1997 in comics

Events

• Publisher Blatant Comics founded by Chris Crosby and Bobby Crosby.
• WildStorm established the Cliffhanger imprint.

January

• Aloys Oosterwijk's gag comic Willems Wereld debuts. It will run until 2017.
• In Shadis magazine, the first episode of Dork Tower, by John Kovalic is printed.
• In The Incredible Hulk #449, the Thunderbolts make their debut.
• The first episode of Due by Alessandro Sisti, Corrado Mastrantuono and Paolo Mottura is published, in which two central figures of PKNA, the evil computer Due and the mysterious scientist and businessman Everett Ducklair, make their debut. Later in the year, the series’ supporting cast is enriched by several other recurring characters, such as the android Odin Eidolon and the secret agent Mary Ann Flagstar.

March

• The final episode of Daniel Clowes' Ghost World is prepublished in Eightball. In the same issue Clowes publishes his essay Modern Cartoonist.
• In Italy, La Lunga Notte dell’Investigatore Merlo, by Leo Ortolani is first published, a parody of Humphrey Bogart’s movies.

April

• * Tony Barbieri and Bill Wray's satirical teenage comic Monroe makes its debut in the 356th issue of Mad. It will run until 2010, albeit with a different artist from 2006 on: Tom Fowler.
• * In U.S. newspapers, a comic strip switcheroo takes place, in commemoration of April Fools' Day; several cartoonists trade their signature comic series for the day.April 3: The first issue of Knuckles the Lark legion by Ken Penders is published.
• In Smoke Magazine, Cigarman, by Sam Gross and Randy Jones, begins publication. It will run until 1998.
• Marvel cancels The Punisher with issue #18A history of violence by John Wagner and Vince Locke.
• First issue of the annual magazine Il Grande Diabolik.
• First issue of Rat-Man collection by Leonardo Ortolani.

May

• First issue of 2020 Visions by Jamie Delano.
• In Cable 45, the crossover Operation: Zero tolerance begins.
• Sergio Bonelli editore launches two new magazines: the semi-annual Agenzia alfa and the annual I Grandi Comici del Fumetto, inaugurated by Cocco Bill Diquaedilà, one of Benito Jacovitti’s last works.

June

• First issue of Hellboy: wake the devil, by Mike Mignola.
• Fiftieth anniversary of Scrooge McDuck's first appearance. The event is celebrated by two stories: Secret of the Incas, by Byron Erickson and Giorgio Cavazzano and A little something special, by Don Rosa.Fort Ghost, the first album of the western-fantasy series Magico Vento, by Gianfranco Manfredi.
• The Largo Winch album L’heure du tigre is published, by Jean Van Hamme and Philippe Francq.

July

• July 15: In Topolino, the story Paperino e la Macchina della Conoscenza, by Corrado Mastantuono is published, which marks the debut of Bum-Bum Ghigno.July 31: The Belgian city Middelkerke starts an annual project where statues of famous Belgian comics characters are placed at the dijk during the summer. The first one to be honoured this way is Jommeke.
• Marvel Comics' Flashback month: all issues were released with the number −1.

August

• First issue of Major Bummer, by John Arcudi and Doug Mahnke.
• The Lucky Luke story OK Corral by Morris, Éric Adam and Xavier Fauche is published.

September

• The first issue of the second Marvel Team-up series is published.
• The first issue of  Transmetropolitan by Waren Ellis and Frank Robertson is published.
• The XIII album Le Jugement, by William Vance and Jean Van Hamme is first published

October

• First issue of Ascension, by David Finch and Matt Banning
• The last complete story of Zanardi by Andrea Pazienza, appears in the Italian magazine Comic Art.''.''
• The giant album Gli uomini in nero by Alfredo Castelli and Esposito Bros is published by Sergio Bonelli. It tells the whole story of the Martin Mystere universe, from the fall of Atlantis to the present.

November

• Mayo Kaan takes out newspaper ads claiming to be the original model for Superman, although his allegations were later proven false.
• The Thorgal story La Cage by Jean Van Hamme and Grzegorz Rosiński is first published.
• The Blueberry story Ombres sur Tombstone by Jean Giraud is first published.La Pourpre et l'Or by Jean Dufaux and Philippe Delaby , the first album of the Murena series, is published.

December

• The final issue of the Belgian comics magazine À Suivre is published.
• Marvel returns the Avengers and Fantastic Four to their main continuity in Heroes Reborn: The Return #1–4
• Bad boy by Frank Miller and Simon Bisley

Specific date unknown

• Finnish comic artist Arja Kajermo launches her gag comic Tuula, which will run until 2019.
• The final album of the Belgian comics series Bessy, originally created by Willy Vandersteen, is published.
• The final episode of the Belgian comics series Tif et Tondu is published, ending it just a year before its 60th birthday.
• The final episode of Howard Rands' newspaper gag comic Twitch appears in print. The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish by Neil Gaiman and David McKean
• In Norway, the first strip of Den swarte siden by Lise Myhre is published.
• In Italy, number 0 of the series No Name by Davide Barzi and Oskar is published, a parody of the superhero comics.

Deaths

January

• * André Franquin, Belgian comics artist, dies at age 73.
• * Frans Piët, Dutch comics artist, dies at age 91.January 6: Pétur Bjarnason, Icelandic-Swedish comic artist, dies at age 50.January 8: Normand Hudon, Canadian animator and comics artist, dies at age 67.January 25: Dan Barry, American cartoonist and comics artist, dies at age 73.

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Specific date unknown

• Carol Carlson, American comics artist, dies at age 84 or 85.
• Dennis Ellefson, American comics artist, dies at age 59 or 60.
• Kerstin Frykstrand, Swedish illustrator and comics artist, dies at age 95 or 96.
• Frank Little, American animator and comics artist, dies at age 90.
• Armand Panis, A.K.A. Sinap, Belgian comics artist, caricaturist and cartoonist, dies at age 89 or 90.
• Jorge Pérez Del Castillo, Chilean-Argentine comics artist, dies at age 73 or 74.
• Alan Philpott, British comic artist, dies at age 82 or 83.
• Roex, A.K.A. Roger Exelmans, Belgian comics artist, dies at age 60.
• Bernard Segal, A.K.A. "Seeg", American painter and comics artist, dies at age 78 or 79.
• George Smits, A.K.A. 'Toet', Belgian painter, experimental musician and comics artist, dies at age 52 or 53.
• Tony Velasquez, Filipino comics artist, dies at age 86.
• Roland Venet, aka Rol, French comics artist, dies at age 77 or 78.

Conventions

Exhibitions

First issues by title

DC Comics