In 1985, Mark Gruenwald started a people acclaimed 10-year run as the writer of "Captain America". That same year he also began the miniseries "Squadron Supreme" (1985–86), a deconstructionist take on superheroes that preceded Alan Moore’s graphic novel "Watchmen", submitted by DC Comics. The 1980s also saw Frank Miller’s stint on "Daredevil", which took that book in a darker and grittier direction, reviving sagging sales and making it one of Marvel’s best sellers. In 1988, Todd MacFarlane began a popular run as artist on "The Amazing Spider-Man". Four years later MacFarlane and a number of other popular artists, including Jim Lee, Erik Larsen, and Rob Liefeld, left Marvel to found rival Image Comics, a company that allowed creators to retain the copyrights of their characters.