I first read Jack Kirby’s The Demon in l1987. I remember because I know I read Matt Wagner’s limited series and John Byrne’s Action Comics #587 first. It was also right around this time I first read Alan Moore’s treatment of the Demon in Swamp Thing, but actually, it was Amazing Heroes #93 which inspired me to seek out Kirby’s run. AH #93 cover-featured the limited series with art by Matt Wagner, but there was also an article which traced the history of the Demon up to that point. I have always though of The Demon as a Universal Studios monster movie filtered through the mind and pen of Jack Kirby. Here’s a breakdown of what’s to be found in the series.
#1-2. Origin, introduction of characters
#3. The “Reincarnators”
#4-5. Kamara (the Fear Monster), the Iron Duke and Ugly Meg
#6. The Howler (Kirby’s werewolf)
#7. Klarion the Witchboy
#8-10. Phantom of the Sewers (Kirby’s Phantom of the Opera)
#11-13. Baron Von Evilstein (Kirby’s Frankenstein)
#14-15. Klarion the Witchboy
#16. Morgaine Le Fey
It wasn’t my intention to do a comprehensive, chronological read of Demon appearances, so I skipped some Brave & the Bold guest spots, but I did read the four-part backup feature in Detective Comics #482-485 by Len Wein, Michael Golden and Steve Ditko. The three Ditko-drawn chapters have been collected in volume two of The Steve Ditko Omnibus (on the same shelf as my Demon Omnibus), but I had to resort to the original for #482. It’s too bad Batman wasn’t in it; it would have made a worthy addition to the Michael Golden Batman collection. It strikes me there ought to be enough uncollected Len Wein material for a DC Universe by Len Wein volume two, too.
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There was also a guest appearance in Batman Family #17, in the story where Rebecca Langstrom (Man-Bat's daughter) was born.