As we celebrate 40 years of Friday the 13th, it’s hard to not feel a little sorry for Jason Voorhees, perhaps the most mistreated horror icon. Ignored by his founders at Paramount Studios and mishandled by his new owners at New Line Cinema, Jason has had a bumpy on-screen career. Even worse, where his peers Freddy and Chucky starred in comics from 1989 and 1991, Jason had to wait until 1993, when he finally made his debut with an ignominious cameo in Satan’s Six #4.
Despite such inauspicious beginnings, Jason has had a surprisingly good run, appearing in comics from Topps, Avatar Press, and finally DC Comics’ WildStorm imprint. If the birthday of Mama Voorhees’s favorite son has got you wanting more, these comics will surely do the trick.