Since the 1930s, the American comics industry, led by Marvel and DC, has grown into a fictional powerhouse, with franchises as diverse as Batman and Superman becoming multibillion-dollar fortunes. Since its inception, the industry has been shaped, revolutionized, and improved by a series of comics, creative teams, and iconic works. This can occur for a variety of reasons, from sales advantages to influencing a new generation of storytellers.
The comic book industry has gone through various stages and eras, starting with the Golden Age when superheroes transcended pulp magazines, to the current Modern Age. Some comics have great influence without maintaining any particular popularity, while others maintain an influential position among new generations. Either way, it’s hard to deny that some comics have had a lasting impact.
10 Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars
Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck, John Beatty
Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars An epic battle between the heroes and villains of 616 ensues, as the cosmic entity Beyonder transports them to a distant planet known as Battleworld. Engaged in an epic war of good versus evil, Spider-Man, Captain America, Wolverine, the Hulk and more battle iconic foes like Doctor Doom, Ultron and Kang the Conqueror.
secret wars is often cited as the first real event in comics history, and its story has spilled over into Marvel series over the years, most famously Spider-Man’s black suit, which led to the creation of Venom. Interestingly, this black suit was actually pitched to Marvel by readers, making it one of the most successful pieces of fan art in comics history.
9 dark knight returns
Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, Lynn Varley
1986, Frank Miller and Klaus Jansson dark knight returns It took readers to a future Gotham City where Bruce Wayne has retired as Batman. But the city is experiencing an unprecedented level of violent crime at the hands of a mutant gang, and the protagonist makes a comeback and challenges the gang’s leader to end the chaos.
dark knight returns was not only a commercial success, it led to an explosion of prestige-style character exploration, not to mention a wave of “old man” style comics. Without Miller’s treatment of the character, it is unclear whether evergreen stories like Old Man Logan, Peter David’s Maestro Hulk comics, and other classics would have existed.
8 Crisis on Infinite Earths
Marv Wolfman and George Perez
Released by DC in 1986 Crisis on Infinite Earths The only mission is to simplify continuity and provide a clean slate for a new generation of readers. This was achieved on multiple fronts, from the return of the classic heroes who were transported to Earth-2, to the destruction of the other world and the death of the main heroes, paving the way for their younger successors. By all accounts, this event was a huge success.
The story itself follows the arrival of the Anti-Monitor, a major supervillain who begins destroying entire universes within the multiverse. In response, the Monitor assembles a team of heroes from different worlds to repel the attacks of villains and protect as many worlds as possible. The event featured tie-ups with a number of ongoing titles, making DC the most exciting publisher of the late ’80s, and the addition of newly acquired Charlton heroes.
7 watchmen
Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
watchmen It has its own continuity and explores the Watchmen, a team of retired superheroes. When a comedian, a former member of the team, is murdered in his apartment, undercover detective Rorschach takes charge of the case and investigates what happened to his former teammate. As he investigates deeper into the mystery, he uncovers a conspiracy with horrifying implications and sets out to bring those responsible to justice at all costs. Moore’s story helped popularize the wave of dark stories that followed. preacher, sandman and hellblazer.
watchmen is an important manga not because of its characters or sales, but because of its influence on the manga industry, including writers, publishers, and readers. This has led a new generation of creative teams to explore the appeal of superheroes, focusing more than ever on deconstructing characters and genres. The influence of Moore’s playwriting can be seen in the contemporary writings of everyone from Tom King and Christopher Cantwell to Mark Millar and Geoff Johns.
6 X-Men #1
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Today’s Marvel Comics universe is defined by its focus on relatable superheroes who experience typical human struggles despite their extraordinary abilities. Although the concept was touched upon in early Fantastic Four comics, it was through the X-Men that the company defined its core formula. Mutants allowed a series of writers, including Stan Lee, to explore themes of ostracism, prejudice, and discrimination that would be fleshed out in later works. .
Uncanny X-Men #1 introduced the world to a variety of iconic Marvel heroes, including Charles Xavier, as well as the Beast, Marvel Girl (Jean Grey), and Cyclops. Lee and Kirby’s collaboration on the series gave Marvel a flagship team comic that remains a major sales force today, far surpassing the comic success of The Avengers.
5 flash #one two three
Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino, Murphy Anderson
The Silver Age ushered in Barry Allen as the new Flash, with DC effectively erasing Jay Garrick from main continuity. This was done to attract a new generation of comic book readers looking for more sci-fi, action, and energetic designs, similar to Hal Jordan’s creation a few years later. in flash In #123, the company explained that the old heroes were not erased at all, but rather moved to another world, Earth-2, thereby establishing the first comic book multiverse.
In 2024, the use of multiverses in comics comes as no surprise to the average reader, but the concept was completely absent from previous superheroes. flash #one two three. Although this scientific theory had been considered years ago, applying this idea to the DCU turned out to be a stroke of genius, later giving publishers an unprecedented degree of creative freedom. We have decided to provide it. While some may lament the overuse of this idea, it’s hard to deny that it’s a dominant force in modern superhero stories.
4 all star comics #3
Gardner Fox, Everett E. Hibberd, Bernard Bailey, Ben Frinton, Martin Nordell, Sheldon Moldoff, Sheldon Mayer, Howard Sherman
In 1941, DC made comic book history with the creation of the industry’s first superhero team, the Justice Society of America. The team’s first meeting, consisting of Spectre, Doctor Fate, Atom, Hawkman, Hourman, Jay Garrick, Alan Scott, and Sandman, involves each member telling their greatest adventures. While the story itself was far from innovative, the idea of moving into team dynamics gave DC something unique.
all star comics While #3 doesn’t feature any of the characters, forming a team of superheroes was a game-changer at a time when the industry was always defined by single stories. This story later laid the groundwork for Fox’s Justice League, which also featured modern versions of the classic Green Lantern and The Flash. There are a lot of comics about superhero teams today, and they’re all thanks to the JSA.
3 detective manga #27
Bob Kane and Bill Finger
Exactly one year after Superman’s successful debut in Action Comics #1, DC released Detective Comics #27, introducing Bruce Wayne: Batman to the world. In his breakout first story, the character investigates the murder of a chemical industry magnate, evades the wrongful arrest of the victim’s son, and uncovers the real culprit.
As great as Superman is, Batman has become DC Comics’ unofficial marquee character, and his unprecedented and unparalleled sales advantage is undeniable. The Dark Knight has contributed to DC’s top-selling status for many years, with enough comic book appearances to make it the second-largest publisher after Marvel, and it also has a common Through his appearances, he has increased the status of new characters. After defining the street-level vigilante archetype, ‘Tec #27’s influence can be seen in series from Daredevil and The Question to Midnighter and The Punisher.
2 fantastic four #1
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
In 1960, Stan Lee was tired of writing the same formulaic stories, all flash and no substance. As he said, he was about to quit his job at Marvel when his wife, Joan, suggested he write comics his way. She explained that even if the company didn’t like it and fired him, it wouldn’t be a problem because he was planning to quit anyway. Lee teamed up with Jack Kirby to co-create the Fantastic Four, a team of normal, relatable characters who form a superhero family.
While many people look back, X-Men This film, a turning point in Marvel’s history, would not have been possible without its early success. fantastic four. This comic not only completely restructured the Marvel Comics universe, but also shifted the focus to character development and team dynamics, creating the enduring legacy of Lee and Kirby’s partnership. Without this debut issue, the 616 that readers know and love today would not exist. The similarities with Kirby’s own co-creation at DC, The Unknown, which had an undeniable influence on the series, are notable.
1 action comics #1
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
In 1938, longtime creative partners Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster debuted Superman in the main story of a movie. action comics #1.At a time when the superhero genre didn’t yet exist and comics were dominated by detectives and cowboys, the story of an alien hero saving innocent people from injustice was nothing short of experimental. . Although they toyed with the concept of superheroes in the stories of Doctor Occult, it was through Man of Steel that the modern superhero mythology was born.
action comics #1 follows Superman’s origin story from the death of the planet Krypton to the discovery of the infant by the Kent family. Almost everything that defines today’s superhero comics came from this issue, as it takes readers through his life, from a child discovering the limits of his abilities to reporter Clark Kent. Famously, the character’s future was even uncertain until a few months later, when sales numbers were released and the character proved to be a huge hit. Some may prefer Batman, Spider-Man, and Wolverine, but none of that would have been possible if Man of Tomorrow hadn’t been a hit.