History LighterAndSofter / ComicBooks

* Beginning with a one-off in 2018, ''Comicbook/TwoThousandAD'' has been publishing quarterly "Regened" issues, which are intentionally written and marketed as being all-ages. There's still violence, but little blood and nobody dies.

* Shortly after the Creator/AdultSwim [[SamuraiJack/TropesSeason5 revival]] of ''WesternAnimation/SamuraiJack'' ended its run, Creator/IDWPublishing published an AlternateContinuity five-issue miniseries titled ''ComicBook/SamuraiJackQuantumJack''. The miniseries was notably less dark than the original cartoon's revival and more in line with the tone of the show's first four seasons, as it toned down on the adult themes, there was no blood, and Jack was back to only killing robotic enemies.

* ''Li'l Franchise/BattlestarGalactica'' can best be described as "Battlestar Galactica" given the ''ComicBook/TinyTitans'' treatment. Incidentally, both comics are by the same artist.

* ''Li'l Series/BattlestarGalactica'' can best be described as "Battlestar Galactica" given the ''ComicBook/TinyTitans'' treatment. Incidentally, both comics are by the same artist.

* Franchise/SpiderMan, ComicBook/TheAvengers, ComicBook/FantasticFour, ComicBook/IncredibleHulk, and ComicBook/IronMan all have kid-friendly, self-contained stories in the ''ComicBook/MarvelAdventures'' line. In ''Marvel Adventures'', the heroes tend to be friends, everything works out predictably, and there are a few meta comments on the storylines in the "main" series.
--> "Don't be ridiculous. We would never shoot the Hulk into space!"
** What's ironic is that the Mini Marvels comic strips included at the end of the mainstream Marvel universe actually ''parodies'' the shallowness and silliness. The Mini Marvels strips point out how the stories taken seriously are [[{{Narm}} much more ridiculous]] than their Lighter and Softer counterpart.
* ''ComicBook/SpideySuperStories'', a Marvel book for the younger set, inexplicably [[http://notthebeastmaster.typepad.com/weblog/2004/03/hey_kids_death.html featured Thanos]] at one point. Yes, the ComicBook/{{Thanos}} with a hard-on for Death, the one who killed half of everyone in the universe in an attempt to impress her. In a book for little kids. They must have just made him into a big purple guy. [[http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2010/06/14/i-lova-ya-but-youre-strange-2/ He has a helicopter with his name on it. And he gets arrested by the police in the end. It's awesome.]]
* The original 1980s version of ''ComicBook/PowerPack'', while not nearly as angsty as Marvel's other works, took itself seriously and attempted to be a serious, but not ''as'' serious as usual, comic about {{kid hero}}es, with a fair amount of characterization, intelligent plots, and good quality storytelling. It actually tries to realistically portray what children who find themselves with superpowers might actually go through, but still falls short of stereotypical comic angst. The 2000s remake is aimed squarely at a quite young audience and has much cuter art and simpler storytelling.
* ''ComicBook/TinyTitans'' is an even lighter version of ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' compared to [[WesternAnimation/TeenTitans the TV show]]. It takes places in a bright happy world where some of the worst things the elementary school Titans need to worry about are: embarrassingly loving father Trigon, grumpy lunch lady Darkseid, and stern principal Slade. In both versions of Teen Titans, Trigon is a demon who wishes to conquer Earth and turn it into hell, ComicBook/{{Darkseid}} is out to conquer all life, and Slade is an amoral mercenary and assassin. To say nothing of the comic version Starfire's [[MostCommonSuperpower character design]]...
* The 1994 ContinuityReboot of ''ComicBook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}''. Over the previous decade, the comic had been hemorrhaging readers for years, having gone from happy young superheroes in a bright and shiny future to cynical adults struggling to hold society together (and the insanely complex ContinuitySnarl that came about after ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths''). So, the comic started over at the beginning with a focus on youth and idealism. (It got DarkerAndEdgier again when Creator/DanAbnett and Andy Lanning took over writing duties years later, but that's another story.)
* Done in-universe in ''ComicBook/TheSandman'': [[CainAndAbel Abel]] tells the baby Daniel the story of how he and Cain came to live in Dream's dominion... well, a version appropriate for a toddler, anyway. The story involves SuperDeformed versions of themselves, Dream and Death. Cain is utterly sickened. ''[[Funny/TheSandman It's hilarious]].''
--> '''Cain:''' What kind of sanitized pablum are you ''feeding'' the child?!
* Franchise/{{Superman}} was originally a much rougher and reckless tough guy who was eager to terrorize his enemies and even kill his enemies when suitable. There was even a story where Superman sought to encourage urban renewal by going on a rampage smashing up slums. Within a few years, Superman was changed into his more familiar big boy scout personality.

%%* ''ComicBook/ThePulse'' is a Lighter And Softer continuation of ''ComicBook/{{Alias}}''.
* [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] in ''ComicBook/SpiderVerse'' when Morlun drops in on the ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManAndHisAmazingFriends'' universe. He notes that the universe is much lighter than the other ones he's been to. So light that [[spoiler:that universe's Spider-Man cannot describe the fact that ''Morlun just massacred the Spider-Friends and he's next''.]]

* ''ComicBook/UltimateSpiderMan'' while still dark and violent in places is nevertheless '''far''' LighterAndSofter than then rest of the DarkerAndEdgier ComicBook/UltimateMarvel books such as ''ComicBook/UltimateFantasticFour'', ''ComicBook/TheUltimates'' and ''ComicBook/UltimateXMen''. Notably while the rest of Marvel heroes (with only a few exceptions) are UpToEleven {{Jerkass}} AntiHero versions of themselves, Spider-Man conversely retains the AllLovingHero idealism of his main universe counterpart though he is regarded as a naive kid for it.
* ''ComicBook/{{X 23}}'' is typically an even DarkerAndEdgier DistaffCounterpart to ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}. When she takes up the mantle in ''ComicBook/AllNewWolverine'', however, Laura demonstrates to be highly idealistic and moral, striving not to be the killer she was created to be, and comes across as the TeamMom and [[OnlySaneMan Only Sane Woman]] in the entire Marvel universe. ThouShallNotKill are her watch words, Laura calls out Logan for being anything less than prim and proper, she pulls a WhatTheHellHero on [[ComicBook/CaptainAmerica Steve Rogers]], and generally has a GoodIsNotSoft nature.

* ''ComicBook/{{Batman}}'' underwent this in the 1950's and 60's as a result of the Comics Code being put in place, he wasn't the dark brooding figure as we know him today, his villains (especially ComicBook/TheJoker weren't allowed to kill people), the violence was toned down, and very silly and outlandish things happened on a regular basis.
* Jason Todd aka ComicBook/RedHood has undergone this in recent years. When he first made his debut/resurrection in ''Batman: Under the Hood'' he was an AxCrazy FallenHero who go further than PayEvilUntoEvil, by being a pimp and a drug lord who killed cops and civilians who got in his way and even tried to kill Tim Drake. By the time of the ComicBook/New52 Jason is a lot calmer and nicer and has less violent interactions with the Bat-Family, who have come to accept him despite his violent tendencies. By the time of ''ComicBook/DCRebirth'' Jason has mellowed out so much he actually spares villains like Black Mask out of loyalty to Bruce.

* Jason Todd aka ComicBook/RedHood has undergone this in recent years. When he first made his debut/resurrection in ''Batman: Under the Hood'' he was an AxCrazy FallenHero who go further than PayEvilUntoEvil, by being a pimp, drug lord who killed cops and civilians who got in his way and even tried to kill Tim Drake. By the time of the ComicBook/New52 Jason is a lot calmer and nicer and has less violent interactions with the Bat-Family, who have come to accept him despite his violent tendencies. By the time of ''ComicBook/DCRebirth'' Jason has mellowed out so much he actually spares villains like Black Mask out of loyalty to Bruce.