The Life and Times of Savior 28

A single-issue graphic novel from IDW in 2009, The Life and Times of Savior 28 reimagines the superhero origin story as a cold, bureaucratic government program. The book follows a young man who volunteers for an experimental process to become a super-soldier, only to find himself trapped in a sterile, lonely existence as a state-sponsored hero. Written and drawn by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Cavallaro, it’s a thoughtful, melancholic take on the cost of power and the human soul behind the cape.