Creation of Top Level Superhero

Quick observation:

With 'top level' being defined as a level where anyone who has casually read comics at some point in there life could immediately recognize...

The sixties saw the creation of virtually all of Marvels' big guns - FF, X-Men, Spidey, Daredevil, etc.

The seventies saw the new X-Men, Punisher, and Wolverine

The eighties saw Venom, which is probably borderline top level at best.

The nineties saw...?

Any explanations why there is such a drop off in the creation of top level characters?

We will have to agree to disagree, because the resurgance of self-publishing and the growth in non-traditional markets has allowed for an amazing flourishing of creativity and accomplishment. Comics are better written and more attractive now than they've ever been, imo.

Notice my plural - 'decades'. 10 years is the barest minimum I'm considering, and you've already identified the candidate there: Spawn. Two movies, a cartoon series, a toy line, and so on make it pretty significant, even if, like Superman in the 60s, it's currently less popular than at its peak.

Your second sentence is clearly true. It's also true that the majority of creators from the past couldn't hold a candle to some of the ones today. Neither statement tells us anything about the overall talent level of various eras.

Fair enough. Give me some of the creators of the 60's and 70's over the majority of the people running around these days. The art on a lot of mainstream boks is purile at best, and don't get me started on what passes for writing.

Two movies??? Did I blink and miss one then?

Personally I think that in twenty years time Spawn will be long gone and

Why compare apples and oranges? Compare the majority of creators now to the majority of creators then, not a cherry-picked 'best of' from times past that no one is going to disagree on.

-Ralf Haring 'The mind must be the harder, the heart the keener, the spirit the greater, as our strength grows less.' -Byrhtwold, The Battle of Maldon

I know you despise me Ralf, but yeesh.

Ok - pick your best 10 of now and I'll pick my best 10 of 1969.

And I did say the majority.....but, just to make your pedant arse happy I'll rephrase it:

Happier? I do hope so, I'd hate to ruin another day for ya now.

Sorry, I don't know you from Adam. You nick is familiar, but I don't recall any particulars of any thread we may have been involved in.

Ok, here are some that I think hold up no matter what decade you compare them to. The only qualifier I'm going by is that they are currently producing comics work.

(alphabetical order) writers: Brian Bendis Kurt Busiek Mike Carey Warren Ellis Peter Milligan Alan Moore Christopher Priest Greg Rucka Brian Vaughan Chris Ware

artists: John Cassaday Darwyn Cooke Mike Mignola Carlos Pacheco Paul Pelletier George Perez John Romita Jr. Eric Shanower Walt Simonson J.H. Williams & Mick Gray

I'm sure there's some that I'm not thinking of at the moment who would undoubtedly replace a couple people if I compiled this same list a week or a month from now. I'm equally sure that Johanna could rattle off some similar list of people doing stuff of a more indy flavor than the admittedly limited sampling that finds its way onto my Previews order form every month.

No, you said the majority now can't hold a candle to some from the past.

-Ralf Haring 'The mind must be the harder, the heart the keener, the spirit the greater, as our strength grows less.' -Byrhtwold, The Battle of Maldon

All of those were actually created in the 80s. John Constantine first appeared in SWAMP THING in 1985. Sandman and Lady Death were first seen in 1989.

-=ll of those were actually created in the 80s. John Constantine first appeared in SWAMP THING in 1985. Sandman and Lady Death were first seen in 1989.

-=[ The BlakGard ]=- 'Somewhere there's danger; somewhere there's injustice, and somewhere else the tea is getting cold!'