The biggest blockbuster film of the summer is in theaters…and it’s a comic book crossover! The longstanding tradition of summer crossover events in comics made its way to movie theaters in 2012 and it hasn’t left since. If you’re looking for some comics to read while huddling close to the air conditioner during these dog days of summer, Back to the Past has blockbuster comic book crossovers to suggest!
Speaking of comic book blockbusters, collectors will want to check out this weekend’s Silver to Modern Era Comics Blockbuster auction. It boasts a huge array of runs, sets, key issues, art portfolios, anything and everything a comic fan could want!
The JLA/JSA Crossovers (1963-1984)
The first JLA/JSA Summer Crossover!
In 1963, DC Comics took advantage of its newly introduced Multiverse to cross over the Justice League of America and its Golden Age predecessor, The Justice Society of America. Taking place in JLofA #21-22, the original “Crisis on Two Earths” was a hit. If featured to the two teams joining forces to battle super-villains from two worlds in the void between universes. It was a special kind of comic book crazy on an epic scale. Every summer for the next twenty-one years, the two teams would cross over for a brand-new adventure. These adventures were blockbusters, bringing back long-forgotten characters and crossing over franchises in a time when such things were rare. They are the template for the modern mega crossover and a must-read for big fans of DC Comics. And despite going on for two decades, the issue count here is still smaller than the number of tie-ins on some modern crossovers.
The Infinity Gauntlet (1991)
Thanos kills half the Marvel Universe in Infinity Gauntlet #1!
Though there’d been blockbuster crossover events in the Marvel Universe before, Infinity Gauntlet raised the stakes like never before! Thanos, a fan-favorite baddy from the 70s, had recently returned from the dead in the pages of Silver Surfer. His creator, Jim Starlin, had big plans for him. In the Thanos Quest mini-series, the Mad Titan gathered up all six of the newly renamed Infinity Gems. In Infinity Gauntlet #1, he used them. With a snap of his fingers, half of all life in the universe was simply wiped out. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes were left flatfooted by their now-omnipotent foe, with unfathomable odds against their victory. It was an all-time classic story even before it became the basis for Avengers: Infinity War.
Flashpoint (2011)
Flashpoint re-invented the DC Universe – twice!
How do you reboot the entire DC Universe? With a crossover! Flashpoint saw Barry “The Flash” Allen wake up in an alternate timeline where his mother is alive, superheroes are few and far between, he doesn’t have powers, and the world’s on the brink of an apocalyptic war between Atlantis and The Amazons. He tries to regain his powers and unite the damaged world’s heroes to save it. The coolest part of this crossover was how fleshed out its world was. It boasted sixteen separate tie-in mini-series that explored the Flashpoint world in great detail. You didn’t have to read them all, but doing so gave this nightmare world The Flash had woken up in more steps and his quest even greater stakes. It’s all worth a read, even if it did spawn controversial follow-ups like The New 52 and the 2023 Flash movie.
Maximum Carnage (1993)
Maximum Carnage was the first blockbuster Spider-Event!
From the sprawling to the self-contained! For four months in 1993, the five different Spider-Man titles told one epic story. Carnage, the merger of a psychopathic murderer and an alien symbiote, escapes the prison cell he’s been in since his defeat over a year (real time) earlier. He quickly gathers a Manson-style family of minor villains and begins a rampage across New York City. Their goal? Nothing in particular. Just, well, carnage. Spider-Man and Venom, bitter enemies turned uneasy allies, team-up to end the slaughter. They’re joined by Morbius, Captain America, Cloak & Dagger, Iron Fist, Firestar, and other heroes in this battle. Some want to capture Carnage, others want him dead, and which side will get their way? It’s an epic story that contrasts the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man with Venom’s Lethal Protector approach in a way that doesn’t feel like either is “silly”. For the retro gamer in the crowd, this story was adapted into a classic video game for the SNES and Genesis.
Comic Book Crossovers Make For Key Issues
The line wide shake-ups caused by crossover events have made for more than a few key issues over the years. Whether it’s the introduction of a hot new character like Jaime “Blue Beetle” Reyes, the debut of a new team like The Spider-Society, or shocking death of a fan-favorite like Supergirl, the best comic book crossovers live up to their hype.
If you’ve got a comic collection you’re looking to sell, you’ve come to the right place! Back to the Past specializes in making sure that your comics find good homes for good money with no effort on your part. Drop us a line today to get the selling process started!
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