Dark Horse is one of the largest independent publishers in the comics industry, and some of its characters are as legendary as any other cape-clad crusader to ever grace the page. Dealing heavily in dark themes and subject matter, pitting heroes against ghosts, ghouls, and humanity’s ugly side, Dark Horse’s greatest icons are usually hand-picked reflections of the publisher.
Several of the aforementioned protagonists started off elsewhere, only huddling under the Dark Horse umbrella after they’d made a name for themselves. From film and television characters to the personal passion projects that grew to reach the silver screen, the publisher’s greatest heroes rose to icon-status largely because they found a publisher that allowed them to grow.
10 Film/TV Heroes
Predator, Terminator, Indiana Jones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Star Wars titles, all published by Dark Horse
Maybe lumping them all together is cheating, but it’s impossible to talk about Dark Horse’s greatest icons without bringing up the many television and film heroes who led second or third lives through independent comics. Predator, Terminator, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer owe part of their franchise’s continued popularity to the comics.
The lore behind the Yautja and Skynet fans know and love today, as wacky and intricate as it’s all become, was test-driven in Dark Horse comics. Star Wars and its many heroes and villains also grew a lot through the publisher. Despite their popularity largely stemming from on-screen portrayals, the freedom lent by Dark Horse allowed many of these heroes to become true icons.
9 The Goon
The Goon (1999) by Eric Powell
Eric Lowell’s The Goon started as “Monster Boy” in Best Cellars #3 by Cellar Comics and moved between a couple other indie publishers until Dark Horse realized what they’d been missing. Goon’s spooky noir-esque world of monsters and mobsters is a bit tongue-and-cheek and plenty graphic, so he’s an easy icon for the indie giant.
He’s not the only ape-like ghost buster in the publisher’s lineup, but his position at the head of a gang and carnie background make Goon stand out. He’s the hero his weird world needs and he may punch his way to the big screen soon.
8 Usagi Yojimbo
Created by Stan Sakai, first appeared in Albedo Anthropomorphics #2 (1984)
The rabbit ronin known to friend and foe as Usagi Yojimbo has, perhaps fittingly, jumped between several publishers. While he’s currently with IDW partnering with other popular crime-fighting animals, he spent around 200 issues with Dark Horse.
Like other Dark Horse icons, Usagi’s stories weave pop-culture and folklore to weave a world in which he’s the ultimate hero. Derived partly from the works of Akira Kurosawa and faced with ancient monsters and hordes of skilled warriors, Usagi’s quest for honor, vengeance, and redemption aren’t stunted by his floppy ears or big silly feet. He’s actually pretty awesome.
7 Grendel
Matt Wagner’s Grendel first appeared in Comico Primo #2 (1982)
Originally published under Comico Comics, Matt Warner’s Grendel tells the tale of an author who moonlights as a one-man army against organized crime in New York City. His name evokes the legendary monster from Beowulf, but the series adds even more context to the hero’s title.
First published by Dark Horse in 1993, the crime-fighting criminal’s association with the Devil and his complicated and tragic family life are the stuff icons are made of. Add in his wolf-like foe for a supernatural twist and it’s no wonder he’s had spin-offs, a team-up with Batman, and an attempted television show.
6 The Ghost
Created by Team GCW, The Ghost first appeared in Comics' Greatest World: Arcadia Week 3
One of several heroes protecting Dark Horse’s central city of Arcadia, The Ghost got her start with the publisher and has been a leading lady ever since. Her abilities to phase through solid objects and move through a hidden dimension and commune with spooky beings lend to her ghostly aesthetic.
The Ghost has shown up alongside everyone from Concrete to X, but she’s among the most widely palatable of Dark Horse’s icons. She’s also teamed up with Hellboy and ventured outside her own universe to work with Batgirl for a four-issue miniseries.
5 Umbrella Academy
The Umbrella Academy, written by Gerard Way and illustrated by Gabriel Bá
Gerard Way’s The Umbrella Academy deconstructs the super family dynamic through unparalleled weirdness and brutality. The team of kidnapped super siblings have iconic powers with definite downsides, and Gabriel Bá’s art gave each of them an instantly recognizable aesthetic.
Apart from their ongoing Netflix series, the team’s comic success also inspired a few spin-offs. They’ve got a dad who didn’t care to name them, a monkey butler who raised them, and a number of extra-dimensional foes to tangle with, so these newer heroes earned icon status in short order.