The Ages of Comics – A Four Part Saga

This is something I’ve meant to write for quite a while. I’m no comics expert, just someone interested in the subject so if there are any errors here, they are mine alone. Thanks to the ever-helpful Wikipedia pages plus various online sources for their help in compiling this information. Comics are a rich source of inspiration for millions and I hope this short overview helps spark your interest if you’re entirely new to the world of comics. If it persuades you to delve a bit deeper it’s more than done its job. Enjoy. 

Pre-Golden Age 

• Comic strips generally featured in newspapers and magazines before the 1930s but were usually limited to a few panels with a punchline at the end
• There were several attempts to expand this into comic books and it’s usually agreed the first successful one was Funnies on Parade (1933)
• Early comic books were often collected reprints of short strips which had appeared in newspapers or magazines as well as humorous characters such as Li’l Abner (1934-1977)
• As time went on, comic book publishers began to run out of newspaper material to print, so a need for original content was created, leading to the start of the Golden Age of Comics. 

The Golden Age of Comics (1938-c.1956)

• Began when DC comics introduced Superman in Action Comics No 1 in 1938 – the creation of Gerry Siegel (writer) and Joe Shuster (artist)
• Superman was followed by other DC costumed superheroes such as Batman in Detective Comics No 27 (1939) and Wonder Woman in All Star Comics No 8 (1941).
• Marvel responded with Captain America in Captain America Comics No 1 (1941)
• Stories were generally simple and straightforward often with an emphasis on patriotism. Superheroes would often battle the enemies of America such as Nazis and Japanese soldiers or scientists  reflecting the attitudes of the Second World War era. 
• Comics were generally aimed at children since it was assumed only kids would read them. As a result, superheroes often had young  sidekicks such as Batman’s ally Robin introduced in Detective Comics No 38 (1940). This gave the hero someone to interact with and also the young readers someone their own age to whom they could relate. 
• Superheroes were often tougher, grittier and far less moral than would be the case in later years. Batman often carried a gun in his earliest appearances and heroes generally had fewer qualms about beating up the bad guys – or in some cases, even killing them. Detective Comics No 30 for example saw Batman’s snapping a bad guy’s neck while swinging past a window. 
• The post-war era saw a decline in the popularity of superhero comics and other kinds of content such as westerns, funnies and romance stories became popular instead. 
• In addition, the 1950s saw a moral panic over comic books’ suitability for children especially with the publication of psychiatrist Fredric Wertham’s Book ‘Seduction of the Innocent.’
• As a result, the Comics Code Authority was created in 1954, censoring content deemed unsuitable for children such as sex and violence leading to the end of the Golden Age. 

The Silver Age of Comics (c. 1956-1970)

• Following the code’s introduction, established superheroes were revived for a new audience with the first being The Flash in Showcase No 4 (1956). This proved hugely popular and other familiar names soon followed suit. 
• Character origin stories were also rewritten such as the Green Lantern in 1959 whose new version (as Hal Jordan) got his powers from his power ring (reflecting science and advanced technology) as opposed to the Golden Age version of the character whose powers came from magic.
• Silver Age stories were generally far less gritty than the Golden Age ones had been, often with an emphasis on science and technology as well as the space-race, themes which chimed in with an America living in the Cold War and the new atomic age.
• The code also made it difficult for writers to do ‘serious’ storylines, so the era became associated with some sillier stories such as Batman’s ‘rainbow-coloured’ batsuits in Detective Comics No 241 (1957). 
• Another influence was the publication of Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen (1954-1977). In these often humorous stories, Olsen frequently underwent some sort of transformation including one where he switched minds with a gorilla. Outlandish stories such as these were typical of the new Silver Age.  
• There was another side to the fascination with science and technology. Marvel Comics often used stories reflecting the uncertainty of the era with reluctant superheroes created from exposure to radiation or similar forces. Examples include The Fantastic Four (1961 – ),  The Hulk (1962 – ) and the X Men (1963 – ).
• In addition, Spider-Man (1962 – ) broke new ground by portraying a teenage superhero, having to deal with adolescence as well as his new-found superpowers.
• The Silver Age also saw the development of DC’s multiverse and the creation of the Justice League of America in the Brave and the Bold No 28 (1960) which saw heroes banding together to defeat global threats often from outer space such as Brainiac.

The Bronze Age of Comics (c. 1970-1986)

• There is no definite agreement when the Silver Age ended, but some historians note the departure of Marvel’s Jack Kirby to DC and Superman editor Mortweisinger’s departure from DC in 1971 as a possible start point. 
• The era saw the first real attempts by comics to react against the perceived ‘silliness’ of the Silver Age and deal with real social issues such as alcoholism, racism and drug use against a backdrop of political and cultural turmoil such as the escalating Vietnam War.
• Stories often had complex, morally-ambiguous characters dealing with real-world problems and hard-hitting story arcs such as  Spiderman’s girlfriend Gwen Stacy’s death in Spider-Man No 121-122 (1973) following a fight with the Green Goblin. 
• Stories also reflected societal unease in the face of scandals such as Watergate (1974). Captain America for example, changed his identity to Nomad in Captain America No 180 (1974) questioning his identity in the same way the American public was questioning its government and leaders.
• Internal continuity was also more important than it had been previously, with past events from a character’s life being referenced in future stories. 
• Feminism and civil rights started to make a dent in comic books with a rise of independent female and ethnic minority superheroes 
• The weakening of the Comic Code of Authority also saw a rise in the popularity of horror-themed strips such as Swamp Thing in House of Secrets No 92 (1971) and Ghost Rider in Marvel Spotlight No 5 (1972). 
• The era also saw the appearance of dedicated comic-book shops, graphic novels and comic book adaptations of popular culture such as the Star Wars films. In addition, the Superhero genre became dominant over rivals such as westerns and romances. 
• The Bronze Age arguably ended with the Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985-1986) story-arc which was an attempt to simplify the complex continuity which had run ever since the Golden Age with the deaths of several characters including the Barry Allen incarnation of The Flash. 
• Some comic historians maintain the Bronze Age never ended – and we are still in it 🙂 

The Modern Age of Comic (1986 – ) 

• Sometimes called the Dark Age of Comics. The term Iron Age of Comics is also used although some says this is a different thing altogether and refers to the era of reboots, retconning and reimaginings. 
• A so-called ‘British Invasion’ took place in US comics with UK-based writers exerting an influence on the market. This included Alan Moore’s run on Swamp Thing, Grant Morrison’s run on Animal Boy and Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series for Vertigo from 1989. 
• The two most significant works of the era are Alan Moore’s Watchmen (1986) and Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns (1986). Both reflect an era when comics became far more adult in content, with dark tortured protagonists and a rise in antiheroes, a logical extension of Bronze Age characters such as the Punisher. 
• The era saw darker storylines introduced with far more explicit violence such as the Death of Superman at the hands of Doomsday (1992) and Bane ‘breaking the Bat’ in the Knightfall (1993-1994) story arc. Other examples included the introduction of Carnage in The Amazing Spider-Man No 344 (1991), part of the symbiote costume storyline. 
• This darker sensibility was also carried into other media, for example Batman the Animated Series (1992-1995), again reflecting more complex storylines, troubled characters and antiheroes. 
• There has been a raft of film adaptations with characters such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Daredevil, Spider-Man, the X Men and many others getting the big-screen treatment. 
• The era has also seen the rise of more independent comic book publishers such as Dark Horse with freedom from the code as well as the increased presence of graphic novels in ‘mainstream’ bookshops.