I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what are the most important comics of the past two decades. There are a lot of great books to choose from, and each one has its own reason why it made an impact on the industry. I narrowed my list down to a few select choices that I think have done more to shape the comic book industry as we know it. Without any of these issues, the comic book landscape would look vastly different from what it looks like today. Let’s take a look, shall we?
1. Bone #1 by Jeff Smith (1991)
Jeff Smith’s delightful all-ages fantasy series was one of the most acclaimed and successful titles of the past two decades. It’s also one of the most widely read series in recent times, with thousands of copies of the title’s collections appearing in libraries and schools all around the world. With that kind of exposure, I’d say that Bone has done more to hook young kids on comics than any other series.
2. Youngblood #1 by Rob Liefeld(1992)
The formation of Image Comics was a groundbreaking moment for the comic book industry for several reasons, not the least of which for what the company did to advance the cause of creator rights. It also proved that Marvel and DC didn’t have a complete stranglehold on the superhero genre, and that their dominance of the comic book marketplace could be challenged. Liefeld’s Youngblood #1 was the first comic released under the Image banner; and with nearly one million copies sold, it proved that the risks the Image founders took by breaking away from Marvel would pay off in major ways.
3. Starman #0 by James Robinson, Tony Harris and Wade Von Grawbadger (1994)
James Robinson’s critically acclaimed opus starred Jack Knight, who had reluctantly assumed the mantle of the titular hero from his father, Ted Knight, the Golden Age Starman. Other Golden Age heroes like the Sandman, Hourman, and Green Lantern made frequent appearances and played important roles in several storylines. Starman brought the Golden Age of superheroes back into the spotlight and made it relevant again, paving the way for DC’s 1999 revival of the Justice Society of America in a new series. Robinson co-wrote the first four issues of JSA with David Goyer, and after Robinson’s departure, a young writer named Geoff Johns joined Goyer as co-writer. The rest, as they say, is history. Johns became a huge star in comics while working on JSA, and is now perhaps the most important creator at DC, thanks to his work on Infinite Crisis, Green Lantern: Rebirth, and more.
4. Ultimate Spider-Man #1 by Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Bagley and Art Thibert (2000)
This one’s pretty simple to explain. Ultimate Spider-Man thrust Brian Michael Bendis into the limelight and made him the most popular writer in comics. These days, he’s the main creative force behind the Marvel Universe. His storylines Avengers Disassembled, Secret Invasion and Dark Reign set the current direction of the 616, and it’s safe to say that Bendis will continue to play an important role in leading Marvel in the future.
5. Here’s where you come in, gentle readers. I had a number of ideas for what should be the fifth comic on the list, but since I couldn’t decide on which one to go with, I thought it might be fun to get your input. What other comics from the past two decades have had a major impact on the industry? List your choices, and why you think they’re important. And let me know if you disagree with any of my choices.
February 27th, 2009 at 12:36 am
Great list, though I would put Ultimate Spidey before Starman as far as impact on the industry.
My number 5 choice would be The Authority.
-I didn’t know what ‘widescreen comics’ meant until I the Authority.
-This book shot Mark Millar into the stratosphere (at least, it shot his EGO there).
February 27th, 2009 at 12:39 am
Mmm… You could include SUPERMAN #75 for all the things it symbolized (commercialism, the changing landscape for “boyscout” characters, the characters it created like Superboy, Steel and the Cyborg Superman, etc.). It really was a huge book for a lot of reasons.
Maybe Morrison’s first issue of NEW X-MEN…?
Bendis’ first issue of AVENGERS? I mean, that’s changed so much of the Marvel landscape that DISASSEMBLED is the starting point for most modern reading chronologies. You want to catch someone up on Marvel, you send them to DISASSEMBLED, HOUSE OF M, DECIMATION, NEW AVENGERS, PLANET HULK, CIVIL WAR, THE INITIATIVE, WORLD WAR HULK, MESSIAH COMPLEX, SECRET INVASION and now DARK REIGN. And it all starts with DISASSEMBLED.
February 27th, 2009 at 1:12 am
Maybe Superman #75? I won’t argue that the story was very good, or that the ‘Death of Superman’ was lasting. It did, however, set a tone for big event comics (read: gimmicks) to get civilians into shops amid the boom. It seems to have affected both the content and marketing of comics to follow.
February 27th, 2009 at 2:29 am
I agree with Bone, and even Youngblood, considering the onslaught of copycats that came along in it’s wake, but the other two are just so far off base in terms of massively influential I can’t even bother to name a fifth.
Starman? While infinitely better than Youngblood, it’s definately not as influential; you’d be hard-pressed to find a single person in the general public who’s ever heard of it, or people in cons even who’ve read it.
Ultimate Spider-Man? Maybe, but I just hate it so damn much, I’d rather not think about it.
But yes, Bone. Brilliant.
February 27th, 2009 at 2:37 am
I’d argue for Claremont/Lee’s X-Men #1 and/or McFarlane’s Spider-Man #1 before Youngblood. Without those two comics, there wouldn’t have been an Image.
As for the #5 spot, I vote for Sandman #1. That comic really kickstarted DC’s horror/fantasy line which would become Vertigo. Because of Sandman, serious comics with adult themes became the norm, and via the awards and acclaim that Sandman earned, it brought mainstream recognition and respectability to comics. One could say that there would be no Sandman without Alan Moore’s run on Swamp Thing, but that falls before the two decade qualifier. Besides, I’d still say that Sandman had a bigger impact. Non-comics folks are more likely to know about or have heard of Sandman than they are to know about Moore’s Swamp Thing stories.
-r-
February 27th, 2009 at 4:09 am
What are the most influential comics of the past two decades? I would agree with all of your selections, and add a few other candidates:
Sandman, by Neil Gaiman and various artists, or if you want one individual issue, let’s say Sandman #50; Blankets, by Craig Thompson; Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi; Scott Pilgrim, by Bryan Lee O’Malley; Safe Area Gorazde, by Joe Sacco; Strangers in Paradise, by Terry Moore; American Elf, by James Kochalka.
All of these books brought the joy of comics to people who ordinarily would never bother to pick one up: goths, gamers, journalists, WOMEN, emos, movie-goers, readers of daily comic strips, etc. The market for comic books has changed drastically in 20 years, with booksellers like Borders and Barnes & Noble devoting ever larger and more prominent spaces to comics. That market wouldn’t exist if not for the quality of these comics sold under the “graphic novel” label, and their ability to attract readers from all walks of life.
And there are so many to choose from. You could make a case for Hellboy, Sin City, Astro City, Concrete, The Perry Bible Fellowship, Y: The Last Man, Jimmy Corrigan, Finder, The Ultimates, The Killing Joke, Ghost World, Kingdom Come, The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, The Invisibles, Cerebus, Pearls Before Swine, Stray Bullets, X-Statix, Flaming Carrot, Preacher, and a hundred others. Thanks to the emergence of the internet, the past 20 years have seen a real blossoming of different types of comics and diverse readerships, from webcomics and manga to superheroes and the daily funnies. It’s truly beautiful how many unique comics are now available to anyone who wants to read them. That was not necessarily the case 20 years ago. Comics, they’re brilliant.
February 27th, 2009 at 5:53 am
Batman : The Dark Knight Returns
It was one of the first books to really bring Batman back to his roots since Neal Adams and Denny O’Neil in the late 70′s. Brought forth the so called Grim and Gritty era in comics.
February 27th, 2009 at 7:29 am
I would actually have to add another Liefeld book to the list, and that would be X-Force #1. At the time, it was the highest selling comic book ever (Jim Lee’s X-Men #1 followed soon after and beat it out), and it truly launched the 90′s era of comic books. It was the gateway into a new generation. It literally changed the landscape of the entire comic world, what type of hero(or anti-hero) we started seeing, and the pace, the violence, the energy packed hyper stylized art, everything about it, was generation defining. So while YB#1 started the Image era. X-Force #1 started the 90′s altogether.
February 27th, 2009 at 8:43 am
The Authority #1 – Wildstorm/DC March 1999. Warren Ellis. ‘Nuff Said.
Cheers,
B
February 27th, 2009 at 9:13 am
I would either say JLA #1 (which was the equivalent of Grant Morrison’s Ultimate Spider-Man in terms of mainstream spotlight), or Superman #75 (which closed the door on death in comics).
February 27th, 2009 at 9:19 am
Daniel, Dark Knight Returns is from 1986 so it’s not “the last two decades,” which Corey set as his criteria. If he’d set the last 25 years, then it definitely belongs. Same goes for a little something called Watchmen.
But hey, whatever… Lists like these are sort of meaningless.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:07 am
Bloodshot #1. What comic is Bloodshot #1 and why would anyone care? Well, it sold like a million copies (literally) and was the beginning of the end of comics as it featured the first ever chromium cover. Speculators bought it up like wild because, well, chromium makes everything better. Or something.
This basically kicked off the speculator / variant crazed 90′s.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:21 am
I’m kind of amazed. If I compiled this list not a single one of those comics would be on it. I’m not even sure that ANY superhero comic would be on it.
This list is a but like going down a mineshaft to look at the scenery. Comics have moved on folks, you’re being left behind.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:27 am
“Starman? While infinitely better than Youngblood, it’s definately not as influential; you’d be hard-pressed to find a single person in the general public who’s ever heard of it, or people in cons even who’ve read it.”
I questioned this selection at first, too, but the more I thought about it, I’d say that Starman kicked off the beginning of what we now see as the DC Universe. James Robinson set the tone in that series that several other series would follow with.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:29 am
@Simon F.
Then why don’t you tell us about your list? As it is, your post comes off as a drive-by rather than participation. In your estimation, how is Bone not one of the most influential books of the past twenty years? As someone that’s worked for IDW and 2000AD, do you think something over there fits more appropriately? Why not engage the topic on that level?
February 27th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Chromium DOES make everything better.
February 27th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Gonna give Simon F the irrelevancy award on this one.
What a solid list, Corey! I’d give a nod to JLA #1 as well. Team books were creatively stagnant at the time, and Morrison & Co. really made the concept matter agin in a way that sticks to this day.
February 27th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Seriously, without Sandman there is no Vertigo, and there are no trades selling twice as many copies in bookstores as in comic shops. Really.
February 27th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Sarah Jaffe:
While Sandman was definitely important, it was preceded by Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing (so, technically, without Swamp Thing there is no Vertigo), and Grant Morrison’s Animal Man and Doom Patrol. I’d probably choose Swamp Thing over the others, but, because because they started before 1989, I guess Sandman is as good as any title to represent the “Vertigo Age.”
February 27th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
I think Starman is quite influential on the comics we are reading today. While most books in the Zero Hour period were still trying to keep their 90s direction, Starman was the first book to highlight the value of golden age characters and values. That direction has lead to the DC comics we get today.
Ditto for Ultimate Spider-Man, but not because it made BMB popular. The Ultimate line, when it started, was really a renaissance for Marvel Comics, who at the time was more focused on art than story. Ultimate Spidey changed the Marvel landscape and taught them that a strong story and reliable art was more important than a big name Artist drawing generic battles with no context. As a result, the main Marvel books became so accessible and interesting, that the Ultimate line became obsolete.ic battles with no context. As a result, the main Marvel books became so accessible and interesting, that the Ultimate line became obsolete.
February 27th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Bone definitely. I’m not as sure about Youngblood as the proof of concept for Image… it sold on name recognition that was established at a different company. I’d say the commercial success of a comic like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would be a better example of the kind of influence for independent creators and super hero comics. Starman? Most influential in the past two decades? No. Sorry. Ultimate Spider-Man though? Yes. That book was responsible for shaping Marvel as it exists today.
So for the other three… I’m with Ben that you need to acknowledge the influence of books like Jimmy Corrigan and Persepolis. Comics are gaining a foothold in academia now, and the Graphic Novel shelves at stores like Borders are slowly but surely expanding. These kinds of books definitely played a role in that development. I’m very partial to Corrigan, I think Ware’s narrative style uses the medium brilliantly… so it’s tempting to put that on the list. On the other hand the relevance and importance of a book like Persepolis makes Ware’s history of failed fathers seem kind of banal. But in terms of influence, Persepolis stands on the shoulders of Maus, which, now that I think of it was actually published in its most recognizable form in 1992. So, Maus should definitely be on the list.
Given talks about the future of comics being digital, I would definitely say that Perry Bible Fellowship belongs on the list.
Finally, Understanding Comics has to be on there. McCloud’s theories are intuitive and may not actually stand up to empirical tests, but regardless, he has defined our understanding of the medium for the past two decades.
February 27th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
While I can see the arguments for SANDMAN, STARMAN, BONE, YOUNGBLOOD and JIMMY CORRIGAN…
Number one, with a bullet, has to be SAILOR MOON.
February 27th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
I agree about Maus. Winning that Pulitzer Award really made the literary world take notice of comics. I know that it made a HUGE difference in the Hawaii State Public Library System, and Maus ended up being I think the one comics title the adult sections would deign to allow on their shelves. It re-started the whole movement towards comics as a legitimate literary form that Watchmen kind of started back in the late 1980s – I’m speaking mostly about libraries here.
I also think that titles such as Persepolis have had an impact – when West Point makes it one of their required reading titles, that means something.
February 27th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Yes thats is a good idea.Finally, Understanding Comics has to be on there. McCloud’s theories are intuitive and may not actually stand up to empirical tests, but regardless, he has defined our understanding of the medium for the past two decades.
February 28th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
I’d side with the poster who commented X-Men #1 (Claremont/Lee) deserves to be on the list over Youngblood. X-Men sold something like 8 million copies, didn’t it? That’s the number I remember hearing, but I could be wrong.
I can see the point behind naming Youngblood, but I kind of always thought the creation of Image led to the bursting of the bubble in the mid-90s, which was obviously something that changed the landscape of the industry, but not as positively as the write-up here suggests.
February 28th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
“This basically kicked off the speculator / variant crazed 90’s.”
Spider-Man #1, X-Force #1 and X-Men #1 predated Bloodshot #1.
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:22 am
I would have to say 100 bullets/ Preacher/ Sin City/ Watchmen/ Y the Last Man
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:23 am
Forgot to Say issue #1
March 3rd, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Yo Pete, like I told ya last night, you oughta give your reasoning behind your picks.
Excellent work, folks. Lots of great suggestions. I especially like all the suggestions for JLA #1. That would’ve been my fifth pick, since it pretty much kicked off Grant Morrison’s movement to reinvent the way superhero comics are written.
March 4th, 2009 at 7:15 am
Sandman (for Vertigo),
Bone (for reasons above),
Maus (for bookstore GNs),
X-Men (for the Youngblood reasons, but more so),
Ultimate Spiderman (for reasons above, but also the link with the recent spate of comic-based movies).
April 1st, 2009 at 12:36 am
I know that it made a HUGE difference in the Hawaii State Public Library System, and Maus ended up being I think the one comics title the adult sections would deign to allow on their shelves..
August 27th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
I’d suggest either Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns, or Maus I/II for number five.
August 27th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
Can’t really argue most of these choices because all hit different facets of the genre and hell I think I am going to suggest this as a sub-topic for my next radio show. Great idea Mr. Henson and I will totally give you credit for it.
For me, I would say the fifth on this list would be any one of the noir styled books that launched the new wave of stars into comics i.e. Azzalrello, Rucka, Bendis, and Aaron. It also forced the big companies to start thinking outside the box a little. So in honor of the movie coming out let me say Whiteout #1.
August 10th, 2010 at 4:08 am
These kinds of books definitely played a role in that development. I’m very partial to Corrigan, I think Ware’s narrative style uses the medium brilliantly… so it’s tempting to put that on the list.
January 19th, 2011 at 6:51 am
I would have to say 100 bullets/ Preacher/ Sin City/ Watchmen/ Y the Last Man
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