Max (comics)

Max (sometimes stylized as MAX Comics) is an imprint of Marvel Comics that specializes in R-rated comic book content. It was launched in 2001 after Marvel broke with the Comics Code Authority and established its own rating system.

The Max imprint is not Marvel's first effort in featuring explicit content in their titles. The company's Epic Comics imprint in the 1980s and early 1990s often featured stronger content than their mainstream imprint. However, the Max imprint is the first time Marvel has specifically produced comics with uncensored content.

History

The first series to be published under the Max imprint was Alias, written by Brian Michael Bendis. Several limited series were then created specially for the Max imprint, such as Apache Skies and Haunt of Horror, but the majority of its publications were based around existing Marvel characters, such as Howard the Duck and Devil-Slayer.

One Marvel character who was revived by Max was Rawhide Kid who in 2002 became the first openly gay comic book character to star in his own magazine. The first edition of the Rawhide Kid’s gay saga was called Slap Leather. According to a CNN.com article, “The new series pairs the original artist, John Severin, now 86, with Ron Zimmerman, a television writer. Making the Rawhide Kid gay was Zimmerman’s idea. The character’s sexuality is conveyed indirectly, through euphemisms and puns, and the comic’s style is campy. Conservative groups protested the gay take on the character, which they claimed would corrupt children, and the covers carried an "Adults only" label.