History MediaNotes / TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks

[[caption-width-right:350:The Silver Age in a nutshell. [[Website/{{Superdickery}} Take four]] [[DrinkingGame shots]].]]

In the late 1930s, the {{Superhero}} was born. The genre quickly exploded, with hundreds of titles published at the height of the time now known as UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks. Unfortunately, by 1950, the popularity of superhero comics had declined precipitously. This was due largely to the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII taking away nearly all of the go-to enemies for heroes to fight, plus the knock-on result of people just being tired of fighting in general. During [[UsefulNotes/TheInterregnum this period]], superhero comics slowly vanished from the stands, to be replaced by horror comics, Westerns, monster comics, romance comics, humor comics, and other genres, with only a few (Franchise/{{Superman}}, Franchise/{{Batman}}, and Franchise/WonderWoman among them) still surviving.

And then, in the September-October 1956 issue of Creator/DCComics's ''Showcase'', something magical happened. A remake of super-speed character Franchise/TheFlash – with a new costume, secret identity, and origin – spiked the sales charts. After a couple more test issues, they gave him his own title, and tried redoing another Golden Age character, Franchise/GreenLantern. This too was successful, and the {{Superhero}} genre was off to the races. Within a couple years, several other companies threw their hats into the ring, such as Atlas, Charlton, and ACG. In 1961, Creator/StanLee of Creator/MarvelComics was told by his boss to create something in the vein of DC's Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica. Thus, the ComicBook/FantasticFour appeared on the stands, and Marvel's innovative characterization-based approach to comic books appeared. Thus, some people split the age by referring to the period between the introduction of the Barry Allen Flash and that of the Fantastic Four as the "Early Silver Age".

The Silver Age was, in a word, silly. Especially by today's standards. Due to the assumptions of UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode, creators were generally restricted to creating entertainment for children, and the Code's guidelines as to what was age-appropriate were very strict, precluding a lot of possible storylines that might deal with more mature themes. TheFifties also saw a general turn toward conservatism in American society as a reaction against the disruption of the War, and pushing the envelope or questioning social norms was frowned upon. This is most obvious when it comes to female characters, who had been more independent back in the Golden Age – this is the era when Franchise/WonderWoman became [[NoGuyWantsAnAmazon vaguely apologetic about rescuing male characters]]; and Lois Lane, who had been portrayed as an ambitious career woman before, decided [[AcceptableFeminineGoalsAndTraits her main goal in life]] was [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe forcing Superman to marry her]] and becoming a housewife.

* ''Franchise/TheFlash'' -- Considered to be the founding comic of the Silver Age. It introduced the AlternateUniverse to Franchise/TheDCU and in general exemplifies the age with its out-there science fiction reimagining of old gimmicks.
* ''Showcase'' -- An AnthologyComic series that acted as a [[PoorlyDisguisedPilot testing ground]] for new ideas, that introduced updated versions of Golden Age heroes, such as Flash, Franchise/GreenLantern and ComicBook/TheAtom, as well as popular new characters like the ComicBook/MetalMen and ComicBook/TeenTitans.

Usually accepted as lasting from the foundation of UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode until Creator/JackKirby's move to DC. (1954-1970). Alternatively starting with the reintroduction of ''Franchise/TheFlash'' (1956), or the first issue of ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' (1961). Alternatively ending with price increases to 15 cents (1969) or ''The Amazing ComicBook/SpiderMan'' #100 (1971). Many also argue that ''The Amazing Spider-Man ''#121 is a much more important and fitting end: ''ComicBook/TheNightGwenStacyDied'', in which the violent death of a major sympathetic character in a manner other than DeathByOriginStory killed off both the optimism of the Silver Age, and its StatusQuoIsGod.

Since realism and consistent characterization were not exactly high priorities, the age saw a lot of {{Superdickery}}; Silver Age CoversAlwaysLie, and characters would frequently be seen doing something bizarrely out-of-character on the cover just to attract more buyers[[note]]In fact, as the story goes, it was not uncommon practice for the eye-catching cover to be created first, and then passed off to the writer, who then had to shape a story around it[[/note]]. Depending on who you ask, all this wackiness is either the Silver Age's fatal flaw or all part of the [[NarmCharm charm]].

Another fascination of the Silver Age was '''Science!''' The Silver Age occurred alongside UsefulNotes/TheSpaceRace. Science was [[ForScience the answer to]], [[ScienceIsBad and source of]], every problem. The mutations of the ComicBook/XMen, the alternate universe known as Earth-Two[[note]]DC's way of explaining the shift in tone and continuity between the Gold and Silver Ages -- the Silver Age comics were set in Earth-One, while the older Golden Age stories took place on the alternate Earth-Two[[/note]], the alien conqueror known as Starro -- the genre was filled to the brim with SpeculativeFictionTropes. Many of the more fantasy-based heroes of the Golden Age were remade with scientific origins and powers. Of course, the science wasn't necessarily very ''[[{{technobabble}} scientific]]''. The authors were rarely scientists themselves, and even those who were [[RuleOfCool didn't let the facts get in the way of an exciting story]], especially when the stories were already so goofy. Thus, you had stuff like ice missiles that were attracted to speed, people who were [[ILoveNuclearPower exposed to radiation receiving superpowers]] instead of cancer, and so on.

The Silver Age can be split between two approaches – the more old-fashioned Golden Age style with stalwart, lantern-jawed heroes solving the plot through logic and creative use of their signature abilities... and the more characterization-based style, where heroes dealt with supervillains and inner demons alike. One could say that the Silver Age ended when Creator/JackKirby, one of the creators of the latter style at Marvel, moved to DC, the mainstay of the old-fashioned approach. However, Creator/SteveDitko, the third major founding talent of Marvel Comics and co-creator of Comicbook/SpiderMan, had crossed over before him.

Morality in Silver Age comics was extremely [[BlackAndWhiteMorality black and white]]; heroes in particular followed a strict, moralistic code of conduct. Since dealing with serious real-world issues was frowned upon, wacky SpeculativeFiction plots that bore no relation to reality became increasingly common. Supervillains' plans were usually [[LighterAndSofter more goofy than genuinely threatening]]. Superheroes had names like [SomethingPerson] or [TheAdjectivalSuperhero], which would seem too {{narm}}y today, and they would develop NewPowersAsThePlotDemands no matter how flimsy the justification or how absurd the power (one word: [[http://www.superdickery.com/super-weaving/ super-weaving]]).

Another fascination of the Silver Age was '''Science!''' The Silver Age occurred alongside UsefulNotes/TheSpaceRace. Science was [[ForScience the answer to]], [[ScienceIsBad and source of]], every problem. The mutations of the ComicBook/XMen, the alternate universe known as Earth-2, the alien conqueror known as Starro – the genre was filled to the brim with SpeculativeFictionTropes. Many of the more fantasy-based heroes of the Golden Age were remade with scientific origins and powers. Of course, the science wasn't necessarily very ''[[{{technobabble}} scientific]]''. The authors were rarely scientists themselves, and even those who were [[RuleOfCool didn't let the facts get in the way of an exciting story]], especially when the stories were already so goofy. Thus, you had stuff like ice missiles that were attracted to speed, people who were [[ILoveNuclearPower exposed to radiation receiving superpowers]] instead of cancer, and so on.

[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/JimmyOlsen https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/olsen72cover_5074.jpg]]]]

* ''[[ComicBook/SupermansPalJimmyOlsen Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen]]'' and ''[[ComicBook/SupermansGirlFriendLoisLane Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane]]''. Both spinoffs from ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' and notable for their often bizarre plots and even more bizarre science. They were so remarkably campy that they could be read as outright comedy nowadays. The former series is generally thought of by comic readers as the single most stereotypical example of Silver Age tropes, especially in modern {{Shout Out}}s.

* ''ComicBook/SupermansPalJimmyOlsen'' and ''[[ComicBook/SupermansGirlFriendLoisLane Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane]]''. Both spinoffs from ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' and notable for their often bizarre plots and even more bizarre science. They were so remarkably campy that they could be read as outright comedy nowadays. The former series is generally thought of by comic readers as the single most stereotypical example of Silver Age tropes, especially in modern {{Shout Out}}s.
* ''[[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk The Incredible Hulk]]'' -- First true anti-hero of that age, and arguably the last "monster comic" that Jack Kirby and Stan Lee did.

* ''Superman's Pal ComicBook/JimmyOlsen'' and ''[[ComicBook/SupermansGirlFriendLoisLane Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane]]''. Both spinoffs from ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'' and notable for their often bizarre plots and even more bizarre science. They were so remarkably campy that they could be read as outright comedy nowadays. The former series is generally thought of by comic readers as the single most stereotypical example of Silver Age tropes, especially in modern {{Shout Out}}s.

* ''Superman's Pal ComicBook/JimmyOlsen'' and ''ComicBook/SupermansGirlFriendLoisLane''. Both spinoffs from ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'' and notable for their often bizarre plots and even more bizarre science. They were so remarkably campy that they could be read as outright comedy nowadays. The former series is generally thought of by comic readers as the single most stereotypical example of Silver Age tropes, especially in modern {{Shout Out}}s.

* ''Superman's Pal ComicBook/JimmyOlsen'' and ''Superman's Girl Friend, ComicBook/LoisLane''. Both spinoffs from ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'' and notable for their often bizarre plots and even more bizarre science. They were so remarkably campy that they could be read as outright comedy nowadays. The former series is generally thought of by comic readers as the single most stereotypical example of Silver Age tropes, especially in modern {{Shout Out}}s.

->''"Today we once again venture forth into the deepest depths of insanity known as 'the Silver Age' - when comics cost 12 cents, Superman could juggle planets with his pinky finger, and stories didn't have to follow anything like 'logic' or 'natural plot development'!"''

* ''ComicBook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}'' -- DC's far future super-team, that occasionally dealt with surprisingly deep subjects for the time, especially those stories written by the teenage Creator/JimShooter, such as the death of Ferro Lad shortly after being introduced, and the resurrection of Lightning Lad, as well as dealing with FantasticRacism years before ''Franchise/StarTrek''.

** ''ComicBook/BlueBeetle'' -- Revived from a Fox Features Golden Age hero, this version of the character was an archaeologist who was empowered by an ancient Scarab amulet found in a pyramid. After being killed off, Creator/SteveDitko, who had just left Marvel, rebooted the character. This time, the Beetle was Ted Kord, a millionaire who could not use the Scarab's powers but had fancy gadgets which he used to fight crime as an acrobatic, wisecracking bugthemed superhero. (Sound familiar?) Both versions of the character inspired Nite Owl I and II in ''Watchmen''.

Another fascination of the Silver Age was '''Science!''' The Silver Age occurred alongside UsefulNotes/TheSpaceRace. Science was [[ForScience the answer to]], [[ScienceIsBad and source of]], every problem. The mutations of the Comicbook/XMen, the alternate universe known as Earth-2, the alien conqueror known as Starro – the genre was filled to the brim with SpeculativeFictionTropes. Many of the more fantasy-based heroes of the Golden Age were remade with scientific origins and powers. Of course, the science wasn't necessarily very ''[[{{technobabble}} scientific]]''. The authors were rarely scientists themselves, and even those who were [[RuleOfCool didn't let the facts get in the way of an exciting story]], especially when the stories were already so goofy. Thus, you had stuff like ice missiles that were attracted to speed, people who were [[ILoveNuclearPower exposed to radiation receiving superpowers]] instead of cancer, and so on.

* ''[[Comicbook/SpiderMan Amazing Spider-Man]]'' -- Most successful instance of the Marvel style.

* ''Comicbook/FantasticFour'' -- Beginning of the modern Franchise/MarvelUniverse.

* ''Superman's Pal ComicBook/JimmyOlsen'' and ''Superman's Girl Friend, ComicBook/LoisLane''. Both spinoffs from ''Comicbook/{{Superman}}'' and notable for their often bizarre plots and even more bizarre science. They were so remarkably campy that they could be read as outright comedy nowadays. The former series is generally thought of by comic readers as the single most stereotypical example of Silver Age tropes, especially in modern {{Shout Out}}s.
* ''[[Comicbook/IncredibleHulk The Incredible Hulk]]'' -- First true anti-hero of that age, and arguably the last "monster comic" that Jack Kirby and Stan Lee did.

->''A teenage sidekick ruins the gritty realism of a man dressing as a bat and fighting crime."''

The Silver Age lasted from 1956[[note]]Some Marvel partisans claim 1961, instead, for the first issue of ComicBook/FantasticFour, or else refer to the period from 1956 to 1961 as the "Early Silver Age"[[/note]] to about 1972 (although some people count everything up until 1985 as part of it, folding in UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks). Note that this is the period that spawned the Creator/AdamWest ''Series/{{Batman|1966}}'' series and the ''Superman'' Broadway musical, and no, this is not a coincidence. The Silver Age was a time of talking gorillas and super-powered pets, of covers that were created before the story and seventeen types of Kryptonite. It was naive and visionary, futuristic and outdated.

The Silver Age was, in a word, silly. Especially by today's expectations. Due to the assumptions of UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode, creators were generally restricted to creating entertainment for children, and the Code's guidelines as to what was age-appropriate were very strict, precluding a lot of possible storylines that might deal with more mature themes. TheFifties also saw a general turn toward conservatism in American society as a reaction against the disruption of the War, and pushing the envelope or questioning social norms was frowned upon. This is most obvious when it comes to female characters, who had been more independent back in the Golden Age – this is the era when Franchise/WonderWoman became [[NoGuyWantsAnAmazon vaguely apologetic about rescuing male characters]]; and Lois Lane, who had been portrayed as an ambitious career woman before, decided [[AcceptableFeminineGoalsAndTraits her main goal in life]] was [[AndNowYouMustMarryMe forcing Superman to marry her]] and becoming a housewife.

** ''ComicBook/FantasticFourNumberOne (1961) -- The first appearance of the team.

In the late 1930s, the {{Superhero}} was born. The genre quickly exploded, with hundreds of titles published at the height of the time now known as the UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks. Unfortunately, by 1950, the popularity of superhero comics had declined precipitously. This was due largely to the end of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII taking away nearly all of the go-to enemies for heroes to fight, plus the knock-on result of people just being tired of fighting in general. During [[UsefulNotes/TheInterregnum this period]], superhero comics slowly vanished from the stands, to be replaced by horror comics, Westerns, monster comics, romance comics, humor comics, and other genres, with only a few (Franchise/{{Superman}}, Franchise/{{Batman}}, and Franchise/WonderWoman among them) still surviving.

The Silver Age lasted from 1956[[note]]Some Marvel partisans claim 1961, instead, for the first issue of ComicBook/FantasticFour, or else refer to the period from 1956 to 1961 as the "Early Silver Age"[[/note]] to about 1972 (although some people count everything up until 1985 as part of it, folding in the UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks). Note that this is the period that spawned the Creator/AdamWest ''Series/{{Batman|1966}}'' series and the ''Superman'' Broadway musical, and no, this is not a coincidence. The Silver Age was a time of talking gorillas and super-powered pets, of covers that were created before the story and seventeen types of Kryptonite. It was naive and visionary, futuristic and outdated.

** ''ComicBook/TheQuestion'' -- A faceless vigilante created once again by Steve Ditko, as a more commercial version of his UndergroundComics character ComicBook/MrA, who acted as a walking AuthorTract for Ditko's Objectivist beliefs. This character would inspire ''Watchmen'''s Rorshach, and his DC revival has become a [[EnsembleDarkhorse fan favorite]], with notable appearences in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'', portrayed there by Creator/JeffreyCombs.

* ''ComicBook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}'' -- DC's far future super-team, that occasionally dealt with surprisingly deep subjects for the time such as the death of Ferro Lad shortly after being introduced, and the resurrection of Lightning Lad, as well as dealing with FantasticRacism years before ''Franchise/StarTrek''.

* ''[[Comicbook/SpiderMan Amazing Spider-Man]]'' (most successful instance of the Marvel style)
** ''ComicBook/LeeDitkoSpiderMan'' (1962-1966)
** ''ComicBook/TheNightGwenStacyDied'' (1973) -- Credited with ending the Silver Age.
* ''Comicbook/FantasticFour'' (beginning of the modern Franchise/MarvelUniverse)
* ''Franchise/TheFlash'' considered to be the founding comic of the Silver Age. It introduced the AlternateUniverse to Franchise/TheDCU and in general exemplifies the age with its out-there science fiction reimagining of old gimmicks.
* ''Showcase'' (introduced updated versions of Golden Age heroes as well as popular new characters)

* ''[[Comicbook/IncredibleHulk The Incredible Hulk]]'', first true anti-hero of that age, and arguably the last "monster comic" that Jack Kirby and Stan Lee did.
* ComicBook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}

The Silver Age lasted from 1956[[note]]Some Marvel partisans claim 1961, instead, for the first issue of ComicBook/FantasticFour[[/note]] to about 1972 (although some people count everything up until 1985 as part of it, folding in the UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks). Note that this is the period that spawned the Creator/AdamWest ''Series/{{Batman|1966}}'' series and the ''Superman'' Broadway musical, and no, this is not a coincidence. The Silver Age was a time of talking gorillas and super-powered pets, of covers that were created before the story and seventeen types of Kryptonite. It was naive and visionary, futuristic and outdated.

The Silver Age lasted from 1956[[note]]Some Marvel partisans claim 1961, instead, for the first issue of ComicBook/FantasticFour[[/note]] to about 1972 (although some people count everything up until 1985 as part of it, folding in the UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks). Note that this is the period that spawned the Creator/AdamWest ''Series/{{Batman}}'' series and the ''Superman'' Broadway musical, and no, this is not a coincidence. The Silver Age was a time of talking gorillas and super-powered pets, of covers that were created before the story and seventeen types of Kryptonite. It was naive and visionary, futuristic and outdated.

"Theatre/HolyMusicalBatman" is an homage and affectionate parody of superheros in general, but with a special emphasis on the Silver Age. The moral of the play is essentially "don't take it so seriously," and "superheros are cool in their own right and don't need to be made dark or gritty to be entertaining."

-->--'''Linkara''', ''WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall''