We’re currently building this timeline of Key Copper Age Comics…a work-in-progress!
Explanations / criteria:
- List is broken down by year, and then titles are listed alphabetically within each year.
- For titles where it isn’t completely obvious whom the publisher was — mostly independent titles — the publisher is noted in (parentheses).
- This is a hybrid list; criteria for inclusion is that each key comic was either highly sought after at some point back then (during the Copper Age), and / or has remained or emerged as a key since!
- Issues must have been published during the Copper Age years of 1984 – 1991. Example of exclusion: Omega Men #3 is Lobo’s first appearance. This issue became hot during the Copper Age, however, it was published in 1983, therefore is not included on the list.
- Select issues are linked to previous blogs we’ve had about them (eventually all will be linked).
Enjoy the memories!
1984
Albedo #2 (Thoughts and Images) – First appearance Usagi Yojimbo
Alpha Flight #13, 17 – Wolverine, John Byrne
Amazing Spider-Man #252 – Spidey in new black costume
Elementals #1 (Comico)
Flaming Carrot (Aardvark-Vanaheim / Renegade)
G.I. Joe #21 – “Silent Issue,” first Storm Shadow
G.I. Joe #26, 27 – Snake-Eyes Origin
G.I. Joe Yearbook #1
Gobbledygook #1 and #2 – Eastman & Laid fanzine, featuring TMNT teaser ads
Grimjack #1 (First)
Groo Special (Eclipse)
Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #1 – 6
Love and Rockets (Fatagraphics)
Macross #1 (Comico) – Becomes Robotech: The Macross Saga with #2
Mage (Comico)
Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #8 – First Spidey symbiote / black costume
Marvel Team-Up #150 – Last issue, X-Men appearance
Megaton Man (Kitchen Sink)
Mister X (Vortex)
New Mutants #18 – Sienkiewicz begins run
New Mutants #21 – First Warlock
Omaha, The Cat Dancer (Steeldragon Press) – Adult series
Phoenix: The Untold Story
Power Pack #1
Rocketeer Special Edition (Eclipse)
Star Trek #1 (DC)
Superman #400
Tales of the Teen Titans #44 – First Nightwing, Deathstroke appearance
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage)
Transformers #1
West Coast Avengers #1 – Limited series
X-Men #186 – “Life and Death: Part 1″ Barry Windsor-Smith
Zot! (Eclipse)
1985
Avengers #263 – First appearance of X-Factor
Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 – 12
Critters #1 (Fantagraphics)
Dazzler #34 – X-Men appearance
Ewoks (Marvel / Star)
Fantastic Four #286 – X-Factor, continued from Avengers #263
Fish Police #1 (Fishwrap)
Fugitoid #1 (Mirage) – Early TMNT tie-in
Groo the Wanderer (Marvel / Epic)
Heroes for Hope starring the X-Men – Classic Art Adams cover
Hulk #314 – Byrne starts run
Longshot – Art Adams
Miracleman (Eclipse)
Mr. Monster (Eclipse)
Moonshadow (Marvel / Epic)
New Mutants Special Edition – Asgardian Wars, Art Adams
Nightcrawler
Power Pack #19 – Wolverine
Punisher (Limited Series) #1 – 5
Secret Wars II
Scout (Eclipse)
Shadow of the Batman - Reprints of Englehart / Simonson / Marshall Rogers
Shatter (First)
Swamp Thing #37 – Alan Moore, first appearance of John Constantine
Thundercats #1 (Marvel / Star)
Web of Spider-Man #1 – Vess cover
Web of Spider-Man Annual #1 – Vess cover
X-Factor #1
X-Men #195 – Power Pack
X-Men #198 – “Life and Death: Part 2″ Barry Windsor-Smith
X-Men #200
X-Men Annual #9 – Asgardian Wars, Art Adams
X-Men / Alpha Flight – Asgardian Wars
1986
3-D Alien Terror (Eclipse)
3-D Alien Terror, Special “2-D” Edition (Eclipse)
Adolescent Radioactive Blackbelt Hamsters #1 (Eclipse)
Adventurers #1 Limited Edition Cover Variant (Aircel)
Alpha Flight #33, 34 – Wolverine guest stars, Mignola covers
Amazing Spider-Man #285 – Punisher appearance, Zeck Punisher cover
Batman #400 – Anniversary issue, Sienkiewicz cover
Batman #404 – 408 – Batman: Year One, Script by Frank Miller, art by David Mazzucchelli
Captain America Annual #8 – Versus Wolverine, Zeck cover and interiors
Captain Confederacy #1 (Steeldragon)
Classic X-Men #1
Daredevil #277 – 233 – “Born Again” by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli
Dark Horse Presents #1 – First Concrete
Eagle #1 (Crystal)
Elflord #1 (Aircel)
Ex-Mutants #1 (Eternity) – Ron Lim
Firestar #2 – Wolverine cover
G.I. Joe Special Missions #1
G.I. Joe and the Transformers #1 – 4
Grendel (Comico) – Ongoing series
Grimjack #26 (First) – TMNT back-up story in color
Grips #1 (SilverWolf) – Tim Vigil
Hulk and Wolverine – Reprints Wolvie’s first appearances in Hulk #180-181
Legends #1 – 6
Man of Steel – Byrne limited series
Maus: A Survivor’s Tale GN (Pantheon)
Megaton #3 – First full appearance of Savage Dragon
‘Nam
New Mutants Annual #2 – First Psylocke
Power Pack #27 – Wolverine
Rip in Time (Fantagor) – Richard Corben
Roachmill (Blackthorne)
Samurai (Aircel)
Swamp Thing #52, 53 – Alan Moore, Arkham Asylum
The Shadow – Limited Series, Chaykin
Spectacular Spider-Man #116, 119 – Sabretooth
Spider-Man vs. Wolverine – One-shot
Star Wars #106, 107 – Final issues, low print runs
(Adventures of) Superman #422 – Bolland “monster” cover
Superman #1 – Byrne new series
TMNT one-shots: Donatello, Leonardo, Michaelangelo, Raphael (Mirage)
Thor #374 – Mutant Massacre tie-in
Trollords #1 (Tru Studios)
Warlock 5 #1 (Aircel)
Web of Spider-Man Annual #2 – Art Adams interiors, Vess cover
Wonder Woman #1
X-Factor #6 – First full appearance of Apocalypse
X-Men #205 – Wolverine cover, Barry Windsor-Smith
X-Men #207 – Classic Wolverine “rip through” cover, JRJR
X-Men #210, 211 – Mutant Massacre issues
X-Men #212, 213 – Wolverine vs. Sabretooth
1987
Action Force #1 (Marvel) – British G.I. Joe magazine
Alpha Flight #52, 53 – Wolverine guest stars, Kevin Nowlan and Jim Lee covers
Amazing Spider-Man #289 – Hobgoblin origin
Kraven’s Last Hunt – Amazing Spider-Man #293, 294, Spectacular Spider-Man #131, 132, Web of Spider-Man #31, 32
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 – Wedding issue, with variant covers for newsstand and direct market
The American (Dark Horse)
Animal Man – Grant Morrison, Brian Bolland Covers
Batman: Son of the Demon – Original Hardcover Graphic Novel
Captain America #332 – Cap resigns
Captain EO (Eclipse)
Concrete #1 (Dark Horse)
Daredevil #241 – McFarlane
Daredevil #248, 249 – Wolverine
Detective #574 – Origin retold, Jason Todd
Detective #575 – 578 – Batman: Year Two, McFarlane
Firestorm #61 Variant – Superman logo
Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters
Hulk #330 – McFarlane starts
Hulk #340 – McFarlane, Wolverine
Iron Man #225 – Armor Wars begins
Justice League#1 – New team, Kevin Maguire
Justice League #3 Variant – Superman logo
Justice League #5 – “One punch!” issue
Justice League #7 – Becomes “Justice League International”
Lone Wolf and Cub (First)
Marshal Law (Marvel / Epic)
Marvel Fanfare #34 – 37 – Charles Vess, Asgardian heroes
Tales of the TMNT #1 (Mirage)
The Pitt (Marvel) – New Universe one-shot, Pittsburgh destroyed
Punisher #1 (Regular Series)
Silver Surfer #1
Star Trek: The Next Generation #1
Transformers 3-D (Blackthorne)
Turtle Soup (Mirage)
Usagi Yojimbo (Fantagraphics)
Web of Spider-Man #29 – Wolverine
Xenozoic Tales (Kitchen Sink)
X-Factor #14 – Angel loses wings, Simonson
X-Factor #24 – First appearance of Archangel, Simonson
X-Men #222 – Wolverine vs. Sabretooth
1988
Action Comics #600 – Superman 50th Anniversary Issue
Amazing Spider-Man #298 – McFarlane’s first issue
Amazing Spider-Man #300 – McFarlane, first Venom
Akira #1 (Marvel / Epic)
Alf #1 (Marvel)
Aliens (Dark Horse) – BW series
Batgirl Special -Batgirl’s final case, before being host in The Killing Joke
Batman #417 – 420 – Ten Nights of the Beast
Batman #423 – McFarlane cover
Batman #426 – 428 – A Death in the Family
Beauty and the Beast (First) – TV adaptation
Black Kiss (Vortex) – Adult, Howard Chaykin
Blackhawk – Chaykin
Daredevil #254 – Typhoid Mary
Daredevil #257 – Punisher
Dark Horse Presents #24 – Aliens
Den (Fantagor) – Richard Corben
Excalibur (Special Edition) “The Sword Is Drawn”
Excalibur #1 (Regular Series)
G.I. Joe European Missions #1 (Marvel UK)
G.I. Joe 3-D (Blackthorne)
Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told HC
Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told HC
Hellblazer #1
Independent Comic Book Sampler #1 and #2
Marvel Comics Presents #1
Marvel Tales #209 – Reprints first app. Punisher, Zeck cover
Maze Agency #1 (Comico) – Adam Hughes
New Titans #50 – Perez returns to book
Nick Fury vs. Shield
Sandman #1
Star Wars 3-D (Blackthorne)
Punisher #10 – Dardevil, Portacio
Punisher War Journal #1
Rocketeer Adventure Magazine (Comico / Dark Horse)
Silver Surfer: Parable – Stan Lee and Moebius
Spectacular Spider-Man #141 – 143 – Punisher
Terminator (Now Comics)
The Tick #1, 2 (New England Comics)
V for Vendetta
The Weird
Wolverine #1 - Regular Series
1989
Aliens (Dark Horse) – Color series
Avengers West Coast #42 – Byrne
Batman #436 – 439 – Batman: Year Three
Batman Movie Adaptation
Complete Frank Miller Batman (Longmeadow Press)
Catwoman #1 – 4
Cheval Noir #1 (Dark Horse)
The Crow (Caliber)
Cry for Dawn (Cry for Dawn)
Dark Horse Presents #34 – 36 – Aliens vs. Predator
Detective #598 – 600 – Blind Justic 50th Anniversary arc
Doom Patrol #19 – Grant Morrisson starts writing
Fantastic Four #334 – Walt Simonson takes over
Faust (Northstar / Rebel Studios) – Tim Vigil
Gotham by Gaslight – Batman, Mignola
Green Hornet (Now Comics)
The Hobbit (Eclipse)
Justice League Europe #1
Legends of the Dark Knight #1 – Blue, yellow, orange, pink variants
Moonwalker (Michael Jackson) in 3-D (Blackthorne)
New Mutants #86, 87 – Cameo and First Appearance of Cable, Rob Liefeld
Predator (Dark Horse)
Punisher War Journal #6, 7 – Wolverine
Punisher: Return to Big Nothing HC GN
Ring of the Nibelung (DC)
Rock n’ Roll Comics #1 (Revolutionary) – Guns ‘N Roses
Secret Origins Special #1 – Batman villains, Bolland cover
Tapping the Vein (Eclipse) – Clive Barker
Thor #411, 412 – First New Warriors
Uncensored Mouse (Eternity)
Vampire Lestat (Innovation)
What If…? #7 – Liefeld Wolverine
What If…? #10 – Punisher, Zeck cover
Wolverine (Regular Series) #10 – Sabretooth
Wolverine: The Jungle Adventure – Mignola
X-Factor #41, 42 – Art Adams
X-Factor #50 – Liefeld / McFarlane cover
X-Men #244 – First Jubilee
X-Men #245 – Liefeld cover
X-Men #248 – Jim Lee issue
X-Men #251 – Wolverine crucified
X-Men #256 – 258 – Jim Lee
1990
Action Comics #662 – Clark Kent reveals identity to Lois Lane
Aliens: Earth War (Dark Horse)
Aliens vs. Predator (Dark Horse)
Alpha Flight #87 – 90 – Wolverine, Jim Lee covers
Amazing Spider-Man #331-333 – Punisher and Venom, Erik Larson
Dark Horse Presents #42, 43 – Aliens
Darkhawk #1
Batman #457 – New Robin in costume
Books of Magic (DC)
Fantastic Four #347 – 349 – Art Adams, Spider-Man / Wolverine / Hulk / Ghost Rider
Foolkiller #1
Ghost Rider #1 – Texiera
Ghost Rider #5, 6 – Punisher
Give Me Liberty (Dark Horse)
Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn
Guardians of the Galaxy #1
Hard Boiled (Dark Horse)
Hulk #369 – Start of Dale Keown run
Hulk #376, 377 – Personality merger, florescent green cover, Dale Keown
Legends of Nascar (Vortex)
Married…With Children (Now Comics)
Marvel Comics Presents #48 – 50 – Spidey and Wolverine, Erik Larsen
Men in Black (Aircel)
Moon Knight #19 – 21 – Spider-Man, Punisher
New Mutants #98 – First Appearance of Deadpool, Rob Liefeld
New Warriors #1, 2
Nomad
NFL SuperPro (Marvel)
Planet of the Apes #1 (Adventure) – Dale Keown cover
Robin #1
Robocop #1 (Marvel)
Rocky Horror Picture Show #1 (Caliber)
Shade, The Changing Man #1
Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #10 – McFarlane “Spawn-esque” Prowler back-up story
Spider-Man #1 – McFarlane, bagged editions, gold reprint
Spider-Man #6, 7 – Ghost Rider
Superman #50 – Marriage proposal issue
Terminator: The Burning Earth (Now Comics)
Terminator (Dark Horse)
The Tick #8 (New England Comics) – No logo “error” variant
Twilight Zone (Now Comics)
World’s Finest – Steve Rude
X-Factor #52 – Sabretooth, Liefeld cover
X-Tinction Agenda – X-Men #270 – 272, X-Factor #60 – 62, New Mutants #95 – 97
X-Factor #63 – Start of Portacio run
X-Men #266 – First Gambit
X-Men #267 – Start of Jim Lee run
X-Men #268 – Captain America, Jim Lee
X-Men Annual #14 – Brief Gambit appearance, pre-X-Men 266
1991
Amazing Spider-Man #346, 347 – Venom, Erik Larson
Bone #1 (Cartoon Books)
Conan #241 – McFarlane cover
Deathlok #1
Deathstroke the Terminator (DC)
Detective #627 – Anniversary of Batman’s 600th appearance in title
Ghost Rider #15 – Glow-in-the-dark cover
Infinity Guantlet
Magnus: Robot Fighter (Valiant)
Marvel Comics Presents #72 -84 – Wolverine Weapon X
New Mutants #100 – Last Issue, before relaunching as X-Force, Rob Liefeld
Silver Surfer #50 – Foil-stamped / embossed cover
Solar: Man of the Atom (Valiant)
Spider-Man #8 – 12 – Wolverine
Superman: Man of Steel #1 – Regular series
Wolverine #50 – Die-cut cover
Wonder Man #1
X-Factor #72 – New team, start of Stroman run
X-Force #1 – Five bagged variants, Liefeld
(Uncanny) X-Men #281 – Start Portacio run
X-Men #1 – Five variants, Jim Lee
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