Character: The Spectre
Publisher: DC Comics
Artist: Dean Trippe
Reviewer: Chris Arrant

At first glance Dean Trippe’s redesign of DC’s Spectre seem relatively unchanged from previous versions, but look further.

Since the character’s inception in 1940, it has been at odds with the superheroes it co-habituates with. Is the Spectre a superhero, or something more primal and haunting? In Trippe’s piece, the super-heroic elements of green underpants (?!) are gone, and his body is now semi-transparent. It is this transparent element that is the primary change, and I would postulate that the degree of transparency in the Spectre’s body would change depending on viewing angle, lighting and distance. Add in the piercing red pupils in the otherwise hollow eye sockets to add an additional pedigree of haunted personality. DC’s resident Spirit of Vengeance is shown here both ethereal and resilient, as befits someone with tenuous ties to humanity.