Charlton’s E-Man delivered a whimsical superhero series with some sci fi elements that was unique for its time and also a ton of fun.
What Is It?
In this short-lived series from Charlton Comics, we are introduced to the superhero E-Man, a sentient being of pure energy created out of a super-nova. He travels through the galaxy after coming into existence and comes in contact with Earth. There he meets the human Nova Kane and decides to take human form himself as a superhero. The two then set off on action-packed adventures fighting villains that threaten the planet (while delivering plenty of witty one-liners).
Created by: Nicola Cuti and Joe Staton
Published: 1973-75, Charlton Comics, 10 Issues
Legacy
This whimsical little series hit the stands at a time before superheroes had gone dark and grim, and it delivered a fun set of comic book tales with a slight sci fi bent. It was a very unique series for its time and did not garner much attention when first published. But it ended up having some influence and would be revived multiple times in subsequent decades.
A Closer Look
Co-creator Nicola Cuti had the idea of creating a superhero similar to the whimsical Golden Age character Plastic Man, and artist Joe Staton helped bring to life this modern hero with a sense of fun. The transformable E-Man would morph into any of a number of shapes as needed, not dissimilar to his Golden Age predecessor. But it was the banter between E-Man and his opponents as well as sidekick/partner Nova Kane (she would later become a superhero herself) that made this strip so much fun. Unlike the revivals of this character that would appear in the 80s and 90s, this series was less interested in parody, and more in just telling a fun tale. If you want to look for a good predecessor to the MCU movies that blend superhero action with humor, you can find it right here.
The series would also introduce the private eye character Mike Mauser who would later get his own series, plus it had regular backup stories that highlighted some notable tryout heroes for Charlton. Steve Ditko’s Mr. A-like character Killjoy showed up in two issues and John Byrne’s Rog 2000 also had several appearances. Unfortunately, E-Man only released ten issues in its original run before getting cancelled. The sales for the book were not great as Charlton struggled in its attempt to launch non-branded characters in a crowded market. The publisher decided to drop the series, though the character would have a final appearance from its original creative team in the fourth issue of the Charlton Bullseye fanzine. E-Man has since been mostly forgotten, but his early adventures have been collected (see below), and they are worth picking up.
The Story Continues
E-Man would live on in the decades that followed with several revivals at other publishers, moving to First Comics in the 80s (without Cuti onboard initially) and then to Comico in the late 80s and early 90s (with Cuti and Staton). Those veered more towards comic book parody, and in my opinion, they never quite matched up to the original run which was quirky and funny and just trying to deliver some good, fun comic book tales. The character would make a few more appearances throughout the years, mostly in one-shots or limited series. Staton and Cuti would then team up in 2017 to do a three-part tale that they consider the final E-Man story, and that appeared in Charlton Arrow.
Where Can You Read It?
The original issues never gained much value, so if you are a collector you can go back and pick up the full run without breaking the bank. Watch for the Modern Comics reprints, though, and make sure you don’t pay the same price for those as the original issues (six of the ten came out under that label). All ten issues were also collected in trade paperback and also in eBook format, but have since gone out of print. (How does an eBook go out of print?) The later runs have also been collected, but they too appear to be out of print. So it may require some searching around, but finding the original run is definitely worth the effort.
Interesting Facts
Joe Staton based E-Man’s face on James Bond actor Roger Moore which he described as “charming and heroic looking, but kind of generic”.
John Byrne made his professional comics debut drawing the backup feature Rog-2000 in issues 6, 7, 9, and 10. That robotic character was his own creation and Nicola Cuti teamed with him on the backup strip.
