DC COMICS: 1980 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| DC Comics Presents #26 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | 1st appearance of the New Teen Titans (Cyborg, Raven, and Starfire). 1st appearance of the Untouchables. | Oct 1980 |
| New Teen Titans #2 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | 1st appearance of Deathstroke the Terminator (Slade Wilson). Cameo appearance of Trigon. | Dec 1980 |
| DC Comics Presents #27 | Len Wein, Jim Starlin | 1st appearance of Mongul. Debut of the Martian Manhunter in the Bronze Age DC Comics Presents series. | Nov 1980 |
| Batman #326 | Len Wein, Irv Novick | First time "Arkham Asylum" is mentioned by name (previously called Arkham Hospital). 1st appearance of Professor Milo. | Aug 1980 |
| Brave and the Bold #166 | Cary Burkett, Dan Spiegle | 1st appearance of Nemesis (Thomas Tresser). | Sept 1980 |
| The Flash #286 | Cary Bates, Don Heck | 1st appearance of Rainbow Raider (Roy G. Bivolo). | Jun 1980 |
| Detective Comics #493 | Gerry Conway, Don Newton | 1st appearance of the Swashbuckler. First time Batman uses the "Whirly-Bat" in the Bronze Age. | Aug 1980 |
| Green Lantern #124 | Marv Wolfman, Joe Staton | 1st appearance of the Omega Men (cameo). | Jan 1980 |
| Action Comics #507 | Cary Bates, Curt Swan | 1st appearance of Vestion, Celox, and Thul-Kar (The Kryptonian Sorcerers). | May 1980 |
| New Teen Titans #1 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | First issue of the landmark series. First full appearance of the H.I.V.E. organization. | Nov 1980 |
| DC Comics Presents #28 | Len Wein, Jim Starlin | 1st appearance of Warworld. Major battle between Superman, Supergirl, and Mongul. | Dec 1980 |
| Batman #321 | Len Wein, Walt Simonson | Classic Joker cover by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez. Iconic "Joker's Birthday" story. | Mar 1980 |
| Justice League of America #183 | Gerry Conway, George Pérez | Crisis on Earth-Prime begins. JLA/JSA crossover featuring the first Bronze Age meeting with the New Gods. | Oct 1980 |
| The Flash #283 | Cary Bates, Don Heck | "The Death of Iris West" fallout. Reverse-Flash (Professor Zoom) reveals his origins to Barry Allen. | Mar 1980 |
| Superman #348 | Cary Bates, Curt Swan | 1st appearance of the Master Jailer (Carl Draper). | Jun 1980 |
| Batman #323 | Len Wein, Irv Novick | Early appearance of Tim Fox (son of Lucius Fox), who later becomes the Next Batman. | May 1980 |
| Green Lantern #128 | Denny O'Neil, Joe Staton | 1st appearance of the Shark in the Bronze Age. Major Green Arrow/Green Lantern team-up. | May 1980 |
| Detective Comics #488 | Jack C. Harris, Don Newton | 1st appearance of the new Bat-Signal and the modern Bat-Cave tech upgrades of the 80s. | Feb 1980 |
| Warlord #35 | Mike Grell | Introduction of the "New Skartaris" lore. Mike Grell's peak fantasy-superhero art. | Jul 1980 |
| Superman #352 | Marv Wolfman, Curt Swan | Destiny of the Universe storyline. 1st appearance of the Council of Five. | Oct 1980 |
DC COMICS: 1981 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Action Comics #521 | Gerry Conway, Curt Swan | 1st appearance of Vixen (Mari McCabe). | Jul 1981 |
| Tales of the Green Lantern Corps #1 | Len Wein, Joe Staton | 1st appearance of Nekron, the Lord of the Unliving. | May 1981 |
| Tales of the Green Lantern Corps #2 | Len Wein, Joe Staton | 1st appearance of Arisia Rrab. | Jun 1981 |
| New Teen Titans #4 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | 1st full appearance of Trigon the Terrible. | Feb 1981 |
| Justice League of America #193 | Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler | 1st appearance of the All-Star Squadron (in a 16-page preview insert). | Aug 1981 |
| House of Mystery #290 | J.M. DeMatteis, Tom Sutton | 1st appearance of Andrew Bennett. Begins the highly acclaimed "I... Vampire" storyline. | Mar 1981 |
| Detective Comics #500 | Len Wein, Carmine Infantino, Walt Simonson | Massive 80-page anniversary issue featuring "To Kill a Legend" and appearances by Deadman, Slam Bradley, and Hawkman. | Mar 1981 |
| Green Lantern #141 | Marv Wolfman, Joe Staton | 1st full appearance of the Omega Men in their own dimension. | Jun 1981 |
| New Teen Titans #10 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | 1st time Deathstroke is unmasked; Slade Wilson's origin is revealed. | Aug 1981 |
| The Flash #300 | Cary Bates, Carmine Infantino | Anniversary issue; Barry Allen's origin is retold. | Aug 1981 |
| All-Star Squadron #1 | Roy Thomas, Rich Buckler | First issue of the classic Earth-Two World War II series. | Sep 1981 |
| Batman #337 | Gerry Conway, Roy Thomas, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez | 1st appearance of the Snowman (Klaus Kristin). | Jul 1981 |
| Arak, Son of Thunder #1 | Roy Thomas, Ernie Colón | 1st appearance of Arak. | Sep 1981 |
| Batman #340 | Gerry Conway, Roy Thomas, Gene Colan | 1st appearance of the Mole. | Oct 1981 |
| Madame Xanadu #1 | Steve Englehart, Michael Wm. Kaluta | Highly acclaimed one-shot and first solo title for Madame Xanadu. | 1981 |
DC COMICS: 1982 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| DC Comics Presents #47 | Paul Kupperberg, Curt Swan | 1st appearance of He-Man and Skeletor in standard comic books. Massive crossover key. | Jul 1982 |
| New Teen Titans #21 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | 1st appearance of Brother Blood. | Jul 1982 |
| New Teen Titans #26 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | 1st appearance of Terra (Tara Markov) in cameo. | Dec 1982 |
| Camelot 3000 #1 | Mike W. Barr, Brian Bolland | DC's first 12-issue Maxi-Series. First comic printed on high-quality Baxter paper for the direct market. | Dec 1982 |
| The Fury of Firestorm #1 | Gerry Conway, Pat Broderick | First issue of Firestorm's ongoing series. 1st appearance of Black Bison. | Jun 1982 |
| Wonder Woman #289 | Roy Thomas, Gene Colan | 1st appearance of the Silver Swan (Helen Alexandros). | Mar 1982 |
| Warlord #55 | Paul Kupperberg, Jan Duursema | 1st appearance of Arion, Lord of Atlantis (in backup story). | Mar 1982 |
| Green Lantern #148 | Paul Kupperberg, Don Newton | 1st appearance of Ch'p (The squirrel-like Green Lantern of H'lven). | Jan 1982 |
| Swamp Thing #1 | Martin Pasko, Tom Yeates | First issue of Volume 2 (Saga of the Swamp Thing). Released to tie into the Wes Craven film. | May 1982 |
| Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! #1 | Roy Thomas, Scott Shaw | 1st appearance of Captain Carrot, Pig-Iron, Alley-Kat-Abra, Fastback, Rubberduck, and Yankee Poodle. | Mar 1982 |
| Justice League of America #200 | Gerry Conway, George Pérez, Various | Massive anniversary issue. The original 7 JLA members battle the new roster. Appellaxian invasion retold. | Mar 1982 |
| Masters of the Universe #1 | Paul Kupperberg, Curt Swan | First issue of the MOTU mini-series following their debut in DC Comics Presents. | Dec 1982 |
| Legion of Super-Heroes #284 | Paul Levitz, Pat Broderick | 1st appearance of Jacques Foccart, who becomes the new Invisible Kid. | Feb 1982 |
| The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl #1 | Paul Kupperberg, Carmine Infantino | First issue of Supergirl's new ongoing Bronze Age series. | Nov 1982 |
| New Teen Titans #23 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | 1st appearance of Adrian Chase (who later becomes Vigilante). 1st appearance of Ryand'r. | Sep 1982 |
| Action Comics #527 | Marv Wolfman, Curt Swan | 1st appearance of Lord Satanis. | Jan 1982 |
| Detective Comics #511 | Gerry Conway, Don Newton | 1st appearance of the villain Mirage. | Feb 1982 |
| Batman #350 | Gerry Conway, Gene Colan | Start of the iconic Vampire storyline featuring Dala and the Monk. Classic Gene Colan horror art. | Aug 1982 |
DC COMICS: 1983 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batman #357 | Gerry Conway, Don Newton | 1st full appearance of Killer Croc (Waylon Jones). 1st cameo appearance of Jason Todd. | Mar 1983 |
| Omega Men #3 | Keith Giffen, Roger Slifer | 1st appearance of Lobo. | Jun 1983 |
| The Brave and the Bold #200 | Mike W. Barr, Jim Aparo | 1st appearance of the Outsiders. 1st appearance of Katana, Halo, and Geo-Force. Final issue of the series. | Jul 1983 |
| Action Comics #544 | Cary Bates, Marv Wolfman, Curt Swan, Gil Kane | 1st appearance of Lex Luthor in his iconic purple/green battle armor. 1st appearance of Brainiac's robotic skeleton form. | Jun 1983 |
| Batman and the Outsiders #1 | Mike W. Barr, Jim Aparo | First issue of the ongoing series featuring Batman leading his new covert team. | Aug 1983 |
| Ronin #1 | Frank Miller | First issue of Frank Miller's groundbreaking creator-owned cyberpunk/samurai mini-series. | Jul 1983 |
| Batman #359 | Gerry Conway, Dan Jurgens | 1st full appearance of Jason Todd. | May 1983 |
| All-Star Squadron #25 | Roy Thomas, Jerry Ordway | 1st appearance of Infinity Inc. (Jade, Obsidian, Northwind, Nuklon, Silver Scarab, and Fury). | Sep 1983 |
| Batman #366 | Doug Moench, Don Newton | 1st appearance of Jason Todd in a Robin costume (with dyed black hair). | Dec 1983 |
| Vigilante #1 | Marv Wolfman, Keith Pollard | First issue of the ongoing series. Adrian Chase officially assumes the mantle of Vigilante. | Nov 1983 |
| New Teen Titans #30 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | 1st full appearance of Terra in costume; Terra officially joins the Teen Titans. | Apr 1983 |
| Detective Comics #526 | Gerry Conway, Don Newton | 500th appearance of Batman in Detective Comics. Jason Todd is officially adopted by Bruce Wayne. | May 1983 |
| Green Arrow #1 | Mike W. Barr, Trevor Von Eeden | First issue of Green Arrow's first standalone mini-series. | May 1983 |
| Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld #1 | Dan Mishkin, Gary Cohn, Ernie Colón | 1st full appearance and origin of Amethyst. 1st appearance of Dark Opal. | May 1983 |
| Legion of Super-Heroes #296 | Paul Levitz, Keith Giffen | 1st cameo appearance of Amethyst (in a preview insert). | Feb 1983 |
| Omega Men #1 | Roger Slifer, Keith Giffen | First issue of the ongoing Omega Men series. | Apr 1983 |
| Legion of Super-Heroes #300 | Paul Levitz, Keith Giffen | Giant-sized 300th anniversary issue featuring alternate futures and a major showdown with Darkseid. | Jun 1983 |
| Wonder Woman #300 | Roy Thomas, Dan Mishkin, Gene Colan | Massive 72-page anniversary issue. Dream sequence battles and a cover by Ed Hannigan. | Feb 1983 |
DC COMICS: 1984 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tales of the Teen Titans #44 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | 1st appearance of Dick Grayson as Nightwing. | Jul 1984 |
| Tales of the Teen Titans Annual #3 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | Finale of "The Judas Contract." Death of Terra. | Jul 1984 |
| Batman #368 | Doug Moench, Don Newton | Jason Todd officially assumes the mantle of Robin, taking Dick Grayson's costume. | Feb 1984 |
| Saga of the Swamp Thing #21 | Alan Moore, Steve Bissette | "The Anatomy Lesson." Alan Moore radically redefines Swamp Thing's origin, permanently changing modern horror comics. | Feb 1984 |
| Batman #386 | Doug Moench, Tom Mandrake | 1st appearance of Black Mask (Roman Sionis). | Aug 1984 |
| Superman Annual #11 | Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons | Classic "For the Man Who Has Everything" storyline. 1st appearance of the Black Mercy plant. | 1984 |
| Justice League of America Annual #2 | Gerry Conway, Chuck Patton | 1st appearance of Vibe, Gypsy, and Steel (Hank Heywood III). Start of the "Detroit Era" JLA. | 1984 |
| Green Lantern #182 | Len Wein, Dave Gibbons | John Stewart officially takes over as the primary Green Lantern of Earth's sector. | Nov 1984 |
| Tales of the Teen Titans #43 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | 1st full appearance of Jericho (Joseph Wilson). | Jun 1984 |
| New Teen Titans (Vol. 2) #1 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | Launch of the deluxe format (Baxter paper) series. 1st appearance of Arella, Raven's mother. | Aug 1984 |
| Blue Devil #1 | Gary Cohn, Dan Mishkin, Paris Cullins | 1st appearance and origin of Blue Devil (Daniel Cassidy). | Jun 1984 |
| Legion of Super-Heroes (Vol. 3) #1 | Paul Levitz, Keith Giffen | First issue of the deluxe format Legion series for the direct market. | Aug 1984 |
| Infinity Inc. #1 | Roy Thomas, Jerry Ordway | First issue of the ongoing series featuring the children and successors of the Justice Society of America. | Mar 1984 |
| Saga of the Swamp Thing #20 | Alan Moore, Dan Day | Alan Moore's first issue writing Swamp Thing. Wraps up the previous storyline before "The Anatomy Lesson." | Jan 1984 |
| Atari Force #1 | Gerry Conway, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez | First issue of the acclaimed sci-fi series based on the video game brand, featuring legendary Garcia-Lopez artwork. | Jan 1984 |
| Sun Devils #1 | Gerry Conway, Dan Jurgens | First issue of the sci-fi maxi-series. Early professional artwork by legendary creator Dan Jurgens. | Jul 1984 |
DC COMICS: 1985 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | Beginning of the multiverse-shattering event. 1st appearance of Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) in DC Comics, Pariah, and Alexander Luthor Jr. | Apr 1985 |
| Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | 1st full appearance of the Anti-Monitor. | May 1985 |
| Swamp Thing #37 | Alan Moore, Rick Veitch, John Totleben | 1st full appearance of John Constantine. | Jun 1985 |
| Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | Iconic cover by George Pérez. The historic death of Supergirl (Kara Zor-El). | Oct 1985 |
| Crisis on Infinite Earths #8 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | The heroic death of the Flash (Barry Allen). Wally West is set up to take the mantle. | Nov 1985 |
| DC Comics Presents #87 | Elliot S. Maggin, Curt Swan | 1st appearance of Superboy-Prime. | Nov 1985 |
| Green Lantern #188 | Steve Englehart, Joe Staton, Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons | 1st appearance of Mogo the Living Planet (in the classic Alan Moore backup story). | May 1985 |
| Crisis on Infinite Earths #4 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | 1st appearance of the new Doctor Light (Kimiyo Hoshi). | Jul 1985 |
| Batman and the Outsiders #22 | Mike W. Barr, Jim Aparo | 1st appearance of Looker (Emily Briggs). | Jun 1985 |
| Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #1 | Len Wein, Marv Wolfman, Various | First issue of the massive encyclopedia series cataloging the entire DC Universe prior to the Crisis timeline shift. | Mar 1985 |
| Hex #1 | Michael Fleisher, Mark Texeira | First issue of the wild sci-fi reboot where Jonah Hex is transported to a post-apocalyptic 21st century. | Sep 1985 |
| Legion of Super-Heroes #14 | Paul Levitz, Steve Lightle | 1st appearance of Tellus and Quislet. Polar Boy and Magnetic Kid also join the Legion. | Sep 1985 |
| Batman #389 | Doug Moench, Tom Mandrake | 1st appearance of Film Freak (Burt Weston). | Nov 1985 |
| DC Comics Presents #85 | Alan Moore, Rick Veitch | "The Jungle Line." Iconic Swamp Thing and Superman crossover written by Alan Moore. | Sep 1985 |
| Green Lantern #195 | Steve Englehart, Joe Staton | Guy Gardner awakens from his coma and is given his Power Ring back, re-entering the DCU as an active Lantern. | Dec 1985 |
| Tales of the Teen Titans #58 | Marv Wolfman, Chuck Patton | 1st appearance of the new Brotherhood of Evil (Phobia, Houngan, Plasmus, Warp). | Oct 1985 |
| Jonah Hex #92 | Michael Fleisher, Tony DeZuniga | Final issue of the original Jonah Hex Western series before the timeline-jumping reboot. | Aug 1985 |
DC COMICS: 1986 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watchmen #1 | Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons | 1st appearance of Rorschach, Dr. Manhattan, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre, Ozymandias, and The Comedian. A seminal work that redefined the comic book medium. | Sep 1986 |
| Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1 | Frank Miller, Klaus Janson | 1st appearance of Carrie Kelley (the new Robin) and the Mutant Leader. Historic grim and gritty reboot of an older Batman. | Feb 1986 |
| The Man of Steel #1 | John Byrne | The definitive post-Crisis reboot and new origin of Superman. 1st appearance of the modern, corporate version of Lex Luthor. | Oct 1986 |
| Booster Gold #1 | Dan Jurgens | 1st appearance and origin of Booster Gold (Michael Jon Carter) and his robotic sidekick Skeets. | Feb 1986 |
| Legends #1 | John Ostrander, Len Wein, John Byrne | 1st appearance of Amanda Waller. Start of the first major post-Crisis crossover event. | Nov 1986 |
| Superman #423 | Alan Moore, Curt Swan | "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" Part 1. The legendary final story of the Pre-Crisis Silver/Bronze Age Superman. | Sep 1986 |
| Action Comics #583 | Alan Moore, Curt Swan | "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" Part 2. The historic conclusion to the classic Superman mythos. | Sep 1986 |
| Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | Final issue of the groundbreaking event. Wally West officially takes the mantle of The Flash following Barry Allen's death. | Mar 1986 |
| Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #4 | Frank Miller, Klaus Janson | The legendary, brutal showdown between an armored Batman and Superman. | Jun 1986 |
| Legends #2 | John Ostrander, Len Wein, John Byrne | 1st appearance of the modern, post-Crisis Justice League. | Dec 1986 |
| Batman #400 | Doug Moench, John Byrne, Various | Massive 400th anniversary issue featuring almost every major Batman villain. Features an introduction by Stephen King. | Oct 1986 |
| Blue Beetle #1 | Len Wein, Paris Cullins | First ongoing DC Comics series for Ted Kord (Blue Beetle) following his integration from Charlton Comics. | Jun 1986 |
| Swamp Thing #47 | Alan Moore, Stan Woch | 1st appearance of the Parliament of Trees. A major expansion of the Swamp Thing lore. | Apr 1986 |
| History of the DC Universe #1 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | Establishes the official new canon and timeline of the post-Crisis DC Universe. | 1986 |
| Swamp Thing #50 | Alan Moore, Rick Veitch, Stephen Bissette | Giant-sized anniversary issue. Epic battle between Swamp Thing and the forces of darkness, featuring cameos by the DC magical community. | Jul 1986 |
| Vigilante #36 | Paul Kupperberg, Tod Smith | 1st appearance of Peacemaker (Christopher Smith) in the post-Crisis DC Universe. | Dec 1986 |
| Batman #401 | Barbara Kesel, Trevor Von Eeden | 1st appearance of Magpie, the first new villain Batman faces in the post-Crisis continuity. | Nov 1986 |
| The Shadow #1 | Howard Chaykin | First issue of Howard Chaykin's highly acclaimed and controversial gritty reboot of The Shadow. | May 1986 |
DC COMICS: 1987 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batman #404 | Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli | "Batman: Year One" Part 1. The definitive Post-Crisis origin of Batman begins. | Feb 1987 |
| Batman #405 | Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli | "Batman: Year One" Part 2. 1st appearance of mob boss Carmine Falcone and Detective Sarah Essen. | Mar 1987 |
| Wonder Woman #1 | George Pérez, Greg Potter | The definitive Post-Crisis reboot of Wonder Woman. 1st appearance of the modern Ares. | Feb 1987 |
| Justice League #1 | Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, Kevin Maguire | Start of the iconic "Bwah-ha-ha" JLI era. Legendary group cover by Kevin Maguire. | May 1987 |
| Suicide Squad #1 | John Ostrander, Luke McDonnell | First issue of the modern, ongoing Suicide Squad (Task Force X) series led by Amanda Waller. | May 1987 |
| The Flash #1 | Mike Baron, Jackson Guice | Wally West's first issue as the star of the ongoing Flash series following the death of Barry Allen. | Jun 1987 |
| Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters #1 | Mike Grell | Gritty prestige format reboot of Green Arrow. 1st appearance of Shado. | Aug 1987 |
| Detective Comics #575 | Mike W. Barr, Alan Davis | "Batman: Year Two" Part 1. 1st appearance of the brutal vigilante The Reaper (Judson Caspian). | Jun 1987 |
| The Question #1 | Dennis O'Neil, Denys Cowan | Start of the highly acclaimed, philosophical, and gritty ongoing series for Vic Sage. | Feb 1987 |
| Batman: Son of the Demon | Mike W. Barr, Jerry Bingham | Original Graphic Novel. 1st appearance of Damian Wayne (as an unnamed infant). | Sep 1987 |
| Justice League #7 | Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, Kevin Maguire | The legendary "One Punch!" issue where Batman knocks out Guy Gardner with a single hit. | Nov 1987 |
| Captain Atom #1 | Cary Bates, Pat Broderick | Post-Crisis introduction and new military-focused origin for Captain Atom in the DC Universe. | Mar 1987 |
| Superman #4 | John Byrne | 1st appearance of Bloodsport (Robert DuBois), who shoots Superman with a Kryptonite bullet. | Apr 1987 |
| Doom Patrol #1 | Paul Kupperberg, Steve Lightle | Launch of the Volume 2 ongoing series, pre-dating Grant Morrison's surreal run. | Oct 1987 |
| Action Comics #592 | John Byrne | 1st appearance of Sleez. Highly controversial issue where Superman and Big Barda are mind-controlled. | Sep 1987 |
| Young All-Stars #1 | Roy Thomas, Michael Bair | 1st appearance of Iron Munro, created to fill the void left by Superman in the Golden Age continuity post-Crisis. | Jun 1987 |
DC COMICS: 1988 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Batman: The Killing Joke | Alan Moore, Brian Bolland | The definitive origin of the Joker. Barbara Gordon (Batgirl) is paralyzed, leading to her eventually becoming Oracle. | Jul 1988 |
| Hellblazer #1 | Jamie Delano, John Ridgway | First issue of John Constantine's critically acclaimed ongoing solo series. 1st appearance of Papa Midnite. | Jan 1988 |
| Batman #426 | Jim Starlin, Jim Aparo | "A Death in the Family" Part 1. The beginning of the iconic and controversial storyline deciding the fate of Jason Todd. | Dec 1988 |
| Batman #428 | Jim Starlin, Jim Aparo | "A Death in the Family" Part 3. The historic death of Robin (Jason Todd) at the hands of the Joker. | Winter 1988 |
| Detective Comics #583 | John Wagner, Alan Grant, Norm Breyfogle | 1st appearance of the Ventriloquist (Arnold Wesker) and Scarface. | Feb 1988 |
| Animal Man #1 | Grant Morrison, Chas Truog | Launch of Grant Morrison's groundbreaking, meta-fictional run that revived Buddy Baker for the modern era. | Sep 1988 |
| Batman #423 | Jim Starlin, Todd McFarlane | Iconic, highly sought-after Todd McFarlane cover featuring a massive, stylized Batman cape. | Sep 1988 |
| V for Vendetta #1 | Alan Moore, David Lloyd | First U.S./DC Comics publication of the landmark dystopian thriller (originally serialized in the UK). | Sep 1988 |
| Detective Comics #585 | Alan Grant, Norm Breyfogle | 1st appearance of the Ratcatcher (Otis Flannegan). | Apr 1988 |
| Captain Atom #12 | Cary Bates, Pat Broderick | 1st appearance of Major Force (Clifford Zmeck). | Feb 1988 |
| Action Comics #600 | John Byrne, George Pérez, Various | Massive anniversary issue. Features the historic kiss and brief romance between Superman and Wonder Woman. | May 1988 |
| Green Arrow #1 | Mike Grell, Ed Hannigan | First issue of the gritty, mature ongoing series directly following the events of "The Longbow Hunters". | Feb 1988 |
| Superman #22 | John Byrne | Controversial and historic issue where Superman acts as judge, jury, and executioner, executing General Zod. | Oct 1988 |
| Suicide Squad #10 | John Ostrander, Luke McDonnell | Batman infiltrates Belle Reve and confronts Amanda Waller regarding Task Force X. | Feb 1988 |
| Wonder Woman #15 | George Pérez | 1st appearance of the modern Silver Swan (Valerie Beaudry). | Apr 1988 |
| Detective Comics #592 | Alan Grant, John Wagner, Norm Breyfogle | 1st appearance of Cornelius Stirk, a terrifying telepathic serial killer. | Nov 1988 |
DC COMICS: 1989 KEY ISSUE CATALOG
| ISSUE TITLE & NUMBER | CREATORS | WHY IT IS A KEY | COVER DATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandman #1 | Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth | 1st appearance of Morpheus (Dream of the Endless) and Roderick Burgess. The launch of the monumental series. | Jan 1989 |
| Suicide Squad #23 | John Ostrander, Luke McDonnell | 1st appearance of Barbara Gordon as Oracle. | Jan 1989 |
| Gotham by Gaslight #1 | Brian Augustyn, Mike Mignola | The very first "Elseworlds" story, featuring a Victorian-era Batman hunting Jack the Ripper. | Feb 1989 |
| Doom Patrol #19 | Grant Morrison, Richard Case | Start of Grant Morrison's surreal, industry-changing run. 1st appearance of Crazy Jane. | Feb 1989 |
| Invasion! #3 | Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo, Todd McFarlane | The concept of the "Metagene" is introduced to the DC Universe to explain why humans get superpowers. | Mar 1989 |
| Detective Comics #598 | Sam Hamm, Denys Cowan | 1st appearance of Henri Ducard (written by the screenwriter of the 1989 Batman film). | Mar 1989 |
| Sandman #4 | Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth | 1st appearance of Lucifer Morningstar in the Sandman universe. | Apr 1989 |
| Justice League Europe #1 | Keith Giffen, J.M. DeMatteis, Bart Sears | First issue of the highly successful JLI spin-off featuring Captain Atom, Power Girl, and Animal Man. | Apr 1989 |
| Batman #436 | Marv Wolfman, Pat Broderick | "Batman: Year 3" Part 1. 1st appearance of Tim Drake (as a young boy in flashbacks). | Aug 1989 |
| Sandman #8 | Neil Gaiman, Mike Dringenberg | 1st appearance of Death of the Endless. "The Sound of Her Wings" is widely considered one of the greatest single issues ever written. | Aug 1989 |
| Hawkworld #1 | Timothy Truman | First issue of the gritty, prestige format reboot of the Hawkman/Katar Hol mythos. | Aug 1989 |
| Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth | Grant Morrison, Dave McKean | Landmark original graphic novel featuring stunning painted art. Establishes the modern psychological tone of Arkham Asylum. | Oct 1989 |
| Detective Comics #608 | Alan Grant, Norm Breyfogle | 1st appearance of Anarky (Lonnie Machin). | Nov 1989 |
| Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #1 | Dennis O'Neil, Ed Hannigan | First issue of the new ad-free, premium anthology series focusing on Batman's early career. | Nov 1989 |
| Legion of Super-Heroes #1 | Keith Giffen, Al Gordon | Launch of Volume 4. Starts the legendary, grim and gritty "Five Years Later" storyline. | Nov 1989 |
| Batman #442 | Marv Wolfman, George Pérez | "A Lonely Place of Dying" Finale. Tim Drake formally assumes the mantle of Robin. | Dec 1989 |