Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login
The John Byrne Forum
Byrne Robotics > The John Byrne Forum << Prev Page of 4
Topic: When JB Left Marvel For DC in the 1980s! Post ReplyPost New Topic
Author
Message
Larry Gil
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 09 November 2005
Location: Canada
Posts: 778
Posted: 07 August 2025 at 6:34pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

Mid-80's is when I left the nest and moved to the big city of Toronto on my own , right about the time JB started Superman . Collected anything JB did as well as Perez , Miller and a few others . I guess at this time I started buying more DC than Marvel . 
Back to Top profile | search
 
Rodrigo castellanos
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 03 July 2012
Location: Uruguay
Posts: 1563
Posted: 08 August 2025 at 3:37am | IP Logged | 2 post reply

I think the move essentially resurrected DC. I for one couldn't really get behind much of their titles until much later with Longbow Hunters, Killing Joke, History of the Universe and the various darker Batman graphic novels.

That's the era when I got seriously into comics as a kid, loved those titles and still do. 

After that, I looked at my Secret Wars comics and they looked stupid. There was no turning back, this got imprinted into my hard drive.


But it's interesting that much of the general or casual audience now thinks of DC as the home of darker content while Marvel is the home of lighter stories. When the actual comic reading audience has generally consider it the inverse.

Yeah, that's also funny to me.

I totally get that a kid in the 60s would find classic DC comics goofy compared to the new Marvel ones.

But the exact opposite is what happened to me in the late 80s/early 90s.



Back to Top profile | search
 
Athanasios Kollias
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 27 September 2021
Location: Greece
Posts: 339
Posted: 08 August 2025 at 5:57am | IP Logged | 3 post reply

I had just bought the second FF book after JB left (#295?) and was furious.Over here, the news reached us much more difficulty back then. That book cemented the fact JB had left the FF.

Then for reasons I can't remember, my brother and I decided to buy the last Superman issue, featuring that Moore/Swan story, which must have been published at basically the same time. Probably the tag line "Last Superman" caught our eye. We kept track of Superman through the Greek reprints, but buying actual American issues was never a priority, as the art wasn't particularly to my liking.

And, amid the pages of that depressing story, I come across the ad for the MOS series! Mind Blown!!

It took some time to convince my brother to start buying the Byrne books, he was mad that Superman was a "weakling" who could no longer push planets and fly faster than light. In any case, we started reading and collecting regularly Superman #3 onwards, and it was actually a few years later that I managed to buy the first couple of Byrne issues of both Superman and Action Comics, as well as MOS and Legends LS issues! That accounts for something like 16-17 Byrne issues, which I devoured in one go!!

I stayed with both FF and Superman for years after JB left, but they were never the same. I have to admit, I still find myself secretely hoping / waiting for JB's return to either title (JB's later Action Comics issues the closest we ever came to that).

At least JB returned to the X-Men twice (Hidden Years and Elsewhen!).


Edited by Athanasios Kollias on 08 August 2025 at 6:01am
Back to Top profile | search
 
ron bailey
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 16 October 2016
Location: United States
Posts: 1269
Posted: 08 August 2025 at 12:10pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

 "... features an excellent drawings of Heather in the Guardian suit and Storm with a mohawk. No contrary personal feelings evident whatsoever."
.......................

Why would there be any issues drawing those characters?

Regarding the OHOTMU covers, I didn't read all of them, but I remember wondering if they are ever going to show us what/where all the characters are running to :)
Back to Top profile | search
 
John Byrne
Avatar
Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 135054
Posted: 08 August 2025 at 1:03pm | IP Logged | 5 post reply

"... features an excellent drawings of Heather in the Guardian suit and Storm with a mohawk. No contrary personal feelings evident whatsoever.".......................

Why would there be any issues drawing those characters?

••

I disliked what had been done with both characters, especially Heather.

But, contrary to views in certain parts of fandom, I play by the rules.

Back to Top profile | search
 
ron bailey
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 16 October 2016
Location: United States
Posts: 1269
Posted: 08 August 2025 at 1:17pm | IP Logged | 6 post reply

Phew ..
I was afraid that I somehow missed that those weren't considered favorite characters, especially Heather. 
Back to Top profile | search
 
Joel Biske
Byrne Robotics Member
Avatar

Joined: 18 January 2007
Location: United States
Posts: 757
Posted: 14 August 2025 at 1:45pm | IP Logged | 7 post reply

I was just out of high school and starting art school. The initial reaction when I got the news at my LCS was "holy crap!" Then, I guess I'll be reading Superman now. Also remember removing FF from my pull list within a few months of JB's last issue. 
Back to Top profile | search | www e-mail
 

If you wish to post a reply to this topic you must first login
If you are not already registered you must first register

<< Prev Page of 4
  Post ReplyPost New Topic
Printable version Printable version

Forum Jump
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot create polls in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

 Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login