Early History
Milestone Comics/Milestone Media was created by Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, and Derek T. Dingle. as a response to mainstream comics’ lack of diversity as it relates to the use and execution of minority superheroes. Noteworthy scribe Christopher Priest was also present during the founding process though he dropped out before they signed a deal with DC Comics.
Deal with DC Comics
Unlike other independent comics Milestone comics signed a publishing deal with DC Comics in which they retained most if not all of the creative control over their creations:
“(1) that they would retain total creative control; (2) that they would retain all copyrights for characters under the Milestone banner; and (3) that they would have the final say on all merchandising and licensing deals pertaining to their properties. In essence, DC had in effect licensed the characters, editorial services, and creative content of the Milestone books for an annual fee and a share of the profits” Brown, Jeffrey A. (2001).Black Superheroes, Milestone Comics and their Fans
In 1993 the first set of Milestone comics hit stands with Hardware#1, Icon#1, Blood Syndicate #1 and Static #1
Crossovers
Shadow War
Long Hot Summer
World’s Collide
Cancellation
During 1995 – 1996 Milestone canceled many of its lower-end books due to low sales before ceasing production (on comics) together in 1997 leaving many series with unresolved plots.
Success
Despite the cancellation of its comics line Milestone media later found great success in the animated series Static Shock which aired on Kids WB and has become known worldwide through syndication. As a result of this the company now primarily operates as a licensing firm related to said series.
Reemergence
In 2008 Dan Didio promised a return of the Milestone characters to Dc comics starting with Static in the ongoing Teen Titans. Around that time Dwayne Mcduffie was the writer for the Justice League ongoing where he used Icon, Rocket, and the Shadow Cabinet in a crossover which showed that the merger between DC and Milestone which occurred in World’s collide was still in continuity. When Mcduffie was fired from the Justice League ongoing no further reference was made to that storyline or the milestone characters.
During the DC Comics New 52 event of 2011 Static was given a new ongoing series written by John Rozum and illustrated by Scott McDaniel. It was quickly canceled due to low sales and infighting among the creative team. Icon, Rocket, and Static were later featured on cartoon network’s Young Justice before it’s a cancellation.
Static is very dumbed down in the Young Justice show where as he is very smart in the comics and his own tv show.
While Static may be different on TV now, YJ had more blacks on it’s show since Marvel’s Black Panther a couple yrs ago.
well, unfortunately i think that milestone was cut far too short. it was as it seemed, a chance for black superheroes to actually live … that wasn’t the case. i’m told that dc never really lived up to it’s promise to the mcduffie family, milestone needs to be divested from dc and given another chance to breathe and advance. there is no ethnic equality in dc or even marvel comics, characters of color never seem to have lasting series as their white counerparts do. mainstream comics are masteed by white power, respectiveli i say …yet there is no shelf presence of black indy comics in retail stores on a nation-wide scale. even omega 7 who’ve been out for 20 years has no retail presence in ny city comic shops … something is dead wrong. essence, jet, ebony and black enterprise magazines are nation-wide .. why can’t black comics get the same treatment?. milestone in itself could be the launching pad that other black comics are jetted on … somebody tell me i’m wrong.
I think that any future independent comics owned by blacks should learn from what happened to milestone and NEVER EVER go into to business with white owned companies for that fast buck because all they’re gonna do is find a way to hold back and hold down black characters and that’s after they take the ones they want.