The 1990s have a reputation for some of the worst comics ever produced, but that reputation often overshadows the fact that the 1990s also generated some of the best comics in history. After events like Crisis on Infinite Earths and Secret Wars in the 1980s, the 1990s saw an explosion of big stories. Some were good, some were not. These are the ones that rose above the fray to be the best of the decade.
DC One Million
On its surface, DC One Million seems like pretty standard superhero fare. The JLA meet and end ups swapping places with their descendants from the 853rd century – when DC would, based on monthly scheduling, release a comic hitting the #1,000,000 milestone. However, it ended up being more than that. As a line-wide crossover, it was ambitious in bringing in every other DC title via #1,000,000 tie-in issues – most of which being very good. Looking ahead, it would seed elements that Grant Morrison would revisit in his other works, specifically the brilliant All Star Superman. Finally, as a story, it’s just a good time. Morrison captures the voices of the JLA expertly while giving the story a heavy dose of gravitas. However, the biggest surprise is the great art by Val Semeiks, who ranks among the most underappreciated artists of his era. DC One Million is an absolute gem. — Dan Gehen
Sadly, I don’t have too much to say on DC One Million, other than; I’ve read a few issues. I remember reading the first two main issues, then a few of the tie-ins for the respective titles. I am a huge Grant Morrison fan, so there’s no reason I haven’t read the whole series yet, I just haven’t. Nonetheless, I recall enjoying the few issues I’ve read, and should probably hop back in some time in the future. — Jason Jeffords Jr
Unity
Not only is this the only event from outside the Big Two, Unity might very well be the greatest comic event of all time – something that do not I say lightly. While there are other events that may be more well regarded due to popularity, Unity is the culmination of the great Jim Shooter’s work at Valiant. An eighteen part crossover, Unity is built on the foundation of the publisher’s titles of the time (Solar: Man of the Atom, Harbinger, Rai) while also launching others (Archer & Armstrong, Eternal Warrior). But despite all of its moving parts – including multiple creative teams – Unity manages to tell a compelling, cohesive story. It features an antagonist looking to restore their universe, even if that means the destruction of others. The large and varied cast of characters, along with the eighteen-part story, allows for ample character exploration and development. Also, there’s tech-enhanced dinosaurs. Unity rules. — Dan Gehen
So, I had never heard of Unity until Dan mentioned it. Honestly, I’ve been wanting to dive deep into Valiant, yet at the moment I’ve been catching up on some physical comics I own, then I’ll make my way through the publisher. Nonetheless, Reading the above paragraph, I am even more excited to jump into the Universe. Now, I just need to make my way through a ton of other comics! — Jason Jeffords Jr
Infinity Gauntlet
If I wanted to make it quick I’d say my opinion of Infinity Gauntlet would be, meh. But, that wouldn’t be fair. As we’ve learned, I’m a sucker for multiple overused tropes. Infinity Gauntlet includes one I love, which is a huge group of heroes fighting villains, I’m a sucker for large crowded fights. But, there’s really only a handful of Marvel characters I actually care about. So, Marvel never was my go to for comics. The only time I liked Iron Man was when he was an alcoholic. I’ve never been a fan of Captain America. Yes, all the Marvel characters have a few runs here or there I adore, but I’ve only really been a fan of a few of their characters. So Thanos winning was never a big deal to me. Hell, I never really cared for Thanos as well. Nonetheless, the gauntlet and the stones were cool to me, that part I liked. But years later and a recent read, I can’t see myself reading this again, unless I’m forced too. — Jason Jeffords Jr
Jim Starlin’s knockoff of a Jack Kirby creation is considered one of the greatest villains in cinema history. Why? Because of the inspiration filmmakers took from this story. While the MCU improved upon Thanos’ motivation and balanced out the story, that does not make Infinity Gauntlet a lesser story. Nay, as one of the first comics I ever read, I found myself drawn to the artwork of George Perez and Ron Lim. With so many of my beloved heroes snapped out of existence (get that “blip” shit out of here), how those remaining ones would save the day and set things right continues to be a fantastic exercise in storytelling. If done today, Infinity Gauntlet would be twice as long, with about 30 tie-in books from across Marvel’s publishing line, and it’d be forgotten. As it stands, this six-issue story remains a true landmark in the publisher’s publication history. — Dan Gehen
Maximum Carnage
Let’s just get this out of the way: the story is a mess. As a story, Maximum Carnage is bloated and convoluted while essentially stripping the symbiotes of their uniqueness. Despite this, it remains one of the most beloved Spider-Man stories in history, mostly due to nostalgia. There was nothing cooler than the vibrant red Sega Genesis cartridge for the Maximum Carnage game. Though it came out the same year as The Death of Superman, this Spider-Man event benefited from a comparative lack of speculator interest and a full bore multimedia blitz. It even found its way into Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. The imagery of this was everywhere, and the art from Mark Bagley, Sal Buscema, and Ron Lim holds up incredibly well. This was also during the period when Marvel was trying their hardest to make Mary Jane unlikeable in order to justify undoing the marriage – a feat they’d accomplish a decade later. However, during this period, Peter and MJ would always end up stronger together at the story’s end, and this is no exception. But more importantly, how useless are the Avengers in this? Most Spider-Man stories from the 1990s don’t hold up particularly well, but this one is pretty enjoyable to revisit. — Dan Gehen
Maximum Carnage is actually a title I read for the first time in the recent months via Marvel Comics’ awesome Epic Collection line. I had heard about the Event for years, yet never read it or even looked up the synopsis, all I ever remembered was the SNES cartridge was fucking dope. However, after reading it, I don’t understand how it was such a “huge event.” Was it fun? Yes, but damn the story wasn’t special in any facet. However, the art was topnotch, having read a ton of Spider-Man from around that time, I’d wager it includes some gorgeous pages that I like the most. Nevertheless, I’d agree with Dan that it seems the love for Maximum Carnage comes from nostalgia. There are a few things that stuck out to me though, primarily MJ. With her being a “heartthrob” and model, it seems quite weird that she is seen smoking, granted this is the 90’s were models did that more. But, the one that really bothers me, is her arguments with Peter. She gets mad at him for going out as Spider-Man and endangering himself. I understand that feeling, but that’s nothing new, why is it a problem now? Other than the writers trying to create more drama. — Jason Jeffords Jr
Knightfall
In recent years Knightfall has become quite a weird event for me. When I read it at a fairly young age I thought it was one of the greatest Batman stories. Yet in 2020 It wouldn’t even be in the top ten. The introduction of Bane was fantastic. Sadly, out of all the Bane stories I’ve read, Knightfall is the only where he seems to be a formidable opponent. After this event he seemed to just become another shit-teir Batman character, but in Knightfall he was a force to be reckoned with. His plan to tire Batman out worked amazingly, then he was able to figure out who was behind the mask, then break him physically and mentally. The backbreaking page is still one I can vividly remember in my head. More so than any other page. The impact wasn’t just felt in Batman’s back, but even in the real world. Sadly the story following that goes downhill. The build up to the break, the break, and the small aftermath is fantastic, yet years later the impact just isn’t there. — Jason Jeffords Jr
The first act of Knightfall actually holds up rather well. A new villain that can match Batman in physical and mental acumen decides to release a horde of villains on Gotham, wearing down the Dark Knight before breaking him. It set the bar so high for Bane as a character that he has rarely come close to meeting it again (side note: when he does, it’s in Gail Simone’s Secret Six – it’s phenomenal). Yes, once Jean Paul Valley takes over for Batman and becomes an XTREME version of the hero, you know the rest of the Knightfall journey is fucked, but that first act is still so damn good. This was during a period when DC was tearing down all of it’s heroes, and while the best story was not found in a crossover event (The Return of Barry Allen), Knightfall is definitely worth revisiting. — Dan Gehen
DC vs. Marvel
This is the comic that would finally answer the debate that had dominated fan discussions for decades. Who would win? Marvel or DC? The answer, it turns out, was no one. While the smaller battles were decided by the writers and were pretty logical (Aquaman over Namor, Silver Surfer over Green Lantern), the five major battles were decided by fan votes, which amounts to little more than a popularity contest. There’s no way that Wolverine actually takes Lobo in a fight, but Wolverine is easily the more popular character of the two, hence the victory. With that said, this event not only birthed the popular Amalgam Universe, but managed to excite longtime, lapsed, and new comic readers after the burst of the 1990s speculator bubble. It will never be confused with the likes of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Secret Wars, or even another (and better executed) crossover in JLA/Avengers. But given what they had to work with, Ron Marz and Peter David tell a fun, no consequences story, and Dan Jurgens brings his A-game with the art. — Dan Gehen
I’ve never read DC vs. Marvel, so sadly I don’t have much to say. Thing is, I do want to read it, as the idea sounds awesome, but It’s been a bitch for me to track down. — Jason Jeffords Jr
Death of Superman
I have the same feeling for Death of Superman as I do for Knightfall. Growing up I thought it was one of the most groundbreaking epic events, but years later it may be one of lower ones for me. I don’t hate it, but the majority of it to me is boring. Much like Knightfall, Death of Superman’s build-up was grandiose, then the actual death may be one of the most memorable pages of comics history. Any fan of comics probably has the image ingrained in their head; it’s fucking icionic, plain and simple. Yet, following that are some sleep inducing moments. The funeral for a friend was nothing special, then The Return of Superman was mediocre as well, at least we got Steel from it, and the cool design of Cyborg Superman. However, the moment that stands toe-to-toe to the death is Doomsday’s rampage. The way he beats the shit out of the Justice League and whoever else gets in his way is a blast to read. Another favorite trope of mine is long overdrawn battles. Think those stupidly long-winded fights in Family Guy between Peter and the Chicken. I love when two strong forces go at it that takes awhile for one to fall, while going around the globe. Luckily, Death of Superman has a fair amount of this trope. On a final note, it seems Death of Superman might have become such a big deal due to the news coverage it attracted. — Jason Jeffords Jr
Of all of these other comic events, this is the one whose reach extended beyond that of comic readers and speculators. The Death of Superman was an event born from a recurring joke in the Superman writers room, where it would be suggested to kill off the Man of Steel when struggling to figure out what to do next. The desire to have the comic book wedding of Superman and Lois Lane coincide with the same event in the popular show Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman left a year-sized hole in DC’s Superman plans. Thus, The Death of Superman became a reality. Beyond the many criticisms of how this event “broke the bubble,” caused many comic shops to go under, and ruined the notion of death in comics, the story sucks too. Yes, Dan Jurgens absolutely slays it on artwork, with the Superman #75 being composed entirely of splash pages, but to actually read the story is a true test of one’s strength. The follow-up arcs “Funeral for a Friend” and “Reign of the Supermen” aren’t much better, and within a year Superman would make his triumphant return. Over the years, DC has tried to prop this story up as one of its prestige stories. It isn’t. However, it is undoubtedly one of the biggest and arguably one of the most important in comics history, though not for good reasoning. — Dan Gehen
Age of Apocalypse
Ahhhh, Age of Apocalypse, boy, do I fucking love this mess of a story. This epic event is hard as hell to recommend to anyone, as if they haven’t read X-Men before it won’t have the intended effect. Luckily, when I read this as a kid I had a passing knowledge of the X-Men and other Mutant titles. Plus, Age of Apocalypse was my first Marvel Comics event. So that’s one reason I love it. But, another reason is the premise; Legion goes back in time to kill Magneto, but instead he accidentally kills his father Professor Charles Xavier, thus Apocalypse attacks sooner. Time travel stories are a trope I absolutely adore, especially ones that go all out, then add in that every single thing has changed, and you have me hooked. Not only do little things change, but the whole of the Marvel Universe does in the Apocalypse timeline. Is the story perfect? Hell no! Some of the tie-ins are trash, yet I love seeing characters portrayed in a different manner. It also helps that the costumes are outrageous and absolute bangers. Nonetheless, if you plan on reading Age of Apocalypse, make sure to give yourself a history lesson, or have Wikipedia handy. — Jason Jeffords Jr
Age of Apocalypse is to Marvel what The Death of Superman is to DC – a terrible story artificially propped up as something important. If you want to shut off your brain, look at some dated art, and forget that there’s actually a good time-hopping X-Men story, then Age of Apocalypse is right for you. — Dan Gehen
Rise of the Midnight Sons
Weirdly enough, Rise of the Midnight Sons has the same effect on me as Infinity Gauntlet; I just don’t care about any of the characters. However, I always loved the design of Ghostrider. So much so that I watched the movie back when it came out, which I regret. But, unlike Infinity Gauntlet, I enjoyed this story. That was due to how “mature” it felt, even though it was more edgy than anything. On paper the former Ghostrider teaming up with the new one with the Living Vampire Morbius, Blade and his Nightstalkers, and the Darkhold Redeemers sounds like a trip. This especially since they are fighting Lilith. Yet the weirdest aspect of it all is I have no idea why I liked this story. It was just fun to me, plus it started a new team (Midnight Suns) that had a few titles printed with that titled on their cover. Nonetheless, Rise of the Midnight Sons is a fun thrill ride. — Jason Jeffords Jr
Zero Hour & Final Night (tie)
Zero Hour: It’s hard to say much about Zero Hour. My summary of the main issues would be; it happened, for the tie-ins; some arent bad, while others fucking killed me. I understand what they tried to set out and accomplish, yet it seemed like they made more of a mess of everything. I also never read Final Night. I know what it is, but never had the urge to read it. I know DC Comics is releasing a new TPB, so I may borrow it from HOOPLA and read it. — Jason Jeffords Jr
Final Night: The sun has died, and Earth is plunged into chaos. Where Zero Hour kicked off Hal Jordan’s descent into Parallax, The Final Night effectively ended it. Hal Jordan as Parallax has destroyed the Green Lantern Corps and torpedoed all of his personal relationships, but now finds an opportunity for redemption. In truth, it is a great finale for Hal Jordan had it stuck. While not as monumental or perfect as his buddy Barry Allen’s death in Crisis on Infinite Earths, this story allows for Hal Jordan to go out as a hero. — Dan Gehen