10 Best Peacemaker Comic Books Fans Of The DCEU Show Will Love

The new Peacemaker series on HBOMax is taking one of the more obscure DC Comics characters and making him a star. In doing so, the series draws on some of the best Peacemaker comics ever, including his significant ties to the Suicide Squad and Vigilante. Peacemaker’s comic book history goes back even further than that, starting life as a character for the now-defunct Charlton Comics in the 1960s.

Peacemaker was co-created by Joe Gill and Pat Boyette in 1966 for Charlton Comics and has evolved considerably in the comics ever since.

Fightin’ Force #40

Fightin’ Force #40 is the Peacemaker’s very first appearance in comic books and one of the best as it defines much of the character going forward. Peacemaker’s aversion to violence but extreme commitment to using it in the cause of peace is introduced here along with his classic costume.

The comic also introduces one of Peacemaker’s most powerful villains, Emil Bork. Bork is an international arms dealer who stoked violence for profit. He would be the model for many Peacemaker villains in both Charlton Comics and DC.

Justice League International #65

Peacemaker evolved considerably since his debut and one of his most unique versions appears in Justice League International #65, one of the best Justice League comic book issues of the ’90s. It’s a great issue for giving fans a modern update on the classic character.

This version of Peacemaker is the leader of the League Busters, a United Nations task force dedicated exclusively to taking down the Justice League. He wears a heavily armored version of his costume and uses some of the most advanced weapons he ever has in the comics.

Peacemaker #4

Peacemaker got his first solo mini-series at DC Comics in the late ’80s and one of the best issues is #4. The comic pits him against one of his most notorious enemies, Doctor Tzin-Tzin, who is attempting to destabilize the Soviet Union and create global chaos.

The comic is a great example of how the DC version of the character is driven largely by fear and anxiety over his father, a former Nazi soldier who hounds Peacemaker in his own mind. He drives Peacemaker nearly mad as he struggles to find and stop Tzin-Tzin.

Eclipso #13

Peacemaker generally fights villains and even heroes who are on his level ability-wise. But he met his match in one of his best issues, Eclipso #13, from the early ’90s. Peacemaker died heroically in this issue, sacrificing himself to try and save the world.

Eclipso is one of the most powerful immortal DC Comics supervillains, and Peacemaker was outmatched against his forces of darkness. It’s a great issue for the character for showing how heroic he can be despite his bad attitude and violent tendencies.

Vigilante #36

Vigilante is a big part of the HBOMax series and an unlikely ally of Peacemaker. But in the comics, it didn’t start off that way. Vigilante #36 is a fantastic issue showing how violent and determined Peacemaker can be — even when he’s in the wrong.

Peacemaker brutally guns Vigilante down, sending him out of a flying airplane. This is after killing a previous version of Vigilante and showing absolutely no remorse to the Adrian Chase version. He’s left scarred and wounded in every way from the encounter.

Suicide Squad #5

Suicide Squad #5 from 2021 is a great recent comic essential for fans as it could potentially have bearing on the future of the DCEU. Peacemaker has rejoined Task Force X, the organization behind Suicide Squad, which is recruiting new members from across the DC multiverse.

The multiverse is about to become a major factor in the DCEU in the upcoming The Flash movie. Though the Peacemaker series doesn’t show signs of the multiverse yet, this issue could potentially signal the future for the character depending on the nature of the “butterflies.”

Kingdom Come #1

Kingdom Come is a DC Comics graphic novel that deserves a film adaptation. The first issue of the original mini-series from the ’90s is one of Peacemaker’s best issues despite his brief appearance. It’s his best comic book death and best costume as well.

Artist Alex Ross clearly pays homage to Boba Fett in his alternate take on Peacemaker, who participates in an ill-advised attack on Parasite in this dark future timeline. Parasite is killed and generates a nuclear blast that kills Peacemaker and many innocent civilians.

Day Of Judgment #3

After his death in the early ’90s, Peacemaker would be out of action for a time. One of his best moments in DC Comics comes in the afterlife. He appears alongside many dead heroes including Vigilante in Day Of Judgment #3 from 1999 and plays a key role in a major moment in DC Comics.

Peacemaker joins several other fallen heroes in Purgatory to help fight to free the soul of Hal Jordan. Jordan would escape Purgatory to become the new Spectre and eventually return to the role of Green Lantern in the early 2000s.

Pax Americana #1

Peacemaker originated at Charlton Comics and joined DC Comics in the ’80s with several others. These characters are the focus of Pax Americana #1, one of Peacemaker’s best issues for imagining a future for the Charlton Universe that never happened because of the DC sale.

Peacemaker is a hero in this universe, Earth-4, but not one most fans would recognize as he kills the President of the United States. He bears a strong resemblance to the Comedian from Watchmen, an intentional homage that acknowledges the Comedian’s own inspiration.

Watchmen #1

Watchmen #1 is one of the greatest single issues in comic book history. It doesn’t feature Peacemaker at all, at least not literally. The Comedian was inspired by Peacemaker after writer Alan Moore’s original plan to use the Charlton Comics characters in the story was scuttled, forcing him to create new ones.

The Comedian is both an homage to the Peacemaker and a foreshadowing of where Peacemaker would go in DC Comics. He would become in many ways as dark and violent as the Comedian, and in many cases, even more so.

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