The dark vigilante trope reimagined for modern times with The Dusk

The Dusk
(Image credit: Wilfredo Torres (Ominous Press))

If a real-life superhero were to emerge today in 2021, he might look a lot like the new comic book superhero the Dusk.

Described as a "grounded, socially conscious" reimagining of the superhero vigilante trope (Hello, Batman!), the Dusk is the star of a titular original graphic novel coming this November from writers Alex Segura and Elizabeth Little with artist David Hahn.

(Image credit: David Hahn (Ominous Press))

"The graphic novel blends the dark deco of Batman: The Animated Series with a dose of moral complexity and dark humor, creating an engaging and witty look at the inner workings of a beloved genre through the eyes of a flawed, human, and heroic figure," reads Ominous Press' description of the OGN. "The Dusk is a modern reimagining of the superhero vigilante that flips the script on the traditional 'might makes right' approach while adding the grounded, socially conscious perspective that modern crime fiction has become known for."

The Dusk is set in a fictional US city called Blackstone - "a dark, mirror image of Boston or Philadelphia. A city whose history dates back to the earliest days of our nation."

Under the cowl of the Dust is Jaime Nuñez, a public defender who lucks into a financial windfall that allows him to save his city in ways he only dreamt up.

Ominous Press is currently running a The Dusk Kickstarter campaign to raise $39,500 to fund the OGN, along with a simultaneously limited edition serialized version of the OGN for those who prefer that format.

Kickstarter recently partnered with Bookshop.org to get its comic books and graphic novels in front of more people than ever before.

Chris Arrant

Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)