1980s in comics

This article lists major events in the field of comics during the 1980s.

__NOTOC__
Publications: 1980 - 1981 - 1982 - 1983 - 1984 - 1985 - 1986 - 1987 - 1988 - 1989

Publications

1980

1981

1982

*"Akira" by Katsuhiro Otomo debuts in "Young Magazine".

1983

*"American Flagg!" by Howard Chaykin debuts.

1984

*"Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars" debuts, published by Marvel Comics and written by Jim Shooter. "Secret Wars" was the first of a new breed of large crossover events which would become a staple of both Marvel and DC Comics publishing schedule from that year on.

*Spider-Man's black costume first appears in "The Amazing Spider-Man" #252, after the character returns from the Secret Wars. The black costume would eventually tie into the origin of the popular supervillain Venom.

*"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" premiers at a comic book convention in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, published by Mirage Studios. Originally conceived by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird as a one-off parody, the comic's popularity has gone on to inspire three television series, numerous video games, four feature films, and a wide range of toys and merchandise.

1985

*"Crisis on Infinite Earths" debuts, produced by DC Comics to simplify their then-55-year-old continuity. [cite web |url=http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/bobro/106668203954418.htm |title=It's Bob the Answer Man |accessdate=2007-10-04 |last=Rozakis |first=Bob |date=2003 |publisher=Silver Bullet Comics] The series was written by Marv Wolfman, and illustrated by George Pérez (pencils/layouts), with Mike DeCarlo, Dick Giordano, and Jerry Ordway (who shared inking/embellishing chores). The series eliminated the concept of the Multiverse in the fictional DC Universe, and depicted the deaths of such long-standing superheroes as Supergirl and the Barry Allen incarnation of the Flash.

1986

*"The Man of Steel", a six-issue comic book limited series written and penciled by John Byrne, inked by Dick Giordano and published by DC Comics, debuts. The mini-series was designed to revamp the Superman mythos, using the history-altering effects of "Crisis on Infinite Earths" as an explanation for numerous changes to previous continuity.

*"", a four-issue comic book limited series written and drawn by Frank Miller and published by DC Comics, debuts. It reintroduced Batman to the general public as the psychologically dark character of his original 1930s conception, and helped to usher in an era of "grim and gritty" superheroes from the mid-1980s to mid-1990s.

*"Watchmen", a twelve-issue comic book limited series written by Alan Moore, illustrated by Dave Gibbons and published by DC Comics, debuts. To date, "Watchmen" remains the only graphic novel to win a Hugo Award, [http://dpsinfo.com/awardweb/hugos/80s.html "AwardWeb: Hugo Award Winners"] - "Watchmen" listed as a winner of the Hugo Award (retrieved 20 April 2006) ] and is also the only graphic novel to appear on "Time Magazine"'s 2005 list of "the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present." [http://www.time.com/time/2005/100books/0,24459,watchmen,00.html "Time Magazine - ALL-TIME 100 Novels"] – A synopsis describing "Watchmen" (retrieved 14 April 2006)]

1987

1988

1989

Notes

References

* "The Dark Age: Grim, Great & Gimmicky Post-Modern Comics" (by Mark Voger, 168 pages, TwoMorrows Publishing, ISBN 1893905535)

ee also

*1970s in comics
*other events of the 1980s
*1990s in comics
*List of years in comics