The launch of Milestone Media in 1993 was a historic event in comic book history. It was the first time that comic books could be seen as being more diverse without every superhero of importance being a white male. I was a teen in 1993 when I first saw a Milestone comic, and the concept blew my mind.
The original Milestone Media was in business from 1993 to 1997. It would officially relaunch again in 2021. However, many people don’t know about the incredible beginnings or revolutionary deal that made Milestone Media a reality.
Here are 10 facts about the launch of Milestone Media you did not know about.
1. The Underrepresentation of Minority Superheroes in 1993
Milestone Media was an idea born in the early 1990s to balance the underrepresentation of minorities in superhero comics. The idea of a comic book universe where the majority of characters are minorities was mind-blowing back then because it didn’t exist.
A peer-reviewed 2016 research paper calculates that over 86% of comic book characters are white and male, or white in general. It must be noted that this study used data going back to 1997. The other 14% represents all races, ethnicities, and genders
This reality of the comic book industry, which is still true today, would inform the launch of Milestone Media
2. A Group of Black Writers and Artists Were Behind the Launch of Milestone Media
Denys Cowan, Dwayne McDuffie, Michael Davis, Derek T. Dingle, and Christopher Priest were all professional writers and artists in the comics, animation, and entertainment industry. All of them felt that black characters and other minorities should have more representation in comic books.
They would launch Milestone Media in 1993. Priest left the company before the launch. Davis would leave in 1995.
3. The Milestone Story Bible
The Milestone founders spent about two years contributing to a “story bible” before the official launch of Milestone Media. A story bible is an operational blueprint of stories, plotlines, character backstories, costume designs, fictional universe maps, and so on that fill out a comic book universe.
Heroes like Static, Icon, and Hardware, and villains like Holocaust were developed in brainstorming sessions and saved in the Milestone Story Bible. The creators worked on the bible for several months before the launch. The characters they create would live in Dakota City in a universe now known as “The Dakotaverse.” Additionally, the Dakotaverse is also sometimes known as “Earth M.”
4. The Dakotaverse Represents a Real and Diverse World
The Dakotaverse would depict a world struggling with socio-economic issues that closely mirror the real world. Such issues would include urban decay, gang violence, racism, colorism, the cultural disregard for Black excellence, corruption, teen pregnancy, and poverty. The launch of Milestone media would give voice to a wide swath of diverse characters in different social standings.
5. The Diverse Characters of Milestone
Icon is a Superman analog character. He is an alien who crash-lands on Earth in 1839 in the American South. The alien is adopted by an enslaved woman and assumes the form of a black man. Augustus Freeman then impersonates his own descendants unto the present day. He has the powers of flight, invulnerability, and energy blasts. Icon also ages slowly.
Curtis Metcalf is a young Black tech prodigy who finds out that his employer, Edwin Alva, is a racist crime lord. Metcalf creates a suit of armor and becomes “Hardware,” dedicating his life to dismantling Alva’s syndicate.
The Blood Syndicate is a gang with superpowers. Static is a young teen with electricity powers balancing high school and home life with vigilantism. These heroes were each the first four titles released by Milestone. Milestone would create many more characters; this was the beginning.
6. The Milestone and DC Comics Deal
The launch of Milestone Media began as a revolutionary deal at the time. So, the Milestone founders would leverage their industry connections to find the best deal to launch their company. DC Comics would agree to publish and distribute Milestone for an annual fee and a profit share.
Milestone Media would retain creative control as well as copyright and ownership of its characters. The Milestone creators also had final say on licensing agreements concerning Milestone characters.
7. The 1994 Milestone and DC Heroes Crossover
In 1994, the Milestone and DC characters met in the crossover one-shot comic Worlds Collide.
A man develops the power to create rifts between realities. He opens a portal that allows the Milestone and DC heroes to meet. The heroes battle, team up, and then stop the villain from creating the rift. Although this comic is not part of DC Comics continuity, the Dakotaverse heroes would remember this meeting.
8. The Static #25 Teen Sex Controversy
In July 1995, DC and Milestone Media would butt heads on the cover of Static #25. In this mature and thoughtful story, teen Virgil Hawkins, also known as Static, loses his virginity. He has a talk with his father about it. Then, Virgil spends the night with his girlfriend, Daisy. DC editors did not like the cover.
The cover depicts Virgil and his girlfriend kissing on a couch. There is an unopened condom nearby. Milestone would refuse to change the cover. Begrundingly, the two companies would reach an uneasy compromise; the comic would be sealed in a plastic sleeve that covers up the art. Only the faces of the kissing teens are visible in a transparent heart-shaped box.
9. The End of Milestone Media
Milestone Media shut down operations back in 1997. There was an industry speculation bubble in the 1990s that almost made Marvel Comics permanently go out of business. Sales were down across the board, and Milestone was no different. There was also an unfair stigma that Milestone was only for Black people when it simply wanted to tell stories from a Black perspective.
10. The Relaunch of Milestone Media
Under a new deal in 2008, the Milestone characters would join the DC comic universe. By 2015, DC would announce the creation of Earth M, a new multiverse where the Dakotaverse characters would live. In 2018, DC would announce the new 21st-century launch of Milestone Media. By 2012, new series like Milestone Forever, Icon, and Rocket: Season One, Static: Season One, and Hardware: Season One would be released.
Milestone Compendium One is a 1,320-page paperback that collects the first major storylines of several 1990s Milestone comics. Get this comic to get a flavor of 1990s Milestone. Buy it now at Amazon for $47.
Milestone and the Future
Fans are awaiting news of new Milestone relaunches for 2026. It is great that Milestone finally came back in 2021, and hopefully it will continue. It now has a lot of competition. In 1993, the typical comic book hero was a white male; it was no happy accident, it was a design of decades of race politics. However, open diversity in comic book stories is now the norm, even if 86% of characters are still white.
In other words, Milestone does not have the uniqueness and competitive advantage now that it did back in 1993. However, if any company can defy the odds and continue being successful, it’s Milestone.
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