Artist Edition - Modern Age

The Modern Age of Comics - circa 1985 to present

The Modern Age of comics is sometimes divided into the Modern Age (1985 - sometime in the 1990s) and the Current Age (sometime in the 1990s - present).

This transition marked a departure from the restrictive Comic Code, leading to darker, more complex plots and a wider range of characters. The era introduced morally ambiguous anti-heroes such as Hellblazer, Cable, Venom, and Spawn, and villains such as The Joker.

The modern era is known for darker, more serious or adult content in comic books. Early comic books that started this trend include Alan Moore's Swamp Thing and Watchmen, Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, and Neil Gaiman's Sandman.

The second half of the modern era has seen the rise of digital comics and independent publishers.