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The Spectre
The Spectre by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake Omnibus Vol. 1
The Spectre stars in thought-provoking, character-defining stories from comics legends John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake, now presented in their first omnibus collection!
Writer John Ostrander and artist Tom Mandrake were already well-established in the comics world by 1992, following acclaimed and influential runs on Suicide Squad and Batman, respectively. For their next move, they teamed together and took on The Spectre: slain cop Jim Corrigan, who returned from the afterlife as a nearly all-powerful divine agent of vengeance.
Drawing upon his theology studies, Ostrander brought new dimension to the character, placing the Spectre and his frequently brutal brand of justice in ethically nuanced situations.
In these tales from the 1990s, police detective Jim Corrigan tries to end his mission as the Spectre. But the grisly crimes of a serial killer pulls him back into the battle for justice—and sends him on a trip to hell itself. And the enigmatic mystic known as Madame Xanadu tries to help Corrigan and his friends—but her help may lead one of them to commit suicide.
And when the Spectre decides to wipe out the human race, it's up to DC's mystic heroes including John Constantine, Etrigan the Demon, the Phantom Stranger, Doctor Fate, Zatanna and more to try and stop him.
This omnibus collects the first half of Ostrander and Mandrake’s run: The Spectre #1-31 and #0, and material from Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #21.
Writer John Ostrander and artist Tom Mandrake were already well-established in the comics world by 1992, following acclaimed and influential runs on Suicide Squad and Batman, respectively. For their next move, they teamed together and took on The Spectre: slain cop Jim Corrigan, who returned from the afterlife as a nearly all-powerful divine agent of vengeance.
Drawing upon his theology studies, Ostrander brought new dimension to the character, placing the Spectre and his frequently brutal brand of justice in ethically nuanced situations.
In these tales from the 1990s, police detective Jim Corrigan tries to end his mission as the Spectre. But the grisly crimes of a serial killer pulls him back into the battle for justice—and sends him on a trip to hell itself. And the enigmatic mystic known as Madame Xanadu tries to help Corrigan and his friends—but her help may lead one of them to commit suicide.
And when the Spectre decides to wipe out the human race, it's up to DC's mystic heroes including John Constantine, Etrigan the Demon, the Phantom Stranger, Doctor Fate, Zatanna and more to try and stop him.
This omnibus collects the first half of Ostrander and Mandrake’s run: The Spectre #1-31 and #0, and material from Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #21.
888 pages, Hardcover
First published October 21, 2025
About the author
John Ostrander
2,037 books180 followersJohn Ostrander is an American writer of comic books. He is best known for his work on Suicide Squad, Grimjack and Star Wars: Legacy, series he helped create.
Originally an actor in a Chicago theatre company, Ostrander moved into writing comics in 1983. His first published works were stories about the character "Sargon, Mistress of War", who appeared the First Comics series Warp!, based on a series of plays by that same Chicago theatre company. He is co-creator of the character Grimjack with Timothy Truman, who originally appeared in a back up story in the First Comics title, Starslayer, before going on to appear in his own book, again published by First Comics in the mid 1980s. First Comics ceased publication in 1991, by which time Ostrander was already doing work for other comics companies (his first scripts for DC Comics were published in 1986).
Prior to his career in comic books, Ostrander studied theology with the intent of becoming a Catholic priest, but now describes himself as an agnostic. His in-depth explorations of morality were later used in his work writing The Spectre, a DC Comics series about the manifestation of the wrath of God. His focus on the character's human aspect, a dead police detective from the 1930s named Jim Corrigan, and his exploration of moral and theological themes brought new life to a character often thought of as impossible to write. He has also worked on Firestorm, Justice League, Martian Manhunter, Manhunter, Suicide Squad, and Wasteland for DC.
Originally an actor in a Chicago theatre company, Ostrander moved into writing comics in 1983. His first published works were stories about the character "Sargon, Mistress of War", who appeared the First Comics series Warp!, based on a series of plays by that same Chicago theatre company. He is co-creator of the character Grimjack with Timothy Truman, who originally appeared in a back up story in the First Comics title, Starslayer, before going on to appear in his own book, again published by First Comics in the mid 1980s. First Comics ceased publication in 1991, by which time Ostrander was already doing work for other comics companies (his first scripts for DC Comics were published in 1986).
Prior to his career in comic books, Ostrander studied theology with the intent of becoming a Catholic priest, but now describes himself as an agnostic. His in-depth explorations of morality were later used in his work writing The Spectre, a DC Comics series about the manifestation of the wrath of God. His focus on the character's human aspect, a dead police detective from the 1930s named Jim Corrigan, and his exploration of moral and theological themes brought new life to a character often thought of as impossible to write. He has also worked on Firestorm, Justice League, Martian Manhunter, Manhunter, Suicide Squad, and Wasteland for DC.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 27, 2025
Classic superhero horror comic from the nineties, holds up amazingly well - mostly because it focuses on human level moral questions and eschews easy answers. Gorgeously over the top art by Mandrake; smart, funny and compassionate writing by Ostrander.
January 25, 2026
(Zero spoiler review) 3.5/5
Ostrander clearly has a bit of something about him in the writing department. This one came out of the blocks swinging, sat my ass back in my chair and had me enthusiastically turning the pages more so than I can remember any book doing in quite some time. It's a shame that the initial dozen or so issue arc was the out and out highlight and it never reached those lofty heights again. The following two arcs were a let down by comparison. Not only that, but we went from nothing but Mandrake art, to him only ever doing a couple of issues in a row before a fill in artist came in. It was only ever for an issue, and none of them were bad. But none of them were Tom Mandrake, whose sublime art and even more so, inks carried this book. Hell, even the colours which at this time had made the full transition to digital slop look damn fine here for the most part.
The book ends on a strong note, the strongest since the start, anyway. Yet after the Amy Beitterman arc, I can't help but feel ever so slightly underwhelmed, despite having a strong word with myself that I shouldn't. You really would have to look a ways to find a late 90's comic bringing heat like this. Damn good stuff, just not consistently as great as it could have been. 3.5/5
OmniBen.
Ostrander clearly has a bit of something about him in the writing department. This one came out of the blocks swinging, sat my ass back in my chair and had me enthusiastically turning the pages more so than I can remember any book doing in quite some time. It's a shame that the initial dozen or so issue arc was the out and out highlight and it never reached those lofty heights again. The following two arcs were a let down by comparison. Not only that, but we went from nothing but Mandrake art, to him only ever doing a couple of issues in a row before a fill in artist came in. It was only ever for an issue, and none of them were bad. But none of them were Tom Mandrake, whose sublime art and even more so, inks carried this book. Hell, even the colours which at this time had made the full transition to digital slop look damn fine here for the most part.
The book ends on a strong note, the strongest since the start, anyway. Yet after the Amy Beitterman arc, I can't help but feel ever so slightly underwhelmed, despite having a strong word with myself that I shouldn't. You really would have to look a ways to find a late 90's comic bringing heat like this. Damn good stuff, just not consistently as great as it could have been. 3.5/5
OmniBen.
February 13, 2026
C.S. Lewis-like theology and Gene Colan-esque art meet some of the most interesting corners of the DC Universe. Will mainstream comics ever get this good again?
As regards the edition, THIS is the way you do an Omnibus - new cover by the original artist, new introduction and issue-by-issue comments by the writer. And even though we'll all be awaiting vol.2, this first tome manages to tell a complete story on its own.
As regards the edition, THIS is the way you do an Omnibus - new cover by the original artist, new introduction and issue-by-issue comments by the writer. And even though we'll all be awaiting vol.2, this first tome manages to tell a complete story on its own.
December 12, 2025
The Comic you tell 90's Ghost Rider not to worry about
August 22, 2026
There are too many great comic books that are out of print. So I am delighted when something that I think of as a legendary run is put back into print, especially when it is put out in two deluxe hardcover omnibuses, my preferred format these days.
The Spectre, which ran from 1992-1998 courtesy of John Ostrander and (mostly) Tom Mandrake, with a few notable guest artists in the mix, is a comic that I loved. I was reviewing comics for much of its run, and I know that I gave it glowing 10/10 reviews many times. Those reviews are lost to the mists of the old Internet, but since the Internet never forgets, they're probably out there somewhere.
When I got this volume and went back to reread these stories, probably for the first time in 30 years, I didn't really wonder whether they'd resonate with me or not. John Ostrander is easily one of my top 10, possibly top 5, favorite comic book writers, and The Spectre is probably my second favorite thing he has written, behind Suicide Squad, which is also coming out in hardcover, and which I am buying for the third or fourth time, having previously picked it up in single issues, trade paperbacks, different trade paperbacks, and now omnibuses.
Returning to these stories, not only did they resonate, but they spoke to me even more deeply as a guy in his fifties than they did as a guy in his twenties. Ostrander's blend of Catholic upbringing and practical agnosticism fits perfectly with my casually discarded Methodist upbringing and pretty sincere atheism, and I love that this story, about the nature of God and his wrath, is accessible no matter where your beliefs lie on the spectrum.
As always with Ostrander's work, it is centered on character, particularly the angry, tormented Jim Corrigan who is tied to the angry, tormented Wrath of God. But some of the real highlights are his theologians and philosophers, like Father Craemer, drafted over from Suicide Squad to serve as the spiritual advisor to the Spectre, the doomed but memorable Amy Bitterman, or the struggling detective Nate Kane. It's not all normal folks, though, here's also Madame Xanadu, Doctor Fate, The Demon, Ramban the Israeli combat magician (another Squad expat), and a particularly excellent use of Superman.
Ostrander also weaves together invented characters and narrative with an appreciative love for the the universe he's working, creating a memorable adversary in Azmodus and blending Christian theology, Hindu theology, and DC continuity into an expansive narrative.
I can't say enough about Tom Mandrake's art, simply because I lack the vocabulary to do it justice, but Ostrander talks in the commentary at the back of this volume about it, mentioning how Mandrake expands from the standard panel layout into more open and free-flowing storytelling as the Spectre grows in power and scale, and that he also knows when to change up lines and style when depicting the archangel Michael. At any rate, the book is gorgeous, filled with inky darkness and imaginative visions of the power of God's vengeance, such as in the first issue where he grows enormous, turns a group of murderous drive-by shooting drug dealers into his fingers and injects fire into his veins that flows up and burns them alive. Yeah, Spectre is pretty gruesome and Old Testament when it comes to the vengeance.
But it's in the smaller moments where this book really lives. Father Craemer defending his position in the church as his idiosyncrasies make him unpopular with the higher-ups, Jim Corrigan and Nate Kane both suffering through the grief of losing the woman they love, the twisted story of Azmodus' human host, and a really memorable Christmas issue where The Spectre tries to make Craemer's wish of no deaths in New York City a Christmas Eve miracle, with decidedly mixed results.
It is my opinion that everyone who loves comics should own The Spectre and Suicide Squad, at least, but as an Ostrander superfan, I suppose I'm somewhat biased. At any rate, if you have any love for superheroes, any love for horror, any love for supernatural romance, or any love for philosophical musings on the nature of vengeance, forgiveness, and how gods tie into all that, you should pick this one up.
Now I hope that DC gets around to omnibus editions of Ostrander and Mandrake's Martian Manhunter, another gap in my otherwise mostly complete collection of Ostrander's work.
The Spectre, which ran from 1992-1998 courtesy of John Ostrander and (mostly) Tom Mandrake, with a few notable guest artists in the mix, is a comic that I loved. I was reviewing comics for much of its run, and I know that I gave it glowing 10/10 reviews many times. Those reviews are lost to the mists of the old Internet, but since the Internet never forgets, they're probably out there somewhere.
When I got this volume and went back to reread these stories, probably for the first time in 30 years, I didn't really wonder whether they'd resonate with me or not. John Ostrander is easily one of my top 10, possibly top 5, favorite comic book writers, and The Spectre is probably my second favorite thing he has written, behind Suicide Squad, which is also coming out in hardcover, and which I am buying for the third or fourth time, having previously picked it up in single issues, trade paperbacks, different trade paperbacks, and now omnibuses.
Returning to these stories, not only did they resonate, but they spoke to me even more deeply as a guy in his fifties than they did as a guy in his twenties. Ostrander's blend of Catholic upbringing and practical agnosticism fits perfectly with my casually discarded Methodist upbringing and pretty sincere atheism, and I love that this story, about the nature of God and his wrath, is accessible no matter where your beliefs lie on the spectrum.
As always with Ostrander's work, it is centered on character, particularly the angry, tormented Jim Corrigan who is tied to the angry, tormented Wrath of God. But some of the real highlights are his theologians and philosophers, like Father Craemer, drafted over from Suicide Squad to serve as the spiritual advisor to the Spectre, the doomed but memorable Amy Bitterman, or the struggling detective Nate Kane. It's not all normal folks, though, here's also Madame Xanadu, Doctor Fate, The Demon, Ramban the Israeli combat magician (another Squad expat), and a particularly excellent use of Superman.
Ostrander also weaves together invented characters and narrative with an appreciative love for the the universe he's working, creating a memorable adversary in Azmodus and blending Christian theology, Hindu theology, and DC continuity into an expansive narrative.
I can't say enough about Tom Mandrake's art, simply because I lack the vocabulary to do it justice, but Ostrander talks in the commentary at the back of this volume about it, mentioning how Mandrake expands from the standard panel layout into more open and free-flowing storytelling as the Spectre grows in power and scale, and that he also knows when to change up lines and style when depicting the archangel Michael. At any rate, the book is gorgeous, filled with inky darkness and imaginative visions of the power of God's vengeance, such as in the first issue where he grows enormous, turns a group of murderous drive-by shooting drug dealers into his fingers and injects fire into his veins that flows up and burns them alive. Yeah, Spectre is pretty gruesome and Old Testament when it comes to the vengeance.
But it's in the smaller moments where this book really lives. Father Craemer defending his position in the church as his idiosyncrasies make him unpopular with the higher-ups, Jim Corrigan and Nate Kane both suffering through the grief of losing the woman they love, the twisted story of Azmodus' human host, and a really memorable Christmas issue where The Spectre tries to make Craemer's wish of no deaths in New York City a Christmas Eve miracle, with decidedly mixed results.
It is my opinion that everyone who loves comics should own The Spectre and Suicide Squad, at least, but as an Ostrander superfan, I suppose I'm somewhat biased. At any rate, if you have any love for superheroes, any love for horror, any love for supernatural romance, or any love for philosophical musings on the nature of vengeance, forgiveness, and how gods tie into all that, you should pick this one up.
Now I hope that DC gets around to omnibus editions of Ostrander and Mandrake's Martian Manhunter, another gap in my otherwise mostly complete collection of Ostrander's work.
December 24, 2025
Sin duda, estamos ante una obra maestra del género. Lo que pasa es que resulta difícil saber de qué género hablamos.
¿Súpers? A ver, sale Superman, vale, y la Sociedad de la Justicia (a la que el Espectro perteneció), pero ya está. El Espectro no es un súper héroe, eso está claro. Es un poder divino, solo inferior al de Dios y al del arcángel San Miguel, como se puede ver en las páginas de este ómnibus, cuando el bueno de Miguel le da una paliza al prota. Y con razón, podríamos añadir. Porque esa es otra: el Espectro casi siempre toma las decisiones equivocadas, llevado por su rabia, su ira y su compulsión por la venganza. Así, deja morir en soledad a la mujer a la que ama por perseguir y castigar a su asesino, devasta una nación entera porque la ve como enteramente dedicada al genocidio, y asesina a un bebé en su cuna porque es la reencarnación de un antiguo enemigo suyo. No es muy edificante todo esto.
Y es que Jim Corrigan y el Espectro son tal para cual: dos auténticos bastardos que "hacen el bien" a su modo, sin escuchar a nadie; es cierto que a partir de más o menos el último tercio del libro, podemos ver un cambio en el personaje gracias al buen padre Craemer y a Madame Xanadú, pero en cuanto se tuercen mucho las cosas, nuestro bastardo pálido favorito reaparece y la lía parda. En fin, para mí, al igual que para Ostrander, The Spectre es un cómic de terror. Y es de los mejores que he leído en mi vida, incluido, pese a quien pese, Hellblazer o Swamp Thing (este último lo pondría ligeramente por encima de los otros dos durante la etapa de Moore únicamente).
Ocurre que Ostrander es, sin duda, uno de los maestros del medio que menos reconocimiento han obtenido por parte de nadie: su Suicide Squad no tiene comparación con ninguna de las versiones bastardas que han surgido tras su etapa, y su Martian Manhunter es extraordinario (¿para cuándo un ómnibus de este cómic brillante?). Y podríamos seguir: Manhunter, Grimjack... todos los tebeos de Ostrander son, como mínimo entretenidos. Y su Espectro es su obra cumbre, su obra maestra, capaz de rivalizar perfectamente con cualquier gran clásico del género.
Bueno, que hay que leerlo. Y punto. A ver si sacan el segundo tomazo pronto...
¿Súpers? A ver, sale Superman, vale, y la Sociedad de la Justicia (a la que el Espectro perteneció), pero ya está. El Espectro no es un súper héroe, eso está claro. Es un poder divino, solo inferior al de Dios y al del arcángel San Miguel, como se puede ver en las páginas de este ómnibus, cuando el bueno de Miguel le da una paliza al prota. Y con razón, podríamos añadir. Porque esa es otra: el Espectro casi siempre toma las decisiones equivocadas, llevado por su rabia, su ira y su compulsión por la venganza. Así, deja morir en soledad a la mujer a la que ama por perseguir y castigar a su asesino, devasta una nación entera porque la ve como enteramente dedicada al genocidio, y asesina a un bebé en su cuna porque es la reencarnación de un antiguo enemigo suyo. No es muy edificante todo esto.
Y es que Jim Corrigan y el Espectro son tal para cual: dos auténticos bastardos que "hacen el bien" a su modo, sin escuchar a nadie; es cierto que a partir de más o menos el último tercio del libro, podemos ver un cambio en el personaje gracias al buen padre Craemer y a Madame Xanadú, pero en cuanto se tuercen mucho las cosas, nuestro bastardo pálido favorito reaparece y la lía parda. En fin, para mí, al igual que para Ostrander, The Spectre es un cómic de terror. Y es de los mejores que he leído en mi vida, incluido, pese a quien pese, Hellblazer o Swamp Thing (este último lo pondría ligeramente por encima de los otros dos durante la etapa de Moore únicamente).
Ocurre que Ostrander es, sin duda, uno de los maestros del medio que menos reconocimiento han obtenido por parte de nadie: su Suicide Squad no tiene comparación con ninguna de las versiones bastardas que han surgido tras su etapa, y su Martian Manhunter es extraordinario (¿para cuándo un ómnibus de este cómic brillante?). Y podríamos seguir: Manhunter, Grimjack... todos los tebeos de Ostrander son, como mínimo entretenidos. Y su Espectro es su obra cumbre, su obra maestra, capaz de rivalizar perfectamente con cualquier gran clásico del género.
Bueno, que hay que leerlo. Y punto. A ver si sacan el segundo tomazo pronto...
December 8, 2025
This was awesome!
This is catered towards a more mature audience, as lots of philosophical questions are tackled, while there's lots of violence and gore depicted at the same time. It has this Vertigo Comics vibe, even though it is rooted inside the DC Comics Universe.
First and foremost I want to praise how the writer John Ostrander understood the talent of the Artist Tom Mandrake and give him room. The book is full of splash pages with the most amazing and beautiful fighting scenes of the Spectre vs any given supernatural entity. The book is a beauty to behold.
This also means, that the writing often takes a back seat. Many stories are read quite quickly. The initial story arc drags on for twelve issues, and I wasn't fully sold initially. But the way the writing builds upon the initial story arc and also introduces new concepts in seemingly unrelated standalone stories, that are tying directly into the main narrative by the end of this volume impressed me.
I have to say though, the Spectre is often times quite dumb. Like 'Hulk Smash' level of dumb. I was also taken aback on the scale. The Spectre is a supernatural entity with seemingly unlimited powers, yet he operates on street level, punishing one criminal at a time. Both of these traits are explained throughout the story though.
This book never reaches the heights of something like the The Sandman Omnibus Vol. 1 or Starman Compendium One, but it does scratch a similar itch and it has better artwork than those two to compensate.
I can definitely recommend this and it is also very new reader friendly. Bring on Volume 2, DC!
This is catered towards a more mature audience, as lots of philosophical questions are tackled, while there's lots of violence and gore depicted at the same time. It has this Vertigo Comics vibe, even though it is rooted inside the DC Comics Universe.
First and foremost I want to praise how the writer John Ostrander understood the talent of the Artist Tom Mandrake and give him room. The book is full of splash pages with the most amazing and beautiful fighting scenes of the Spectre vs any given supernatural entity. The book is a beauty to behold.
This also means, that the writing often takes a back seat. Many stories are read quite quickly. The initial story arc drags on for twelve issues, and I wasn't fully sold initially. But the way the writing builds upon the initial story arc and also introduces new concepts in seemingly unrelated standalone stories, that are tying directly into the main narrative by the end of this volume impressed me.
I have to say though, the Spectre is often times quite dumb. Like 'Hulk Smash' level of dumb. I was also taken aback on the scale. The Spectre is a supernatural entity with seemingly unlimited powers, yet he operates on street level, punishing one criminal at a time. Both of these traits are explained throughout the story though.
This book never reaches the heights of something like the The Sandman Omnibus Vol. 1 or Starman Compendium One, but it does scratch a similar itch and it has better artwork than those two to compensate.
I can definitely recommend this and it is also very new reader friendly. Bring on Volume 2, DC!
December 11, 2025
Wow. John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake's story of the Spectre from the '90s has no right to be this good, but it absolutely is.
This is the foundational story of the Spectre, and it does such a good job of mixing together all of the classic elements, from Fleisher's weird vigilante horror to the classic Silver Age stories and even the mostly forgotten post-Crisis series. Ostrander creates an amazing mythology that totally defines the character.
But, along the way, he doesn't forget the human elements. It's impossible not to be impressed by his inclusion of an HIV-positive main character in the intolerant, scared '90s. But all of the supporting characters in The Spectre are great.
This is a triumph, ever bit as great as the other groundbreaking superhero comics of the era. It's terrific to finally have a colleciton of the first half of the run (with more to come, hopefully).
PS: Read Ostrander's commentary at the end. I wish ever omnibus had this; it's a fun issue-by-issue read.
This is the foundational story of the Spectre, and it does such a good job of mixing together all of the classic elements, from Fleisher's weird vigilante horror to the classic Silver Age stories and even the mostly forgotten post-Crisis series. Ostrander creates an amazing mythology that totally defines the character.
But, along the way, he doesn't forget the human elements. It's impossible not to be impressed by his inclusion of an HIV-positive main character in the intolerant, scared '90s. But all of the supporting characters in The Spectre are great.
This is a triumph, ever bit as great as the other groundbreaking superhero comics of the era. It's terrific to finally have a colleciton of the first half of the run (with more to come, hopefully).
PS: Read Ostrander's commentary at the end. I wish ever omnibus had this; it's a fun issue-by-issue read.
February 4, 2026
Well yes, I liked it quite a bit. But for decades I've been told how damn good this book was and I'm afraid it did not live up to the hype for me.
Clever writing, good art (although Mandrake is an acquired taste), interesting characters and characterization... but this is a book about faith, religion and spirituality and those are not really my things.
Again, talking about taste: this is objectively a good book in technical terms, just not my type of story. Will probably be here and support a second volume. (yes, I contradict myself. Sue me. I'm human. This is what this book is about).
Clever writing, good art (although Mandrake is an acquired taste), interesting characters and characterization... but this is a book about faith, religion and spirituality and those are not really my things.
Again, talking about taste: this is objectively a good book in technical terms, just not my type of story. Will probably be here and support a second volume. (yes, I contradict myself. Sue me. I'm human. This is what this book is about).
November 25, 2025
I am thrilled that this excellent series is being collected in omnibus form and cannot wait for the 2nd volume.
April 30, 2026
La mejor serie del personaje jamás publicada. La edición que >conseguí< tenía otra tapa pero coincide en contenido.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews