Lot #3: Ragman Showcase
12 books, together valued at $135
Batman #551
Batman #552
Ragman #1
Ragman #2
Ragman #3
Ragman #4
Ragman #5
Ragman #6
Ragman #7
Ragman #8
Ragman: Suit of Souls #1
Shadowpact #8
Collection ID#: 39
DC Comics
Batman (Vol. 1) (1940 - 2011)
Batman #551
Published: December 1997
Keywords: Antisemitism, Bigotry, Emeth, Golem, Hebrew, Kabbalah, Neo Nazi, Rabbi
Batman confronts a series of hate crimes in Gotham City, perpetrated by a white supremacist group known as the Aryan Reich. The story introduces Rory Regan (Ragman), who returns to Gotham to attend the funeral of a Jewish man murdered by the Aryan Reich. Seeking guidance, he consults Rabbi Isaac Ben Luria, discussing the nature of his powers and the moral complexities he faces. The whole issue is amazing, and I especially love that the name of the Rabbi is Isaac Ben Luria. It’s also notable that Ragman’s “Emet” is in Hebrew letters this time.
Collection ID#: 40
DC Comics
Batman (Vol. 1) (1940 - 2011)
Batman #552
Published: January 1998
Keywords: Antisemitism, Golem, Kabbalah, Menorah, Neo Nazi, Rabbi, Ragman
While Batman doesn’t play much of a role in the Jewish elements, Jewish theology and kabbalism explained in the writing centering around Ragman, and with a fair amount of depth.
Collection ID#: 199
DC Comics
Ragman (Vol. 2) (1991 - 1992)
Ragman #1
Published: August 1991
Keywords: Emeth, Golem, Warsaw
Henry - Excerpted from p. 124, From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books by Arie Kaplan “Rory Regan, a character [Robert] Kanigher and [Joe] Kubert created in 1976. A Batman-style vigilante who operated out of Gotham City and wore a dilapidated costume made of the rags from the junk shop he shared with his dad, Ragman first appeared in five issues of his own short-lived series in 1976-1977. Appropriately enough for a character dressed in rags, Ragman fought crime in the ghetto, and his targets were often average gangsters and hoods rather than supervillains. This gave Ragman the air of a social crusader, not unlike Siegel’s and Shuster’s early Superman stories.” Originally Irish - Rory Regan 1991 series, he was reimagined as a Jewish character Brandon 16th Century Edict limiting Jews to work ragpicking That same section in From Krakow to Krypton weirdly claims The decision to make the character Jewish was a mutual one. “We created him with a Jewish heritage, although we didn’t make a big to-do about it,” said Kubert. Interview with Pat Broderick Joe Kubert discusses Ragman as Jewish from the start (not Irish) in From Krakow to Krypton Ragman 1991 mini series three or...
Collection ID#: 200
DC Comics
Ragman (Vol. 2) (1991 - 1992)
Ragman #2
Published: September 1991
Keywords: Emeth, Golem, Poverty, Rabbi, Ragman
2nd half of story draws parallels between Ragman and the classic golem story, complete with several references to Emet (spelled without the H). The word even appears in Ragman’s eyes. In the end a full page graphic of a rabbi introduces himself as the one who will train Ragman as his apprentice. Issue 2, page 16 has a sentence "true repentance requires acknowledgment of the sin," pages 23-24 have golem and the rabbi showing up
Collection ID#: 201
DC Comics
Ragman (Vol. 2) (1991 - 1992)
Ragman #3
Published: October 1991
Keywords: Antisemitism, Concentration Camp, Emeth, Ghetto, Golem, Holocaust, Kabbalah, Magen David, Nazi, Poverty, Rabbi, Ragman, Warsaw, Yiddish
The entire issue is amazing, in particular a depiction of a concentration camp with Jews huddled together behind barbed wire in striped prison clothing on page 14. Later, text suggests that the image was of treblinka rabbi explains that the Ragman was made by rabbis to improve on the golem as a template, with safety features.
Collection ID#: 202
DC Comics
Ragman (Vol. 2) (1991 - 1992)
Ragman #4
Published: November 1991
Keywords: Rabbi, Kabbalism, Golem, Ragman, Neo Nazi
Rory Regan finds himself caught in a brutal gang war raging through the slums of Gotham City . Mafia boss Howard Spratt has incited two rival street gangs – the skinhead-like “Nats” and the bizarre mime-makeup gang known as the “Mimes” – to battle each other as part of his turf-grab scheme . As Ragman, Rory interposes himself between these gangs to protect his neighborhood, but the conflict truly tests him. By this point in the series, Rory is aware that his patchwork costume (the mystical Suit of Souls) absorbs the evil souls of violent men and hungers for more . Throughout the issue’s battles, the sentient rags urge Rory to kill his opponents and steal their souls , challenging his moral resolve. He is guided by the kindly Rabbi Liebowitz who has been training him in the suit’s Jewish mystical origins.
Collection ID#: 203
DC Comics
Ragman (Vol. 2) (1991 - 1992)
Ragman #5
Published: December 1991
Keywords: Rabbi, Kabbalism, Golem, Ragman, Emeth
This issue intensifies both the supernatural and personal stakes for Rory Regan. With gang violence still looming in the background, Rory’s greatest battle turns inward and mystical. The influence of the suit grows stronger – every soul it consumes adds to its patchwork and its dark voice in Rory’s mind . As the title “Feet of Clay” implies, even a savior has weaknesses: Ragman risks losing control to the rags’ hunger. Rory’s mentor, Rabbi Liebowitz, reveals a critical secret from the suit’s lore – there exists another guardian in play, a living Golem of clay empowered by the same Kabbalistic magic. In a twist of fate, there is only enough mystical energy to animate one protector fully at a time . Now that Rory has activated the Suit of Souls, the ancient power sustaining the Golem is waning, driving the creature to seek out its “rival.” This hulking, mute stranger – the Golem of Gotham City – arrives and begins tracking Ragman . Despite being a force for good in its own right, the Golem perceives Ragman as a threat to its very existence. Rory faces a twofold peril: either the suit will consume him, or the Golem will destroy him first.
Collection ID#: 204
DC Comics
Ragman (Vol. 2) (1991 - 1992)
Ragman #6
Published: January 1992
Keywords: Rabbi, Kabbalism, Golem, Ragman, Emeth
The Golem, increasingly human in appearance yet desperate to preserve its waning life force, engages Ragman in an epic battle through Gotham’s backstreets. The fight is protracted and punishing – neither mystical champion can coexist while the other lives, so it rages on until one is destroyed . Ragman throws everything he has at the creature, his rags ripping into clay, while the Golem’s massive blows threaten to tear Rory’s enchanted suit to tatters. All the while, the suit’s evil whispers push Rory to unleash lethal force.
Collection ID#: 205
DC Comics
Ragman (Vol. 2) (1991 - 1992)
Ragman #7
Published: March 1992
Keywords: Ragman, Israel, Rabbi, Golem, Kabbalism
Rory Regan accompanies Rabbi Luria and a small group of Jewish elders to a summit of global religious leaders in the Israeli desert. The meeting, intended as a step toward interfaith peace, becomes a crucible for spiritual tension and prophetic reckoning. Rory is drawn deeper into the mystical legacy of the Suit of Souls, as Rabbi Luria reveals ancient Jewish teachings about justice, memory, and divine purpose. The desert setting evokes echoes of the Israelites’ own spiritual trials, while Rory’s struggle reflects a modern diaspora Jew searching for identity and meaning amid ancient truths.
When a violent supernatural force disrupts the summit, targeting those who seek peace, Ragman must act—not only as a protector, but as a living embodiment of Jewish resilience. Through combat and contemplation, he begins to understand the suit not merely as a burden but as a sacred trust rooted in the Jewish tradition of righteous judgment. The issue blends mysticism, geopolitics, and theology, portraying Ragman as a bridge between ancient faith and contemporary justice. In doing so, it deepens his ties to Israel—not only as a place, but as a spiritual crucible shaping his evolving sense of Jewish moral responsibility.
Collection ID#: 206
DC Comics
Ragman (Vol. 2) (1991 - 1992)
Ragman #8
Published: April 1992
Keywords: Ragman, Israel, Golem, Rabbi, Kabbalism
Rory Regan travels to Israel seeking answers about the mystical origins of the Suit of Souls. His journey brings him to Jerusalem, where he meets Rabbi Luria, a kabbalist who recognizes the suit’s ancient significance. As Rory grapples with his role as Ragman, he learns that the suit may be linked to Jewish mysticism, rooted in the Kabbalistic tradition of tikkun olam—the repair of the world. Meanwhile, in the backdrop, tensions rise in the region, and an Israeli agent named Judith joins Rory, revealing that the suit’s appearance may coincide with moments of great spiritual or historical crisis. When a destructive force emerges, threatening both ancient sites and modern lives, Rory must embrace both his Jewish heritage and the burden of the souls he carries to stand against it.
Collection ID#: 207
DC Comics
Ragman: Suit of Souls (2010)
Ragman: Suit of Souls #1
Published: October 2010
Keywords: Antisemitism, Ghetto, Golem, Nazi, Poverty, Rabbi, Ragman, Warsaw, Holocaust
Haunted by the weight of the souls within the mystical suit he now wears, Rory Regan turns to a rabbi for answers. As Ragman, he reveals his secret and shares the hidden history of the suit—its origins not as mere myth, but as a sacred creation of a rabbinic council, forged after the Golem of Prague proved too dangerous. From Prague to Poland, through centuries of Jewish suffering and resilience, the Ragman suit has passed from one protector to the next, appearing wherever Jewish communities needed justice—battling sorcerers, Nazis, and evil alike.
Collection ID#: 223
DC Comics
Shadowpact (2006 - 2008)
Shadowpact #8
Published: December 2006
Keywords: Ragman, Kabbalism, Golem, Israel
While a frustrated Doctor Gotham commands Strega to keep Shadowpact distracted, a new threat blinds Blue Devil, Nightshade, and Ragman in the streets of Metropolis. Labeled villains by a fanatical cult called the Congregation, the heroes are incapacitated—body and soul.
In a haunting dreamscape, Ragman confronts not just his blindness, but the ghosts of his legacy. From his grandfather’s immigrant struggle to escape persecution, to the ancient origins of the mystical Rag Suit, Ragman learns the painful truth: his burden is not a curse, but a chance at redemption. Guided by Marcus Liberius, a soul taken during the Siege of Masada, Rory Reagan begins to understand that the suit’s power spans millennia—and he’s part of a lineage stretching back to Abraham himself.