Born in 1942 and raised in the United States, Michael Lawrence Fleisher (November 1, 1942 – February 2, 2018) carved out a distinctive niche at DC Comics during the 1970s and 1980s, becoming particularly associated with two very different corners of that universe: the supernatural avenger the Spectre and the scarred, morally ambiguous Western bounty hunter Jonah Hex.
Weird Western Tales #39 (1977)
Fleisher's path into comics led him to a prolific output that spanned more than six hundred credited issues across a career stretching from 1972 onward. Beyond his DC work, he contributed substantially to Marvel's sword-and-sorcery titles, including *Conan the Barbarian* and *The Savage Sword of Conan*, as well as *Ghost Rider* and the frontier adventure series *Warlord* and *Tomahawk*. His writing tended toward the grim and visceral — Jonah Hex in particular became a showcase for unflinching violence and moral complexity unusual for mainstream superhero comics of the era.
Spider-Woman #21 (1979)
Fleisher's Spectre stories, drawn with brutal imagination, helped establish that character's reputation for dark, almost grotesque storytelling. His tenure on Jonah Hex remains the defining run for that character, cementing Hex as one of DC's most enduring Western figures. Fleisher continued receiving credits well into later decades, a testament to the lasting relevance of the characters and worlds he helped shape. He died on February 2, 2018.
