Milestone Media celebrates 30 years with 'Anniversary Special'

Word Balloons Column #1155: Icon, Rocket, Static and Hardware among characters in spotlight

The year 2023 marks the 30th anniversary of Milestone Media, and DC Comics is celebrating this week with the “Milestone 30th Anniversary Special.” 

Milestone Media, which began publishing in 1993 and was distributed by DC Comics, was the home for characters including Icon, Rocket, Static, and Hardware. 

The Black-owned company created a monthly comics line from 1993-1997. The characters have also appeared in other DC Comics and on TV in animated series. The company was revived in 2021, with many of the same characters in a new, modern continuity. 

Those two universes collide in the first story of the special, “Universal Beings,” written by Evan Narcisse. 

It’s great to see ChrissChross return to these characters, drawing the 1993 sections. Nikolas Draper-Ivey contributes on the modern side. Longtime Milestone fans would probably have appreciated this being a longer piece, or even a miniseries, but it does a good job contrasting the two versions and providing some nods to the original world. 

The DC Animated Universe is the setting for the second story, “Static Beyond,” written and drawn by Draper-Ivey. A grown Static, age 35, gives advice to the younger Batman Beyond hero. 

The third story, “Icon Forever,” goes beyond the events of the 2010 one-shot “Milestone Forever” that provided a coda to the original Milestone Universe and sees Rocket take on Icon’s mantle. Stephanie Williams and Flores Montanez are the creative team for this tale that leaves the original Milestone Universe on a hopeful note, for now. 

The fourth story takes place after the events of the recent “Blood Syndicate” series in “Blood Syndicate: Epilogue” by Geoffrey Thorne and ChrissChross. And the final story previews an upcoming “Static” graphic novel by Lamar Giles and Paris Alleyne. The full YA graphic novel is set for a November release.  

Overall, this is a great celebration of one of the great comic-book lines of the 1990s that is finding its way in a new version for modern audiences now. Both are worth checking out! I’m excited to see what happens with the Static YA graphic novel, and hope it leads to more Milestone characters being explored in that format.  

Store happenings: 

Silent auction starts Wednesday

Speeding Bullet Comics is kicking off our (probably) final silent auction to raise funds for Annette's school board run today, Wednesday, March 29. We will end the auction at a special volunteer event at the store on Tuesday night, April 4. Polls are open from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4 and Annette Price, Speeding Bullet co-owner, is on the ballot for school board for Office #3 in Norman. More info at annetteforkids.com.

We will start our final silent auction at 10 a.m. March 29 and close all bids at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4. We will celebrate our volunteers from the campaign at the shop from 7 p.m. until about 8 p.m. Tuesday. Make your bids this week and don't forget to vote!

You’re invited

Subscribers to this newsletter are invited to Speeding Bullet Comics’ Spring Monster Sale from April 21-23. Just stop by the shop at 614 N Porter Ave., Norman, OK and show the staff there that you’re subscribed to this Substack:  

 

You’ll then get a “Monster Sale” wristband that makes you eligible for all the weekend savings from April 21-23, including 50 percent off many back issues and 25 percent off trade paperbacks and graphic novels. 

During the sale, premium back issues ($25 and up) will be 25 percent off the currently marked price.

Back issues priced at $24.99 and under will be 50 percent off. Buy more than 70 standard back issues and the discount jumps to 70%! (Comic book ’sets’ count as one issue for purposes of the sale.) Plus, all graphic novels are 25% off. Make the most out of your free subscription here and get some great comic-book deals.  

Matthew Price, matthew@matthewlprice.com, has written about the comics industry for more than two decades. He is the co-owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman.