Sugar and Spike and Spike" series...is the most charming thing I've ever seen in comics." DC attempted to license "Sugar and Spike" as a syndicated newspaper strip but was unsuccessful. Sales on the "Sugar and Spike" issues of "The Best of DC" were strong enough that DC announced plans for a new ongoing series featuring the characters. The project was never launched for unknown reasons. Mayer had an agreement with DC that no one else could write Sugar and Spike. However, they have occasionally made cameo appearances in modern comic books. They are rescued by the underwater heroine Dolphin in "Showcase" #100. They
Modern Age of Comic Books in 1996, and as a result, scaled back all of their franchises, including X-Men. A number of "X-books" were canceled, and the amount of limited series published, as well as general merchandise, was reduced. In the early 2000s, a series of blockbuster "X-Men" movies have kept the X-Men franchise healthy, and have resulted in a larger market presence outside of comics. In 1999-2000, a new animated series, "" debuted, while new toys have been developed and sold since the success of the first "X-Men" feature film. The comic books themselves have been reinvented in series such as Grant Morrison's "New