Milestone Media facts for kids
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| Parent company | DC Comics |
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| Founded | 1993 (original) 2015 (relaunch) |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Headquarters location | New York City |
| Publication types | Comic books |
| Fiction genres | Superhero |
| Imprints | Earth M |
Milestone Media Company LLC is a company best known for creating Milestone Comics. These comics were published and shared by DC Comics. Milestone Media also created the popular Static Shock animated TV show.
The company was started in 1993 by a group of talented African-American artists and writers. This group included Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, and Derek T. Dingle. They felt that there weren't enough characters from different backgrounds in American comics. So, they wanted to create new heroes for everyone to enjoy.
Contents
History of Milestone Media
Creating a New Universe
Before any comics were published, the creators worked hard to build a new world. This world was called the "Dakotaverse." Most early Milestone stories took place in a fictional city called Dakota.
They even made a detailed "bible" for the Dakotaverse. This bible had lots of information about the characters and the city's history. Denys Cowan drew the first sketches of the characters. These drawings helped other artists create the final look of the heroes.
Working with DC Comics
Milestone comics were published through DC Comics. But here's the cool part: DC Comics did not control the stories. Milestone Media kept the rights to their characters. They also had the final say on all toys and other products.
DC Comics basically paid a fee to publish the books. This agreement meant Milestone could tell stories from new points of view. Even if some stories made DC a bit uncomfortable, they stuck to the deal.
The Original Dakotaverse Comics
In 1993, Milestone Media launched its first four comic book titles. These were Hardware, Icon, Blood Syndicate, and Static.
A year later, Milestone had a big crossover story called Shadow War. This story led to two more comics: Shadow Cabinet and Xombi. Another series, Kobalt, came out later.
Milestone also teamed up with DC Comics for a crossover event called "Worlds Collide." In this event, heroes from the DC Universe met heroes from the Dakotaverse.
Milestone had some advantages. Their comics were shared by a big publisher like DC. They also had many popular creators working for them. However, they faced challenges too. Many new comic universes were starting at the same time. Also, some people wrongly thought Milestone comics were only for African-American readers.
Milestone stopped publishing some of its comics in 1995 and 1996. The company then focused on licensing its characters. This led to the very successful Static Shock animated series. This show even won an Emmy Award!
In 2010, DC released a comic series called Milestone Forever. It showed what happened to the Dakotaverse heroes. It also explained how they later joined the main DC Universe.
Joining the DC Universe
In 2008, DC Comics announced that Milestone characters would join the main DC Universe. For example, Static became part of the Teen Titans. Static, Icon, Rocket, and Hardware also appeared in the Young Justice TV series. The Shadow Cabinet appeared in Justice League of America.
A comic series starring Static was launched in 2011. This was part of DC's "The New 52" relaunch.
Milestone Returns!
In 2015, there was talk about bringing Milestone Media back. The co-founders Denys Cowan and Derek Dingle were involved. Later, DC Comics announced a new "Earth-M" within their multiverse. This would be home to Milestone characters.
In 2017, it was announced that Milestone would return in 2018. New comics would include Milestone (with Icon and Rocket) and a new Static series. The line finally came back with Milestone Returns #0 in September 2020.
Milestone Staff and Creators
Milestone's founders were joined by many talented people. These included early employees like Matt Wayne, who became an editor. Noelle Giddings was the color editor, making the art look great. Joe James was the designer.
Milestone also hired many new artists and writers. Many of them went on to have very successful careers in comics. Some of these talents include John Paul Leon, Christopher Sotomayor, Christopher Williams, and J.H. Williams III.
Collected Editions
If you want to read Milestone comics, here are some collected editions:
- Icon: A Hero's Welcome - collects Icon #1–8, 192 pages, March 1997, 978-1563893391
- Static Shock: Trial by Fire - collects Static #1-4, 104 pages, October 2000, 978-1563897467
- Static Shock: The Rebirth of the Cool - collects Static #1-4 and Static Shock: The Rebirth of the Cool #1-4, 192 pages, 2001, 978-1401222628
- Hardware: The Man in the Machine - collects Hardware #1-8, 192 pages, March 2010, 978-1401225988
- Icon: The Mothership Connection - collects Icon #13, 19-22, 24-26, 30; 256 pages, June 2010, 978-1401227111
- Milestone Compendium One - collects Blood Syndicate #1-12, Hardware #1-12, Icon #1-10, Shadow Cabinet #0, Static #1-8, Xombi #0-11; 1,320 pages, February 2022, 978-1779513106
- Static: Season One - collects #1-6; 200 pages, June 2022, 978-1779514219
- Icon & Rocket: Season One - collects #1-6; 208 pages, August 2022, 978-1779515520
- Hardware: Season One - collects #1-6 and Milestone Returns: Infinite Edition #0; 192 pages, October 2022, 978-1779515131
- Milestone Compendium Two - collects Blood Syndicate #13-23, Hardware #13-21, Icon #11-21, Shadow Cabinet #1-4, Static #9-20, Steel #6-7, Superboy #6-7, Superman: The Man of Steel #35-36, Worlds Collide #1; 1,320 pages, January 2023, 978-1779514950
- DUO - collects #1-6; 160 pages; 160 pages, April 2023, 978-1779518453
- Blood Syndicate: Season One - collects #1-6; 168 pages, May 2023, 978-1779518439
Milestone in Other Media
Television Shows
- The Milestone character Static became the star of the Static Shock animated series. This show ran for four seasons on Kids' WB.
- Icon and Rocket were also featured as supporting characters in Young Justice. Icon was even a member of the Justice League in the show. Static was a recurring character in the second season, Young Justice: Invasion.
Video Games
- Static was featured as a member of the Teen Titans in the game DC Universe Online.
- Static was added as a playable character in the mobile version of Injustice: Gods Among Us.
- Rocket appears as an unlockable character in Young Justice: Legacy.
