#4246867 - 09/07/1003:18 PMRe: Defining the Modern Age
[Re: IncHulkFan]
valiantmanvaliantman
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Originally Posted By: IncHulkFan
Originally Posted By: valiantman
Originally Posted By: Boozad
Why the year 2004? There are many reasons that this year should be considered. First, it was in 2004 when the publishing company Valiant Comics went out of business. When Valiant Comics came out they shot to the top of the publishing world. Valiant Comics started in 1991 with Jim Shooter, Bob Layton, and Barry Windsor-Smith publishing comics of some of the old Western Publishing properties. These titles included Dr. Solar and Magnus, Robot Hunter. They quickly expanded with original creations, such as X-O Manowar, Archer & Armstrong, and Harbinger. In 1993, Valiant Comics was named Publisher of the Year and became the only company to challenge Marvel and DC at the top of the sales charts. They were the third highest producer, behind Marvel and DC, and sold over 80 million comics their first five years.
The collapse of Valiant was not the only defining moment that happened in 2004.
2004? Valiant ended in 1996.
Actually, they were sold to Acclaim in 1994. From 1996 to 2002 Acclaim focused on creating their video game franchises using the Valiant characters while continuing to produce the Valiant line of comics. They stopped the comics in 2002. In 2004 they shut down their offices and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. That was what I was basing my point on. I should have mentioned the acquisition by Acclaim in the article. Thanks for bringing that up!
I think you're putting too much into 2004.
Acclaim started their own line of comics in 1997 using the names of some of the Valiant characters, but the concepts were basically completely re-done and had almost no resemblance to Valiant. Acclaim stopped publishing in 1998. Acclaim tried to start up again in 1999. Acclaim stopped publishing in 2000. One book, a Turok issue to co-incide with a video game, was produced in 2002. Acclaim filed for Chapter 7 in 2004.
Between 2001 and 2004, Acclaim produced one comic book... they were dead. Starting in 1997, Acclaim launched their own version of books (that never caught on).
Valiant ended in 1996.
Besides, we all know that the year 2000 was extremely important. Not only was it the first year to start with a "2", Ultimate Marvel got started, and immediately impacted the way that "re-boots" were handled by both companies.
2000 is an important dividing line for lots of reasons... 2004 isn't.
#4246961 - 09/07/1003:56 PMRe: Defining the Modern Age
[Re: valiantman]
IncHulkFanIncHulkFan
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Even taking the Valiant closing out of my article, I don't think that invalidates the rest of proposal. I would be glad to hear why 2000 is a better cut-off than 2004.
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#4247026 - 09/07/1004:29 PMRe: Defining the Modern Age
[Re: IncHulkFan]
IncHulkFanIncHulkFan
Collector is an understatement.
Registered: 08/19/10
Posts: 139
Just an FYI, Ultimate Spider-Man #1 had 54,400 to debut at #15 for the month (September 2000).
Also, the Top 300 comics sold in the 2000's include 5 from 2000 with X-Men #100 the highest ranked at #133. There are 36 from 2004 with the highest ranked Superman #204 at #15 (#16 is Identity Crisis #1 and #17 is New Avengers #1, both from 2004 as well).
I did not see any Ultimate Spider-Man issues on the list whereas 20 different copies of Astonishing X-Men and all seven issues of Identity Crisis were.
Edited by IncHulkFan (09/07/1004:47 PM)
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#4247051 - 09/07/1004:49 PMRe: Defining the Modern Age
[Re: dupont2005]
IncHulkFanIncHulkFan
Collector is an understatement.
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Originally Posted By: dupont2005
I wasn't collecting in 2000 or 20004, but I think a new age should be ushered in by the things that begin, not end.
I added that as part of my article as well. The issues mentioned in the article and by other people responding to the posts include Astonishing X-Men #1, Captain America #1, Identity Crisis #1, Green Lantern: Rebirth #1, Iron Man #1, and Walking Dead #1. I don't know if I missed any or not.
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#4247131 - 09/07/1005:41 PMRe: Defining the Modern Age
[Re: IncHulkFan]
valiantmanvaliantman
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Originally Posted By: IncHulkFan
Even taking the Valiant closing out of my article, I don't think that invalidates the rest of proposal. I would be glad to hear why 2000 is a better cut-off than 2004.
I'm sure I can make the case that the rise of the internet, eBay, and CGC represent major shifts in the industry as a whole, coupled with the "new millenium factor", and the fact that the concept of the "Age" for comics has been overdone, leaving us with the simple solution that comics should now be known by the decade in which they were printed.
Which is easier to explain? Late Bronze - Early Copper -OR- Comics from the 1980s
Of course the whole Copper Age debate is unsettled, so deciding what happens after Copper is premature, but even the Copper Age is easily divided into "Comics from the 1980s" and "Comics from the 1990s".
Being newer than those concepts, the most logical thing to do for the Modern Age is to call comics from the past ten years "Comics from the 2000s", and we're currently looking at "Comics from the 2010s".
What do metals and minerals have to do with comic books anyway?
#4247157 - 09/07/1005:55 PMRe: Defining the Modern Age
[Re: valiantman]
MisterXMisterX
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The more I think about it, I think the Modern Age begins with the Authority #1. Bendis has gone on record as saying it affected his approach to USM.
Authority #1 was a big influence on the medium -- "cinematic" storytelling, or "decompressed" whichever you prefer. "Writing for the trade and waiting for the trade."
Sorry, I can't get behind 2004. Maybe 2000. A lot of talent got hot in the early 2000s --Bendis, Millar, Johns, Simone, Ellis, Brubaker in the wings, and the guys who cutting their teeth in the 90s were handed the really big guns -- Morrison, Loeb, Quesada, Waid.
I also thing there would be no Brad Meltzer comic withouth Kevin Smith blazing the trail first. (IIRC, He took over Green Arrow after Smith, right?)
Valiant ended in 1996. 
