With formerMarveltalent at the wheel, a long-lost comic book universe will make a comeback few saw coming. Of the many comic book publishers to emerge during the boom of the early 1990s, Defiant Comics was one of the most innovative.Defiant was heading towards great things, but the market crashed before they could deliver their magnum opus, but now, 30 years later, it is returning to print.Jake Weaver, Defiant Comics fan and host of theMidnight on Earthpodcast, has launched aKickstarterforSchism: Be Careful What You Dream.Fans can choose from two different formats: four, single issues (in print or digital) or a deluxe hardcover compiling the singles. Many key creative personnel from Defiant’s heyday, such as Shooter, JJ Jackson and David Lapham are involved inSchism’s production.
Their involvement ensuresSchismstays faithful to Defiant’s original mission.
Weaver has stated that any money raised beyond the initial funding goal will go back to the original creators.
Defiant Comics' Brief, But Innovative, History Explained
Defiant Comics Bucked a Number of Industry Trends
Spurned on by the runawaysuccess experienced by Valiantand Image Comics, a number of publishers threw their hat into the comic book arena, creating their own superhero universes. Malibu unleashed the Ultraverse and Dark Horse created Comics’ Greatest World. It seemed a new universe was creeping up every month. Into his came Defiant Comics.Founded by Jim Shooter after his departure from Valiant, Defiant took the former Marvel editor’s ideas on superheroes to another level.Like other publishers, Defiant would feature stories with tight continuity, and a small range of titles.
The Defiant Universe was unlike other superhero universes, however: the emphasis was on science fiction-style stories rather than the straight-up superheroes that were the style of the time.
Shooter and his collaborators had grand plans for Defiant Comics over the course of its first year.Defiant rolled out its first title,Warriors of Plasm, in the summer of 1993 to critical acclaim and strong sales. A succession of titles followed in its wake, such asDark Dominion, The Good Guys, CharlemagneandPrudence and Caution, among others. The Defiant Universe was unlike other superhero universes, however: the emphasis was on science fiction-style stories rather than the straight-up superheroes that were the style of the time. Defiant bucked trends, and was all the better for it.
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Prudence and Caution
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Although the vision Shooter and his collaborators laid out was solid, it was also plagued by problems, outside their control, from the get-go.Marvel sued Defiant almost immediately, stating thatWarriors of Plasmwas too similar, in title only, to an obscure, Marvel UK title calledPlasmer.While a huge stretch on Marvel’s part, the courts saw merit in the case, and it went to trial. Although Defiant emerged victorious, the court costs had bled the company dry financially. When coupled with the speculator bust of 1994, the company’s fortunes were in decline.
After Defiant went out of business, Jim Shooter took one last stab at another comics' universe with Broadway Comics. It did not even last a year.
Defiant’s change in fortunes could not have come at a worst time, as it was gearing up for a major crossover that would have served as the capstone to the company’s first year.The event, which was titledSchism, would have set up a new status quo for the Defiant Universe moving forward.Schismwas largely done by the time the company folded, and Defiant had even begun running house ads for it in the final comics they would publish. However, Defiant still went out of business, leaving the story ofSchismuntold.
Defiant’s Major Comeback Begins Now
SchismWas a Labor of Love
That was, until Defiant superfan Jake Weaver stepped in. After interviewing Defiant creative personnel for a different project, Weaver learned thatSchismwas finished.Weaver then undertook a four-year project to find all 160 pages of the original project, a massive and impressive feat.Schism’sKickstarter page details some of Weaver’s quest to bring this book to the masses. Defiant was a ground-breaking publisher, one that scaredMarvelfor a short bit. Defiant’s time was cut short, but now, over 30 years later, its magnum opus is set to be published.
