When discussingDC Comicsmovies, most fans immediately think of the big-screen adventures of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and the like. But DC has put more into the world than just superhero properties, and one forgotten imprint in particular produced two critically-acclaimed feature films that would go on to be nominated for several Academy Awards.
Started in 1995,Paradox Press was a continuation of the earlier Piranha Press, an attempt by DC to reach an alternative audience away from the capes-and-tights crowd. Similar toDC’s mature readers line Vertigo, Paradox published comics meant to appeal to a more adult audience with different sensibilities.
Before they were star-studded Oscar nominees, bothRoad to PerditionandA History of Violencewere published during Paradox Press’ relatively brief lifespan. Telling grounded crime stories with nary a Batmobile nor magic lasso in sight, the two works show an entirely different side of DC Comics.
DC’s Paradox Mystery Imprint Published Hard-Boiled Crime in Black & White
A Forgotten Gem of the 1990s
A sub-line within the Paradox imprint was “Paradox Mystery,” a handsomely-designed series of black-and-white crime stories that brought together best-selling authors with some of the best artists comics had to offer at the time. Originally published in a smaller, more paperback-friendly size, thefirst in the line wasLa Pacificain 1994/1995by novelist Joel Rose, filmmaker Amos Poe, and artist Tayyar Ozkan. Telling the story of a motel owner who unexpectedly gets involved in a string of serial murders, the series consisted of three issues of around 100 pages each, resulting in a novel-sized narrative when all was said and done.
Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips Return to CRIMINAL Just In Time For New TV Show
Just in time for the new Amazon TV adaptation, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips are returning to world of Criminal in 2025 with an all new hardcover OGN!
La Pacificawas followed later in 1995 byFamily Man- recently re-released by IDW Publishing - a near-future tale by acclaimed novelist Jerome Charyn and artist Joe Staton that told the tale of a fixer brought in to deal with assassins targeting the aging Mafia dons of New York. Much likeLa Pacifica,Family Manpresented not just another black-and-white crime tale, butproved to be an exploration of the dark side of humanity by some of the best creatives around. The Paradox Mystery line was quickly establishing itself as an imprint to watch, catering to fans looking for more out of their comics reading experience.
DC’s Paradox Imprint Has Some Serious Horror Undertones
These Books Need to Make a Comeback
The next release in the Paradox Mystery line wasHunter’s Heartby writer/artist Randy DuBurke, which concerns a detective on the hunt for a serial killer in the Pacific Northwest who eventually gets drawn into a conspiracy of corruption at the highest levels. DuBurke is one of the most underrated cartoonists to ever work in comics, andHunter’s Heartfeels like the writer/artist’s magnum opus, showing offhis intricate and expressive artwork in all its violent, seedy glory in beautiful black-and-white.
15 Best Horror Comic Books of All Time
The horror genre has always been essential to comic books as a medium; below are the 10 best, most intense horror series of all time.
Paradox Mystery’s last release in the miniseries format wasGreen Candlesby novelist Tom DeHaven and artist Robin Smith.Green Candlestells the story of schoolteacher Grace Penny, who has been receiving a disturbing series of photographs in the mail:a lit green candle, with each successive photograph showing the candle burning lower. Worried that someone is threatening her, Grace hires private detective John Halting to uncover who is sending the photographs, and winds up opening a hornet’s nest of repressed memories involving Satanic cults and ritualistic murder.
Highly Acclaimed Film Adaptations of DC’s Mystery Comics
After the release of the initial four miniseries, Paradox Mystery was re-labeled Paradox Graphic Mystery and switched from monthly publications to original graphic novels. After releasing a collected edition ofGreen Candles, Paradox put outA History of Violencein 1997. Written by longtimeJudge Dreddscribe John Wagnerand artist Vince Locke,A History of Violenceopens with ordinary family man Tom McKenna stopping an attempted robbery at his restaurant.Becoming a media celebrity in the aftermath, Tom is visited by the violent ghosts of his past, where it is revealed he’s not as ordinary as he claims.
A History of Violencewas followed the next year with the release of the crime/noir epicRoad to Perdition. Created bycrime novelist Max Allan Collins and artist Richard Piers Rayner,Road to Perditionmixes itsLone Wolf and Cub-inspired story with real-life Chicago mob history. The story sees respected hitman Michael O’Sullivan on the run from his former employer John Looney after his wife and youngest son are murdered. Taking his surviving son Michael, Jr. on the road, the two embark on a quest to gain revenge against the Looney family by robbing mob-controlled banks across the American Midwest.
Road to Perditionwriter Max Allan Collins previously wroteBatmanin the eighties and was the first writer to take over theDick Tracynewspaper strip following the death of Chester Gould.
Even though the Paradox line never achieved the commercial recognition of fellow DC imprint Vertigo, that didn’t stop Hollywood from taking notice. The rights to make a film ofRoad to Perditionwere quickly snapped up by Dreamworks,resulting in one of the most lavish screen adaptations of a comic seen at the time. Starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, and Daniel Craig and directed by Sam Mendes,Road to Perditionwas released in 2002. Just three years later,A History of Violencewas adapted into a feature film directed by David Cronenberg, starring Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, and William Hurt.
The Last Days of DC Comics’ Paradox Press Prove that Nothing Lasts Forever
Should Paradox Press Make a Comeback?
The film adaptations ofRoad to PerditionandA History of Violencewent on to be highly-acclaimed upon their initial release, witheach receiving several Academy Award nominations and often cited as two of the best films of the 2000s. Despite its success in Hollywood, DC’s Paradox Press imprint struggled to survive in the comics world. The last release to bear the Paradox Graphic Mystery logo wasThe Bogie Man, a collection of a previous series by John Wagner, Alan Grant, and Robin Smith.
Even though the Paradox Press imprint was short-lived, producing two works that would later be adapted into highly-acclaimed Oscar contenders isn’t a bad batting average.
Paradox released asequel series toRoad to PerditiontitledOn the Road to Perditionby original writer Collins and artists Josef Rubenstein, Steve Lieber, and José Luis Garcia-Lopez, and theline pretty much disappeared after the collection of that series in 2005. Further printings ofA History of Violenceand theRoad to Perditionseries were published through Vertigo, which, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, had expanded beyond the original mandate of horror and dark fantasy to include the types of books that would have earlier been published by Piranha/Paradox.
Even though the Paradox Press imprint was short-lived, producing two works that would later be adapted into highly-acclaimed Oscar contenders isn’t a bad batting average. The other comics released in the Paradox Mystery line are equally worthy of praise and worth seeking out for readers looking for more adult-oriented crime stories in their comics. The eventual success ofRoad to PerditionandA History of Violenceon the big screen shows thatDC Comicshas more to offer than just superheroes.
