Torch of Liberty Special

    (Dark Horse, 1995)
™ and ©1995 John Byrne, Inc.

The Torch of Liberty and his teenaged sidekick Radio Girl (so named because she receives radio broadcasts via her braces) disrupt a meeting of Communist agents. The ensuing battle, replete with wisecracks, is the kind of tongue-in-cheek fight that comics are famous for.

The Torch of Liberty has obvious literary ties to Captain America with Radio Girl supplying the youthful enthusiasm of sidekick Bucky. This one-issue special from Dark Horse showcases the character which began as a backup feature in John Byrne’s Danger Unlimited, (a title that had the feel of the Byrne-style Fantastic Four). There have been a number of characters that attempted to duplicate the combination of patriotism and vigilantism so successful for Captain America, but few have been quite this unapologetic. The Torch of Liberty recalls a period when a comics’ primary purpose was fun-loving heroic fiction rather than self-involved angst.
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  • 1
    Jan 1995
    Cover: $2.50
    W: John Byrne  ·  A: Kieron Dwyer
    NN; One-shot
    No copies available