El Hombre Enmascarado is the title of a comic book series published by Buru Lan, S.A. De Edicionnes in San Sebastian, Spain in 1983. The series contains 3 regular editions plus a special ‘Extra’ edition and is solely dedicated to the Phantom.
Buru Lan S.A. de Ediciones was a prominent Spanish publishing house based in San Sebastián, reaching its peak influence during the early 1970s. Founded by Luis Gasca and Javier Maria de Pascual, the company specialized in high-quality editions of classic adventure comic strips and horror anthologies. Buru Lan is perhaps best known for its ambitious efforts to rescue and curate “Golden Age” American newspaper strips for the Spanish market, often presenting them in large-format, meticulously colored editions that appealed to both children and adult collectors.
The publisher’s catalog was heavily anchored by iconic King Features Syndicate characters, most notably The Phantom (El Hombre Enmascarado), Flash Gordon, and Mandrake the Magician. Their 1970s runs are particularly celebrated for their production value; for instance, their Phantom series featured iconic cover art and utilized a chronological approach to reprinting Sy Barry’s definitive work. Beyond adventure heroes, Buru Lan was a pioneer in the horror genre with titles like Drácula, which showcased a blend of international and Spanish talent, helping to elevate the medium’s aesthetic standards during a transformative period for Spanish tebeos (comics).
Despite its creative success, Buru Lan’s later years were marked by erratic publishing schedules and financial challenges. An attempt to relaunch titles in the early 1980s, such as the 1983 El Hombre Enmascarado series, suffered from a quirky, non-linear numbering system and was prematurely cancelled after only a handful of issues. Nevertheless, the company’s legacy remains significant among enthusiasts of “pulp-era” heroes, as their editions served as a crucial cultural bridge that preserved the history of adventure illustration for a generation of Spanish readers.
Buru Lan, S.A. De Edicionnes had initially planned to publish at least 16 editions, as can be seen on the list below on the back cover of the special edition, however only a total of 4 editions were released, with the 4 editions containing a quirky numbering system.
The 3 regular editions contain 48 full color pages, measuring 30cm x 23cm, with numbers 2 and 3 released in May 1983 and edition number 14 released in October 1983. The edition numbers printed on each comic book aren’t in any numbering sequence traditional seen in comic book series.
The special ‘Extra’ edition contains 64 full color pages, measuring 30cm x 23cm, numbered 1, released in November 1983. The ‘Extra’ printed on the cover refers to the additional pages found in this edition, an extra 16 pages to the regular 3 editions above.
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