(Image Source: Dark Horse Comics)
From his first appearance in 1986, Concrete was a different sort of superhero. At a time when American comics were becoming increasingly violent and sexual, Paul Chadwick‘s stone superman was a grounded presence. Now, just in time for his 40th anniversary, the cult classic character is returning in a new miniseries from Dark Horse Comics.
Concrete was originally speechwriter Ron Lithgow, who was abducted by aliens and had his brain transplanted into a giant stone body. He eventually escaped, and with the aid of the United States Senator who employed him, was allowed to live freely with the cover story that he was a cyborg. Rather than become a crimefighter, Ron used his superhuman strength and endurance to help people however he could. When he wasn’t doing that, he enjoyed adventures like climbing Mount Everest or swimming across the Atlantic Ocean.
(Image Source: Dark Horse Comics)
The Concrete comics were defined by an enhanced sense of realism. He had to hire a personal assistant due to his inability to handle small objects like pens or drive a vehicle. The comics also focused on real-world issues like overpopulation, sustainable agriculture, and environmentalism. The original 10-issue series won multiple Eisner Awards, including Best Continuing Series, Best Black-and-White Series, and Best Writer/Artist for Paul Chadwick.
Concrete: Stars Over Sand is a tale of “amnesia, wilderness, and suspense”
The new miniseries, Concrete: Stars Over Sand, is the first new Concrete comic since 2012. However, Chadwick has been working on this story since at least 2010. In an interview with Comics Alliance that year, Chadwick said the story was about “how much we can lose and still be human.”
The synopsis of the first issue from Dark Horse Comics describes the story as follows.
“Concrete has entered the desert and not come back. Larry and Maureen are frantic. Reports come that he is wandering the nearby arid mountains, covered with blood, attacking people. Concrete, lightning-struck, confused, roams a frightening world he can’t understand. Roars tear across the sky. A strange globe rises. His body is sheathed in stone. He thinks he is being hunted. People are a threat.”
Dark Horse Comics has also released two covers for the first issue of Concrete: Stars Over Sand. “Covers are wraparound oil paintings,” Chadwick noted. “It’s set in places I’ve camped and sketched; I’ve lived, briefly, Concrete’s affliction. Everything I know about suspense I’ve tried to do here.”
(Image Source: Dark Horse Comics)
(Image Source: Dark Horse Comics)
Concrete: Stars Over Sand #1 (of 5) arrives in comic shops everywhere on June 17, 2026.
