Virgil Hawkins, the electric hero better known as Static, is the most well-known and iconic character to be spawned from the Milestone Comics Universe. A youthful nerd with superpowers, Static was essentially Milestone's equivalent to Spider-Man. Although his original comic book ended when Milestone stopped publishing comics, he eventually achieved much greater fame through the DC Animated Universe's Static Shock animated series.

Milestone has officially returned, and is bringing with it a new Static ongoing comic book series. Even before his new relaunch, Static's decades-long existence has afforded him several comic books and miniseries' throughout the years. Here's a look back at the various publications that Milestone's electric hero has been a part of prior to his all-new series, and which ones hold up.

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The Original Static Comic Book

Static #5. Milestone Comics. Virgil Hawkins confronts antisemitism

The original Static comic book series ran for 45 issues and was created by Dwayne McDuffie, Robert L. Washington and John Paul Leon. The stories involved detailed Virgil Hawkins defending his city of Dakota, as he dealt with bullies, supervillains and the intricacies of being a teenager in the wider Milestone Universe. While similar to the aforementioned Spider-Man archetype, Static was a somewhat more realistic and grounded character due to the grittier world that surrounded him.

Sadly, the original series has been out of print for quite a while, as has Trial by Fire, the collection of the first four issues. Thankfully, the series is being re-released again digitally on DC Universe Infinite, and the original individual issues as well as Trial by Fire can be purchased through Comixology for Kindle and other apps.

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Static Shock: Rebirth of the Cool

Around the time of Static Shock's TV success, McDuffie and Leon reunited on 2001's Static Shock: Rebirth of the Cool, a miniseries released in 2001 set sometime after the original series' events, although it also works as a standalone story.

It featured a slightly older Virgil who had long since given up the role of Static, but a returning figure threatens to draw him back into the fold. The four-issue series has also long been removed from print, but it can be purchased through Amazon and Comixology and is available on DC Universe infinite

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Static In the DC Universe

New-52-Static

After the DC and Milestone Universes were merged following Final Crisis, Static and the other Milestone heroes began appearing in various titles. Static was saved from the Dark Side Club and subsequently joined the Teen Titans in the late '00s. This period also saw him teaming up with his DC Universe equivalent Black Lightning, who is many times mistaken for Static's father, in the pages of The Brave and the Bold. Although it was somewhat short, Static's time on the Titans was relatively well-received.

The pre-Final Crisis era was also bid farewell in Milestone Forever, which included Static. He would briefly star in his own monthly series again during the New 52, though this book only lasted for eight issues. Many of the plot elements, such as Static's sister having a clone and his losing his hand, were poorly received among fans. His new costume, however, was very well-received. These stories are also available on Comixology and DC Universe Infinite.

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Milestone Reborn

Static Season One. Static Shock.

The new incarnation of Static debuted, along with his new origin, in 2020's Milestone Returns, a stand-alone special featuring an all-star roster of creative talent is that now available as a physical comic after being released digitally last year.

This brings with it the new Static: Season One monthly series which, along with the rest of the new Milestone Universe, will appear simultaneously in digital and print formats. As Virgil steps into his own ongoing title for the first time in the better part of a decade, Static: Season One sees Vita Ayala, ChrisCross, Nikolas Draper-Ivey, and Andworld Design offer a new take on the character that marks a perfect jumping-on point for new readers.

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