From what I remember, comics kinda tapered off in quality during the mid-to-later 1990s. 1990 and 1991 kicked off a monumental time for the 'upstarts' in the industry. we all know the usual suspects: McFarlane, Lee, Leifeld, Larson, etc... The artists reigned supreme! Single issues were selling in the millions of copies!

Image comics kicked off with bang, in the wake of all those talented aritsts leaving Marvel. It was great times for about...oh...2. maybe 3 years? 1991-1993 brought us WILDCats, Spawn, and the such. But then, those danged multi-variant covers!!

(never really liked them). Ok, yes I did. But so did everyone else! lol

The word for years was FOIL. Platinum Foil. Blue Foil. Red Foil. FOIL refraction covers. FOIL reFLECTIVE covers. Variants and foils!! And 'chromiums'. And Etched covers! But it was only cool covers. The quality of story, plot, sequencing, pacing INSIDE the books....all these elements were seriously lacking! It was ALL ABOUT THE COVERS.

And the art. The stories were rather whack. But the art was kick-ass! (if you could forgive such nuances like PROPORTION and PERSPECTIVE  lol )

And that is where I got lost. I'm guessing 1996 (right around the whole ONSLAUGHT brohaha), is where I tapered off of comics. All the revamps and relaunches, and deaths and rebirths.....it got really stupid, really fast.

For me, killing Superman (and bringing him back) and then killing all the Marvel Heroes... that was it for comics for awhile.

cont...

I started peaking in comics during my teen years (the late 1980s ... lol).

By the age of 17, I'm sure I owned over 500 issues, all of them neatly (meticulously, laboriously, geek-ly, obsessively, pick one lol)bagged and boarded.

X-Men and Spiderman were, in my opinion, at an all-time high. McFarlane singlehandedly changed the industry with his work on ASM, and the legendary team of Claremont/Silvestri is still me fave creative team ever (from Uncanny X-men).

...and then there was Image.

Image was an amazing time for the industry. A lot of people might have their opinions NOW, but back then the guys at Image  were demi-gods! They could do no wrong - and commanded the utmost respect (and $$$) from the industry.

(Of course, we all know how that story progressed)

Comic books during this era (1988 - 1992) proved to me that this American medium should not be taken lightly. Titles were being elevated to cult-status, and artist's were like rockstars. Guys like Leifeld and Lee were being featured in TV commercials and dating supermodels! McFarlane and 'Spawn' were becoming household names. Single issues were selling in the MILLIONS! Awesome!

I knew that I would be a comic book fan for life! ....

then the mid 1990's happened.

cont.

In 1983, my uncle (RIP) gave me a box of tattered DC comics. It had titles like Justice Society, Legion of Superheroes, Batman, etc...
I was immediately drawn into them for the artwork, but later grew to love the characters and storylines. By the summer of 1985, I was hopelessly engrossed into the world of comics. My collection grew to a few HUNDRED books.

 In 1985 I was 11 years old.

My favorite books that year?  X-Factor and Web of Spiderman. Mutants ruled and the Black costume rocked!

Comics were still only .50 apiece, so I would take every loose bit of change I could find, head down to the 7-11, or Lawsons, or UDF, or whatever drugstore chain, and buy every book that came out. It was nothing short of an addiction. When I had a book it was pure heaven.

I can distinctly remember when Amazing Spiderman Ann. #21 (Peter and MJ get married) hit the stands; or when Batman: Dark Knight Returns had everyone going nuts!; or when Spiderman #300 introduced Venom!; or how insanely cool Gambit was in X-Men #266. These books represent hallmarks in my life.
I rememebr when and where I was when I bought them all.

cont. later.....!