1999 in comics

1999 was a significant year in the comic book industry, marked by both continued trends and emerging developments across various publishers and genres. Key events included notable story arcs, character debuts, changes in creative teams, and significant sales figures.

Marvel Comics continued its line-wide "Marvel Knights" imprint, focusing on more mature and street-level stories. The Ultimate Marvel imprint, designed to reimagine Marvel characters for a modern audience, began its development, with Ultimate Spider-Man launching in 2000, influenced by the discussions and planning in 1999.

DC Comics continued publishing under its core titles and explored various Elseworlds tales and one-shot stories. The Superman titles grappled with the aftermath of major storylines from previous years, while Batman continued to confront established and new villains.

Independent publishers like Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and others continued to thrive, offering creator-owned properties and diverse genres beyond superhero fare. Image, in particular, saw continued success with titles like Spawn and various creator-driven series.

Manga continued to grow in popularity within the North American market, with publishers like Viz Media and Tokyopop further expanding their offerings and distribution.

Overall, 1999 represented a period of relative stability and continued evolution within the comic book industry, bridging the end of the 20th century and the beginning of a new era with emerging digital possibilities and shifts in readership demographics. The year saw a mix of established characters and storylines maintaining their popularity, while publishers also began to experiment with new formats, imprints, and approaches to storytelling.