Are there any new superheroes making it "big"?

[Sentinel X]

I was talking to a friend about comic books and it dawned on me that the biggest comic book characters are all from the 60s or 70s. Understandably so since these characters have been involved in classic stories that have spanned generations. However, I find it bizarre that there are no mainstream comic book characters (I can think of) that where created in the 2000s or even the 90s for that matter. Why aren't there any new iconic characters in the comic book industry and why aren't comic book companies pushing them? If we look at other industries like books and film, there have been plenty of iconic characters from the 1990 - 2010 that have and will continue to stand the test of time. I can't say the same with comic books. The most "iconic" new characters are often adjuncts of staple characters (ie miles morales as the new spider-man) and really don't stand on their own.

 

[Number 6]

No, not really. Probably the closest is the newest Blue Beetle, had a decent comic run, in the cartoons, and was considered for a TV show. Besides that, though, no.

 

[knowsbleed]

Kick-Ass and Scott Pilgrim are two recent ones. Though they might not "stand the test of time", they have succeeded in developing a modest following outside of the comic book reading population.

 

[Wesley Dodds]

Invincible is a pretty popular new character. In just a few short years, he's basically become the "Face" of Image Comics.

Hellboy's also a popular household name with two successful films, and he was created in the '90s.

Let me mull it over some, I'm sure I can think of some more...

 

[Number 6]

And I guess the reason for no push, is that most people don't seem to be interested. And when you factor in how small and insular the market is and how little mainstream attention it gets, nothing is going to get noticed in that manner.

Now, that is talking about American comic books, of course. I would say that characters from Japanese manga has been able to break through more so into the mainstream (all they lack is Hollywood movie adaptations, but it'll probably happen eventually). Technically, we're still taking about the comic book medium there, even if some people try to distinguish them.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Deadpool is a character in which, if he ever got his own movie, would achieve more mainstream success.

 

[chamber-music]

Spawn was big for a while.

Venom, Deadpool and Gambit are somewhat popular.

 

[Number 6]

Invincible is a pretty popular new character. In just a few short years, he's basically become the "Face" of Image Comics.

Hellboy's also a popular household name with two successful films, and he was created in the '90s.

Let me mull it over some, I'm sure I can think of some more...

I don't know about household name, but you are right, Hellboy did end up becoming fairly well known outside comics. Though I'm pretty sure that second movie was a straight-up bomb.

 

[Wesley Dodds]

I don't know about household name, but you are right, Hellboy did end up becoming fairly well known outside comics. Though I'm pretty sure that second movie was a straight-up bomb.

Bomb? It made 160 Million at the Box Office and has an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Crow's another one.

 

[Number 6]

Bomb? It made 160 Million at the Box Office and has an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Yeah, but the budget was like 80 million plus budgeting, so probably around 100 million or something.

The Crow's another one.

Eh, I'd say he probably is in the same pool as Spawn and Gambit. Some stuff from the 90s that was cool at the time, but I'm sure is totally forgotten by the public at large. I would Venom is there, too, if not for SM3.

The Crow could make a great revival, though.

 

[knowsbleed]

Blade is rather prominent, not as much as he used to be but I'm sure that a remake is on the horizon. Though I don't know if he counts as his character was created in the 70s.

 

[Quasimod0]

Deadpool is who comes to mind. He's making it big now. Just saw him up there with the avengers, spidey and wolverine on the lego marvel cover. And he's gettin his own video game. Just needs a movie now and he'll be ahead of most of the justice league movie wise.

 

[Optimus_Prime_]

Not superheroes, but comics: The Walking Dead and it's characters.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Just goes to show how hard it is to come up with a classic superhero which makes Stan Lee's list of classic characters all the more impressive.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Usually it takes a long history of talented story tellers to make a character a classic and most new characters don't have that luxury.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

The Incredibles, when talking about non comic book characters.

 

[cherokeesam]

Venom doesn't count, since he was created in the '80s; but Carnage is a product of the 90s.

I think X-23 is gaining ground as a popular character. Bishop. War Machine. Certainly Deadpool.

On the villain front, the 90s and 21Cen have given us Bane, Doomsday, Harley Quinn, Hush as popular Bat- and Super-nasties.

I guess the whole Ultimates universe can be considered "new" characters....but then again, not. And by the same token, the whole Marvel Zombie universe is popular.

 

[The Guard]

Blue Beetle is the only one I can think of who has really enjoyed anything close to a surge in popularity. Similarly, DC is trying to push Cyborg, but I don't think he's caught on as much.

The new Ultimate Spider-Man seems to be fairly popular. But that's also Spider-Man, who's been iconic for a long time...

In the late ninetines/early 2000's, The Authority was pretty big as I recall, but they seem to have fizzled a bit as grimdark went out of style.

BEWARE THE BATMAN seems to be pushing Katana...we'll see what happens there.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

Venom will always been a key Spider-man villain because the black suit storyline (adapted or true to the comics) is still one of the most popular Spider-man stories. He's as popular as Doc Ock or Green Goblin, no matter how badly written he is.

 

[Paladin-Hoss]

think X-23 is gaining ground as a popular character

It's true.She was on the verge of being a breakout character.She's gained significant followers after the two excellent mini series and for awhile she was the only marvel female character that's got her own solo series for a couple of years...and of course her appearance in that MvsC..

Then of course Marvel being Marvel, they kinda pulled the plug on the whole thing. Now it looks like she's gonna get killed off in that Avengers: Arena series...

But back on topic...i Don't think that there will be any true breakout stars from comics anymore. There maybe a couple that'l gained more mainstream popularity because of the movies, but sadly it won't translate to comic success too. Comics as a medium is pretty stagnate nowadays. It doesn't lose alot of readers, but it doesn't gain any significant new readers too..

 

[Doctor Evo]

Really Really Big Man.

 

[Project862006]

deadpool by far he has several solo comics and has his own video game and hopefully his solo movie finally gets made

 

[Darthphere]

deadpool by far he has several solo comics and has his own video game and hopefully his solo movie finally gets made

So did The Punisher.

 

[Silvermoth]

The Walking Dead is doing very very well. Maybe it will become a model for others?

Also Kick Ass of course.

 

[redhawk23]

Because Marvel and DC make up such a huge portion of and industry that has been retracting for a long time. When something is a huge success by the standards of the smaller companies it still doesn't hold a candle to the the Big 2's wheel house of trademarks. Marvel and DC dont' have a huge amount of incentive to come up with with knew main characters.

Then of course Superheros may simply be a bit played out. Many of the best selling comics from the smaller companies (and many of the most highly regarded at DC right now) explore other genres and really thats the way comics need to go if they are going to survive.

As others have mentioned though there has been a few. Hellboy has carved a nice little niche for himself and Mignola has his own little world of related projects.

As well as Spawn.

By far the most successful newer property though is the walking dead with the very successful TV show the series reaching the 100 issue mark. The video game from Telltale games has also done really well and is quite good. A TV Show tie in game from activision is also on the way but that one looks dreadful.

A lot of manga and the anime shows based on them have been really successful the past few decades too let's not forget.