1996 in comics

Year overall

 * Malcolm Jones III commits suicide at circa age 37.
 * Boody Rogers, creator of Sparky Watts, dies at c. age 92
 * The Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute creates Enviro-babies to help promote endangered species awareness

January

 * January 19: Bernard Baily, co-creator of The Spectre and Hourman, dies at age 79.
 * January 28:
 * Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel dies at age 81.
 * Tarzan artist Burne Hogarth dies at age 84.

February

 * The New Titans is canceled by DC with issue #130.
 * Star Trek vol. 2 is canceled by DC with issue #80.

March

 * With issue #75, The Sandman ends its run. (DC/Vertigo)

May

 * May 9: Disney Comics writer/artist Carl Fallberg dies at age 80.

June

 * Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme is canceled by Marvel with issue #90.
 * June 19: Long-time Superman artist Curt Swan dies at age 76.

July

 * Diamond Comic Distributors acquires Capital City Distribution.
 * The Avengers #400: "History Repeats Itself," by Mark Waid, Mike Weiringo, and Tom Palmer. (Marvel Comics)
 * July 2: Mike Parobeck, Batman Adventures artist, dies from diabetes at age 30.

August

 * Detective Comics #700: "Legacy," Part I, "Progeny of the Demon," by Chuck Dixon, Graham Nolan, and Scott Hanna.
 * Captain America (1968 series) is canceled by Marvel with issue #454.
 * August 12: Beloved Marvel Comics writer/editor Mark Gruenwald dies at age 43.

September

 * Fantastic Four (1961 series) is canceled by Marvel with issue #416.
 * The Avengers (1963 series) is canceled by Marvel with issue #402.
 * Iron Man (1968 series) is canceled by Marvel with issue #332.
 * Newspaper strip A Couple of Guys begins publication

December

 * Superman: The Wedding Album: Clark Kent marries Lois Lane (DC Comics).
 * December 27: Marvel Entertainment files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Conventions

 * March 2: Halleluja Con (Church of St. Paul the Apostle, New York City) — produced on the spur of the moment after the sudden cancellation of the scheduled Great Eastern Conventions New York show. First iteration of the Big Apple Convention.
 * March 22–24: Motor City Comic Con I (Novi Expo Center, Novi, Michigan)
 * March 23: Alternative Press Expo (San Jose, California)
 * April 19–21: Pittsburgh Comicon (ExpoMart/Radisson, Monroeville, Pennsylvania) — guests include Stan Lee, Jim Shooter, and Julius Schwartz
 * April 26–28: WonderCon (Oakland, California) — 10th annual convention
 * Summer: "Lazy CAPTION" (Oxford Union Society, Oxford, England)
 * Summer: Canadian National Comic Book Exposition (Holiday Inn on King, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) — c. 2,900 attendees; guests include Dale Keown, Adam Hughes, Stuart Immonen, Pat Lee, Ken Lashley, Mike Zeck, and Dave Ross
 * June: Heroes Convention (Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, North Carolina) — guests included Alex Ross, Mike Wieringo, Ron Garney, George Pérez, Nick Cardy, Dan Jurgens, and Tom Smith
 * June 1-2: Comix Fair XIV (Medallion Hotel, Houston, Texas)
 * June 21–23: Chicago Comicon (Chicago, Illinois) — 25,000 attendees; Guest of honor: Will Eisner; other guests: Harlan Ellison, Larry Marder, Heidi MacDonald, Mike Richardson, Kurt Busiek, Sergio Aragonés, Evan Dorkin, Paul Levitz, Julius Schwartz, Mercy Van Vlack, and George Pérez
 * June 21–23: Dragon Con (Atlanta Hilton & Towers/Westin Peachtree Plaza/Atlanta Civic Center, Atlanta, Georgia) — 13,400 attendees; guests include Neil Gaiman, John Byrne, Peter David, Kevin Nowlan, Chris Claremont, Al Feldstein, Robert Williams, Mark Bodé, Al Williamson, William Stout, Mark Schultz, Jeff Smith, Reed Waller, Rich Buckler, John Kricfalusi, and Bob Burden.
 * July 4–7: San Diego Comic-Con (San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California) — 36,000 attendees. Special guests include Donna Barr, David Brin, Paul Chadwick, Steve Dillon, Mort Drucker, Ben Edlund, Garth Ennis, Dave Gibbons, Joe Giella, Dave McKean, Jim Mooney, Kurt Schaffenberger, and François Schuiten
 * July 26–28: Dallas Collectors Con (Plano Convention Center, Plano, Texas) — substitute event for cancelled Dallas Fantasy Fair; official include Bernie Wrightson, Howard Cruse, Rob Liefeld, and Kurt Busiek.
 * July 27–28: Dallas Fantasy Fair (Market Hall, Dallas, Texas) — cancelled at the last minute; the Harvey Awards were scheduled to be presented there and had to be rescheduled for later in the year
 * September 20: Small Press Expo (Bethesda, Maryland) – guests include Jeff Smith, Charles Vess, Evan Dorkin, Jim Gownley, David Lapham, and Shannon Wheeler
 * October 12–13: Motor City Comic Con II (Dearborn Civic Center, Dearborn, Michigan)
 * October 25–27: Dynamic Forces New York Comic Book Convention (Sheraton New York Hotel, New York City) — official guests include Barry Windsor-Smith and Dan Jurgens
 * November 29–December 1: Mid-Ohio Con (Columbus, Ohio) — guests include Roger Stern, Darryl Banks, Dick DeBartolo, Tom and Mary Bierbaum, Tony Isabella, Paul Jenkins, Mark Waid, Leah Adezio, Dan Mishkin, Berni Wrightson, Mark Crilley, P. Craig Russell, Jim Shooter, Murphy Anderson, Dick Ayers, Tom Batiuk, John Byrne, Dick DeBartolo, Julius Schwartz, and Jeff Smith

Independent titles

 * Allegra
 * Release: August by Image Comics. Writer: Steven T. Seagle. Artist: Scott Clarke


 * Cyberpunx
 * Release: March by Image Comics. Writer: Robert Loren Fleming Artist: Ching Lau


 * Keyhole
 * Release: June by Millennium Publications. Writers: Dean Haspiel, Josh Neufeld, R. Walker, Chris Cliadakis, Linda Perkins. Art by: Haspiel, Neufeld, and Perkins.


 * Tim Curry
 * Release February by Curry Comics.

Marvel Comics

 * Onslaught: X-Men
 * Release August


 * Onslaught: Marvel Universe
 * Release October


 * The Avengers (1996 series) #1
 * Release November


 * Captain America (1996 series) #1
 * Release November


 * Fantastic Four (1996 series) #1
 * Release November


 * Iron Man (1996 series) #1
 * Release November