British Invasion (comics) facts for kids
The British Invasion of American comic books is a term for when many talented comic book creators from Britain started working in the United States. This happened mostly in the late 1980s. These creators, especially writers, first worked for DC Comics. Later, many also worked for Marvel Comics.
This "invasion" brought new ideas to American comics. It meant stories had more detailed language and were often for older readers. It also moved away from just superhero stories. Because of these new types of stories, DC Comics even created a special part of their company called Vertigo Comics. This was for comics aimed at more mature audiences.
What Made It Special?
Some British writers, like Chris Claremont, worked in American comics before this time. But they are not part of the "British Invasion." The writers of the British Invasion were different because they paid much more attention to language.
Before them, American comic writers were good at telling stories. But the actual words in the comics were not always the main focus. Alan Moore, with his work on Swamp Thing, changed this. He used very precise and natural-sounding conversations. This made the American comic book industry more exciting.
Another big change was moving away from only superhero comics. Many British writers explored different types of stories. However, Grant Morrison was an exception, as he often worked on superhero tales.
Collected Works
The popular comics from these British creators were often collected into special books. These collections let fans read many stories by the same writers and artists. For example, there were collections like Marvel Masters: The British Invasion. These books featured works by famous creators such as Neil Gaiman, Alan Davis, Garth Ennis, and Grant Morrison.
