Irene Adler

Few names in all of fiction carry the mystique of Irene Adler, and her comics incarnation — debuting in 1956's Super Detective Library #74 with art by Gil Kane — brings that legendary presence into the four-color world. Rooted in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original creation, she moves through a publishing span stretching across an impressive 55 years, appearing alongside the great Sherlock Holmes himself, Dr. Watson, Inspector Lestrade, and Mrs. Hudson in Malibu's adaptations including Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes: Year One, and A Case of Blind Fear. Her appearances may be select rather than sprawling, but that rarity only adds to her allure — this is a character whose every page counts. For collectors drawn to classic literary figures rendered in comics form, Irene Adler is precisely the kind of discovery that makes digging through a long box so rewarding.