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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. ...

The cover of New Mutants #87 featuring the first appearance of Cable. Art by Rob Liefeld and Todd McFarlane.

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. ...

This image is a candidate for speedy deletion. It will be deleted after Saturday, 18 August 2007.

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

Main article: comic book collecting

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. ...

The death of Karen Page. Promotional art for Daredevil Visionaries: Kevin Smith by Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti.

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, Doom Patrol, JLA, New X-Men, Seven Soldiers of Victory)
• Mike Mignola (Hellboy)
• Mark Millar (Ultimates, Civil War, Marvel Knights Spider-Man, The Authority)
• Frank Miller (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Daredevil, Sin City, All Star Batman and Robin)
• Alan Moore (Swamp Thing, From Hell, V for Vendetta, Watchmen, ABC Comics)
• Jeff Smith (Bone)
• Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Runaways, Ex Machina)
• Mark Waid (Flash, Kingdom Come)
• Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

Brian Michael Bendis (born August 18, 1967) is an American comic book writer and erstwhile artist. ... Geoff Johns (born 25 January 1973 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. ... 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. ... Ed Brubaker. ... Kurt Busiek (born September 16, 1960) is a comic book writer. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Cover to Solo #5, featuring Slam Bradley. ... 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. ... This article is about the comic book author. ... 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. ... 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. ... Dan Jurgens is an American writer and artist of comic books. ... Robert Kirkman is a American comic book writer. ... Joseph Jeph Siegbert Loeb III is an American motion picture and television producer/writer and award-winning comic book writer. ... 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. ... Grant Morrison (born January 31, 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer and artist. ... Mike Mignola (born in Berkeley, California on September 16, 1960) is a American comic book artist and writer. ... Mark Millar (born December 24, 1969) is a Scottish comic book writer born in Coatbridge. ... This article is about Frank Miller, the comic book writer and artist. ... For other persons named Alan Moore, see Alan Moore (disambiguation). ... Jeff Smith is an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of the self-published comic book series Bone. ... Brian K. Vaughan (born 1976, Cleveland, Ohio) is an American comic book writer best known for the series Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, Runaways, and Pride of Baghdad. ... Mark Waid (born March 21, 1962 in Hueytown, Alabama) is an American comic book writer. ... Kevin Baines Eastman (born May 30, 1962) is an American comic book artist. ... Peter Laird Peter Alan Laird (born January 27, 1954 in North Adams, Massachusetts) is an American comic book artist. ...

Artists

• Mark Bagley (Amazing Spider-Man, Thunderbolts, Ultimate Spider-Man)
• Ed Benes (Birds of Prey, Supergirl, Justice League of America)
• Frank Cho (Liberty Meadows, Shanna The She-Devil, University2)
• Bryan Hitch (The Ultimates, The Authority)
• Tony Daniel (Batman, Teen Titans)
• Adam Kubert (Action Comics, X-Men)
• Andy Kubert (Batman, X-Men, Ultimate X-Men)
• Erik Larsen (Amazing Spider-Man, Savage Dragon)
• Jae Lee (Inhumans)
• Jim Lee (Batman: Hush, Uncanny X-Men, WildC.A.T.s)
• Rob Liefeld (X-Force, Youngblood)
• Todd MacFarlane (Spider-Man, Spawn)
• George Perez (Crisis on Infinite Earths, JLA/Avengers, Wonder Woman)
• Joe Quesada (Ash, Daredevil, X-Factor)
• Frank Quitely (All Star Superman, New X-Men, The Authority)
• John Romita, Jr. (Amazing Spider-Man, Eternals)
• Alex Ross (Kingdom Come, Marvels)
• Tim Sale (Batman: Dark Victory, Batman: The Long Halloween)
• Jeff Smith (Bone, Shazam and the Monster Society of Evil)
• Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

Bagleys cover for Ultimate Spider-Man #65. ... José Edilbenes Bezerra (born in 1972 in Alto Santo, Ceara Brazil) is a Brazilian comic book artist, better known as his pen name Ed Benes. ... Self-portrait, by Frank Cho Frank Cho, born Duk Hyun Cho, is an American comic strip creator, writer and illustrator. ... The various characters of the Ultimate Marvel Universe, as seen on the cover to Ultimates (v2) #12. ... Daniels pencil-only cover for Teen Titans vol. ... Cover to Uncanny X-Men #377; Art by Adam Kubert. ... Cover of Batman #655, the first issue of Batman & Son Andy Kubert is an American comic book artist, the son of Joe Kubert and brother of Adam Kubert, both of whom are also artists. ... Cover to The Savage Dragon (original miniseries) #1. ... Cover art from Manhunter #4 (2005). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... 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 cartoonist, comic book writer, artist, toy manufacturer/designer, and media entrepreneur. ... George Pérez (born June 9, 1954 in The Bronx, New York) is a Puerto Rican-American illustrator and writer of comic books. ... 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. ... Frank Quitely Frank Quitely (born January 18, 1968) is the professional pseudonym of Scottish comic book artist Vincent Deighan. ... John Salvatore Romita, Jr. ... Nelson Alexander Alex Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American comic book painter, illustrator and plotter, acclaimed for the photorealism of his work. ... Tim Sale (born 1956 in Ithaca, New York) is an American Eisner Award winning comic book artist. ... Jeff Smith is an American cartoonist, best known as the creator of the self-published comic book series Bone. ... Kevin Baines Eastman (born May 30, 1962) is an American comic book artist. ... Peter Laird Peter Alan Laird (born January 27, 1954 in North Adams, Massachusetts) is an American comic book artist. ...

Key issues of the Modern Age

1980’s

DC Comics and Independents

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. ... Arkham Asylum as it appeared on Batman: The Animated Series. ... 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. ... This article is about Frank Miller, the comic book writer and artist. ... Cover to Batman: The Killing Joke. ... DC Comics Presents. ... For the Man Who Has Everything is both a comic book story and a Justice League Unlimited episode // For the Man Who Has Everything is a story by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons published in Superman Annual #11. ... 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. ... TMNT redirects here. ...

Marvel Comics

Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ... Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ... Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ... Mary Jane Watson or Mary Jane Watson-Parker, depending on the adaptation, is (in the fictional world of Spider-Man) the wife of Peter Parker (Spider Man) and a supporting character in the Marvel Comics Spider-Man series. ... This article is about the superhero. ... For people who perform risky stunts as a profession, see stunt performer. ... Incredible Hulk, The Hulk and The Incredible Hulk redirect here. ... New Mutants may also refer to the genetically engineered superhumans of Mutant X (TV series). ... This article is about the Marvel Comics character Nathan Summers, a. ... This article is about the Marvel Comics character. ... For the second comic book series starring the X-Men, see X-Men (vol. ... For the second comic book series starring the X-Men, see X-Men (vol. ... For other uses, see Wolverine (disambiguation). ... X-Factor is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. ...

1990’s

DC Comics

For the DJ, see DJ Green Lantern. ... This article is about the DC Comics character. ... Grant Morrison (born January 31, 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer and artist. ... Nelson Alexander Alex Ross (born January 22, 1970) is an American comic book painter, illustrator and plotter, acclaimed for the photorealism of his work. ...

Image Comics

Image Comics is an American comic book publisher. ...

Marvel Comics

For other persons named Kevin Smith, see Kevin Smith (disambiguation). ... 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. ... Incredible Hulk, The Hulk and The Incredible Hulk redirect here. ... Incredible Hulk, The Hulk and The Incredible Hulk redirect here. ... For other uses, see Thunderbolt (comics). ... For other uses, see Thunderbolt (comics). ...

2000’s

DC Comics

52 is the title of a comic book limited series published by DC Comics, which debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. ... Infinite Crisis was a seven-issue limited series of comic books published by DC Comics, beginning in October of 2005. ... One Year Later event logo. ... In DC Comics, the Multiverse was a continuity construct in which multiple fictional versions of the universe existed in the same space, separated from each other by their vibrational resonances. ... Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics action hero of the same name. ... Published 2002-2003 in monthly installments in Batman issues 608-619 by DC Comics Characters Batman (Bruce Wayne), Catwoman (Selina Kyle), Superman (Clark Kent), Nightwing (Dick Grayson), Robin (Tim Drake), The Joker, The Riddler, Hush, Scarecrow, Huntress, Ras al Ghul, Lex Luthor, Two-Face, Commissioner James Gordon, Oracle, Harley... Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character published in stories by DC Comics. ... Fables is a Vertigo comic book series created and written by Bill Willingham. ... Bill Willingham (born December 1956 in Fort Belvoir, Virginia) is an American writer and artist of comic books. ... Geoff Johns (born 25 January 1973 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. ... Cover to Green Lantern: Rebirth #5 as drawn by Van Sciver. ... Hal Jordan is a fictional character, a DC Comics superhero. ... The fictional Green Lantern Corps is an intergalactic police force featured in DC Comics, particularly series featuring the superhero Green Lantern, Earth’s member of the group. ... Infinite Crisis was a seven-issue limited series of comic books published by DC Comics, beginning in October of 2005. ... This article is about the DC Comics series. ... Brad Meltzer (b. ... The Justice League is a DC Comics superhero team. ... Susan Sue Dearbon Dibny is a fictional character from DC comics. ... Y: The Last Man is a comic book series written by Brian K. Vaughan (Swamp Thing) and published by Vertigo. ...

Marvel Comics

Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ... Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ... This article is about the superhero. ... This article is about the superhero. ... Civil War is a Marvel Comics summer 2006 crossover event, based around a core limited series of the same name written by Mark Millar and penciled by Steve McNiven. ...

Timeline of events

Please see Bronze Age of Comic Books for events prior to 1984

Amazing Spider-Man #122, July 1973, The death of the Green Goblin, cover art by John Romita, Sr. ...

1980s

• 1984: Alan Moore takes over writing on Swamp Thing

• 1984: Eastman & Laird publish their first issue of the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles."

• 1984: Marvel begins releasing the first "big event" storyline, Secret Wars, which would, along with Crisis on Infinite Earths, popularize big events, and make them a staple in the industry.

• 1985: DC begins to publish Crisis on Infinite Earths, which would drastically restructure the DC universe, and popularize the epic crossover in the comics industry along with Secret Wars.

• 1985: In the aftermath of Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC cancels The Flash, Superman, and Wonder Woman.

• 1986: DC publishes Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, setting a new grim tone for Batman.

• 1986: DC Comics begins publishing Watchmen, seen by many as a pivotal title of the Modern Age.

• 1986: Dark Horse Comics is founded. It would come to be the third largest comic publisher in the U.S., and would be known for its line of film-based comics (notably Alien and Predator), its small line of Manga, and the titles Sin City (Frank Miller) and Hellboy (Mike Mignola.)

• 1986: To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Marvel Universe, Marvel launches the New Universe. While this would fail, it was the first of many new universes launched by Marvel.

• 1986-1987: Superman is relaunched by John Byrne. The relaunch starts in 1986 with the six-issue limited series titled The Man of Steel. A new Superman # 1 begins in Summer 1987.

• 1987: The first volume of Art Spiegelman's Maus is published. It would become one of the most famous graphic novels of the modern age.

• 1988: Neil Gaiman's The Sandman debuts.

• 1988-1989: Batman: A Death in the Family published. The storyline called for readers to phone a 900 number to decide the fate of then-Robin Jason Todd. The majority decided he should die, so he was brutally murdered by the Joker.

• 1989: Tim Burton's Batman film premieres, to commercial success and critical acclaim.

• 1989: Fantagraphics Books publishes the first issue of Daniel Clowes' Eightball, which would became a famous alternative comic, and would serialize a number of Clowes' most famous stories, including "Ghost World" and "David Boring".

For other uses, see Swamp Thing (disambiguation). ... 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. ... 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. ... 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. ... This article is about Frank Miller, the comic book writer and artist. ... 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. ... 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 other uses, see Watchman. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the first film in a series. ... Predator is a 1987 science fiction, action and horror film directed by John McTiernan and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers and Jesse Ventura. ... This article is about the comics published in East Asian countries. ... Cover of Sin City shows Marv walking through the rain. ... Hellboy is a fictional Dark Horse Comics character created by Mike Mignola. ... 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 of John Byrne, see John Byrne (disambiguation). ... The Man of Steel was a six-issue comic book limited series released in 1986 by DC Comics, several months after the 12-issue limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths completed. ... For other uses, see Maus (disambiguation). ... The Sandman was a comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics for 75 issues from 1988 until 1996. ... Batman: A Death in the Family is a Batman comic book story arc first published in the late 1980s which gave fans the ability to influence the story through voting with a 900 number. ... A 1-900 telephone number, in the North American Numbering Plan, usually has the form 1-900-###-####. A call to one of these numbers can result in a high per-minute or per-call charge. ... Robin is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Comics universe. ... Jason Peter Todd is a fictional character published in stories by DC Comics. ... The Joker can mean any of the following: The Joker is a comic strip character, also included in movies and television programs based on the comic strip. ... Batman was released in U.S. theaters on June 23, 1989 by Warner Bros. ... Fantagraphics Books is an American publisher of alternative comics, classic comic strip anthologies, magazines, graphic novels, and the adult-oriented Eros Comix imprint. ... Eightball is an alternative comic book series written and drawn by Daniel Clowes. ...

1990s

• 1990: The first issue of Hate by Peter Bagge is published by Fantagraphics books. The comic would come to be associated with the Seattle Grunge scene, which was becoming popularized by bands such as Nirvana and Alice in Chains.

• Summer 1990: Todd MacFarlane releases Spider-Man #1 with two alternate covers (one green, one black). It becomes the best-selling comic book in history, only to be supplanted by X-Men #1 the following year.

• 1991: The X-Men universe is radically reinvented, with a new X-Men monthly series, including 5 different covers for the first issue, running alongside of the Uncanny X-Men, a new X-Factor lineup, and the creation of the follow up to The New Mutants, X-Force. Rob Liefeld and Jim Lee ascend to star status, partly because of their work on these titles. At this time, X-Men became a huge franchise and would remain so until the mid 90's, with toys and an animated series giving the series wide mainstream exposure by drawing in a new generation of fans.

• 1991: Jeff Smith begins publishing Bone, which would become well known in the comics world. It would end its run in 2004.

• 1991: Volume 2 of Maus is released.

• 1991: Frank Miller's Sin City begins, originally in Dark Horse Presents.

• 1991: The beginning of foil stamped, and other gimmick covers begins with Silver Surfer # 50.

• 1992: Maus wins a Pulitzer Prize

• 1992: Dark Horse begins to publish comic books based on the Star Wars films. The first project is titled Dark Empire.

• 1992: Image Comics is founded by a number of former Marvel artists who were unsatisfied with how Marvel handled them and its books. The artists included Todd MacFarlane, Rob Liefeld, Jim Lee, Jim Valentino, Marc Silvestri and Erik Larsen. The company would become controversial in the comics world, but had a huge number of fans following the work of the artists, whom published their own creations under the Image name. This same year, naturally, saw the first issues of many of the best known image titles, including Spawn, Youngblood, Savage Dragon, and WildC.A.T.s

• 1992: Marvel launches the 2099 universe. This will fail also.

• 1992: November - The Death of Superman in Superman #75.

• 1993: DC launches its Vertigo imprint. The early titles include Sandman, Animal Man and the Doom Patrol.

• 1993: Dark Horse launches "Comics Greatest World." Their first venture into Super-Heroes features characters such as the undead vigilante X, Ghost and Barb Wire (which becomes a film starring Pamela Anderson). The series includes 16 books released weekly for $1 each.

• 1993: Malibu Comics launches the Ultraverse, including characters such as Prime, Hardcase, and Mantra; several issues come bagged with a coupon. Upon getting all the coupons, fans could mail in the coupons to receive Ultraverse # 0. Malibu Ultraverse becomes well-known for its computer colouring process and is acquired by Marvel Comics in 1995.

• 1993: Azrael assumes the role of Batman in Batman # 500.

• 1994: February - Kyle Rayner becomes the new Green Lantern.

• 1994: Lady Death and Shi are both published, by Chaos! Comics and Crusade, respectively. This begins the Bad girl art phase.

• 1994: Warren Ellis starts writing in America. His early works include Doom 2099 and Hellstorm.

• 1994: October - The Spider-Man Clone Saga begins.

• 1994: Gen¹³ debuts and quickly becomes one of the most popular titles in the medium. Its popularity not only ignites a trend of bad girl/good girl superhero titles but capitalizes on the craze of alternate covers. Gen¹³ Vol. 2, No. 1 has 13 covers including spoofs of the Janet Jackson Rolling Stone cover, Heavy Metal, the Brady Bunch, Sandman, and Pulp Fiction.

• 1995: Sam Kieth begins publishing The Maxx via Image Comics.

• 1995: Artemis becomes the new Wonder Woman but dies in issue # 100.

• 1995: The last issue of Sandman is published. The acclaimed DC/Vertigo series ends at # 75.

• 1995: David Lapham publishes Stray Bullets and the craze towards alternative comics begins.

• 1996: In the wake of Onslaught, Marvel outsources some of its older franchises to revive them as part of the Heroes Reborn event.

• 1996: December - The Spider-Man Clone Saga ends.

• 1996: Amidst a sales slump, the speculators crash, and massive downsizing in the industry, Marvel officially declares bankruptcy.

• 1996: Summer - Marvel Comics unleashes Onslaught. The battle against Onslaught results in the "deaths" of Captain America, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and the Fantastic Four. The result is the cancellation of Captain America, Iron Man, Avengers, and Fantastic Four. All four books are relaunched in Fall 1996 with Rob Liefeld and Jim Lee spearheading the creative teams.

• 1996: The Amalgam Comics run, an infusion of DC Comics and Marvel Comics, begins

• 1997: Batman and Robin premieres in theatres, and is a huge financial and critical flop, causing Warner Bros. to put the Batman franchise on hold. There would not be another Batman film until 2005, with Batman Begins. The flop of Batman and Robin resulted in studios exercising more caution in adapting comics to film.

• 1997: The Amalgam Comics run ends, with a total 24 books published.

• 1997: Marvel reingrates its outsourced series in the Heroes Reborn event and outsources other characters to Independent publisher Joe Quesada under the Marvel Knights franchise. This will be a popular and critical success and will eventually lead to Quesada being offered the Editor in Chief position.

• 1999: DC Comics begins to publish its MILLENNIUM EDITIONS. A total of 56 editions are published on a weekly basis as a way of honoring the great achievements in DC Comics history. All editions contain reprinted material and the first edition is a reprint of Action Comics # 1. Other reprints include Detective Comics # 27 and Showcase # 4.

Peter Bagge is an American comics artist and creator of Hate, Neat Stuff, Martini Baton, and Sweatshop. ... ... This article is about the American grunge band. ... This article is about the grunge band. ... Todd McFarlane (born March 16, 1961 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada) is a Canadian cartoonist, comic book writer, artist, toy manufacturer/designer, and media entrepreneur. ... The X-Men are a group of comic book superheroes featured in Marvel Comics. ... For the second comic book series starring the X-Men, see X-Men (vol. ... X-Factor is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. ... X-Force was a Marvel Comics superhero team, one of many spin-offs of the popular X-Men franchise. ... Bone is an independently published comic book series, originally serialized in 55 irregularly-released issues from 1991 to 2004, notable as one of the longest-running self-published comic book series by a single writer/artist. ... For other uses, see Maus (disambiguation). ... Dark Horse Presents was the original comic book published by Dark Horse Comics and for years was their flagship title. ... This article is about the comic book character. ... The Pulitzer Prize is an American award regarded as the highest national honor in print journalism, literary achievements, and musical composition. ... This article is about the series. ... Image Comics is an American comic book publisher. ... Spawn is a fictional comic book character created by Todd McFarlane. ... Youngblood is a superhero team, and eponymous comic book, created by Rob(The shitty Artist) Liefeld. ... The Savage Dragon is an American ongoing comic book series created by Erik Larsen and published by Image Comics. ... It has been suggested that Wildcats v2 be merged into this article or section. ... Superman #75 (Jan. ... Vertigo logo Vertigo is an imprint of comic book and graphic novel publisher DC Comics. ... The Sandman, in comic books, refers to several different fictional characters: DC Comics, 1940s -- The Sandman. ... Animal Man (Buddy Baker) is a fictional DC Comics superhero. ... The Doom Patrol is an idiosyncratic DC Comics superhero team. ... Comics Greatest World was an imprint of Dark Horse Comics. ... Ghost is a series of comic books published by Dark Horse Comics that chronicled the after-life of Elisa Cameron and her attempts to regain her lost memories as a result of her apparent death. ... Barb Wire was a superhero published by Comics Greatest World, an imprint of Dark Horse Comics. ... Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian/American[1] actress, sex symbol, glamour model, producer, TV personality, and author. ... Malibu Comics was a comic book publisher in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles. ... The Ultraverse was the name given to a comic book imprint published by Malibu Comics. ... Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley) is a fictional character from DC Comics. ... This article is about the DC Comics character. ... Brian Pulidos Lady Death. ... cover of Shi comic Shi is a comic book created by William Tucci about a young woman of mixed Japanese and American ancestry who uses her skill in traditional Japanese martial arts to combat criminals and other evil-doers. ... Bad girl art, in the world of comic books, is the counterpart of good girl art. ... Daimon Hellstrom, also known as the Son of Satan and Hellstorm, is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ... Cover to Web of Spider-Man #117 (October 1994), which officially launched the 1990s Clone Saga. ... Gen¹³ is a fictional superhero team and comic book series originally written by Jim Lee and Brandon Choi and illustrated by J. Scott Campbell. ... Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, actress, songwriter, record producer, dancer, activist, pop icon, and younger sister of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Magazine cover featuring the main characters of Richard Corbens Den series, one of Heavy Metals most popular early features Heavy Metal is an American science fiction and fantasy comics magazine started in 1977. ... The Brady Bunch was a US television situation comedy, based around a large family. ... Pulp Fiction is a 1994 film by director Quentin Tarantino, who cowrote the film with Roger Avary. ... The Maxx is a comic book and animated series written and illustrated by Sam Kieth (with writing assistance from William Messner-Loebs earlier on in the series and from Alan Moore in a later issue), and published by Image Comics. ... For other uses, see Wonder Woman (disambiguation). ... Onslaught is a Marvel Comics supervillain who was the focus of an enormous intra-company crossover in 1996. ... Amalgam Comics was a metafictional American comic book publisher, and part of a collaboration between Marvel Comics and DC Comics, in which the two comic book publishers merged their characters to create new ones (e. ... DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company. ... This article is about the comic book company. ... 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). ... For the video game based on the film, see Batman Begins (video game). ... Amalgam Comics was a metafictional American comic book publisher, and part of a collaboration between Marvel Comics and DC Comics, in which the two comic book publishers merged their characters to create new ones (e. ...

Unknown dates in the 1990s timeline

• The rise and fall of the speculator market occurred roughly in the frame of 1990-1996, but pinpointing exact dates for this events is difficult, although some would argue that one of the definitive moments of the crash was when Marvel declared bankruptcy. Many would go so far as to argue that the Marvel bankruptcy marks the end of the era of the speculators market. The rise of the market is trickier to pinpoint, though most would place it in the timeframe of 1989-1991, with the seeds being planted by mainstream media reports on comics appreciating in value. The seeds grew in to the full speculator boom sometime in the early 1990s, but the process was so gradual that specific dates are not possible.

2000s

• 2000: Chris Ware's Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth, is published by Fantagraphics as a single graphic novel. The story was previously serialized in the Acme Novelty Library magazine, but it gained a great deal of attention when it was published in 2000 in a single edition. It received some mainstream media exposure, including an article on CNN's website.

• 2000: Marvel launches its Ultimate Marvel line, which would feature recreations of its most popular titles, due to the fear that the complex history behind their established books was turning off potential new readers.

• 2000: The long awaited X-Men film adaptation is a big enough hit to revive the superhero film genre, which had been damaged reputation wise by 1997's massive flop, Batman and Robin.

• 2001: Marvel Comics hires writer Grant Morrison to reinvent the X-Men, resulting in New X-Men, or "Grant Morrison's X-Men" as some fans would call it.

• 2001: The hit television series Smallville (TV series) begins its first season.

• 2001: As a way of honoring the tragedy of September 11, 2001, all comics companies create special edition comics. Marvel Comics creates Heroes, A Moment of Silence (a comic consisting solely of art, without dialog or narration), and Amazing Spider-Man # 36 (an issue devoted to Spider-Man's reaction to the tragedy, featuring a black cover). DC Comics and other companies publish two special editions called 9/11. A black and white version. 9/11 Emergency Relief, is also published.

• 2002: The first ever Spider-Man movie launched and broke the record of the highest grossing movie in first day and week. Spiderman super success was also followed by Spider-Man 2 in 2004 which was even a bigger success and made the Spider-Man franchise the most successful superhero movie series ever made.

• 2002: The first Free Comic Book Day, the North American comic book industry's major annual marketing push.

• 2004: Dave Sim and Jeff Smith both end the runs of their respective books, Cerebus and Bone, both of which had become famous in the comics world and helped popularize self publishing.

• 2004: DC begins the Identity Crisis limited series. This series resulted in the death of Elongated Man's wife, Sue Dibny, and marked the start of a darker tonality for DC's product line.

• 2004: Green Lantern: Rebirth is published, marking Hal Jordan's return to the mantle of Green Lantern. The character had ceased being Green Lantern nearly a decade earlier. The move is seen by some as the start of a nostalgia movement within DC Comics.

• April 1, 2005: Sin City is released in theaters. Co-directed by Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller.

• June 15, 2005: Batman Begins is released in theaters as a reboot of the Batman film series. A commercial and critical success, it is credited with reviving the franchise. A sequel is scheduled for 2008.

• 2005: Vertigo/DC along with Warner Brothers Studio release V for Vendetta movie based on Alan Moore's graphic novel.

• 2005: DC begins the Infinite Crisis limited series, a sequel to the Crisis on Infinite Earths of two decades earlier. This series results in a "new Earth" being created that has more capacity for a less cynical idealism while restoring bits of continuity back into the DC Universe, such as Wonder Woman being a founder of the JLA. Marvel releases its own crossover event limited series, House of M. The House of M series results in "M-Day", in which most of the mutant characters lose their powers.

• 2005: DC launches their "All Star" brand of comics, beginning with All Star Batman and Robin The Boy Wonder #1, by Frank Miller and Jim Lee. This brand is created in an attempt to tell iconic, out-of-continuity stories about DC's characters, using some of the more popular creators in the industry. All Star Batman and Robin is followed by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's All Star Superman.

• 2006: Annihilation changes complexion of Marvel Comics' interstellar characters. Many alien races are wiped out and characters such as the Silver Surfer and Nova rise to prominence. The Skrulls become displaced from their homeworld.

• 2006: The Black Panther and Storm are married. Later in the year, they would replace Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman in the Fantastic Four.

• 2006: DC follows up Infinite Crisis with One Year Later, where all storylines jump ahead one year and 52, a weekly comic lasting 52 issues which will chronicle that missing year.

• 2006: The Incredible Hulk is trapped in a rocket and launched into space by a group of heroes that would be known as the Illuminati. This begins the Planet Hulk and eventual World War Hulk storyline.

• 2006: Marvel begins the Civil War. After a group of superheroes accidentally kill some school children while fighting a group of supervillains, the US government passes the Superhero Registration Act, subjecting superheros to government oversight. Some heroes, most prominently Iron Man, see it as a necessary step and are quick to register; others are opposed to it and form a resistance movement under Captain America, bringing them into conflict with those registered heroes who try to enforce the new law. In a move controversial with fans, Spider-Man unmasks at a press conference and reveals his identity to the public.

• 2006: X-Men 3 and Superman Returns are released in theatres.

• 2007: Captain America is killed during Marvel's Civil War, resulting in attention from the national media.^[1][2]

• 2007: Spider-Man 3 breaks earlier opening records. Sony announces four sequels.

• 2007: DC Comics' 52 concludes with the Multiverse being re-established. There are now 52 earths in the DC Universe.

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ... The various characters of the Ultimate Marvel Universe, as seen on the cover of Ultimates (v2) #12. ... The correct title of this article is Batman & Robin (1997 film). ... New X-Men refers to two superhero comic books published by Marvel Comics within the hugely popular X-Men franchise. ... Smallville is an American television series created by writer/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, and was initially broadcast by The WB. After its fifth season, the WB and UPN merged to form The CW, which is the current broadcaster for the show in the United States. ... The World Trade Center on fire The September 11, 2001 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. ... The terrorist attacks in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 touched people worldwide, and cartoonists turned to art to express their grief and support. ... Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ... This article is about the 2004 film. ... Free Comic Book Day is an annual promotional effort by the North American comic book industry to help bring new readers into independent comic book stores. ... This article is about the DC Comics series. ... The limited series is a term referring to a comic book series with a set finite number of issues. ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sin City is a 2005 neo-noir anthology film written, produced and directed by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez. ... Robert Anthony Rodriguez (born June 20, 1968) is an American writer and film director who is known for making profitable, crowd-pleasing independent and studio films with fairly low budgets and fast schedules by Hollywood standards. ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the video game based on the film, see Batman Begins (video game). ... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (common) era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the comic book series. ... Infinite Crisis was a seven-issue limited series of comic books published by DC Comics, beginning in October of 2005. ... The limited series is a term referring to a comic book series with a set finite number of issues. ... 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. ... House of M was an eight-part comic book crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics in 2005. ... Decimation event logo, as shown on the covers of tie-in comics Decimation is the name of the late 2005 Marvel Comics storyline spinning out of the House of M limited series, that focuses on the ramifications of the Scarlet Witchs stripping nearly all of the mutant population of... One Year Later event logo. ... 52 is the title of a comic book limited series published by DC Comics, which debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. ... Civil War is a 2006-2007 Marvel Comics crossover event built around a seven-issue limited series of the same name written by Mark Millar, and penciled by Steve McNiven. ... In Marvel Comics fictional Marvel Universe, the Registration Acts - the Mutant Registration Act (or MRA) and Super-human Registration Act (SRA or sometimes SHRA) - are legislative bills which, when passed into law, enforce the mandatory registration of super-powered individuals with the government. ... Look up oversight in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 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). ... This article is about the superhero. ... Spider-Man 3 is a 2007 American superhero film written and directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent. ... 52 is the title of a comic book limited series published by DC Comics, which debuted on May 10, 2006, one week after the conclusion of the seven-issue Infinite Crisis. ...

External links

• Comic Book Resources-Comic Book News and Commentary Site
• Newsarama-Comic Book News and Commentary Site

See also

• Golden Age of Comic Books
• Silver Age of Comic Books
• Bronze Age of Comic Books
• Events from the Modern Age of Comic Books
• Portrayal of Women in Comic Books

Superman, catalyst of the Golden Age: Superman #14 (Feb. ... Showcase #4 (Oct. ... Amazing Spider-Man #122, July 1973, The death of the Green Goblin, cover art by John Romita, Sr. ... One of the key aspects of the Modern Age of Comic Books was that it was the beginning of big events. ... Women have been portrayed in in comic books since the mediums beginning, with their portrayals often the subject of controversy. ...

References

1. ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=2930749&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
2. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/books/03/07/captain.america/index.html

Batman: Hush takes place. The best selling Batman story in history deals with all the rogues, and teases the eventual return of the Jason Todd character. Since no comic series in the 21st Century has broken the 250,000 barrier (other than maybe All-Star Batman #1 and Civil War #1), this statement is absurd. In fact, in the overall scheme of things, Hush ranks among the LOWEST SELLING stories in Batman's history. Any average issue of Batman or Detective from 1986-1995 sold better, and any issue from 1939-1970 would blow it off the map.