39,327
edits
The Iron Age of Comic Books: Difference between revisions
m
Mass update links
m (Mass update links) |
m (Mass update links) |
||
Line 11:
This zeitgeist of attempted plausibility and new found seriousness in superhero comic books is reflected in [[Alan Moore|Alan Moore's]] [[Deconstruction|Watchmen]] and [[Frank Miller|Frank Miller's]] [[The Dark Knight Returns]], both released in 1986. As well, the DC imprint [[Vertigo Comics]] also followed suit in tone, coming to its zenith with [[The Sandman]] in 1989. The turn to seriousness, especially in [[The Dark Knight Returns]] also inspired the efforts of the [[Batman]] film in 1989 and [[Batman the Animated Series]] in 1992.
Perhaps because of the new blank slate attitude that prevailed [[Post-Crisis]], new comic book companies remerged, like [[Dark Horse Comics]] in 1986 and [[Valiant Comics]] in 1989. They published such acclaimed works as [[Hellboy]] and [[Sin City]], as well as releasing works like [[Akira (Manga)|Akira]], perhaps because this tone of serious and plausible now matched Japan's similar sense of serious and plausible, not to mention [[Japan Takes Over the World|the economic success of Japan at the time as well.]] Other new companies include [[Image Comics]] founded in 1992, which was a major [[Trope Codifier]] for the [[Nineties Anti
Also cutting down on the excesses from inside the pages of a comic book was [[Kingdom Come]] in 1996, which reminded writers and artists of the time that the goal was to be seriously realistic, not cynically gritty. Afterwards, [[Transmetropolitan]] was published in 1997, a celebrated work of plausible scientific rigor as well as reflecting the general tone of the period without dipping too far into the grittiness so as to be ridiculous.
Line 26:
* [[The Dark Knight Returns]]: Not only did this effect comic books, but helped to shape a new, serious, plausible [[Batman]] that was the basis of many film series' and animated series'.
* ''[[Hellboy (Comic Book)|Hellboy]]'' Debuted in 1994. [[Legions of Hell|A demon]] [[The End of the World As We Know It|who is destined to bring about the apocalypse]] fights Nazis and [[Cosmic Horror|Lovecraftian abominations]] with [[BFG|a huge gun]] and the title character himself is a huge mass of psychological issues. The premise itself is very [[Dark Age]], but the series actually isn't [[Grimdark]]. Hellboy is shown to give very good advice, and enjoys pancakes.
* Venom went from being an evil version of Spider-man, to an [[Anti-Hero]], to a [[Nineties Anti
* ''[[Spawn]]'' (The scion of [[Image]] and the model for its many imitators)
* ''[[The Punisher]]'' (This pre-existing ultra-violent [[Anti-Hero]] [[Vigilante Man]]'s stock went way, way up)
Line 32:
** Other notable Dark Age ''[[Batman]]'' stories include ''[[The Killing Joke]]'', ''A Death in the Family'', and ''[[Knightfall]]''. The first modern [[Batman (Film)|Batman movie]] also came out during this era.
* ''[[Wolverine]]'', like the Punisher and Batman, was a preexisting hero who attained new heights of popularity because he fit the grim and gritty trend; his regular series began in 1988, and [[Wolverine Publicity]] spread like Kudzu.
* [[Lobo]], though a character and not a series, was created as a parody of [[Nineties Anti
* ''[[Marshal Law]]'' was also a parody of this era's excesses.
* ''[[Witchblade (Comic Book)|Witchblade]]'', one of the few long-lasting books of that time period, which spawned a [[Witchblade (TV)|TV show]], [[Witchblade (Anime)|anime]], and manga, with an upcoming movie.
Line 47:
* [[The Crow]], first published in 1989, is about a brooding pretty boy goth who comes back from the dead to take revenge on the gang that murdered him and his girlfriend by killing them in brutal and symbolic ways. It spawned a TV Show and a few movies, briefly becoming a Gothic icon.
* [[X Force]], the [[X Men]] spin off that gave the world Cable, Deadpool, and, for better or worse, launched the career of [[Rob Liefeld]].
* [[Kingdom Come]]: a harsh [[Deconstruction]] of the Dark Age and the [[Nineties Anti
* Grant Morrison's ''[[Justice League of America|JLA]]'', which brought back the bright, shiny heroes in huge, epic plots. Began in 1997, one year after [[Kingdom Come]], and helped to [[Trope Codifier|Codify]] many of the concepts and trends introduced by [[Kingdom Come]], and did more to [[Reconstruction|Reconstruct]] the Main DCU than any other series.
** Also by Morrison, ''[[All Star DC Comics|All-Star]] [[All Star Superman|Superman]],'' an [[Alternate Universe]] take on [[Superman]] that uses various Silver Age tropes to tell the story of a Superman who is nearing the end of his life. Also notable for the scene in which [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|Superman punches out the Tyrant Sun.]]
Line 69:
[[Category:The Ages of Super Hero Comics]]
[[Category:The Iron Age Of Comic Books]]
| |||