DC Comics created the superhero, and has revitalized the concept multiple times over the decades. The best example of this is the ’80s. In the ’80s, DC pioneered bringing maturity into comics, with creators like Alan Moore and Frank Miller opening the door for some of the greatest writers and artists in the history of the medium. DC’s British Invasion made the publisher an avant-garde voice in comics, and books like Swamp Thing, Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns, Doom Patrol, Animal Man, Hellblazer, The Sandman, Justice League International, and umpteen others redefined what the superhero could be in the eyes of the general public. The ’90s were the decade where comics had the most attention on them, and while it all backfired for a variety of reasons, DC still had some of the greatest comics on the market.
The ’90s are often thought of the decade of style over substance, and this is true — on the Image and Marvel side of things. DC was basically putting out all of the best written comics of the ’90s. There are a multitude of amazing DC superhero comics from the ’90s (this list isn’t going to include any Vertigo or books that became Vertigo books for reprint purposes — there will be a separate list for that at some point), and there are some that have risen to the top. These ten DC stories are the best of the ’90s, and hunting them down will give you some of the best DC books of all time.
10) “The Death of Superman” Saga
So, this is a long one, but a lot of these ’90s DC books are sagas and you have to read a lot of comics. “The Death of Superman” is a stone cold classic, an action epic that killed off the Man of Steel and got the attention of the entire country (I was there — it was on the evening news). However, to truly appreciate it, you have to keep reading the Superman titles through “World Without a Superman”, “Funeral for a Friend”, “Reign of the Supermen”, and “The Return of Superman” to really see how great an idea this really was. This is a Superman epic of the biggest proportions from a team of creators — Dan Jurgens, Bret Breeding, Jerry Ordway, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern, Jackson “Butch” Guise, Tom Grummet, and Jon Bogdanove — who are some of the greatest Superman creators ever. There has been a lot of debate over “The Death of Superman” over the years, and whether it should be lumped in with the many mistakes of ’90s comics. However, when you sit down and read the story, you see just how great it is. Superman events throughout the ’90s became a cycle of diminishing returns, but these are amazing.
9) Chase
DC in the late ’90s had a lot of great series, and you’re going to find several of them on this list. Some of them ran for a long time, and others of them didn’t. Chase is one of those that didn’t. The series only ran for ten issues, nine regular issues and a last #1,000,000 issue (which is kind of hilarious, honestly). It’s very hard to find — it hasn’t been collected in years. However, it’s worth the hunt. The series, by Dan Curtis Johnson, JH Williams III, and Mick Gray, follow DEO agent Cameron Chase, as she goes on various missions for the agency, butting heads with heroes and villains. It’s an intriguing premise, though, and every issue is a tour de force. Chase is a great character, and her adventures deserved way more attention than they got. This book is a window into the ’90s post-Crisis DC Universe, both in its story, and the quality of the book. Chase is an awesome comic, and more people should know about it.
8) Resurrection Man
Resurrection Man ran longer than Chase, but nearly as long as it should have. This is another DC book that you really just need to read the whole thing, because you fall in love with Mitch Shelley, the Resurrection Man (go out and get Resurrection Man: Quantum Karma, a Black Label currently coming out about him). Resurrection Man ran for 27 issues, with a #1,000,000 issue, and tells the story of Mitch Shelley. Mitch has the power to resurrect every time he dies with a new superpower. The book follows him as he goes on the road, using his powers and skills to help those who need it, and fight evil. The book, from the main creative team of Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning (the minds behind the ’90s Legion of Superheroes, Legionnaires, part of the team behind Annihilation, and the creators who revitalized the Guardians of the Galaxy), and the late great Jackson “Butch” Guise, give readers some amazing stories. It’s seriously one of the greatest comics of all time, not just the ’90s. It’s a mainstream DC book with a Vertigo vibe, and it’s never anything less than the best.
7) DC One Million
DC One Million, by Grant Morrison and Val Semieks, is a four issue DC event comic from 1999. The story revolved around the Justice Legion A of the 853rd century, when the 1,000,000th issues of DC Comics would have come out, coming to the present and asking the JLA to go to the future to see the emergence of the Prime Superman. However, Vandal Savage and Solaris the Tyrant Sun have a plan to destroy their enemies in the past and the future. This is one of DC’s best events. The main series is pretty great, with a layered plot that will see a plan millennia in the making to unfold. The tie-ins, the best of them usually collected in DC One Million collected editions, are excellent as well. Morrison is one of the greatest creators of the ’90s, and this story is a perfect example of their ability.
6) JLA: The Nail
JLA: The Nail, by writer/artist Alan Davis, is an Elseworlds classic. The story took place in a DC Universe where the Kents got a nail in their tire, and never found baby Kal-El. This is a very different DC Universe; while there is still a Justice League, it’s very different. When Lex Luthor is made mayor of Metropolis, a plan is put into motion, one which is meant to destroy the superhero community, and the Justice League quickly prove to be their own worst enemy. Behind the scenes, a shadowy manipulator waits, one you’ll never guess. This is a brilliant story from start to finish. While it’s only three issues long, Davis is able to give readers a fully formed DC Universe. There are some amazing twists and turns in this book, as readers get to see what the greatest heroes in the world look like without Superman there. The art is tremendous — each member of the team gets an amazing splash page of them in action throughout the book — with brilliant action and character acting to tell the story. JLA: The Nail is consistently amazing, and if you’re a DC fan who hasn’t read it, you need to ASAP.
6) JLA: Year One
JLA: Year One, by Mark Waid, Bryan Augustyn, and Barry Kitson, retells the origin of the Justice League. JLA was the hottest superhero book at DC for the last half of the decade, and the publisher started publishing way more content with the team. The origin of the Justice League had been changed so that Black Canary held the Wonder Woman spot, and this series re-told the stories that had been retconned, as well as going in new directions. This twelve issue series is outstanding from start to finish, with brilliant art and heart-stopping action. However, what really makes this book sing is the characterization. Waid and Augustyn do a tremendous job of presenting the new, post-Crisis versions of the founders of the Justice League, showing their growing pains as they got to know each other, and grew as heroes and friends. This is a near perfect comic, and shows why Waid was one of the best superhero writers of the ’90s.
4) JSA: Golden Age
JSA: The Golden Age, by James Robinson and Paul Smith, is another Elseworlds classic, this one starring the heroes of the Golden Age. DC’s Golden Age heroes had fallen out of favor by the ’90s, and this book helped reinvigorate interest in them. The Golden Age followed the heroes of the Justice Society and the All-Star Squadron after WWII. Mr. America runs for public office, and a plan is set into motion, one that was made in Germany at the end of the war and that will have major repercussions for the men and women of the superpowered community. The Golden Age takes the maturity of a book like Watchmen and brings it to DC’s Golden Age. It’s amazing from start to finish. Robinson brought the Golden Age to life, and showed why these heroes have been extant for so long. Smith is one of the best artists in the industry’s history, and this story is one of his best works. The Golden Age isn’t just one of the best DC book of the ’90s, it isn’t just one of the best comics of the ’90s, it’s one of the best comics of all time.
3) Starman
Here’s the thing — I could tell you to read one volume of Starman, probably the first or second, but then you’d want to read the whole thing anyway, so let’s just put the whole series here. Starman ran for 82 issues, a #1,000,000 issue, and a Blackest Night tie-in, and told the story of Jack Knight. Jack is one of the sons of the original Starman, Ted Knight. His brother David takes up their father’s mantle, but he is killed by the Mist, his father’s arch-enemy. Jack is forced to take up the cosmic staff, and become Starman, changing his life forever. Starman, by James Robinson, Tony Harris, and Peter Snejberg is one of the greatest comics ever. It was about a quintessentially ’90s man becoming a superhero, and the life he led, dealing with the insanity of being a superhero, the legacy of his family, and just trying to find love and happiness in a crazy world. It’s full of amazing characters, and Robinson does a tremendous job of bringing them to life. The book’s art is perfect. Harris and Snejberg both have unique styles, and they give the book some amazing imagery. Robinson made people love Golden Age DC again with this and The Golden Age, and Starman is a book unlike anything else out there.
2) “Rock of Ages”
The Justice League went through a renaissance in the ’90s, with writer Grant Morrison bringing the back the Big Seven League — Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Flash, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter — in JLA, a book that is in the opinion of many people the greatest superhero team book of all time. Artist Howard Porter was the book’s regular penciler, and his pencils perfectly matched Morrison’s gonzo widescreen action scripts. Their best story was “Rock of Ages”, which has taken its place among the greatest Justice League stories ever. In it, Lex Luthor leads the Injustice Gang against the League in a winner take all game of corporate takeover, all the while an unseen threat promises to throw the universe into chaos — and it’s the heroes fault. There’s not many stories that give readers Green Arrow and the Atom versus Darkseid, and if that sounds awesome to you, then this is your story. If that doesn’t sound interesting to you, then “Rock of Ages” is still for you. It’s for everyone. Read it and find out why.
1) Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come, by Mark Waid and Alex Ross, is perfect. There’s really no other way to describe it. On the one hand, it’s as much a screed against the grim, gritty, and bloody heroes of the ’90s as anything and why the classics will always be better, and very much of its time. On the other, it’s a timeless tale of good and evil, about the power of the human in the superhuman, about being willing to do anything to see that good prevails, and how that can go wrong. Kingdom Come is seriously one of the most beautiful comics you will ever read. Ross’s painted artwork giving the book a sense of realism that really makes the whole thing. Kingdom Come sneers at all of those grim and gritty comics that say they’re realistic and look like cartoons, with the art really augmenting the humanity and emotion of the script. Kingdom Come brings its story to life until you feel like you’re Norman McKay himself, going with the Spectre on their quest. Who’s right? Who’s wrong? It’s up to you. If you take my advice, you’ll get one of the collected editions (which has pages that weren’t originally in the story when it was published) and hunt down the single issues. There’s something about reading those old issues; there’s less story, but the story feels better in the single issue medium. Reading it monthly was a trip, each gorgeous new issue pulling you further and further in. Kingdom Come is amazing.
What’s your favorite DC comics of the ’90s (Legion of Superheroes and Legionnaires almost got in, but I figured I was asking you to read enough full series)? Sound off in the comments below.
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