Broadway Comics was a short-lived

comic book A comic book, comic-magazine, or simply comic is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panel (comics), panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and wri ...

publishing company started by

Jim Shooter James Shooter (born September 27, 1951) is an American writer, editor, and publisher in the comics industry. Beginning his career writing for DC Comics at the age of 14, he had a successful but controversial run as editor-in-chief at Marvel Comic ...

in 1995, after his former company,

Defiant Comics Defiant Comics was a comic book publishing imprint of Enlightened Entertainment Partners, LP. Defiant was established in 1993 by former Marvel Comics and Valiant Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter. Publication history Defiant was founded in t ...

, had folded. The company was a division of

Broadway Video Broadway Video is an American multimedia entertainment studio founded by Lorne Michaels, creator of the sketch comedy TV series ''Saturday Night Live'' and producer of other television programs and movies. Broadway Video also held the rights to m ...

Entertainment with Shooter as co-owner of the characters.

History

Broadway Comics debuted with the preview comic ''Powers That Be'', followed by the series ''Star Seed'', ''Fatale'', and ''Shadow State''. Other series were to follow, though only ''Knights on Broadway'' was launched before the company abruptly closed, leaving unfinished story arcs in all series but ''Fatale''."Shooter, Fowlkes Finishing Run Off Broadway as Golden Books Cancels Comics Line," ''The Comics Journal'' #192 (December 1996), pp. 31–32. The Broadway continuity, like Shooter's two previous attempts, took place in real time and the characters rarely wore superhero uniforms. ''Shadow State'' included a comic-within-a-comic called ''Blood S.C.R.E.A.M.'' In 1996, Broadway Video Entertainment was sold to

Golden Books *Western Publishing (1907−2001) — , magazines, and {{C, Children's book publishers, children's books publisher, formerly based in Racine, Wisconsin Racine ( ) is a city in Racine County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is ...

, which then promptly went bankrupt. Broadway Comics didn't have the infrastructure or the means to continue.

Titles

''Shadow State''

''Shadow State'' was a

published by short-lived Broadway Comics. The issues generally had two stories, one of which featured the character Fatale. It was written by

. Only five issues were published before the abrupt demise of Broadway Comics, leaving the storyarc unfinished.

''Fatale''

''Fatale'' was published by Broadway Comics in 1996. It was a spin-off of Broadway's flagship series ''Powers That Be'', in which the lead character had first appeared in 1995. Created by former

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

editor

, ''Fatale'' follows the adventures of Desirée Hopewell, a woman who has the ability to leech memories and energy from people by kissing them, and her battles with an evil organization called The Brotherhood. The series ran for six issues, published between January and October 1996 (with an "ashcan" preview issue published in September 1995). The title's end coincided with the demise of Shooter's Broadway Comics venture. According to '' The Standard Catalog of Comic Books'' (Krause, 2002), the comic was promoted in a distributor's catalog with a "life-size" image of Fatale's clothed bust, which the book labelled "one of the biggest advertising missteps in recent memory."

''Babes of Broadway''

''Babes of Broadway'' was a pin ups book featuring Fatale and other female Broadway characters. It was written by

with art work by J. G. Jones and many others. The only issue published was issue #1.

Other titles

* ''Powers That Be'' (preview and multiple issues that would drop Fatale and eventually become Star Seed only) * ''Knights on Broadway'' * ''Star Seed''

References

{{Jim Shooter Characters created by Jim Shooter Comic book publishing companies of the United States Defunct comics and manga publishing companies Publishing companies established in 1995 1996 disestablishments in New York (state) 1995 establishments in New York City