Justice Mask

Justice Mask is an American superhero comic book series created by writer John Brown and artist Bob Whyte, published by Moonlake Comics since December 24, 2003. The series was inspired by works such as Watchmen, which Brown viewed as a cynical work that showed the negatives of being a superhero. Taking this general idea, Brown and Whyte created the lead protagonist of the series, Justice Mask, who was envisioned as being a "real world superhero", possessing a military background and general krav maga knowledge. As the series progressed though, it drifted away from these roots and would actively contradicts stories of its ilk, becoming a more optimistic take while not shying away from poking fun at the silly aspects of superheroes or dealing with the more unpleasant aspects of reality, being described by critics as a series about a good man doing good things in a bad world.

The series was greatly successful, being praised for its characters and bizarre story which mixed together lighthearted comedy with dark storylines. Various spin-off mini-series and one-shot specials were produced based on the series, including Let's Kill Terrorists, Beat You To Death, and No Justice, though these were often considered to be extentions of the main series. Some crossover works were also published, the most famous of which being Justice Mask Kills Kick-Ass, which was a crossover with Mark Millar's Kick-Ass comic, produced as a colaborative work between Millarworld and Moonlake. A handful of other media projects were also released, the most famous of which being the 2008 Justice Mask live action movie, written by 28 Days Later and Dredd writer Alex Garland, and the 2023 Justice Mask adult animated series, produced as a Paramount+ original series.

Synopsis
The series focuses around mentally ill comic book fan Tom Malikson, a life-long fan of superheroes and a former soldier in the US military who was discharged after it came out that he had been living with undiagnosed schizophrenia for most of his life. Upon coming home, he accidentally stumbles upon a woman being robbed and decides to step in, though he dons a mask out of paranoia so the robber won't recognize him. Comparing himself to the superheroes he read growing up, Tom decides to take it one step further and fashioned himself a costume, using his military experience and knolwedge on krav maga to take on threats that range from pimps and general thugs to organized crime and even serial killers.

Main

 * Tom Malikson/Justice Mask - the main protagonist of the series, Justice Mask is a "real-life superhero" who dons a costume to battle against threats of all kinds, using a combination of martial arts, bladed weapons, and guns to battle the forces of evil. He is also a former member of the US military, holding the rank of Staff Sergeant before he was discharged when it came to light he had mild schizophrenia that made him ineligible for service. He initially wears a costume which is fashioned after the American flag, but changes it to his now famous attire early on after realizing that he doesn't want his public image to be heavily associated with America, believing he should be a hero for all people.