The Weird #2

The Weird was a four-issue limited series published by DC Comics in 1988, marking a significant creative collaboration between writer Jim Starlin and artist Bernie Wrightson. The series introduced a unique cosmic entity that possessed the body of a deceased man to save the Earth from an alien threat known as the Zarolat. It arrived during a period of experimentation at DC, as the company sought to expand its mature-themed storytelling through the Prestige Format, which utilized high-quality paper and cardstock covers to distinguish these narratives from standard monthly comics.

Bernie Wrightson’s illustrations are widely regarded as the cornerstone of the series' aesthetic, blending his signature gothic sensibility with Starlin’s dense, philosophical cosmic concepts. The design aimed to create a sense of uncanny dread, contrasting the mundane suburban setting of the protagonist’s borrowed life with the surreal, alien nature of the entity inhabiting it. While it has since gained a reputation as a distinct cult classic of the late eighties, the series was received at the time as a challenging, atmospheric departure from mainstream superhero tropes, celebrated primarily for its visual depth and thematic complexity.