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The Modern Age of Comic Books is an informal name for the period in the history of mainstream American comic books generally considered to last from the mid-1980s until present day. In this period, comic book characters generally became darker and more psychologically complex, creators became more well-known and active in changing the industry, independent comics flourished, and larger publishing houses became more commercialized. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ...
American comic books are typically small magazines containing fictional stories in the artistic medium of comics. ...
A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ...
Alternate names for this period include the Dark Age of Comic Books, due to the popularity and artistic influence of grim titles, such as Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen; and the Diamond Age of Comic Books, which was suggested by Scott McCloud, because of the new diversity found in the medium. Another name for this period is Iron Age of Comic Books which is based on the idea from Greek mythology of four ages: First Gold, followed by Silver, followed by Bronze, with the last being Iron. A more tongue-in-cheek name for this period is the Adamantium Age of Comics, in reference to Wolverine, whose popularity grew to immense proportions at the dawn of this age. The premiere issue of the series Spoiler warning: The Dark Knight Returns (known as DKR by fans) is a superhero comic book story published by DC Comics between 1985 and 1986, starring Batman. ...
For other uses, see Watchman. ...
Scott McCloud (born Scott McLeod on June 10, 1960) is an American cartoonist and a leading popular scholar of comics as a distinct literary and artistic medium. ...
Adamantium is a fictional chemical substance and metal alloy in the Marvel comics universe. ...
Although not commonly considered part of the Modern Age, the period between the early 1970s and early 1980s is referred to as the Bronze Age of Comic Books. Amazing Spider-Man #122, July 1973, The death of the Green Goblin, cover art by John Romita, Sr. ...
Important developments Because the time period encompassing the Modern Age is not well defined, and in some cases disputed by both fans and most professionals, a comprehensive history is open to debate. Many influences from the Bronze Age would overlap with the infancy of the Modern Age. The work of creators such as John Byrne (Alpha Flight, Fantastic Four), Chris Claremont (Iron Fist, Uncanny X-Men), and Frank Miller (Daredevil) would reach fruition in the Bronze Age but their impact was still felt in the Modern Age. The Uncanny X-Men is the most definitive example of this impact as Bronze Age characters such as Wolverine and Sabretooth would have a huge influence on the Marvel Universe in the 1980’s and beyond. For other uses of John Byrne, see John Byrne (disambiguation). ...
This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...
This article is about Frank Miller, the comic book writer and artist. ...
For other uses, see Wolverine (disambiguation). ...
Sabretooth is a Marvel Comics character, an arch-enemy of the X-Men’s Wolverine. ...
For DC, an event such as Crisis on Infinite Earths is the bridge that joins the two ages together. The result was the cancellation of The Flash (with issue 350), Superman (with issue 423), and Wonder Woman (with issue 329). The post-Crisis world would have Wally West as the New Flash, John Byrne writing a brand new Superman series, and George Perez working on the new Wonder Woman series. Batman would also get a makeover as the Year One storyline would be one of the most popular Batman stories ever. Crisis on Infinite Earths was a 12-issue comic book limited series (identified as a 12-part maxi-series) and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 in order to simplify their fifty-year-old continuity. ...
The Flash. ...
Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero , originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. ...
For other uses, see Wonder Woman (disambiguation). ...
For the science fiction author, see Wallace West. ...
For other uses of John Byrne, see John Byrne (disambiguation). ...
George Pérez (born June 9, 1954 in The Bronx, New York) is a Puerto Rican-American illustrator and writer of comic books. ...
The term Year One can just mean the beginning of something, but in political history it usually refers to the institution of radical, revolutionary change. ...
In rough chronological order by the beginning of the trend, here are some important developments that occurred during the Modern Age, many of which are interrelated:
Rise of independent publishers The late 1970s saw famed creators going to work for new independent publishers. The arrival of Jim Shooter as Editor in Chief at Marvel saw the departure of key creators at Marvel such as Steve Gerber, Marv Wolfman and others. In these new companies (Pacific, Eclipse, First) creators were free to create very personal stories. Mike Grell's Jon Sable Freelance, Howard Chaykin's American Flagg, Mike Baron and Steve Rude's Nexus, Tim Truman's Grimjack attracted quite some attention and garnered a number of awards. These creators were going to be attracted by DC editor Mike Gold to create defining works such as The Longbow Hunters by Mike Grell, Blackhawk by Howard Chaykin, Hawkworld by Tim Truman. With Alan Moore, Frank Miller and Art Spiegelman's Maus which was going to receive the Pulitzer Prize, this period marks the summit of the artform per comics expert Scott McCloud. Cover to Crisis on Infinite Earths #1, which was written by Wolfman. ...
Mike Grell (born 1947) is a comic book writer and artist. ...
Howard Victor Chaykin (born 1950 in Newark, New Jersey) is an American comic book writer and artist famous for his innovative storytelling and sometimes controversial material. ...
For other persons named Alan Moore, see Alan Moore (disambiguation). ...
This article is about Frank Miller, the comic book writer and artist. ...
 Swamp Thing (vol. 2) #21, February 1984 Download high resolution version (505x768, 196 KB)Cover to Swamp Thing (vol. ...
Download high resolution version (505x768, 196 KB)Cover to Swamp Thing (vol. ...
Fantasy, horror and "sophisticated suspense" Horror and science fiction titles were absent from the mainstream comics market since the establishment of the restrictive Comics Code in the 1950s though independents like Gold Key comics did start doing horror titles as early as 1965. In the early 1970s (during the Bronze Age), Marvel revived these genres with their new fantasy and horror comics, including Conan the Barbarian by Roy Thomas, and Tomb of Dracula.. Steve Gerber’s work on Man-Thing and Howard the Duck was also very influential in this period based on its philosophical impact of questioning society. These titles would be the foundation for what was to come in the mid-1980’s (the beginning of the Modern Age). “Horror story†redirects here. ...
Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ...
The Comics Code Authority (CCA) is an organization founded in 1954 to act as a de facto censor for American comic books. ...
Gold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing cteated for comic books distributed to newstands. ...
This article is about the fictional character. ...
Tomb of Dracula is a horror comic book published by Marvel Comics from April 1972 to August 1979. ...
The Man-Thing is a fictional comic book creature created by Stan Lee, Roy Thomas and Gerry Conway, and featured in various Marvel Comics titles, the most prominent of which was written by Steve Gerber. ...
This article is about the character and comic book series. ...
Starting with Alan Moore’s groundbreaking work on DC Comics's Swamp Thing in the early 1980s, horror comic books incorporated elements of science fiction/fantasy and strove to a new artistic standard. Other examples include Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman (followed a couple of years later by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s Preacher.). These new comics transcended easily identifiable genres. For other persons named Alan Moore, see Alan Moore (disambiguation). ...
DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ...
For other uses, see Swamp Thing (disambiguation). ...
Neil Richard Gaiman (IPA: ) (born November 10, 1960[2]) is an English author of science fiction and fantasy short stories and novels, graphic novels, comics, and films. ...
The Sandman was a comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics for 75 issues from 1988 until 1996. ...
Garth Ennis (born January 16, 1970 in Holywood, Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish comics writer, best known for the DC/Vertigo series Preacher, co-created with artist Steve Dillon. ...
Steve Dillon is a British comic book artist. ...
Preacher was a comic book series created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon, published by the American comic book label Vertigo imprint of DC Comics, with painted covers by Glenn Fabry. ...
Striving to apply some label to these titles, some of which did have at a similar feel and approach, some people began to use the phrase "sophisticated suspense." DC’s Vertigo line, under the editorship of Karen Berger, was launched in 1993, with the goal of specializing in this genre. Vertigo logo Vertigo is an imprint of comic book and graphic novel publisher DC Comics. ...
Existing titles such as Animal Man, Doom Patrol, Hellblazer (John Constantine) and Shade the Changing Man were absorbed into this new line. Later in the decade, popular titles such as Books of Magic, The Dreaming, The Invisibles, Lucifer and Sandman Mystery Theatre would continue to exert Vertigo’s influence. Vertigo would prove to be a very influential line of comics as it would continue to be published into the 21st Century. Titles such as 100 Bullets, American Virgin, Fables, Y: The Last Man, and the publishing of Harvey Pekar’s American Splendor would cement Vertigo’s reputation as a viable alternative to the superhero genre. Animal Man (Buddy Baker) is a fictional DC Comics superhero. ...
The Doom Patrol is an idiosyncratic DC Comics superhero team. ...
Y: The Last Man is a comic book series written by Brian K. Vaughan (Swamp Thing) and published by Vertigo. ...
Harvey Pekar on the cover of American Splendor: Portrait of the Author in his Declining Years Harvey Pekar (pronounced /ar-vay pea-kar/) (born October 8, 1939 in Cleveland, Ohio) is a U.S. underground comic book writer. ...
The rise of anti-heroes In the mid 1970s Marvel anti-heroes such as the X-Men’s Wolverine, the Punisher and writer/artist Frank Miller’s darker version of Daredevil challenged the previous model of the superhero as a cheerful humanitarian. Miller also created Elektra who straddled the conventional boundary between love interest and villain. In literature and film, an anti-hero is a central or supporting character that has some of the personality flaws and ultimate fortune traditionally assigned to villains but nonetheless also have enough heroic qualities or intentions to gain the sympathy of readers or viewers. ...
For other uses, see Wolverine (disambiguation). ...
This article is about the Marvel Comics character. ...
This article is about Frank Miller, the comic book writer and artist. ...
For other uses, see Daredevil (comics). ...
Humanitarianism is the view that all people should be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve as human beings, and that advancing the well-being of humanity is a noble goal. ...
Elektra Natchios, usually known only by her first name Elektra, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. ...
Bad guy redirects here. ...
Two artistically influential DC Comics limited series contributed to the trend: Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, also by Frank Miller and Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, both of which were series of impressive psychological depth that starred troubled heroes. DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ...
The limited series is a term referring to a comic book series with a set finite number of issues. ...
The premiere issue of the series Spoiler warning: The Dark Knight Returns (known as DKR by fans) is a superhero comic book story published by DC Comics between 1985 and 1986, starring Batman. ...
For other uses, see Watchman. ...
For other persons named Alan Moore, see Alan Moore (disambiguation). ...
Dave Gibbons (born April 14, 1949) is a British writer and artist of comics. ...
By the early 1990s, anti-heroes had become the rule rather than the exception, and among the most popular were Marvel comics' Cable and Venom and Image Comics' Spawn, although some fans complained that too many of them were unlikable psychopaths of little depth and originality. This article is about the comic book company. ...
This article is about the Marvel Comics character Nathan Summers, a. ...
Venom is a moniker used by several characters in the Marvel Comics fictional Marvel Universe. ...
Image Comics is an American comic book publisher. ...
Spawn is a fictional comic book character created by Todd McFarlane. ...
See Also: Antisocial Personality Disorder Theoretically, psychopathy is a three-faceted disorder involving interpersonal, affective and behavioral characteristics. ...
Some critics believe that this trend is tied to the cynicism of the 1980s, when the idea of a person selflessly using his extraordinary abilities on a quest for good was no longer believable, but a person with a deep psychological impulse to destroy criminals was.
The trend of creating characters with more psychological depth that were less black and white also affected supervillains. For example, The Joker, Batman's nemesis, was portrayed less as an evil criminal and more of a mentally ill psychopath who can't control his actions, Marvel Comics' galactic planet-eater Galactus became a force of nature who meant no personal malice in his feedings, and the X-Men's nemesis Magneto became more benign and sympathetic as a man who fights for an oppressed people, albeit through means others deem unacceptable. The Green Goblin, a supervillain and enemy of Spider-Man. ...
The Joker redirects here. ...
Galactus is a fictional character, a cosmic entity in the Marvel Universe. ...
Magneto (Eric Magnus Lensherr) is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (900x1393, 214 KB) This work is copyrighted. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (900x1393, 214 KB) This work is copyrighted. ...
This article is about the Marvel Comics character Nathan Summers, a. ...
Rob Liefeld (born October 3, 1967 in Anaheim, California) is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. ...
Todd McFarlane (born March 16, 1961 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is a Canadian comic book artist, writer, toy manufacturer/designer, and media entrepreneur who is best known as the creator of the epic religious fantasy series Spawn. ...
Development of the X-Men franchise By the mid-1980s X-Men had become one of the most popular titles in comics. Marvel decided to build on this success by creating a number of spin-off titles, sometimes collectively referred to as X-Books. These early X-Books included New Mutants (which would later become X-Force), X-Factor, Excalibur and a Wolverine solo series. The X-Men are a group of comic book superheroes featured in Marvel Comics. ...
A spin-off (or spinoff) is a new organization or entity formed by a split from a larger one such as a new company formed from a university research group. ...
New Mutants may also refer to the genetically engineered superhumans of Mutant X (TV series). ...
X-Force was a Marvel Comics superhero team, one of many spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. ...
X-Factor is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. ...
Excalibur is a Marvel Comics superhero group, an offshoot of the X-Men, usually based in the United Kingdom. ...
For other uses, see Wolverine (disambiguation). ...
By the early 1990s X-Men had become the biggest franchise in comics, and by the middle of the decade over a dozen X-Men-related comic books, both continuing and limited series, were published each month. On an almost annual basis from 1986 until 1999, one storyline crossed-over into almost every X-Book for two to three months. These "X-Overs" usually lead to a spike in sales. The limited series is a term referring to a comic book series with a set finite number of issues. ...
It has been suggested that Gaming crossovers be merged into this article or section. ...
This sales boom resulting in a great deal of merchandising, such as action figures, video games and trading cards. This success was thanks in no small part to the Fox Network's animated X-Men series, which debuted in 1992 and drew in a large number of younger fans. Zarbon action figure from Dragon Ball Z made by Bandai An action figure is a posable plastic figurine of a character, often from a movie, comic book, video game, or television program. ...
Computer and video games redirects here. ...
Various trading cards A trading card (or collectible card) is a small card which is intended for trading and collecting. ...
The Fox Broadcasting Company is a television network in the United States. ...
The X-Men Animated Series debuted in the 1992-1993 season on the Fox Network. ...
The sales boom began to wane in the mid to late 1990s, due to the crash of the speculators market and the effect it had on the industry. Marvel declared bankruptcy, and as a result, scaled back all of their franchises, including X-Men. A number of "X-books" were canceled, and the amount of limited series published, as well as general merchandise, was reduced. Notice of closure stuck on the door of a computer store the day after its parent company, Granville Technology Group Ltd, declared bankruptcy (strictly, put into administration—see text) in the United Kingdom. ...
In the early 2000s, a series of blockbuster X-Men movies have kept the X-Men franchise healthy, and have resulted in a larger market presence outside of comics. In 1999-2000, a new animated series, X-Men: Evolution debuted, while new toys have been developed and sold since the success of the first X-Men feature film. The comic books themselves have been reinvented in series such as Grant Morrison's New X-Men and the Ultimate X-Men, which, like Marvel's other "Ultimate" series, is an alternate universe story, starting the X-Men tale anew. (This was done for X-Men, and other books, because Marvel feared that the long and complex histories of the established storylines of certain titles were scaring off new readers.) X-Men is a 2000 superhero film based upon the fictional characters the X-Men. ...
X-Men: Evolution is an animated series containing the original cast of X-Men, mostly depicted as teenagers and some as adults. ...
Grant Morrison (born January 31, 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer and artist. ...
New X-Men refers to two superhero comic books published by Marvel Comics within the hugely popular X-Men franchise. ...
Ultimate X-Men is a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics. ...
The various characters of the Ultimate Marvel Universe, as seen on the cover of Ultimates (v2) #12. ...
Effect on other comics The success of the X-Men had several effects on the comic book industry. Series featuring superhero teams, especially ones in which internal friction contributed to storylines, became much more common. DC Comics's The New Teen Titans series of the 1980s show the influence of the X-Men as do 1990s Image Comics teams such as Youngblood, WildC.A.T.s and Gen¹³. By the peak of the X-Men's popularity in the early 1990s, the team's chemistry was often imitated and many series featured an obvious Cyclops character (stoic leader), Wolverine character (gruff loner) and Storm character (strong-willed woman). DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ...
Teen Titans redirects here. ...
Image Comics is an American comic book publisher. ...
Youngblood may refer to: // Harold F. Youngblood (1907-1983), U.S. Representative from Michigan Jack Youngblood, a former NFL player Joel Youngblood, a former all-star baseball player Luke Youngblood, an actor Rudy Youngblood, an actor also known as Tee-Dee-Nae Thomas Youngblood, a guitarist and founding member of...
Wildcats is the name of multiple incarnations of the Wildstorm comics superhero comic book. ...
Gen¹³ is a fictional superhero team and comic book series originally written by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi and illustrated by J. Scott Campbell. ...
For other uses, see Cyclops (disambiguation). ...
For other uses, see Wolverine (disambiguation). ...
This article is about the X-Men character. ...
Also, many series tried to imitate the model the X-Men carved as a franchise. Marvel and DC expanded popular properties, such as Punisher, Spider-Man, Batman and Superman into networks of spin-off books in the mid-to-late 1980s. Like the X-Books, some of these spin-offs highlighted a concept or supporting character(s) from a parent series, while others were simply additional monthly series featuring a popular character. In another similarity to the X-Books, these franchises regularly featured crossovers, where one storyline overlapped into every title in the “family” for a few months. This article is about the Marvel Comics character. ...
Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ...
Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ...
Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero , originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. ...
A character of a book, play, movie, TV show or other form of storytelling usually used only to give dimension to a main character, by adding a relationship with this character, although sometimes supporting characters may develop a complexity of their own. ...
With regards to storylines overlapping, the Superman stories from 1991-2000 were written on a weekly basis. One needed to buy Superman, Adventures of Superman, Action Comics, and Superman: The Man of Steel to keep up with any existing storylines. If a collector only bought Action Comics, they would only get twenty-five percent of the story. A triangle was featured on the cover of every Superman title with a number on it. This number indicated which week of the year the Superman title was released.
Makeovers and universe reboots
 The cover of Secret Wars #8, which featured the origin of Spider-Man's black costume. Art by Mike Zeck. Complementing the creation of these franchises was the concept of redesigning the characters. The Modern Age of comics would usher in this era of change. The impact of Crisis on Infinite Earths was the first example as long-time Flash Barry Allen died in issue 8 of Crisis on Infinite Earths. Barry Allen signified the beginning of the Silver Age of Comics and his death was highly shocking at the time. Marvel Comics Secret Wars would usher in a new change as well as Spider-Man would wear a black costume. Download high resolution version (495x762, 97 KB)Cover to Secret Wars #8, featuring Spider-Man. ...
Download high resolution version (495x762, 97 KB)Cover to Secret Wars #8, featuring Spider-Man. ...
Crisis on Infinite Earths was a 12-issue comic book limited series (identified as a 12-part maxi-series) and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 in order to simplify their fifty-year-old continuity. ...
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars is the name of a twelve-issue Marvel Comics comic book limited series produced between 1984 and 1985, and a Mattel toy line that reflected the series. ...
The interest in the speculator market of a new Spider-Man costume led to other changes for Marvel characters in the 1980’s. Iron Man would have a silver and red armor in issue 200. Captain America would be fired and would be reborn as the Captain, wearing a black outfit in issue 337 of the series. The Incredible Hulk would revert to his original Grey skin color in issue 325. Issue 300 of the first Avengers series resulted in a new lineup including Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman, of the Fantastic Four. For other uses, see Fantastic Four (disambiguation). ...
The 1990’s would bring similar changes to the DC Universe. The two flagship characters of DC, Superman and Batman would be subject to huge changes. The death of Superman in 1992 resulted in the creation of four new Supermen (see Adventures of Superman 500) while Azrael became the new Batman, equipped in a gold armour (see Batman 500). Neither one of these changes would last long and this would be the trend with two other makeovers. Wonder Woman lost a challenge and Diana was replaced by Artemis as the new Wonder Woman (see issue 92) until her death in issue 100. Guy Gardner went from being a Green Lantern to drinking from a chalice in a cave and becoming Warrior. He is actually the descendant of a space-traveling race called the Vuldarians (see Guy Gardner Warrior 22). The only change that would last for more than 10 years was when Hal Jordan became Parallax and killed off all the Green Lanterns, resulting in Kyle Rayner becoming the new Green Lantern in issue 50 of the second series. Cover to the History of the DC Universe trade paperback. ...
Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley) is a fictional character from DC Comics. ...
For other uses, see Artemis (disambiguation). ...
Guy Gardner is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. ...
Parallax is a fictional character, a supervillain from DC Comics. ...
This article is about the DC Comics character. ...
In addition to individual character or franchise/family wide makeovers, Crisis on Infinite Earths ushered in a popular trend of "rebooting", "remaking", or seriously reimagining the publisher wide universes every 5-10 years on varying scales. This often resulted in origins being retold, histories being rewritten, and so forth. These reinventions could be on as large a scale as suddenly retconning seminal story points and rewriting character histories, or simply introducing and/or killing off/writing out various important and minor elements of a universe. Crisis on Infinite Earths resulted in several miniseries' which explicitly retconned character histories, such as Batman: Year One, Superman: Man of Steel, and Wonder Woman: Gods and Mortals. An example of a less ambitious scale of changes is Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters, which did not explicitly retcon or retell Green Arrows history, but simply changed his setting and other elements of the present, leaving the past largely intact. This trend of publisher wide reinventions, which often consists of a new miniseries and various spinoff storylines in established books, continues today, with D.C's recent Infinite Crisis and the spinoff storylines, Year One, 52, and Countdown, and Marvels House of M and Civil War storylines, the results of which are still being felt in the Marvel universe. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
Spawn #1 from fan site This image is a book cover. ...
Spawn #1 from fan site This image is a book cover. ...
Image Comics and creator rights disputes In the mid-1980s, artist Jack Kirby, co-creator of many of Marvel's most popular characters, came into dispute with Marvel over the disappearance of original pages of artwork from some of his most famous titles. Alan Moore, Frank Miller and many other contemporary stars, became vocal advocates for Kirby. Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg, August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was one of the most influential, recognizable, and prolific artists in American comic books, and the co-creator of such enduring characters and popular culture icons as the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Hulk, Captain America, and hundreds...
For other persons named Alan Moore, see Alan Moore (disambiguation). ...
This article is about Frank Miller, the comic book writer and artist. ...
This event, as well as the influence of vocal proponents of independent publishing, helped to inspire a number of Marvel artists to form their own company, Image Comics, which would serve as a prominent example of creator-owned comics publishing. Image Comics is an American comic book publisher. ...
Creator ownership is an arrangement in which the creator or creators of a work of fiction retain full ownership of the material, regardless of whether it is self-published or by a corporate publisher. ...
By the early 1990s, Marvel artists, such as X-Men’s Jim Lee, The New Mutants/X-Force’s Rob Liefeld and Spider-Man’s Todd McFarlane, became extremely popular and were idolized by younger readers in ways more common to sports stars and musicians than comic book artists. The X-Men are a group of comic book superheroes featured in Marvel Comics. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
The New Mutants #1. ...
X-Force was a Marvel Comics superhero team, one of many spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. ...
Rob Liefeld (born October 3, 1967 in Anaheim, California) is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. ...
Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ...
Todd McFarlane (born March 16, 1961 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is a Canadian comic book artist, writer, toy manufacturer/designer, and media entrepreneur who is best known as the creator of the epic religious fantasy series Spawn. ...
Propelled by star power and upset that they did not own the popular characters they created for Marvel, several illustrators, including the above three formed Image Comics in 1992, an umbrella label under which several autonomous, creator-owned companies existed. Image properties, such as WildC.A.T.s, Gen¹³, Witchblade and especially McFarlane’s Spawn provided brisk competition for long-standing superheroes. However, many criticized Image for prioritizing flashy artwork and cheap gimmicks over storytelling and originality. (Image in particular is singled out by some fans for contributing to the conditions which led to the speculator market crashing, as Image was known to release many alternate covers, foil covers, and other "collectible" comics.) Image Comics is an American comic book publisher. ...
Wildcats is the name of multiple incarnations of the Wildstorm comics superhero comic book. ...
Gen¹³ is a fictional superhero team and comic book series originally written by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi and illustrated by J. Scott Campbell. ...
This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...
Spawn is a fictional comic book character created by Todd McFarlane. ...
Many popular creators followed Image's lead and attempted to use their star power to launch their own series; ones that they would have licensing rights for and editorial control of. Chris Claremont, famous for authoring Uncanny X-Men, created Sovereign Seven, Joe Madureira, also made popular by Uncanny X-Men, launched Battle Chasers, and Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross, the creative team behind the popular limited series Marvels, created Astro City. Sovereign Seven was an American comic book, published by DC Comics. ...
Jose Madureira (born December 3, 1974, in Philadelphia. ...
Battle Chasers is an American fantasy comic book series by Joe Madureira, launched in April 1998. ...
Kurt Busiek (born September 16, 1960) is a comic book writer. ...
Nelson Alexander Alex Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American comic book painter, illustrator and plotter, acclaimed for the photorealism of his work. ...
The limited series is a term referring to a comic book series with a set finite number of issues. ...
Marvels #1. ...
Astro City, vol. ...
The rise and fall of the speculator market -
By the late 1980s, important comic books, such as the first appearance of a classic character or first issue of a long-running series, were sold for thousands of dollars. Mainstream newspapers ran reports that comic books were good financial investments and soon collectors were buying massive amounts of comics they thought would be valuable in the future. Comic book collecting is the collecting of comic books in the interest of appreciation, nostalgia, financial profit, and completion of the collection. ...
Comic book collecting is the collecting of comic books in the interest of appreciation, nostalgia, financial profit, and completion of the collection. ...
Publishers responded by manufacturing collectors’ items, such as trading cards, and “limited editions” of certain issues featuring a special or variant cover. The first issues of Marvel Comics' X-Force, X-Men, vol. 2 and Spider-Man became some of the first and most notorious examples of this trend. Another trend which emerged was foil-stamped covers. The first Marvel comic book with a foil-stamped cover was the second volume of the Silver Surfer, issue 50. A glow-in-the-dark cover for Ghost Rider, volume 2, issue 15 appeared as well. This led a market boom, where retail shops and publishers made huge profits and many companies, large and small, expanded their lines. Image Comics in particular became notorious for this, with many of its series debuting with alternate covers, wide use of embossed and foil covers and other "collectible" traits. A trading card (or collectible card) is a small card which is intended for trading and collecting. ...
This article is about the comic book company. ...
X-Force was a Marvel Comics superhero team, one of many spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. ...
The X-Men are a group of comic book superheroes featured in Marvel Comics. ...
Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ...
This article is about the comic book character. ...
Ghost Rider is the name of several fictional supernatural anti-heroes in the Marvel Comics universe. ...
Image Comics is an American comic book publisher. ...
This trend was not confined to the books themselves, and many other pieces of merchandise, such as toys, particularly "chase" action figures (figures made in smaller runs than others in a particular line), trading cards, and other items, were also expected to appreciate in value. McFarlane Toys was notable for this, as it created many variations in its high-quality toys, most of which were main characters or occasional guest stars in the Spawn series. An action figure is a posable plastic figurine of an action hero, superhero or a character from a movie or television program. ...
Various trading cards A trading card (or collectible card) is a small card which is intended for trading and collecting. ...
But few, in the glut of new series, possessed lasting artistic quality and the items that were predicted to be valuable did not become so, often because of huge print runs that made them commonplace. A crash occurred, sales plummeted, hundreds of retail stores closed and many publishers downsized. In 1996, Marvel Comics, the largest company in the industry, declared bankruptcy (it has made a slow recovery since). The industry has still not yet fully recovered from the speculator crash. Notice of closure stuck on the door of a computer store the day after its parent company, Granville Technology Group Ltd, declared bankruptcy (strictly, put into administration—see text) in the United Kingdom. ...
The crash also marked the relative downfall of the large franchises, inter-connected "families" of titles that lead to a glut of merchandising. While the big franchise titles still have a large amount of regular titles and merchandising attached to them, all of these things were notably scaled back after the crash. Several franchises have once again gained prominence, such as the X-Men, due in large part to the feature films X-Men and X2, and many DC heroes thanks to the success of various animated series' based on their characters, such as Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and Teen Titans. X-Men is a 2000 superhero film based upon the fictional characters the X-Men. ...
X2 is a 2003 superhero film based on the fictional characters the X-Men. ...
The rise of the trade paperback format Although sales of comic books dropped in the late 1990s and the early 2000s, sales rose for trade paperbacks, collected editions in which several issues are bound together with a spine and often sold in bookstores as well as comic shops. In comics, a trade paperback (TPB or simply trade) specifically refers to a collection of stories originally published in comic books reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or...
Some series were saved from cancellation solely because of sales of trade paperbacks, and storylines for many of the most popular series of today (DC’s JLA and various Batman series and Marvel’s Ultimate Spider-Man and New X-Men) are put into trade paperback instantly after the storyline ends. For the animated television series, see Justice League (TV series) or Justice League Unlimited. ...
Batman (originally referred to as the Bat-Man and still referred to at times as the Batman) is a DC Comics fictional superhero who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. ...
For the video game of the same title, see Ultimate Spider-Man (video game). ...
New X-Men refers to two superhero comic books published by Marvel Comics within the hugely popular X-Men franchise. ...
Trade paperbacks are often even given volume numbers, making them serializations of a serializations of sorts. Due to this, many writers now consider their plots with the trade paperback edition in mind, scripting stories that last four to twelve issues, which could easily be read as a “graphic novel.” Trade paperback of Will Eisners A Contract with God (1978), often mistakenly cited as the first graphic novel. ...
The popularity of trade paperbacks, has resulted in older material being reprinted as well. The Essential Marvel Comics line of trade paperbacks has reprinted heroes such as Spider-Man and The Fantastic Four and has been able to introduce these silver age stories to a new generation of fans. These editions tend to resemble a phone book in that these are very thick books and are black and white (to help keep the cost down). The Essential Marvel line of comic book reprints are a collection of black-and-white paperbacks containing about 20-30 issues of silver or bronze age Marvel comic book reprints each. ...
DC Comics has followed suit by introducing a line called Showcase Presents. The first four have included Superman, Green Lantern, Jonah Hex, and Metamorpho, The Elemental Man. Other characters have included Green Arrow, The Superman Family, The Teen Titans and The Elongated Man. Showcase Presents is a line of black & white paperback books published by DC Comics. ...
For the DJ, see DJ Green Lantern. ...
Jonah Hex is a Western comic book anti-hero, created by writer John Albano and artist Tony DeZuniga, and published by DC Comics. ...
Metamorpho (Rex Mason) is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. ...
To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this comics-related article or section may require cleanup. ...
Superman is a fictional character and comic book superhero , originally created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian artist Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics. ...
Teen Titans redirects here. ...
The Elongated Man is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC universe. ...
Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (550x849, 391 KB)Cover art to Daredevil Visionaries: Kevin Smith, by Joe Quesada. ...
Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (550x849, 391 KB)Cover art to Daredevil Visionaries: Kevin Smith, by Joe Quesada. ...
Joseph Joe Quesada (born December 1, 1962), colloquially known as Joe Q, is the editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics and a comic book writer and artist. ...
James Jimmy Palmiotti is an Italian American writer of various comics, games and film. ...
Celebrity writers and artists While many creators, artists, and writers had achieved celebrity status by the modern age (1960s-era Marvel Comics innovators Jack Kirby and Stan Lee being perhaps the best known), the late 1980s and the 1990s saw this phenomenon become very widespread. The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969. ...
This article is about the comic book company. ...
Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg, August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was one of the most influential, recognizable, and prolific artists in American comic books, and the co-creator of such enduring characters and popular culture icons as the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Hulk, Captain America, and hundreds...
For the fictional character of this name, see Stan Lee (Judge Dredd character). ...
Artists Rob Liefeld, Todd McFarlane, and Jim Lee, writers Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, and Grant Morrison and writer/artist Frank Miller, became very well known and developed dedicated fans who followed their work closely. This changed comics readership to some extent. Previously, fans were more dedicated to specific characters and franchises than creators. By the 1990s, many readers, especially older ones, began to follow their favorite artists and writers more fervently. Rob Liefeld (born October 3, 1967 in Anaheim, California) is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. ...
Todd McFarlane (born March 16, 1961 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is a Canadian comic book artist, writer, toy manufacturer/designer, and media entrepreneur who is best known as the creator of the epic religious fantasy series Spawn. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
Neil Richard Gaiman (IPA: ) (born November 10, 1960[2]) is an English author of science fiction and fantasy short stories and novels, graphic novels, comics, and films. ...
For other persons named Alan Moore, see Alan Moore (disambiguation). ...
Grant Morrison (born January 31, 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer and artist. ...
This article is about Frank Miller, the comic book writer and artist. ...
The rise of celebrity artists and writers helped to make the independent comics boom possible. Moore and Miller launched independently-published unconventional comics, such as Moore's historical fiction epic From Hell and Miller's noir series Sin City. Meanwhile, Liefeld, McFarlane and Jim Lee banded together with four other former Marvel artists to form Image Comics in 1992, which used the star power of its owners/contributors to instantly become the biggest competitor to Marvel and DC in 30 years. From Hell is a graphic novel by writer Alan Moore and artist Eddie Campbell speculating upon the identity and motives of Jack the Ripper. ...
Noir could refer to: Noir is the French language word for black. Film noir is a genre of movie. ...
Cover of Sin City shows Marv walking through the rain. ...
Image Comics is an American comic book publisher. ...
Many Hollywood directors and producers became involved with Marvel and DC Comics. Filmmaker Kevin Smith was responsible for the relaunch of Daredevil and wrote Green Arrow for DC. J. Michael Straczynski, of Babylon 5 fame, became involved with the Amazing Spider-Man, turning Spider-Man into a high school teacher. Later on, he became the scribe of the Fantastic Four. Reginald Hudlin, the president of BET became the writer of Black Panther (comics) and scripted the wedding of the Black Panther and Storm in 2006. Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer became the successful writer of Astonishing X-Men and later Runaways, and is currently reviving both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off series Angel as ongoing comics set in the TV series' canon. Richard Donner, who directed the Superman blockbusters of the 1970s, became a writer on Action Comics in 2006, co-writing with comics writer (and Donner's former production assistant) Geoff Johns. Paul Dini, producer and writer of Batman: The Animated Series and Superman: The Animated Series, started writing for DC in 1994 on special projects and took the helm as writer of Detective Comics in 2006. For other persons named Kevin Smith, see Kevin Smith (disambiguation). ...
For people who perform risky stunts as a profession, see stunt performer. ...
To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this comics-related article or section may require cleanup. ...
J. Michael Straczynski Joseph Michael Straczynski (born July 17, 1954) is an award-winning American writer/producer of television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. ...
Babylon 5 is an epic American science fiction television series created, produced, and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. ...
Reginald Alan Hudlin (born December 15, 1961) is an American writer and film director. ...
Bet may refer to: Look up bet in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
The Black Panther (TChalla) is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe who is the first modern Black superhero. ...
Joss Hill Whedon (born Joseph Hill Whedon[3] on June 23, 1964 in New York) is an Academy Award-nominated American writer, director, executive producer, and creator of the well-known television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Firefly. ...
For other uses, see Buffy the Vampire Slayer (disambiguation). ...
Astonishing X-Men is the name of three X-Men books, the first two were limited series and the third an ongoing series. ...
Runaways is a Marvel Comics comic book series created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona. ...
For the South Korean TV series of the same name, see Angel (2007 TV series). ...
Canon, in the context of a fictional universe, comprises those novels, stories, films, etc. ...
Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg on April 24, 1930) is an American film director and also producer through the production company, The Donners Company, he and his wife, producer Lauren Shuler-Donner, own. ...
Cover of Action Comics #1, which featured the debut of Superman. ...
Production assistant is a movie term for a person responsible for various odd jobs, such as stopping traffic, acting as couriers, getting items from craft service, etc. ...
Geoff Johns (born 25 January 1973 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. ...
Paul Dini is an American television producer of animated cartoons. ...
The animated Batman shoots his grappling gun from a rooftop in a scene from the episode, On Leather Wings. ...
Superman: The Animated Series is the unofficial title given to Warner Bros. ...
Cover of Detective Comics #27 (May 1939). ...
The lines between novel writer and comic book writer are blurring. Peter David is well-known as both, Neil Gaiman went from star comic writer to star fantasy writer and number one New York Times bestseller, Michael Chabon who won he Pulitzer Price with The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, a novel about the start of the Golden Age of comics, then went on to write comics for DC and Dark Horse. Brad Meltzer first became famous as a novelist and then as a comic book writer. As a result some trade collections covers are designed as novel covers with the author's name in huge print. Peter Allen David (often abbreviated PAD) (born September 23, 1956) is an American writer, best known for his work in comic books and Star Trek novels. ...
Neil Richard Gaiman (IPA: ) (born November 10, 1960[2]) is an English author of science fiction and fantasy short stories and novels, graphic novels, comics, and films. ...
Michael Chabon (born May 24, 1963) is an American author and one of the most celebrated writers of his generation. ...
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay is a 2000 novel by Michael Chabon. ...
Brad Meltzer (b. ...
Big budget film adaptations While comics had been adapted as films since the serials of the 1940s, these films had low budgets and were generally aimed at children, and were never meant to be taken seriously. This article is about motion pictures. ...
DVD front cover for The Adventures of Captain Marvel, one of the most celebrated serials for both Republic Pictures and of the sound era in general. ...
In 1978, Superman: The Movie became the first superhero film to feature sincere performances, convincing special effects and a storyline geared towards both children and adults. 1989's Batman was a similarly successful film that mirrored the dark tone of Modern Age comic books. Although both the Superman and Batman franchises became less critically and commercially successful with each sequel, the series helped introduce the characters to new generations of fans, as well as demonstrating that comic based films could be major summer blockbusters. However, the mocking influence of the 1960s Batman television series still held sway and both of these film series eventually became self parodies by producers convinced that the public wouldn't accept the comic book medium's creation depicted in any other manner. That assumption was finally largely discredited with the release of Batman & Robin which became a critical and box office embarrassment for Warner Bros. While its failure temporarily made comic book film adaptations a less desirable idea, it also encouraged film producers to suspect that Richard Donner's reverential approach in his Superman may have more audience appeal. For the franchise, see Superman film series. ...
DVD front cover for The Adventures of Captain Marvel film serial. ...
Batman is a 1989 Academy Award-winning superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. ...
For other uses, see Sequel (disambiguation). ...
This article is about the 1960s television series. ...
A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ...
The film Batman and Robin, directed by Joel Schumacher, is considered by most to be less serious than the 1989 Batman movie and sequels Batman Returns (1992) and Forever (1995). ...
Richard Donner (born Richard Donald Schwartzberg on April 24, 1930) is an American film director and also producer through the production company, The Donners Company, he and his wife, producer Lauren Shuler-Donner, own. ...
The early 2000s saw a renaissance of superhero films including 2000s X-Men, 2002's Spider-Man, 2003's Daredevil, X2: X-Men United, and Hulk, 2004's Hellboy and Spider-Man 2, 2005's Fantastic Four, Elektra and Batman Begins, 2006's X-Men 3 and Superman Returns, and 2007's Ghost Rider and Spider-Man 3. These films have helped popularize or re-popularize many of these heroes, and have lead to sequels that are already in production, (The Dark Knight and the next Superman film, tentatively titled The Man of Steel, for example). X-Men is a 2000 superhero film based upon the fictional characters the X-Men. ...
Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. ...
Daredevil is a 2003 movie directed by Mark Steven Johnson, who also wrote the screenplay. ...
X2 is a 2003 superhero film based on the fictional characters the X-Men. ...
Hulk is a 2003 superhero film based on the comic book series The Incredible Hulk published by Marvel Comics. ...
Hellboy is a fictional Dark Horse Comics character created by Mike Mignola. ...
This article is about the 2004 film. ...
Fantastic Four is a 2005 movie based on the Marvel Comics comic Fantastic Four, directed by Tim Story and released by 20th Century Fox. ...
Elektra is a 2005 action movie directed by Rob Bowman. ...
For the video game based on the film, see Batman Begins (video game). ...
X-Men 3 (also known as X-Men: The Last Stand) is the third film adaptation of the X-Men superhero comic books. ...
For the video game of the same name, see Superman Returns (video game). ...
Ghost Rider may refer to: Ghost Rider (comics), the supernatural comic book character(s). ...
Spider-Man 3 is a 2007 American superhero film written and directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent. ...
For other uses, see Sequel (disambiguation). ...
The Dark Knight is a 2008 American superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman. ...
Additionally, some non-superhero films based on comic books have helped draw attention to the diversity of the medium. These films include The Crow (1994), Ghost World (2001), Road to Perdition (2002), American Splendor (2003), Sin City (2005), A History of Violence (2005), Constantine (2005), V for Vendetta (2006) and 300 (2007). James OBarrs original comic The Crow is a comic book series created by James OBarr. ...
Ghost World is a 2001 film by Terry Zwigoff, based on a graphic novel by Daniel Clowes, also titled Ghost World. ...
Road to Perdition is a graphic novel written by Max Allan Collins and illustrated by Richard Piers Rayner that was made into a motion picture of the same name in 2002. ...
American Splendor is a 2003 biopic about Harvey Pekar, the author of the American Splendor comic book series. ...
Sin City is a 2005 neo-noir anthology film written, produced and directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez. ...
A History of Violence is 2005 film, directed by David Cronenberg. ...
Constantine is a 2005 American film loosely based on the Hellblazer comic book, with some plot elements being taken from the Dangerous Habits arc (issues #41-46). ...
V for Vendetta is a 2006 action-thriller film set in London, England in a near-future dystopian society. ...
300 is a 2007 film adaptation of the graphic novel 300 by Frank Miller, and is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. ...
Noted Modern Age talents NOTE: This is not a definitive list whatsoever. These are merely people who have represented a high level of quality and have been involved with some of the greatest projects of the age.
Writers - Brian Michael Bendis (Powers, Daredevil, New Avengers, Ultimate Spider-Man)
- Geoff Johns (Justice Society of America, Action Comics, Infinite Crisis, Teen Titans, Green Lantern)
- Joss Whedon (Astonishing X-men, Runaways, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Fray)
- Ed Brubaker (Sleeper, Captain America, Daredevil, Catwoman)
- Kurt Busiek (Astro City, Marvels, Thunderbolts, Untold Tales of Spider-Man, Avengers, Conan)
- Chris Claremont (Uncanny X-Men, Wolverine)
- Darwyn Cooke (DC: The New Frontier)
- Peter David (Supergirl, Incredible Hulk, Aquaman)
- Warren Ellis (Transmetropolitan, Authority)
- Garth Ennis (Preacher, Punisher)
- Neil Gaiman (Eternals, Sandman, 1602)
- Dan Jurgens (Marvel vs. DC, Superman)
- Robert Kirkman (Marvel Zombies, The Walking Dead, Invincible)
- Jeph Loeb (Batman: Dark Victory, Batman: Hush, Batman: The Long Halloween)
- Scott McCloud (Understanding Comics, Zot!)
- Grant Morrison (52, All Star Superman, Do
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