Kobalt is a 1994 series by Milestone Comics.
A street-level vigilante is compelled to accept a new Kid Sidekick who is woefully unprepared for the realities of crimefighting.
Kobalt provides examples of:
- Bring My Brown Pants: The fourth issue has Kobalt psychololgically torture a man he's tied up by smearing peanut butter on him and leaving for now while claiming he'll let some rats eat him later. Kobalt's captive is so horrified by this that he pees himself.
- End-of-Series Awareness: The cover to the 16th issue had writing addressing that Kobalt's career would end in the issue.
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: The 11th issue has Kobalt fight a villain named Dozer and taunt his tractor-like appearance by asking if he looks like that because his mother had a fling with John Deere. Dozer replies that Kobalt better be careful what he says about his momma, with Kobalt replying that if Dozer's mother looks like him, she likely wouldn't even get a date with a tractor.
- Expy: Kobalt is Batman, but a more violent and reality-grounded version, if still non-lethal. Page, his Kid Sidekick, is a proto-Kick-Ass whose dad fed him to Kobalt as an attempted "Scared Straight" experience (that backfired).
- Faking the Dead: The series ends with Kobalt faking his death so he can lie low and be better prepared for taking criminals by surprise.
- Kick the Dog: In the final issue, Kobalt's Kid Sidekick gets both arms broken and quits superheroing forever, chiefly due to the storylines being forcibly wrapped up.
- Your Mom: The 11th issue has Kobalt taunt the villain Dozer by asking if his appearance is the result of his mother having a fling with John Deere.
