10 Harsh Realities of Reading ’90s Comics

As a comic fan, I’ve always found the ’90s a really fascinating, but also weird, time for comics. It was when Image Comics burst onto the scene, giving us awesome characters like Spawn and Hellboy, alongside huge events like Batman: Knightfall. Looking back, it’s a decade people either loved or hated – a lot of creators were really pushing boundaries with how the major heroes looked and acted. Even now, twenty years later, fans are still pretty split on whether those changes were good or not. And honestly, as someone reading those comics today, it can be a bit of a shock to see how different things were back then.

The 1990s were a turning point for comics, launching many successful careers and long-lasting series. Artists like Jim Lee and Erik Larsen really captured the attention of a generation, and even today, both creators and fans have strong feelings about that time. Whether people remember the dark, edgy heroes or the affordable prices, looking back on the ’90s often brings a mix of nostalgia and a reminder of how things have changed.

The Decade Watered Down “Death” in Comics

Following this shift, comics began featuring character deaths more frequently. However, these deaths weren’t usually permanent, and heroes often returned within a few months, even after seemingly dying.

The trend of temporarily ‘killing’ superheroes began with the storyline “The Death of Superman,” where Superman was defeated by the villain Doomsday, only to return months later in “Return of Superman.” However, many fans felt cheated by this marketing tactic, and the problem has continued to grow over time.

It feels like superhero deaths don’t have the same impact anymore – we’ve seen so many that they rarely feel permanent. Unlike the deaths of characters like Jason Todd and Barry Allen, which felt real for a generation of fans, modern superhero deaths and resurrections have become predictable and often don’t add much to the story. Since the ‘Death of Superman,’ this cycle of killing and bringing heroes back has become too formulaic.

The Art is Incredibly Hit or Miss

The 1990s were a time of significant change and trying new things, both in the art world and the business of comics. The decade was particularly known for its contrasting styles – some artists, hoping to replicate the popularity of Image Comics, created work that resembled titles like Spawn more than mainstream books like Justice League. Despite this trend, a wide range of artistic approaches still thrived.

The 1990s produced some truly memorable comic book art, but also a lot of poorly drawn issues – some of which became notorious. Opinions also differed on many series, with some readers appreciating unconventional art styles while others preferred more traditional looks. Thankfully, the decade also gave us iconic series like the updated Starman, beautifully illustrated by Tony Harris and Von Grawbadger, demonstrating the power of a unique artistic vision.

So Many Great ‘90s Comics Creators Are Gone

Looking back at comics from the 1990s, it’s sadly noticeable how many talented creators have passed away. With losses like Neal Adams, Rachel Pollack, and Jim Shooter, the industry has lost some of the people who truly defined that era, and it’s definitely felt the impact.

Man, the 90s were amazing for comics. Seriously, so many incredible writers and artists were working then – legends from the older days alongside a ton of new talent. It’s kinda sad though, because looking back at those runs, you realize a lot of those creators aren’t with us anymore. It really makes you want to go back and appreciate everything they did while they were here.

’90s Comics Sales Figures Make Modern Publishers Envious

While Marvel and DC have had some recent successes, like the Absolute Universe and the Ultimates, overall comic book sales aren’t as strong as they were in the 1990s. What’s considered a popular comic now often sells fewer copies than comics that would have been considered failures and led to cancellations or creative changes back in the mid-90s.

Looking at the consistently strong sales numbers – over 100,000 copies a month – for titles like Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man highlights a period when comics had a more dedicated readership. While Marvel and DC have sometimes struggled to reach those numbers recently, the success of Absolute Batman shows there’s still potential for comics to perform very well.

’90s Prices Are the Envy of Modern Readers

For the past ten years, comic book fans have been shocked to see prices steadily increase, with some titles now costing twice as much as they used to. DC Comics, for example, once pledged to keep prices at $2.99, but many of their monthly issues now cost $4.99.

Comics used to be very affordable in the 1990s, generally costing under $2, with only special, high-quality limited series like Kingdom Come costing more. Today, with most single issues costing between $5 and $7 or even higher, many fans fondly remember when new comics were priced around $1.95.

Comics weren’t just more affordable in the 1990s; prices have increased dramatically lately. It’s now very difficult to consistently collect major comics from publishers like DC and Marvel. Big storylines and events frequently become too expensive for readers, causing them to stop buying certain titles.

’90s Comics Were a Now-Lost Golden Age of Crossovers

The 1990s were a golden age for comic book crossovers and team-up series. DC Comics, boosted by Dark Horse’s popular movie-related licenses, consistently delivered exciting collaborations that fans loved.

Fans used to be able to imagine incredible battles and alliances between iconic characters like Judge Dredd, Alien, Tarzan, Predator, Superman, Batman, and Wolverine. The huge popularity of the Batman/Spawn comic in 2023 demonstrates how much the world of crossover events has changed and grown.

I’m really glad to see the X-Men getting some love again now that Marvel owns Fox! It’s been a while, though, and honestly, they’re not quite as everywhere as they used to be back in the ’90s. We’ve still got a ways to go before they’re that popular again, but I’m hopeful!

Comics Were More Creative in the ’90s

Man, the ’90s were amazing for comics. It felt like every month, some new creator – guys like Mike Mignola, Todd McFarlane, Dave Sim, and Rob Liefeld – would drop a character that instantly became a classic. Even Marvel and DC were pumping out cool new heroes like Bane, Stargirl, Deadpool, and Gambit. Honestly, we don’t get characters that really stick with us quite like those ’90s creations anymore, and that’s a shame. It feels like we’re lucky to get one character every so often that really grabs our attention.

It’s getting harder for new comic book characters and series to gain popularity, with the 1990s being a particularly successful period for launching new titles. That decade saw the creation of popular characters like Spawn, Hellboy, and Savage Dragon, as well as teams like Youngblood and characters like Tom Strong and the world of Frank Miller’s Sin City. This is a significant difference from recent years, where the major comic publishers mostly focus on creating new versions of existing teams like the Green Lantern Corps and the Batman family, leaving readers wanting more truly original content.

The ’90s Started the Variant and Speculation Craze

Okay, so as a comic book collector, it’s pretty obvious that variant covers are huge right now. Seriously, some first issues have these crazy rare covers – like, stores only get one for every 500 regular copies! It’s awesome for us collectors because it creates really valuable, beautiful art pieces. But honestly, it’s making things really difficult for comic shops to actually get those rare books in the first place. It’s a bit of a tricky situation.

While some alternate comic book covers existed in the ’80s, they became much more popular in the ’90s, significantly changing the comic book market. These variant covers, and the increased speculation they encouraged, sometimes helped sales, but often left collectors with piles of unwanted comics they couldn’t resell.

Books that could have become valuable instead ended up heavily discounted, forcing stores to decide what to stock. A perfect example of this was the sight of people with copies of the famous Death of Superman comic, confidently predicting they’d be worth a lot someday. Ironically, you can now buy those same comics in good condition for just $10.

The Decade Left Marvel Bankrupt

The 1990s were a turbulent period for comic book companies. Many new publishers launched but quickly went out of business, and even the established giants took on too much risk. Marvel Comics experienced a particularly severe crisis when it bought its own distribution company, a move that nearly led to its downfall when the comic book market crashed.

The company once faced such financial difficulties that it had to license its popular characters – like Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four – to other studios for film production. Looking back at Marvel’s struggles in the 1990s serves as both a painful memory and a testament to how successful its movies are today.

Looking back, it’s crazy to think that Disney’s comic book publisher almost went bankrupt – it was a huge wake-up call for the industry back in the ’90s! It wasn’t just them either; a lot of smaller comic companies completely disappeared during that tough time.

Characters Were Needlessly Edgy

The comics of the 1990s are known for a shift in how characters were portrayed. Unlike the colorful and optimistic tone of earlier comics, ’90s comics became much darker and more serious. Heroes became more troubled, their costumes changed from classic fabric to tougher, armored designs, and teams often struggled with internal conflicts.

Inspired by the popular, edgy comics from Image in the 1990s, Marvel and DC started pushing their heroes to their limits. This led to dramatic storylines like the death of Kyle Rayner’s girlfriend, Hal Jordan turning into a killer, and the complex Spider-Man Clone Saga. It seemed like everyone was trying to emulate the style of Alan Moore or capture the success of Image Comics.

2025-11-20 00:14