There are far too many stories written about how bad the 1990s treated comic books, fans, and characters. But the '90s was not without its share of diamonds among the rough. DC Comics is most known for The Death of Superman, Batman: Knightfall, and the downfall of Hal Jordan, which ruled much of an undesirable decade.

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In the midst of earth-shattering events, a few books quietly made a mark in the hearts of devoted fans and earned the praise of industry critics. The books listed below are revered and celebrated stories from the creators at DC that carved a niche in the '90s.

10 Green Lantern: Mosaic

John Stewart was the third Green Lantern chosen from Earth to represent Sector 2814. He was recruited when the backup Guy Gardner was injured. By the time Hal Jordan returned to the post, Stewart was on his own mission. He discovered that the Guardians had pieced together neighborhoods from different worlds onto the surface of one planet.

The result was Mosaic and the comic Green Lantern: Mosaic was the story of John's attempt to keep the peace and protect citizens from each other. The book delivered gorgeous landscapes in reds, yellows, and color combinations that made every panel and page feel alien and part of the patchwork narrative.

9 Sandman Mystery Theater

In the 1930s, Wesley Dodds was a mystery man known as the Sandman. He was a founding member of the Justice Society of America (JSA). Sandman Mystery Theater revealed the little-known stories of the Sandman before he joined the JSA.

At that time, Dodds worked to solve noir detective crimes. The gritty stories covered themes like racism, anti-

Semitism, and appeasement on the world stage. Characters like Starman, Hourman, and Crimson Avenger were guest stars who crossed paths with Dodds on his many cases. Sandman Mystery Theater was a critical success but made it hard for new fans to join the story.

8 Showcase '93

When Showcase first appeared in 1956, it introduced new and popular characters that did not have their own books in story arcs that highlighted their adventures. In the '90s, DC relaunched the concept with Showcase '93. The book featured a story with a Batman family character in every issue and original story arcs for characters that deserved a chance to shine.

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Showcase '93 told stories about Cyborg, Creeper, Peacemaker, Blue Devil, Catwoman, and so many more. New villains like Ramon Barracuda made their first appearances. The series even featured a two-part Two-Face story that connected to Batman: Knightfall. Contributing creators included Dennis O'Neal, Len Wein, Phil Jimenez, Kevin Maguire, and Bill Sienkiewicz.

7 Kingdom Come

Kingdom Come Justice League

Kingdom Come might be a best-selling graphic novel, but in 1996 it barely made the top 25 in sales. The gorgeous story of tragedy and redemption was written by Mark Waid and featured the legendary paintings of Alex Ross.

A minister named Norman McCray is moved by the death of his friend Wesley Dodds, who was the Golden Age mystery man known as The Sandman. McCray is guided through a nightmare world of the near-future by characters like The Spectre. The powerful narrative is juxtaposed with McCray's visions, which are based in the book Revelations, the final book of the Bible. Despite the low sales, Kingdom Come won multiple Eisners.

6 Shade The Changing Man

Shade The Changing Man

Rac Shade was a complex figure who wore an M-Vest that gave him limited invulnerability. The vest was from his homeworld of Meta and when his lover Kathy died, the grief combined with the vest and drove him mad.

The series unabashedly dealt with the concept of madness. It was critically praised but never ranked very high in terms of sales.

5 Preacher

Jesse Custer is the reluctant Preacher. Jesse returned to the town where his parents were murdered, coerced into becoming the shepherd of a church in Angelville, and leaving behind his true love Tulip, by the very people, Jody and T.C., that killed them. He then merged with a spirit named Genesis who escaped from Heaven.

The story of a violent pastor was critically revered and developed a cult following. However, the numbers never surpassed modest success even in the niche of DCs Vertigo line. Almost 20 years later, the story was eventually translated to a television series on AMC.

4 JSA: The Golden Age

The Justice Society of America made limited appearances in the '90s. One example is the four-issue series by James Robinson that featured a nightmare alternate history within the pages of JSA: The Golden Age. The iconic art by penciler Paul Smith recreated the nostalgic era of the JSA.

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The heartbreaking narration offered a stunning critique of security in place of freedom. The book's arrival was marred by the recent death of Superman storyline and the Reign of the Supermen event launching four books at once. JSA: Golden Age remains a source of inspiration for writers like Geoff Johns.

3 Hardware

Hardware was created by Dwight McDuffie and Denys Cowman and launched by the Milestone line that merged with DC comics in the '90s. Hardware told the story of a young inventor Calvin Medcalf who is limited by finances and receives a scholarship and employment with a legendary tycoon Edwin Alva, Sr. But he soon discovers that the company is corrupt and an ironclad contract will destroy his life if he ever tries to leave.

The series featured a character who responded to exploitation by using the resources of the company he worked for to wage war against its founder. It was inventive, psychological, and short-lived due to strife caused by the distribution and financial woes the led to the downfall of Milestone.

2 Icon

Icon was the story of Superman that harkens to the concept of Calvin Ellis. But the twist comes in the form of alien negotiator Arnus of Terminus who crashes in the Deep South of the United States. Arnus remains hidden for four generations before a woman named Raquel challenges him to become a hero for the black community.

Raquel became his sidekick and soon the duo was addressing issues surrounding teen pregnancy and street-level crimes and issues. Icon had the powers of Superman but was a conservative Republican who followed the rules and often found himself at odds with the liberal heroes in the Milestone universe.

1 Starman

Jack Knight was the youngest son of Ted Knight, the founding member of the Justice Society known as Starman. When Jack's brother is killed while serving as Starman, the youngest Knight assumes the mantle of his father. The result was a beautiful story of family, history, and adventure.

Starman became critically-acclaimed in the eyes of collectors, creators, and fans of a story that spanned decades and lifetimes in just a few short years.

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