5 Things We Don't Miss About '90s Comics (And 5 We Do)
5. Miss - Crossovers
The '90s, at times, felt like fan fiction come to life. With everyone was reeling from the comics slump, there was more willingness between companies to try new ideas in order to succeed. Those ideas in modern times seem absolutely insane.
Crossovers were not exclusive to the '90s. Spider-Man had met Superman twice in the '80s and Batman crossed paths with the Hulk. These events only picked up steam in the '90s with options from Image Comics becoming viable as well. Batman would meet the Punisher and Judge Dredd, while the X-Men ran into the Teen Titans and WildCATS.
This culminated in 1996's Marvel vs. DC comics. A series of battles, some of which fans voted on, saw favorites from both sides duke it out for universal supremacy.
The fallout of this was the brief, but amazing, launch of the Amalgam Universe. Characters merged to become new versions of themselves. Batman and Wolverine melded into Dark Claw, while Flash and Ghost Rider formed the Speed Demon. It was absolutely ludicrous in the best way.
Sadly, the last major crossover seemed to be JLA/Avengers way back in 2003. And while smaller publishers with licensed characters still interact with heroes, it's been ages since readers have seen major heroes from both universes interacting: a sad fact that doesn't appear to be changing any time soon.