Modern Age (1980-Now)

The Modern Age of Comic Books is an informal name for the period of American comic books generally considered to last from the mid-1980s until present day. more...

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In this period, comic book characters generally became darker and more psychologically complex, creators became more well-known and active in changing the industry, independent comics flourished, and larger publishing houses became more commercialized.

Other terms include the Dark Age of Comic Books (due to the popularity and artistic influence of grim titles such as Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen), and the Diamond Age of Comic Books (suggested by Scott McCloud, because of the new diversity found in the medium).

The period is sometimes referred to as the Bronze Age of Comic Books , although this term is usually used more specifically in reference to comics published between the early 1970s and early 1980s.

Important events

Because the time period encompassing the Modern Age is not well defined, and in some cases disputed by both fans and most professionals, it is difficult to write a comprehensive history. In rough chronological order by the beginning of the trend, here are some important developments that occurred during the Modern Age, many of which are interrelated:

Fantasy, horror and "sophisticated suspense"

Horror and science fiction titles were absent from the comics market since the establishment of the restrictive Comics Code in the 1950s. In the mid-1970s, Marvel revived these genres with their new fantasy and horror comics, including Conan the Barbarian comics and Tomb of Dracula.

Starting with Alan Moore’s groundbreaking work on DC Comics's Swamp Thing in the early 1980s, horror comic books incorporated elements of science fiction/fantasy and strove to a new artistic standard. Other examples include Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman and Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s Preacher. These new comics transcended easily identifiable genres. Striving to apply some label to these titles, some of which did have at a similar feel and approach, some people began to use the phrase "sophisticated suspense." DC’s Vertigo line, launched in 1993, specializes in this genre.

The revival and sales boom of the X-Men

Development of the X-Men

In Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975), Marvel Comics introduced a new, ethnically diverse team of X-Men conceived by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum. Under writer Chris Claremont and artist/co-writer John Byrne, this version of the team became one of the most successful properties of the 1980s and spawned several spin-offs. By the early 1990s, the X-Men franchise was the most popular in the comic book industry.

Read more at Wikipedia.org