Great characters of the Copper/Modern Age

[Kevin Boyd]

So there's been some discussion before about the fact that the last great influx of new lasting characters was during the early days of the Bronze Age when we saw the debut of characters like the Punisher, Wolverine, the New X-Men, Ghost Rider, Moon Knight, Werewolf by Night, Blade/Tomb of Dracula, Firestorm, etc.

 

What characters do you think that were created post-1984 have stood the test of time?

[Zonker]

Would Morpheus/Sandman or Jack Knight/Starman count as either new or lasting?

 

Were they really new? They carried forward the names of previous creations (for copyright protection purposes no doubt) but were still new characters.

 

Are they lasting? Well, they're staying in print, albeit not through continuing monthly series, but through trade paperbacks constantly being reprinted.

 

[rob_react]

I'd say yes to Sandman.

 

How about John Constantine?

[Kevin Boyd]

I would say that Morpheus/Sandman qualifies as a new character. He really had no ties to the previous incarnations, although they were tied in to his story.

 

Jack Knight/Starman, not really... more of a revival of an old concept/character.

[Darthdiesel]

venom and .... speedball

[Kevin Boyd]

Alternative (although it's arguable whether or not some of these have lasting appeal):

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Nexus

Grendel

Groo

Hellboy

Strangers in Paradise - Katchoo & Francine

Bone

The Crow

 

DC:

Morpheus/Sandman

John Constantine/Hellblazer

 

Marvel:

A bunch of X-Men like Jubilee, Gambit

Venom

 

There are some other alternative concepts/characters that do have some potential if revived properly:

X-O Manowar

Shadowman

Eternal Warrior/Archer & Armstrong/Timewalker

American Flagg!

Jon Sable, Freelance

Grimjack

Dreadstar

[Jeffreykli]

Don't forget one of my favorites...Usagi Yojimbo!

[shadroch]

The Turtles

Grendel

Bone

Usagi Yojimbo

Lobo?

Venom

Preacher

 

 

BTW-how did Firestorm make that first list?

[rob_react]

Preacher

 

[Mister_Comics]

LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN

 

And I think Steve Rude's MOTH will become well known someday. Those stories are pretty good.

[rob_react]

LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN

 

Those characters aren't new though.

[Ares]

What about Cable?

[Aman619]

what about him?

[Silver Surfer]

Marvel:

A bunch of X-Men like Jubilee, Gambit

Venom

 

It really makes me sad when this is the best group of names we can muster (I couldn't think of any) from the past 20 years. Is it any wonder that the industry has slipped during this period.

[Zonker]

LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN

 

Those characters aren't new though.

 

 

 

C'mon Rob, they were new in the '90s.

 

1890s.

[Mister_Comics]

LOXG came out around '99. Why wouldn't they be considered modern heroes?

 

Sgt. Rock, Sgt. Fury, Kid Colt and such were from different decades but were famous during the silver age. Kind of the same thing I would think.

[rob_react]

LOXG came out around '99. Why wouldn't they be considered modern heroes?

 

Because Alan Moore merely took established characters from literature and crafted a comic book story around them. None of the main characters are "new" in any shape or form. They've appeared in books, movies and other comics for well over 100 years. The really "new" things in LOEG are the team framework and the "steampunk" Victorian era in which they operate, not the characters. In fact, there are barely ANY characters at all (leading OR supporting- down to many of the cameos) in the book that don't have some basis in the literature of the time.

[Mister_Comics]

Ok I see your point. But what would you say as a GROUP. Like the Justic League or Avengers.

 

Anyway; How about BANE. I know he's a Batman villain, but he's become pretty famous for a newer character.

[blowout]

Hogoblin. With Stern and Frenz at the helm.

[blowout]

Oh, and I quite liked Longshot also.