, told in an elliptic, fractured narrative style reminiscent of Iain Sinclair or the cut-up technique of...
for his ideas about a possible Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate
Doctor Fate is the name of a succession of fictional sorcerers who appear in books published by DC Comics. The original version was created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Howard Sherman, and first appeared in More Fun Comics #55...
series. However, Smith's proposal was deemed "too extreme" for an established character and he was asked to rework the ideas for DC's mature readers imprint Vertigo, giving the line their interpretation of DC's Golden Age history and characters. Scarab was subsequently cut down from an ongoing series
Ongoing series
The term "ongoing series" is used in contrast to limited series , a one shot , a graphic novel, or a trade paperback...
to a limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
, which, with pencils by Scot Eaton
Scot Eaton
Scot Eaton is a comic book artist, best known for his work on Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, X-Men: Endangered Species, and X-Men: Messiah Complex.-Beginnings:...
and inks by Mike Barreiro, ran for eight issues between 1993-1994.
Crossover
Two Indigo PrimeIndigo Prime
Indigo Prime is the umbrella name for a series of stories written by John Smith for 2000 AD. Originally the agency was named Void Indiga , which was quickly changed once Smith learned of Steve Gerber's graphic novel Void Indigo.-Plot:Indigo Prime itself is an extra-dimensional agency dedicated to...
agents, Dazzler and Creed, appear in Scarab #7. A lot of John Smith's stories are set in the Smithiverse and are usually part of a broader plan but the appearances in Scarab was more due to the problems that Smith had encountered with the series, "by that time I was probably just so sick of the thing I thought - 'Fuck it. I’ll rip off my own story' – and stuck in ‘Indigo Prime’ as a lazy way out.".
JSA
In JSA Secret FilesSecret Files and Origins
Secret Files and Origins is a series of one-shot comic books and mini-series produced by DC Comics during the late 1990s and 2000s.-Publication history:...
#1, the book that began the new JSA series in 1999, James Robinson and David S. Goyer
David S. Goyer
David Samuel Goyer is an American screenwriter, film director and comic book writer.-Early life:Goyer was born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He attended Hebrew school and has described himself as "half Jewish"...
refer to Sendak. Wesley Dodds asks the Gray Man to contact the old man in regards to finding the baby that will become the new Doctor Fate. In issue #1 of JSA he appears in uniform at the funeral of Wesley Dodds and later tells the JSA members some of his history, including that he "dropped out of sight after '44". The character has since appeared in JSA #16 and 18, in a storyline written by Goyer and Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
.