|
|
Post by fanboystranger on Nov 12, 2014 11:02:45 GMT -5
There are literally tons of great comics from the '90s:
Quantum and Woody
Shade, the Changing Man
Sandman
The Invisibles
Preacher
100 Bullets
Nevada
Chronos
Madman
Grendel: War Child and the various Grendel Tales series
Sandman Mystery Theatre
Starman
The Spectre
Hate!
Eightball
Hellboy
Hellstorm, Prince of Lies
Doom 2099
Davis' and Ellis' respective runs on Excalibur
Joe Kelly's Deadpool
Hitman
Resurrection Man
Spider-Man 2099
Peter David and JM DeMatteis on X-Factor
Morrison's Doom Patrol
The 5Yr Gap Legion of Superheroes
Metropol, Industrial Gothic by Ted McKeever
The Inhumans by Jenkins and Lee
the bulk of Hellblazer
Black Panther by Priest
Avengers by Busiek and Perez
I could on. The '90s get an undeserved bad rap, but there's a remarkable wealth of great books.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2014 11:04:37 GMT -5
I always forget how old they are, but Hellboy, Preacher and Planetary would all be on my list.
|
|
|
|
Post by Randle-El on Nov 12, 2014 11:33:27 GMT -5
Interesting to see that many people's choices are non-big two, non-superhero books. I like independent books, but I didn't really start reading them in earnest until the past several years, and I've yet to explore a lot of the independent works of the 90s.
|
|
|
|
Post by fanboystranger on Nov 12, 2014 11:57:46 GMT -5
Interesting to see that many people's choices are non-big two, non-superhero books. I like independent books, but I didn't really start reading them in earnest until the past several years, and I've yet to explore a lot of the independent works of the 90s. I don't consider Vertigo books to be independent as they are published by DC, but it was an extremely vital line in the '90s and provided an opportunity for a great deal of talent that eventually became leaders in the industry. Similarly, DC had Milestone, which was, in my opinion, the finest collection of superhero comics in the '90s, and one of the strongest top to bottom lines in comics history. (I'd give that particular honor to First Comics in the '80s.) Marvel was in rough shape after chasing talent off, but you still had reliable people like Peter David, Alan Davis, and JM DeMatteis still around and new talent like Warren Ellis, Joe Casey, and a bunch of artistic talent that started with Marvel UK.
There was a vast wealth of great comics in the '90s, but you generally had to do a little work to find it as they rarely got much publicity. Most of the big franchises were in quality decline, and the "hot" books tended to be Image-level stuff with iffy art and non-existant storytelling. That said, the bad rap that the '90s get is totally undeserved. There were certainly a lot of bad books-- although no more than other eras, I'd argue-- but it was the popularity of those books that set the perception of the '90s being a comic book wasteland. Hype completely overshadowed quality to an absurd degree.
|
|
Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,202 
|
Post by Confessor on Nov 12, 2014 12:17:20 GMT -5
Though the '90s is pretty far from being my favourite decade in comics history, actually there were a few positive things and outstanding series to come out of it. For starters you've got series like...
Astro City
Maus
Marvels
Sin City
Kingdom Come
Desperadoes
Untold Tales of Spider-Man
Warrior Nun Areala
Tim Truman and Joe R. Lansdale's Jonah Hex comics
The Oz comics published by Caliber
Then there's...
the launching of the Vertigo line
Dark Horse beginning to publish Star Wars comics again.
Gemstone/Dave Cochran reprints of old EC horror & sci-fi comics.
Also, the Clone Saga. Yeah, that's right, I said it.
The Clone Saga is a bloated, sprawling mess that sees Spider-Man comics reach an absolute nadir in terms of quality and marketing excess and yet...and yet... there are some great stories, characters and wild experimentation to be found within it. The '90s Clone Saga is to Spider-Man comics what the Get Back sessions were to The Beatles. I have 4 different versions of the Get Back/Let It Be album and a half dozen bootlegs collecting tracks from those ramshackle recording sessions and just like my Clone Saga comics, I wouldn't be without them.
|
|
|
|
Post by adamwarlock2099 on Nov 12, 2014 12:47:38 GMT -5
While I didn't care for the Clone Saga then (I haven't read it again cause I sold them all but a handful) I did love Age of Apocalypse, and still count it as one of the best X-Men, if not the best, I have read. And I know I am in a small camp with that too, as most are in liking the Clone Saga. Maybe at some point I'd buy a TPB of it, if it's been collected to read it again.
|
|
|
|
Post by Action Ace on Nov 12, 2014 13:34:03 GMT -5
IMAGE
Kurt Busiek's Astro City (my pick for best all time series is an Image book from the 1990s)
1963
Age of Bronze
Leave it to Chance
DC (WILDSTORM)
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Top 10
Tom Strong
Jack B. Quick feature in Tomorrow Stories
Planetary
Stormwatch/ Authority
ULTRAVERSE
Prime
Strangers
MARVEL
Marvels
Busiek/ Perez Avengers
Untold Tales of Spider-Man (best run on Spidey since Lee/Romita Sr.)
Waid's Captain America
CARTOON BOOKS
Bone (kids today with their fancy color editions)
PANTHEON BOOKS
Maus Volume II (I got Volume I as required reading in college. Volume II arrived in stores at the end of the semester, so I didn't have a long wait.)
DC (KIDS LINE)
Batman Adventures/ Batman & Robin Adventures/ Batman: Gotham Adventures
Superman Adventures
Adventures in the DC Universe
DC COMICS (!MPACT)
The Comet
The Fly
GLADSTONE
Don Rosa Duck Comics
DC (ELSEWORLDS)
Batman: Holy Terror
Superman: Speeding Bullets
Superman: War of the Worlds
Kingdom Come
Superman & Batman: Generations Volume 1
Golden Age
JLA: The Nail
JSA: The Liberty File
DC/MARVEL
Batman and Captain America
Amalgam Comics
DC (MILESTONE)
Static
Icon
DC COMICS
Waid's Flash, Legion of Super-Heroes, Impulse, JLA: Year One
Morrison/ Waid JLA
DC 1,000,000
Superman comics 1990-1993
World's Finest mini series
Kesel/ Grummett Superboy
Dixon's Robin, Nightwing and Birds of Prey (until he mailed it in at the end)
Justice Society of America (mini series and ten issue regular series)
Chase
Aztek
Young Heroes in Love
Spectre
Power of Shazam! (graphic novel and series)
TUNDRA/ KITCHEN SINK/ PARADOX PRESS
Understanding Comics
|
|
|
|
Post by Icctrombone on Nov 12, 2014 14:14:47 GMT -5
Savage Dragon.
Gen 13.
Astro City.
The death of Superman storyline.
Defalco and Ryan's FF run.
|
|
|
|
Post by thebeastofyuccaflats on Nov 12, 2014 14:22:07 GMT -5
Hitman
From Hell
Preacher
Top 10
Starman, by Robinson
Milestone (in particular, Xombi and Icon)
Robin, by Dixon
Superboy, by Kesel & Grummett
Stormwatch, by Ellis
Batman, by Moench & Jones
JLA, by Morrison
Planetary
Locas's Wigwam Bam, Chester Square, Whoa Nellie!, & Penny Century
The Golden Age
LOEG vol. 1
The Flash, by Waid
Legends Of The Dark Knight
Marvels
Transmetropolitan
dOOM pATROL, by Morrison
Concrete's Fragile Creature, Killer Smile, & Strange Armor
The Demon, by Ennis & McCrea
The Authority, by Ellis & Hitch
Triangle-Era Superman (prior to it's last couple years or so)
Jonah Hex, by Lansdale & Truman/Glanzman (though Riders Of The Worm & Such is kind of a hot mess)
Unknown Soldier, by Ennis & Plunkett
|
|
shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,871
|
Post by shaxper on Nov 12, 2014 14:44:14 GMT -5
Interesting to see that many people's choices are non-big two, non-superhero books. I like independent books, but I didn't really start reading them in earnest until the past several years, and I've yet to explore a lot of the independent works of the 90s. I don't consider Vertigo books to be independent as they are published by DC, but it was an extremely vital line in the '90s and provided an opportunity for a great deal of talent that eventually became leaders in the industry. I see Randle El's point, though. Vertigo had mainstream publishing, but it was indy content in the sense that it shared neither the genre nor tone of the mainstream superhero books that were selling 500,000 copies. It wasn't trying to be popular; it was trying to be quality. Frankly, I'm amazed DC continued to support the line in an age where a strict minority were seeking it out. By all rights, Vertigo should have been another story of "Great idea. Too bad no one supported it." |
|
|
|
Post by MDG on Nov 12, 2014 15:05:35 GMT -5
Eightball
The availability of older books (besides ECs) in reasonably priced editions.
A lot of Kim Deitch's work
|
|
|
|
Post by Slam_Bradley on Nov 12, 2014 15:23:48 GMT -5
I don't consider Vertigo books to be independent as they are published by DC, but it was an extremely vital line in the '90s and provided an opportunity for a great deal of talent that eventually became leaders in the industry. I see Randle El's point, though. Vertigo had mainstream publishing, but it was indy content in the sense that it shared neither the genre nor tone of the mainstream superhero books that were selling 500,000 copies. It wasn't trying to be popular; it was trying to be quality. Frankly, I'm amazed DC continued to support the line in an age where a strict minority were seeking it out. By all rights, Vertigo should have been another story of "Great idea. Too bad no one supported it." A lot of Vertigo books did very well in collected editions. So the cut-off sales point was lower because they were making it up on the back end in trade paperback sales. |
|
shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,871
|
Post by shaxper on Nov 12, 2014 15:25:01 GMT -5
I see Randle El's point, though. Vertigo had mainstream publishing, but it was indy content in the sense that it shared neither the genre nor tone of the mainstream superhero books that were selling 500,000 copies. It wasn't trying to be popular; it was trying to be quality. Frankly, I'm amazed DC continued to support the line in an age where a strict minority were seeking it out. By all rights, Vertigo should have been another story of "Great idea. Too bad no one supported it." A lot of Vertigo books did very well in collected editions. So the cut-off sales point was lower because they were making it up on the back end in trade paperback sales. I remember the Sandman trades being prolific, but I don't recall collected editions for the other titles. Maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough. |
|
|
|
Post by Paste Pot Paul on Nov 12, 2014 15:47:54 GMT -5
What was good about the '90s was mostly **nods to Scott** the end. So dumb it made me snort... Authority Planetary Preacher Avengers Busiek/Perez Kazar Waid/Kubert Captain America Waid/Kubert What I would give to see these names on the book again Kingdom Come Marvels Sandman Astro City |
|
shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
Posts: 22,871
|
Post by shaxper on Nov 12, 2014 17:04:47 GMT -5
Forgot about Scott McCloud: Zot! and Understanding Comics
|
|
