''Simon Dark'' is a fictional

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 ...

character in the

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, with an ongoing

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ous series beginning in October

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and ending in

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. While ostensibly set in

Gotham City Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city in the Northeastern United States that serves as the primary city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List ...

, the comic focused exclusively on Simon Dark and his narrative, with no cross-overs and only a few casual comments to indicate he and

Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...

were active in the same city. His name is also the name of a nursery rhyme in the city which he lives:
"Lurks in shadows, hides in the park.
Simon. Simon.
Simon Dark.
If you're good, he'll stay away
If you're bad, he'll make you pay
Lurks in shadows. Hides in the park.
Simon. Simon.
Simon Dark".
- The nursery rhyme of "What Simon (Dark) Does".

Fictional character biography

When he initially appears, Simon Dark has amnesia. He exhibits some super-human abilities such as enhanced speed and agility, as well as extraordinary strength. He acts as a protector of a neighborhood called "the Village" in

; for its part the neighborhood is happy for their odd protector's presence. As the comic progresses it is revealed that Simon Dark was created from the bodies of 20 boys by a desperate medical genius who turned to a dark cult for assistance. Simon, and several other characters in the comic, were created using science and magic but only Simon was created with a purpose; to stop the dark cult that created him. Eventually Simon transforms from a scared and confused creature with a childlike mentality into a powerful and confident supernatural being with a laundry list of vaguely defined occult superpowers, many of which are only used once. He is resistant to damage (bullets hurt but don't seem to seriously impair him), extremely strong, can read minds, pasts and futures by touching people and can change his appearance (or at least his face) to hide his scarred face. He can cast magical rituals that allow him to see far away places and the future, and transport himself and other people to other dimensions. Once, he uses a magical rock like a floating high speed weapon, slamming through enemies like a bullet under his mental direction. He also has three shapechanging servants he calls his 'familiars', who he liberates from the evil cult; they are physically very powerful. Apparently, he can also bring dead people back to life by sacrificing some of the 20 souls that constitute him. He also becomes the magical overseer of Gotham (confusingly called ''The Mayor''), who controls the flow of supernatural creatures into the city.

Collected editions

The series was collected into

trade paperbacks A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, also known as wrappers, and often held together with glue rather than stitches or staples. In contrast, hardback (hardcover) books are bound with cardboar ...

: * ''What Simon Does'' (collects ''Simon Dark'' #1-6, 144 pages, August 2008, ) * ''Ashes'' (collects ''Simon Dark'' #7-12, 144 pages, February 2009, ) * ''The Game of Life'' (collects ''Simon Dark'' #13-18, 144 pages, December 2009, )''The Game of Life'' details
at DC

References

External links

*
Presenting Simon Dark
excerpt from a

Comic Book Resources ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...

article.
Review of issue #1
an

Comics Bulletin Comics Bulletin is a daily website covering the comic-book industry. History Silver Bullet Comicbooks In January 2000, New Zealand-based publisher/editor Jason Brice founded then named Silver Bullet Comicbooks. During this period, the site ...

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