Protectors, Inc.

In 2013–2014, Image Comics published Protectors, Inc., a ten-issue series by writer J. Michael Straczynski and artist Gordon Purcell that reimagined the superhero genre through a gritty, corporate lens. The story follows a team of government-sponsored costumed heroes who discover their powers come at a devastating personal cost, unearthing a conspiracy that blurs the line between patriotism and exploitation. Straczynski’s taut, character-driven script and Purcell’s grounded, expressive art deliver a noir-tinged thriller that questions the true price of heroism in a world where even superhumans are disposable assets.