If you’re reading these words—unless you have a lot of trouble working a mouse or unfathomably bad time management skills—you like comic books. Playing the percentages, I can also guess you’ve been reading comics for a long time, as the wily New Reader is only sighted once every eighteen months or so riding Nessie through a moor. Very generally speaking, if you read comic books at all, you’ve read them for quite a few years.
The thing about reading the typical comic book for quite a few years (or the typical comic book universe, really) is that you’re basically volunteering to board a runaway train that has a problem with caboose fires. These masked men are forever moving straight from one crisis to the next. Gotta keep that excitement ratcheting ever upward; gotta keep reassuring readers that what they’re buying is Important and Counts. The Final Crisis leads right into the Blackest Night leads right into the Flashpoint. Reed Richards starts throwing his friends in the gulag, and Captain America’s dead, and you barely catch your breath when aliens invade on the ride home from the funeral. Sometimes they’re Skrulls, sometimes they’re just friends of the Hulk’s… anyway, the hours get away from you when something is exploding every time you start to glance down at your watch.
You lose track of time. They sort of want you to lose track of time.
When’s the last time you stopped to take stock of how much has changed? Not for the characters or the continuity. For you, personally, as someone who shows up every Wednesday to buy these things.
Unlike a lot of people around here, I haven’t been a diehard, lifelong fan. I’ve turned my back on comics at least once since my first issue of G.I. Joe in the eighties. I collected comics voraciously for about a decade, quit cold turkey for about a decade, and then started up again ten years ago. (Which, I guess, means I’m due to quit again. Good news, iFanboy readers!) In fact, it occurred to me this week that it was really the summer of 2001 when I took the big plunge back into the weekly habit that got me back aboard this train.
I thought, “Wow, it seems like things have really changed a lot since the day I walked back into a comic shop in 2001. Wait: actually, I can verify that. I’m so old now that the internet has existed in usable form for the entire decade, and I can just look up what was going on that summer.”
Ten years ago this summer, Joss “Buffy The TV Show People Have Heard Of” Whedon was just starting Fray, the Dark Horse comic about the last vampire slayer in a distant future. All of the energy I have for comics now, I had for Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 2001, so this book is probably a good 40% of the reason I am here talking to you now. Little could I imagine that it would take Whedon another nine decades to finish this eight issue miniseries, since when I was a child late comic books were punishable by death. (My memory of childhood may be marked by a distinct inability to identify fill-in issues.)
Ten years ago this summer, J. Michael “Babylon 5 the TV Show People Have Heard Of” Straczynski had just started his run on Amazing Spider-Man. I was a couple months behind on the run, but I correctly guessed that I could find all the back issues I needed at cover price in the magazine aisle of the grocery store down the block from my swinging bachelor pad. If you weren’t too worried about condition, you could always count on a wide selection of comics at the local grocery store.
Ten years ago this summer, Kevin Smith was writing Green Arrow. The buzz around this run, combined with the Whedon and Straczynski books, made the subject of “Holy Smokes, You Guys, Real Hollywood People Are Writing Comics Now, We Have Arrived, The Popular Medium Totally Noticed Us In The Cafeteria” all the rage. Comics were totally going to be taken seriously now that Hollywood was writing them. This was before Bryan Singer announced that he was doing an arc of Ultimate X-Men. Man alive, I could not wait to see Bryan Singer’s arc on Ultimate X-Men.
Ten years ago this summer, Daredevil: Yellow by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale was just getting underway, and everyone’s world was rocked. Remember when you’d say, “Man, I can’t wait to see what Loeb and Sale will take on next,” and then they’d say, “Ooh, mama, wait till you getta loada Captain America: White,” and then everyone who held their breath waiting for that to happen ended up being rushed to the hospital? And how, now that you mention it, has anyone checked on Tim Sale lately? Has anyone been by the house?
Ten years ago this summer, Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely were just getting underway with New X-Men, and literally last week I was still trying to explain Xorn to someone. Quentin Quire will be featuring prominently in stories this summer. I’m not sure I have my head wrapped around it all yet.
Ten years ago this summer, a writer named Brian Bendis had just taken the helm of Daredevil, along with a modern "ultimate" reboot of Spider-Man and Marvel Team-Up. What ever happened to that guy?
Ten years ago this summer, Judd from The Real World had just started eXiles for Marvel. Judd was also writing Green Lantern, starring the popular character Kyle Rayner.
Ten years ago this summer, Joe Kelly was writing Action Comics. Joe Casey was writing Uncanny X-Men. Mark Waid was writing JLA. Peter David was on Young Justice. The Flash was being worked on by Scott Kolins and a “Geoff Johns,” who would later go on to write The Avengers.
Ten years ago this summer, Starman was still winding down.
Ten years ago this summer, Battle Pope author Robert Kirkman had not yet cooked up Invincible or The Walking Dead. He would go on to create these along with a number of “mainstream” comics which he would later make you feel rather bad for buying by talking trash about them after securing his indie fortunes. But never mind that now; best of luck to everyone!
Ten years ago this summer, almost all of these books cost $2.25 each. This upset people. Try not to think about it.
Jim Mroczkowski, if he is being completely honest, was introduced to some of these books via Napster or Limewire or DonkeyBiscuit or whatever-the-hell-it-was, but he came to his senses and repented a long time ago. He is now on Twitter, even though it is tomorrow’s AIM.
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Man, I had hair back then.
I mean I still have hair now but still.
Some great memories there Jim. I think the problems in explaining parts of Morrison’s X-Men run are more down to the editorial mis-handling of the franchise in the aftermath of him leaving. Fray was amazing – still one of my favourite Whedon projects.
Ah yes, the New X-Men 116 cover. One of the worst IMHO.
I think the past 10 years, the 2000s, were an amazing time for comics. The readership pool has shrunk, but the talent has skyrocketed. There has been crap, but the overall level of quality has been higher than the shameful time known as the 90s. There were some good times to be had in that decade, but much more of it was trashy cruft. I say this as a reader who started in comics in mid-2009 and has gone back and read most of the 2000s. I’ve found that dipping in to the 80s gives me much better comics than dipping into the 90s. I’m not saying anything surprising here, everyone knows the 90s were dominated by artists over writers, variant covers, polybags, newer and cooler replacements like Azrael and the Eradicator, and eXtreme pouched heroes. Comics in the 2000s have become more self aware, I mean look at Superboy, he no longer has that jacket and earring!
@davidtobin100 ” the problems in explaining parts of Morrison’s X-Men run are more down to the editorial mis-handling of the franchise in the aftermath of him leaving.”
YES! Otherwise it was a model of clarity. No, wait, that’s not true at all. At least not for me — oddly enough, I believe I’m coming up on the 5th anniversary of reading that series in trade, which drove me to the Internet to find out what the hell was going on in it, and the rest is history.
(Irony: I still could not tell you what the hell was going on in that series.)
The more I look at this list, the more amazed I am by how that summer was just the perfect time to be coming aboard. Look at all the stuff that was coalescing. Look at all the names that would go on to literally take over the universe being tentatively given their first big jobs. Marvel was still bankrupt enough to try weirdo experiments. It was the ground floor on opening day.
And all that Hollywood chatter.
Cool article. It’s amazing, after eading this, in some ways 10 years ago seems like such a short time but in other ways it seems like long ago.
@ohcaroline: Maybe it’s just I’m a huge Morrison fan. I’m used to the style he writees in and the themes he continuously returns to, so maybe his stufff clicks with me easier. Like most of Morrison’s stuff it benefits from re-reading if you’re finding some elements confusing.
What I meant about the editorial mis-handling was that they introduced a second Xorn by (I think) Chuck Austen a couple of months after the run finished. Marvel then retconned the Magneto as Xorn plotline. This got further messed up when Bendis wrote the Collective story arc in New Avengers which further complictated it.
Having been reading comics regularly for only three years, this article made me dizzy.
@davidtobin100, I know they made it very confusing, but there was no way editorial was going to allow one of their most famous characters, one who talks a thin line between good and evil, to be a genocidal maniac in their main universe. They should just have never let Morrison write Magneto doing that if they were uncomfortable with it.
@dennisnahas: I agree that they shouldn’t have let him write the story if they were unwilling to run with the resulting fallout, but they let Morrison have his way with the character. The editors knew what he was doing. They panicked afterwards when they realised what the implications were. Simply poor editorial control and editorial vison for the line at the time.
This is an interesting article. The one 10 years from now is probably going to highlight some significantly more extreme changes.
That truly is a horrible drawing of Emma Frost. Good lord.
Oh man this was when I got into comics. All the stuff Jimski talked about I read, and loved. It’s was my main line of comic book heroin and I’ve been hooked ever since. And I’ve been chasing that dragon ever since, buying almost anything for the time, hoping for that indefinable quality that books had then.
My heart swelled a little bit at the mention of Waid on Justice League and David on Young Justice. A lotta the books you mentioned up there introduced me to the magic of these stories and characters. Good times. The best part? I truly believe that the books being published today (many of them, at least) are fostering that same wonder in kids.
@stuclach –or talk about the comics industry in the past tense. =( ok its not that bad right?
10+ years of writing comics and Kevin Smith still sucks at writing comics.
Love Smith movies, hate his comics.
BTW… I have a very similar timeline… started comics in the 80’s w/ Gi Joe, was a die hard comic reader my entire childhood… dropped out of comics around my 20s (girls, college, needed the dollars for Ramen noodles), dabbled here and there and finally was sucked back in 100% right around Identity Crisis and been non-stop since then.
Ten years from now, Josh will be in the middle of a critically acclaimed run on Hellblazer, Ron will have the job title Senior Vice President of Continuity for Marvel (with an office like Josh Baskin in Big) and Conor will probably still be in a Mexican prison.
Wow, crazy that all that is 10 years old. That means it took me 10 years to get another job at a comic book store after the one I worked at closed, haha. Glad the one I am at now is open till midnightish, that’s the only way I can do it.
Ten years of Daredevil, when I picked it up on a whim, and he became my favorite character. Yowza. Same with Green Arrow. I became a fan after reading the Kevin Smith stuff.
But 10 years since JMS took over writing duties on Spidey? Goddamn I hold a grudge. Still won’t buy anything he’s on.
Frank Quietly can draw a mean camel toe. Jesus, get that thing out of here.
Also, one of my good friends is one of those fabled new readers. We should catalogue this in photographs for posterity. Dude knew squat about comics, and then totally dove head first, spending $100+ every week. He’s in his late 20’s. I wonder what age bracket most new readers come from.
@davidtobin100 There is no question that the retcons made the Xorn thing MORE confusing, but it wasn’t a model of clarity to begin with. That doesn’t mean I think it was terrible; plenty of things that are difficult can be rewarding.
If I reread those books, can I send you my therapy bill?
@Firevine I’m not brand new to comics but I’ve come back after many many years. I came back post-college when I started teaching so I had some time and disposable income, neither of which I had in college.
@TexasZombie99 I had to take a bit of a break myself, due to funds. Even now, if I didn’t work at a shop, I would be comic bookless. took one back in the 90’s as well, when Marvel killed off Professor X, till right about the time that this article references.
I read my first comics back in third grade or so, and really got into it in sixth grade. I’m about to turn 31. Jesus… It’s odd to me now, that kids that age are interested in the characters in movies and TV, but couldn’t care less about the comics.
@wallythegreenmonster I hope not.
10 years ago I was still only buying trades. Somehow spending $15-20 per book every 6 months seemed like a big deal to me at the time…now I drop at least twice that much every week.
i came back to comics probably around 8-9 years ago and yeah, you’re totally right, that was just a perfect time to return to the medium. i remember being blown away after hearing that Jim Lee was drawing the GODDAMN Batman, Neil Gaiman had started writing for marvel comics, Kevin Smith was going to write Spider-Man. it was like was like a completely different industry from when i had left in the mid-nineties. Marvel also took more risks back then creatively i think. Wasn’t that the time of Allred’s X-force? Bendis was known for crime comics before he got his big break at marvel. I’d love to see more of these types of risks nowadays
I miss the Kevin Smith Green Arrow
Was there a refrence to the never to be seen “Captain America White” in there? Surely not. Will it ever see the light of day? 10 years ago was a good time and I did enjoy Kevin Smith’s Green Arrow. That Emma Frost is very poorly drawn but he has def gotten better in 10 years.
Your all crazy about the Emma Frost cover. But hey, I’ve always been a fan of the guy’s work since New X-Men 114.
@mikeandzod21 I’m with you sir, that cover is great
@mikegraham: Some great stuff you mentioned there. 1602 especially.
@ohcaroline: if you think you might need therapy after New X Men I really wouldn’t recommend Morrison’s run on Doom Patrol! He’s just not for everyone, and the New X Men run was super-divisive. Ron had a big article against it on the site a while back that was quite good.
The start of the Ultimate line is another great memory from back then. The standard was so high in those early years. Here’s hoping the three-boot brings back the magic.
I guess I’m glad that someone is sticking up for Emma Frost’s cameltoe there, because it proves there is something for everyone.
Also, I like “Doom Patrol!” It’s just New X-Men that was specifically designed to give me a nervous breakdown.
I have always liked that cover. It lives right in Quitely’s style, and no one has ever forgotten it. It’s endlessly debateable. I love it.
18 years ago i was in year 7 and comics cost $2.50 in the newsagents. ultimate spider-man 160 just cost me $7. a few years ago i used to see superman/batman for sale in the newsagent for $10 and kept on walking. i don’t have much sympathy for a $2.25 price tag in 2001.
@josh I forgot that cover. Granted, it was intentional, as I very much dislike Frank Quitely’s artwork.
this was right after I got back into comics, actually. I moved to a new state in late February of 99. I didn’t have a car yet and one of the only places within walking distance of my new home was a comic book store. i wandered in there one day and picked up a few comics, one of which was David Mack’s first issue of Daredevil, which blew me away. I’ve been buying comics on a weekly basis ever since.
@josh I’m on the opposite side. I thought it was possibly the worst version of Frost I have ever seen. Really silly looking.
Keith7198- I agree I have never liked that cover.
If the goal was to make Emma look like a chubby 19 yr old asian hooker with a bordeline obscene camel toe- well then he nailed it.
I find myself at odds with Quitely’s work – there is something undeniable that I like about it-maybe it’s the colors- and at the same time most of his chracters look like they are made of pillsbury dough.