While many fans eagerly await childhood or Disney characters to enter the public domain so they can appear in horror movies, the world of comic books and pulp fiction offers a wealth of characters whose intellectual property rights have already expired or been abandoned.

After the introduction of Superman in 1938, countless superheroes emerged but eventually overwhelmed the comic book market. By the end of World War II, interest in the superhero genre waned in America, and many of these characters fell into obscurity — and the public domain. While most of these heroes haven’t stood the test of time like Marvel and DC characters, they still offer a fascinating look into one of comic book history’s most unique periods.

We’ve selected comics that feature some of the biggest, most unusual, and enduring figures from this era, some of which have since been given modern updates. And this is just the tip of the iceberg: hundreds of superheroes in the public domain are waiting for a new life — maybe you’ll be the one to give it to them.

For more great comics, check out your local Library branch or the hoopla app.

The Black Bat Omnibus Vol. 1: Redemption

Miss Fury: The Minor Key 

The Death-Defying Devil Vol. 1

The Shield: Golden Age

Sheena: Queen of the Jungle Vol. 1

The League of Regrettable Superheroes

The Spider Vol. 1: Terror of the Zombie Queen

Moon Girl

The Owl

Turn Loose Our Death Rays and Kill Them All! : The Complete Works of Fletcher Hanks