Black Hood

History

Origin

The Black Hood was the brainchild of Harry Shorten and Al Camy who first appeared in MLJ’s Top-Notch Comics #9 (October, 1940), as Matthew “Kip” Burland, a cop who was framed by The Skull for a burglary he didn’t commit, who undertook being The Black Hood in order to prove his innocence. While it took several issues to clear his name, he still maintained being a superhero in order to avoid the red tape legal procedures bring every so often. His story is often matched with Dan Garrett, the first Blue Beetle, and with Jim Harper, The Guardian. By eclipsing fellow superhero The Wizard in Top-Notch, he also was a star attraction in Jackpot Comics. He was given his own comic book in the Winter of 1943 and also starred in his own pulp magazine, Black Hood Detective. The Black Hood has had a great deal of popularity, but eventually he was pushed aside for funny stories with animal characters.

The Version appearing in Top Notch Comics #9-44 and Black Hood Comics #9-19 is in the Public Domain.

First Revival

As the 1960s came, Black Hood was brought back to be a charter member of The Mighty Crusaders and also had solo adventures in the Mighty Comics anthology series. In these appearances he rode a robot horse named Nightmare and used a variety of gadgets such as a ray gun, which were presumably all of his own creation. However when the Radio Comics line was cancelled the Black Hood once again faded back into obscurity.

Thomas “Kip” Burland

The title of the Black Hood continued on with Matthew’s nephew, Thomas “Kip” Burland, who also notified him that the mantle of Black Hood has been used throughout the history of the Burland family to defend the innocent and the weak. Kip became a member of the new Mighty Crusaders.

The first Black Hood (Mathew Burland) was later killed by The Eraser, a long time foe of the Mighty Crusaders, this brought the wrath of Thomas Burland and the rest of the crusaders, and The Eraser was killed by The Comet.

Thomas was primarily featured in Archie’s Red Circle Comics. He briefly had his own series, but also appeared in solo stories in comic series such as Blue Ribbon comics.

DC Comics Revival

The DC Comics revival of the Black Hood happened when one of the Web Hosts answered an email from Mateo Burland, a former heroin kingpin bodyguard who wanted to “get out of the game” and move to Miami at the behest of his sister, Nina. The Web Host sent to help Mateo instead got beaten and kidnapped by his boss, Amado Santana, who managed to get the information of Mateo’s current location, for fear that if his “long ball hitter” leaves Santana, he can hurt him. Thus, he sent his crew to take out Mateo for good, but it ended up with his sister being caught by a stray bullet, instantly killing her. Naturally, this got the attention of the main man himself, The Web, who was notified that his Detroit Web Host was killed by Santana. Web flies to Detroit in order to help Mateo weather the storm of bullets and gang-bangers who want to kill him. After helping out Mateo, he lets her know that Nina unfortunately died. As soon as Mateo recovered from the blood loss he had earlier, he found himself Kevlar that’s twice as thick but half as light, guns he never saw before, and took it for himself to ask Web where he was located.

Web explained that he was in the former Detroit headquarters of the Justice League of America. Mateo then, understandably mad, berated Web for failing on his service to get him out of the game without anyone dying. After briefly educating Web on the importance of taking care of matters himself instead of relying on others, he confronted Amado in order to kill him for killing his sister. Web briefly tried to stop Burland, but he relented, at the shock of Santana, who said that he was supposed to be a hero. Web said he thought he was one, until he passed that responsibility onto others, and left Santana’s fate at Burland’s hands, who quickly killed him. Web then asked him why is he wearing Amado’s bandanna. Mateo explained that Web was right, that there’s always more problems that people who can solve them. Web points out that he can’t be a hero and a killer at the same time, but Burland, now as Black Hood, retorts that this wasn’t what he had in mind originally, but if it’s like that, justice is justice, no matter who lives or dies.

Dark Circle Comics

In 2014 Archie Comics relaunch Red Circle into Dark Circle Comics. Their new superhero line included a new Black Hood by the name of Gregory Hettinger.