The 80s and 90s (or "copper age") of DC Comics was an exciting time of change and growth for the company. In their Crisis on Infinite Earths maxi-series, drawn by premier artist George Perez, the DC Universe was streamlined from multiple worlds into one world with many different heroes. John Byrne was hired to completely revamp and reboot Superman, resulting in much renewed interest in the Man of Steel. Wonder Woman was given a makeover, also by Perez, making her series a must-read. Justice League was also revamped as a light-hearted romp with bickering and crazy characters in it. Sometimes this experimentation paid off, sometimes it didn't.

Here we look at the most interesting series of the period, the most notable artists and writers and memorable stories, recounting how and why some series prospered and others failed -- as the company with the oldest and arguably most famous heroes took on the challenge of Marvel and held their own.