Trailblazers: 9 Comic Books That Started Global Phenomena
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Many people believe that comic book-based global hype fan mania events started with the advent of the MCU in 2008, but that is not true. 1978’s Superman and 1989’s Batman generated global, brand merchandising hype machines long before the MCU existed.
There have been several cult favorites and mainstream comic books that generated global hype on their own terms. Here are 9 comic books that did just that on independent or mainstream scales.
1. Planetary
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Planetary is a 1998 cult-favorite comic book series that only hardcore readers know about. It’s one of those innovative comic books that should have been adapted for film adaptation long ago. The amnesiac Elijah Snow leads a team tasked with uncovering technological and scientific secrets that have been purposefully withheld from humanity due to an unknown conspiracy This series is lauded by fans for its deconstruction of the superhero genre.
Planetary published 27 issues intermittingly from 1998 to 2009. The series once went on a three-year hiatus due to the creators suffering from illnesses and work conflicts. Still, global fans clamored for the series to resume and religiously waited for the series to end, no matter how long it took.
2. The Boys
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The Boys is a 2006 comic book series that had a cult audience but was not commercially successful when first published. The series centers on human mercenaries, led by Billy Butcher, who are tasked with nullifying the threat caused by corrupt superheroes. In The Boys comic books, all superheroes are corrupt, cynical, and a threat to public safety. Although a fan favorite, the series was canceled by Wildstorm before Dynamite Comics picked it up.
The Boys became a global phenomenon in 2019 when it was adapted into a streaming show for Amazon. The Boys has premiered four seasons of episodes, a spinoff web series called Seven on 7, and another spinoff show called Gen V.
3. Injustice: Gods Among Us
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Injustice: Gods Among Us is a 2013 comic book adaptation of the video game of the same name. The story is centered on the Joker tricking Superman into killing a pregnant Lois Lane, Superman kills the Joker and becomes a global fascist ruling the world under his will. Batman leads a rebel group of heroes opposing Superman. Injustice became wildly popular spawning multiple series of video sequels and comic books.
Injustice was used as the inspiration for the DCEU Superman, portrayed by Henry Cavill. Cavill was shown to become a future global tyrant in the “Knightmare,” sequence in 2016’s Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice.
4. Invincible
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Invincible is a 2003 comic book series created by writer Robert Kirkland. The story is about a teen, Mark Grayson, who finds out that his father is a superpowered alien who originally came to Earth to conquer it. Mark’s father, Nolan, the former hero Omni-Man changed his mind, took a wife, and started a family. The Invincible comic books recount Mark’s struggles with accepting his alien lineage and responsibilities as a superhero.
While Invincible was critically acclaimed it truly became a global phenomenon in 2021 when it was adapted into an Amazon animated series. Omni-Man became a fan-favorite character in the 2023 video game Mortal Kombat 1.
5. The Walking Dead
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There are not many comic books in the history of the medium that have generated global hype and fan phenomenon like The Walking Dead. Also created by Robert Kirkman, the horror comic book series is about a group of humans, led by former police officer Rick Grimes, as they struggle to survive in a world destroyed by a zombie apocalypse. While beloved by fans, it did not truly become a global hit until 2010 when it was adapted into a TV series for AMC. TWD aired on AMC from 2010 to 2022 and spawned six more spinoff TV shows with no signs of slowing down.
6. The Dark Knight Returns
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In 1986, Batman was seen as a wholesome, family-friendly superhero based on Adam West’s 1960s version of the character. Writer and artist Frank Miller reimagined Batman as an elderly, fascist vigilante who had given up on Gotham City but returned with a vengeance in 1986’s The Dark Knight Returns. An elderly and slower Bruce Wayne retired after the murder of Robin. Wayne now returns to fight crime but is stymied by corrupt government officials and a government-controlled Superman.
These comic books changed the characterization of Batman into a cynical, brooding, Dark Knight detective who fights crime at any cost. Tim Burton and Michael Keaton’s Batman ‘89, Batman: TAS, Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, Ben Affleck and Robert Pattinson’s Batman portrayals, and many other Batman adaptions have all been directly or indirectly inspired by The Dark Knight Returns.
7. Watchmen
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Watchmen were 12 comic books published from 1986 to 1987 that changed how superheroes were characterized in the medium. The story is about cynical superheroes in a world where nuclear war is imminent. The story is a deconstruction of superhero tropes and shows how worse off the world would be if superheroes actually existed.
This comic and The Dark Knight Returns, among others, helped usher in the trend of antiheroes and gritty superheroes who operated in a way that barely differentiated them from supervillains. This series inspired a 2009 film adaptation and a critically acclaimed 2019 HBO series of the same name.
8. The Death of Superman
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The Death of Superman is a 1992 storyline and event in which one of the world’s most recognizable comic book icons, Superman, temporarily died. DC Comic editors and creators reportedly devised the stunt as a way to make fans appreciate the character more since comic sales of the era had dipped. Superman died fighting the monster Doomsday in 1992’s Superman #75. The storyline sold over six million comic books and was one of the biggest global news stories of the year. This story inspired 2016’s BvS and 2017’s Justice League films.
9. Hellboy
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Hellboy is a character created by renowned comic book creator Mike Mignola. The character is a demon/human hybrid born in the 1500s to a human mother. The creature was exiled until the last days of WWII when Rasputin summoned it for use as a weapon for the Nazis. The child-like creature was rescued by Prof. Broom and the U.S. military. He was given the name “Hellboy,” and grew up to become an occult investigator.
The character had a cult fanbase that went global in 2004 and 2008 with the Guillermo del Toro-directed Hellboy films starring Ron Perlman. David Harbour reprised the character in a 2019 reboot. A fourth Hellboy film starring Jack Kesy should be released in the near future.
What Comic Books Will Start The Next Global Hype Wave?
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Comic books have always had a global fanbase. These global fanbases have just become more recognizable and vocal in the digital age. What comic books and stories will generate the global phenomenon and hype machines of the future? Stay current with your favorite comic book titles and check out new ones to stay ahead of the fanbase curve.
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Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including saving and investing in your own small business.
