That’s the question posed by Dick Hyacinth:
My general impression is that it was a pretty terrible decade for superhero books, even (especially?) after the worst of the Image excesses had passed. It was a pretty great decade for alternative and non-superhero independent comics, though.
He then lists a few titles that caught his eye, like Astro City. Tom Spurgeon provides his own quick list as well.
Myself, I spent most of the 90s in a “Superheroes, humbug!” phase, so I would be hard pressed to name some cape and cowl titles from that era that really stuck with me. But perhaps you have some suggestions …
August 20th, 2008 at 9:07 am
Starman was one of the greatest comic series ever, and it came out in the 90s. Also, Grant Morrison’s run on JLA was in the 90s, and Kyle Rayner debuted in the 90s.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:41 am
I second Morrison’s JLA, although ‘97 is pushing it. Other than that, I’m having a hard time thinking of anything else. A lot of Marvel’s stuff (especially the X-books) was damn near impenetrable in the 90s.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Can only remember STARMAN and HITMAN. Do they count?
August 20th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Hitman, Aztek, Chase and Major Bummer were excellent series by DC that no one took long enough looks at (except Hitman).
Also, Preacher.
August 20th, 2008 at 10:03 am
A lot of people didn’t like them but I thought some of the 2099’s were great-particularly Doom2099.
I think the Thunderbolts also started in the 90’s right? That was a brilliant run for just about the whole series IMHO.
But I was also 15 then-so what do I know
August 20th, 2008 at 10:30 am
To be fair, whenever someone asks this question it is referring to adults. The question should read, “So were there any good superhero comics from the 1990s (for older readers)?”
Because when I was in elementary school (early 90s), everybody loved the X-men. We’d talk about the comics while trading our Jim Lee X-men cards.
Also The Maxx was created in the 1990s. So yes, there were good superhero comics from the 1990s (for older readers).
August 20th, 2008 at 10:48 am
I’d say there was some really good DC comics from early to Mid-90’s, with a couple that were good later in the 90’s.
I’m having a hard time thinking of any quality Marvel titles in the 90’s. The stuff in the early 90’s is just horrid, and it’s why they were on the brink of going out of business.
As for quality DC:
Superman titles up until Mid-95 (or Superman Blue)
Spectre by Ostrander/Mandrake
Aquaman by PAD
Supergirl by PAD
JLA by Morrison
Starman
Sandman
Kingdom Come
August 20th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Thunderbolts made sweet, sweet lemonade out of the Heroes Recycled debacle. Spurge’s list mentions the forgotten (by me) Ennis/McCrea The Demon: YES. Stretching: Priest’s Black Panther started in the late ’90’s.
August 20th, 2008 at 11:00 am
Although it was a Vertigo book and not a standard “superhero” book, Sandman Mystery Theatre fits the bill. To this day it remains my favorite comic series ever.
I’ll also add votes for Starman, JLA, Spectre, Hitman, Kingdom Come, Astro City, PAD’s books (Hulk, Aquaman, Supergirl, X-Factor, Spidey 2099), Aztek, Chase, Chronos, Moore and Ellis’ Wildstorm books, Death, and the “Dixonverse” books.
August 20th, 2008 at 11:08 am
Savage Dragon
August 20th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Peter David on Hulk, Aquaman, and Supergirl
Squadron Supreme
The Punisher mini series (Zeck)
August 20th, 2008 at 11:57 am
Well, there’s always the Salute to 1990s Comics that I posted last week, listing 23 good comics from the 1990s. It’s mostly DC, since that’s what I was reading at the time.
August 20th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
David/Keown Hulk run
Terror Inc
New Warriors was kinda sorta really good too
Death of Superman and the following stuff, while stupid, was surprisingly cohesive looking back. Handled much better than any of the big crossovers of today that’s for sure.
Silver Surfer/Thanos Quest/Infinity War was all kinda good too (before it became kinda not)
Deathstroke the Terminator holds up pretty well for the first 15-18 issues or so. After that, ewww boy.
August 20th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Spider-Man 2099 was awesome. Thunderbolts, too. I liked a lot of stuff in the 90s, negative people just focus on the titles they didn’t like.
August 20th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
I dunno… I thought the early 90’s was a great time for comics, especially DC’s stuff (I really liked the post-crisis DCU and I wish the multiverse had NEVER returned). There were a number of great Batman stories then. “Blind Justice” comes to mind immediately, and Legends of the Dark Knight was a GREAT book for years. It lost its way eventually, apparently, but not while I was reading it. There were a number of Batman one-shots and prestige format books that were good reads as well.
I also loved Green Arrow (Mike Grell’s run), The Question, Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn (and the monthly GL title that followed, though it all ended horribly) and Hawkworld (both the miniseries and the monthly that followed it).
I didn’t read much Marvel at that time, but I did enjoy the hell out of Daredevil for awhile in the early 90’s.
By the mid-late 90’s I had other priorities (such as getting married and starting a family), and the whole comics industry was going to hell in a handbasket anyhow. I came back about 2 & 1/2 years ago after being away for about a decade or so, but while there are some current books I really like I definitely preferred the late 80’s/early-mid ’90’s (especially in DC’s case) more than anything I’m reading now. Brubaker’s run on Captain America being the one exception.
August 20th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Oh duh… There was also a little something called Sandman. Not your typical “capes and cowls” stuff, but that was (obviously) a great title too.
Kelson’s list included the Robin solo book, which I read for quite awhile. I enjoyed it! Having been staunchly anti-Robin all my life to that point (and I still feel Robin should not be in the Nolan Bat-films), I was surprised.
August 20th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
oops, I meant Infinity Gauntlet, not War - by the time that sequel came around the thrill was gone.
August 20th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
I had completely forgotten about one of my favorite Grant Morrison series: Flex Mentallo.
August 20th, 2008 at 7:59 pm
Most of DC’s superhero comics at the time were top notch
Flash
Impulse
Young Justice
Robin
Nightwing
Birds of Prey
Superboy
Green Lantern
Green Arrow
Starman
Hitman
etc
August 20th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
I’m glad to see there’s a lot of love here for 90’s DC… I’d be curious to know how these same readers feel about the current DCU in comparison. I’ve already made my feelings known. I don’t believe that Dan Didio Must Die, but I would like to see him find a different job. Anyone else?
August 20th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
Hyacinth’s list actually has plenty of superhero titles/story arcs on it, including quite a few that I hadn’t thought of but definitely agreed with (several excellent Batman stories, for instance).
He also mentioned DeMatteis on Spectacular Spider-Man. As I said earlier, I didn’t read much Marvel in the 90’s, but I did read (and enjoy) his Spidey stuff. It was all great, and proof that a married Spidey worked JUST FINE. I don’t remember what year Kraven’s Last Hunt came out, but that’s still my favorite Spider-Man story ever.
August 21st, 2008 at 9:28 am
Honestly, DC had been floundering in the early 2000’s before Didio took over and I think he had a big hand in revitalizing the line. Granted, I think there have been more misses than hits over the last 1 1/2 years, but there are still some quality titles at DC:
Jonah Hex
Batman
Detective Comics
Blue Beetle
JSA
Spirit
Green Lantern
Action Comics
Wonder Woman
Birds of Prey
Trinity (Countdown was a huge miss, but this is quality stuff)
Booster Gold
just to name a few.
Actually, both Marvel and DC are putting out some quality books right now.
August 21st, 2008 at 12:02 pm
@Shaun: I can only speak for myself, of course, but I’m down from typically 6+ DCU titles at a time in the mid-1990s to just one monthly and a handful of miniseries — and the monthly is getting canceled. (Well, relaunched, technically, but we’ll have to see whether I still want to read it after the relaunch.)
It seems to me that DC has thrown out a lot of the good stuff from the 1990s in trying to get rid of the bad.