The Knight Watchman

Few characters capture the spirit of comics-within-comics quite like The Knight Watchman, who burst onto the scene in Image's Big Bang Comics #1 in 1994 — a love letter to the superhero genre built from the ground up by creator Tom King. Rooted in the Copper/Modern Age yet clearly steeped in the sensibility of earlier eras, this character has proven surprisingly enduring, with appearances stretching across more than three decades and at least one collector-significant key issue to their name. In the pages of Big Bang Comics and Big Bang Adventures, The Knight Watchman keeps vivid company with the likes of Ultiman, Reid Randall, and Molly Wilson, making for a rich ensemble that embodies everything Big Bang's affectionate, nostalgic universe stands for. If you have a soft spot for comics that celebrate comics — and for characters with genuine longevity born from a single inspired debut — The Knight Watchman is absolutely worth seeking out.