Tag Archives: 1990s

Return of the 1990s: The 20-Year Nostalgia Cycle is About to Turn Over

There’s no question that the 1990s are back in comics. Many of DC’s New 52 redesigns have been likened to the early 90s Image Comics look, and creators like Scott Lobdell and Rob Liefeld, virtually absent from DC for years, are now on multiple books. The Extreme-verse is back. Valiant is relaunching.

And you know what?

There’s going to be more.

Remember When…?

Pop culture nostalgia runs in a 20-year cycle. The 1970s had Happy Days and Grease. When I was growing up in the 1980s, it seemed like everything was about how great the 1960s were. (Oh, the hoopla over the 20th anniversary of Woodstock…) By the 1990s, we had Dazed and Confused and That 70s Show, and of course the first wave of big-screen TV remakes of shows like The Brady Bunch. Over the past decade or so we’ve seen Transformers and GI Joe made into mega-blockbuster movies.

People in the prime of their careers can create new pop culture inspired by their childhood or teenage years and get it produced and distributed. People who want to revisit those years can finally afford to buy the new version of that Millennium Falcon playset they wanted when they were 9, or see that band in concert that they wanted to see when they were 15. People who have children want to share those things they remember fondly from their own childhood.

What we’re seeing in comics is merely the leading edge of the wave of 1990s nostalgia.

Now, I’ll bet a lot of you are dreading this. “But the 80s were good!” you’ll say. “The 90s sucked!Continue reading

Who’s New (relatively speaking) in the DCU?

On Thursday I asked for help on Twitter listing the most successful original (non-legacy/revamp) DCU characters created since 1990.

My original thought was to look for characters who had solo series lasting at least 5 years, and all I could come up with was Hitman. Maybe Impulse, depending on how you defined original. I asked on Twitter, and @JCorduroy suggested Harley Quinn, whose solo series didn’t last that long, but who has undoubtedly had a huge impact on the Batman corner of the DCU, and I realized the criteria might be a bit too tight.

Thanks to everyone who’s helped me come up with this list so far:

Characters/Teams with long-running series:

  • Azrael
  • Hitman
  • Impulse*
  • Static (Milestone)
  • Steel*
  • Stormwatch/The Authority (WildStorm)
  • Birds of Prey – new team with pre-existing characters

*I’m not 100% certain Impulse and Steel qualify as original. They’re spinoffs of existing characters, but they’re new roles and identities, so they’re certainly more original than, say, Kyle Rayner as Green Lantern, Cassie Sandsmark as Wonder Girl, Tim Drake as Robin, or Linda Danvers as Supergirl.

Characters with less successful or no series, but who have made a major impact:

  • Harley Quinn – import from Batman: The Animated series. Solo series was short, but hard to imagine the Bat-verse without her.
  • Renee Montoya – I’m a little less certain about her than Harley.
  • Bane
  • Doomsday

I’m not counting Young Justice, since there’s so much overlap with the Teen Titans in concept and membership that I’m not sure you can really consider it a new team. A couple of people suggested Resurrection Man, but his series only lasted about two years, and he basically disappeared afterward. We’ll have to see how well the new book does. Chase was also suggested, but sadly her series crashed and burned despite being made of awesome.

So…who am I missing?

Again, I’m looking for original DCU characters created since 1990 that have had a long-running series or made a huge long-term impact on the DCU.

I know there are more Milestone and Wildstorm characters or teams with long-running series, but I’m not familiar enough with them to be able to say which have been the most successful.

This Week: DC Retroactive: The Flash 1990s & Legion of Doom #3 (With Previews)

Two Flash-related comics are out this week: DC Retroactive: The Flash 1990s and Flashpoint: Legion of Doom #3.

DC Retroactive: The Flash 1990s

Written by BRIAN AUGUSTYN
Art and cover by MIKE BOWDEN

During the ’90s, Wally West took the title “The Fastest Man Alive” to a whole new level. Join the the writer who turned the sidekick into a hero in his own right for another race against evil, along with a classic tale from that decade.

ONE-SHOT • On sale AUGUST 17 • 56 pg, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T

Newsarama has a set of DC Retroactive Previews including The Flash ’90s, which starts on page 6.

Be sure to catch our exclusive interview with Brian Augustyn about the special and his long-term collaboration with Mark Waid on The Flash.

Flashpoint: Legion of Doom #3

In this final issue of FLASHPOINT: LEGION OF DOOM, Heatwave has escaped his prison and is dead-set on getting his revenge against Cyborg. But first, he plans on burning the city of Detroit to the ground to send his nemesis a warning. Will Cyborg be able to stop Heatwave before thousands of innocent lives are lost?

FLASHPOINT: LEGION OF DOOM #3, in stores on Wednesday, is written by Adam Glass and features art by Rodney Buchemi and Jose Marzan Jr.

The Source has a preview.

Digital “Flash 101” Sale This Weekend

DC Comics has announced a “Flash 101” sale on digital comics. All listed Flash titles will be only 99 cents for 48 hours starting August 13. They don’t say where, but I think it’s safe to assume it’s at ComiXology, because they’re DC’s exclusive online vendor at this point.

And they’ve added a lot more issues.

Up to this point, ComiXology has had everything from Flash: Rebirth onward. Over the last few days, readers have spotted early issues from Wally West’s series, the beginning of Impulse, and a few scattered issues from the Bronze Age. Check out the full list of titles on sale after the jump:  Continue reading

First Peek At Greg LaRocque’s Retroactive Flash

Greg LaRocque, popular artist on the Flash in the ’90s, has given us our first look at some art from his upcoming Retroactive ’80s Flash project via The Flash & Other Members of the Speed Force group on Facebook:

 

 

Greg looks to be as sharp as ever. I really can’t wait for this to come out especially in light of recent events and announcements. This definitely lifted my spirits! Thank you Greg! And thank you Aaron Louis Kessler!

You can also read an exclusive Speed Force interview with Greg HERE!

Be sure to check out The Flash Retroactive ’80s one shot due out in August. Especially if you are in need of some classic Wally goodness. I know I am.

 

Devin “Flash” Johnson

Why was Mark Waid missing from DC RetroActive: The Flash 1990s?

Well, that answers that question. Since Mark Waid was the Flash writer for most of the 1990s, but isn’t writing the 1990s issue of DC RetroActive: The Flash (Waid’s often-overlooked writing partner on the book, Brian Augustyn, is doing it solo), fans have been wondering: Why is he missing? Did he decline to return to the character? Did DC not want him on the book?

Esteban Pedreros of Comic Verso asked the writer on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/#!/epedreros/status/65946693023186945

https://twitter.com/#!/MarkWaid/status/65996137953361920

So now we know: DC didn’t offer Mark Waid the book, but he would have done it if asked.

Waid has been largely absent from the DC Universe since his run on Brave and the Bold and his brief return to The Flash in 2007-2008. In part, that was around the time he became EIC at BOOM! Studios, and was busy with those duties and writing his creator-owned books. But there was some public dispute with DC over the Flash, Countdown and related books, and it may be that the current regime simply doesn’t want him back.

Curiouser and curiouser…