Killraven might be another – homage of War Of The Worlds that turns into Conan in the future, that mutates into Don Mcgregor & Craig Russell musings on the problems with society, and the heroes burden… a few revivals, but nothing close to the success of the original.

Booster Gold?
A short run in his debut series, then folded into JLI where a different take and a new best bud made him a fave, before slowly moving back to the back ground after the fad died down, until his key role in the experimental and unexpectedly popular 52 launched a new ongoing for him, which has just hit the same number as his original series.

At this point I think Kate Spencer’s page count even eclipses the original Golden Age Manhunter’s, the Simon and Kirby version.

It always sucks when a lesser take beats the better takes.

Especially when the lesser take only got so far because DC kept bringing the book back as a publicity stunt.
(Which I gives it standing as a cult figure I guess, but how many times does one character have to get cancceled? First her own series three times, then Birds Of Prey… maybe she’ll connect as the back up story).

Also, Doom Patrol revivals haven’t necessarily been about recapturing Morrison’s DP. Some have been more about recapturing the original.

Which is kinda pointless as Arnold Drake preferred Morrison’s run over those that just tried to capture his run on the title.

The Gaiman and Brubaker revivals? Godawful. Really bad.

You think that one issue of Sandman is godawful, but take someone to task for not liking Flex Mentallo?

I just don’t get you.

You better believe that’s a paddlin’.

It doesn’t meet all of the requirements (it hasn’t been revived in any fashion that I know of, and I’m not certain just how many people are re-discovering it these days), but I would nominate Robert Fleming and Trevor Von Eeden’s run of Thriller. Short-lived, but an excellent work that was ahead of it’s time. Critically acclaimed, but a comercial failure, Thriller was a ‘widescreen’ comic book long before the term was invented, using virtually no captions or thought balloons in portraying the story of a sc-fi future told through pulp sensibilities.

>>anything Joe SImon did in the 70s, like Green Team, or Brother Power.

*ahem* Brother Power was from the *’60s* — the 2 issues came out in July & Sept of ’68, to be precise, & I remember them as vividly as I do anything from that year, during which prehistoric me started the 4th grade.

On the Classic Comics forum there’s a running in-joke about my eternal quest for issue #3, because when it *choke* kept failing to show up in the local spinner racks, a comics-reading “friend” of mine assured me that he’d seen it while on a trip out of town with his parents. He just hadn’t bothered to pick it up &/or didn’t have the necessary 12 cents (which after all was a pretty formidable amount — 24 percent of my weekly allowance at the time, in fact) …

I’ve never been the same.

I’d like to say “Star Hunters”, but I’m not sure it counts, as I’m not sure it has the peer acceptance & I doubt it inspired any other series.

What about Jack Kirby’s Fourth World stuff (Jimmy Olsen, Forever People, New Gods & Mr. Miracle)? They all got canceled early, but it certainly got revived & redone over & over.

How well did “Deadman” do in it’s initial run?

For that matter, the Silver Age “Hawkman” seemed to be a series of short runs (B&B, Mystery In Space, Hawkman, The Atom & Hawkman) it seemed like the powers that be were trying anything to keep it going.

I’d include Atari Force as well, with one caveat.

IT started off as bonus comics for 5 video game cartridges, and a graphic novel – And, frankly, the actual series of “buy off the rack” comics, set 20 years later, was even better than the source material, and even made several of the trades of the time’s top 10 series of the year (and didn’t the backstory “Hukka vs. The BOB” win an award?).

It’s a cult series, but one that actually succeeded and shined in its rebirth, more than its original iteration, before licensing issues relegated to probable permanent limbo.

Yeah, and Brian, I’d count Space: 1999 & Kolchak: The Night Stalker as TV iterations of the cult phenomena, more than most series one usually hears called “cult”, that were actually just semi-successful series with loyal followings.

As for the “cult hit” thing: I think you’re overthinking things. Most people consider something a “cult hit” with only two of your descriptors: that it was a commercial failure when it first comes out but gains a (limited) following later. Other things (like professional approval or influence) are nice but not truly needed.

(No examples from me, as I really never cared to examine anything from the “cult” point of view. I just like them (or not) on their own.)

BTW, am I the only one who finds Simonson’s Manhunter’s costume ridiculous? The series itself WAS pretty cutting edge, but really, try sneaking in the dark with something like that on! (Not that Batman’s costume is ENTIRELY practical either, mind you…)

Guardians of the Galaxy, back in the ’70s. A single issue of Marvel Superheroes (I think) by Arnold Drake & Gene Colon, a few issues in Marvel Presents, some nice work by Gerber but nothing ground-breaking. Eventually, Jim Valentino makes it a modest success, until it dies under other hands. Recently, it’s revived featuring Rocket Racoon (another cult favorite).

Some ’80s and ’90s independents, including Journey, Beanworld, Flaming Carrot, & Zot!, were known by reputation more than substance. Now, trade paperbacks exist to let everyone read what they’ve heard about all these years.

Rom seems to be a favorite of bloggers. Growing up, I heard about Claremont & Byrne X-Men, Miller Daredevils, Alan Moore’s big works, Sandman, even some popular indies (e.g. American Flagg!), but no one talked about Rom. It was just another ’80s Marvel book, like Power Man & Iron Fist or Cloak & Dagger, that got lost in the shuffle. After reading about people’s love for the series & character, it seems like a cult hit to me (despite lasting more than 2 years) because I’d never even considered its merit, and never heard a more knowledgable fan tell me about it.

Helfer & Baker’s Shadow has a great reputation, but is not in print. It qualifies as cult hit. Likewise O’Neil & Cowans’s Question. I hope to buy some back issues or trades at some point.

With comics, i agree with Wesley Smith, that there has to be a small, vocal, & intensely loyal group of fans to meet the standard of saying that something is Cult. There also has to be something in the work that keeps people coming back to it over again that sparks a fondness for it.

So, while i really liked Xero [by Priest] i wouldn’t call it cult, while Quantum & Woody [also by Priest] i would call cult.

i think that you could call the Secret Society of Super Villians would count as cult. The original series didn’t do so well, but it still is brought into DC continuity and current stories. Also, maybe US 1?
DFTBA

To nominate the obvious, Marvelman/Miracleman never was a commercial success, was it?