Line #13 MediaNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks


1	[[quoteright:350:[[ComicBook/SupermansPalJimmyOlsen https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/olsen72cover_5074.jpg]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:The Silver Age in a nutshell. [[Website/{{Superdickery}} Take four]] [[DrinkingGame shots.]]]]
3
4	->''"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'!"''
5	-->-- '''Linkara''', ''WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall''
6
7	Depending on who you ask, either a magical time when comic books were wonderful and everyone read them, or a historical relic where everything was childish, pointless, and/or ludicrous. ([[NarmCharm Or both]].)
8
9	The Silver Age lasted from 1954[[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 MediaNotes/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 It was naïve and visionary, futuristic and outdated.
10
11	And every {{Superhero}} comic published today owes something to it.
12
13	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 MediaNotes/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 [[MediaNotes/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 (ComicBook/{{Superman}}, ComicBook/{{Batman}}, and ComicBook/WonderWoman among them) still surviving.
14
15	That all changed in 1954 with the publication of Frederic Wertham's ''Seduction of the Innocent'', a book that [[MoralGuardian accused comics of creating juvenile delinquency and sexual "deviancy"]], creating a backlash that led directly to the creation of MediaNotes/TheComicsCode, which caused the destruction of the old comics paradigm almost literally overnight.
16
17	And then, in the September-October 1956 issue of Creator/DCComics's ''ComicBook/{{Showcase}}'', something magical happened. A remake of super-speed character ComicBook/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, ComicBook/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 ComicBook/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".
18
19	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.
20
21	The Silver Age was, in a word, silly. Especially by today's standards. Due to the assumptions of MediaNotes/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. The50s 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 ComicBook/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.
22
23	Morality in Silver Age comics was extremely {{black and white\|Morality}}; 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]] — yet, despite this, [[CantGetAwayWithNuthin they would always be defeated and punished]], with the Comics Code forbidding the existence of any {{Karma Houdini}}s. 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]]).
24
25	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]].
26
27	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 [[RadiationInducedSuperpowers exposed to radiation receiving superpowers]] instead of cancer, and so on.
28
29	Which is not to downplay its significance, mind you. Many of the most famous comic book characters and story-lines came from this era (The Avengers, ComicBook/SpiderMan, X-Men, Daredevil) and many new ideas were created that would become standard in future comics: Superheroes as a social platform? The teenage masked hero? They started here. As well as how already existing characters were changed. (Many of the most famous elements and characters in The Green Lantern were non-existent in the Golden Age). And despite its reputation as being whimsical, this view is often based less on the actual comic books and more on its parody or [[Series/Batman1966 the Batman TV show]]. While it generally had a lot of silly moments, it was also host to surprisingly mature storytelling at times.
30
31	Over time, social mores relaxed and the moral panic around comic books faded. The {{Superhero}} genre began deliberately distancing itself from Silver Age silliness in an attempt to prove that comic books were a medium that could tell stories that were relevant to adults as well as kids and could deal with serious real-world issues. This trend toward [[DarkerAndEdgier a more serious tone]] and [[VerySpecialEpisode more socially relevant stories]] continued throughout the [[MediaNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]] and culminated in the grim darkness of the [[MediaNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Dark Age]]. In the [[MediaNotes/TheModernAgeOfComicBooks Modern Age]], however, the pendulum has started to swing back (which might qualify the various Ages as parts of a CyclicTrope). ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold'', which ran from 2008-2011, attempted to revive the age in a modern setting.
32
33	[[AC:Notable series of the Silver Age:]]
34	[[index]]
35	* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' -- Most successful instance of the Marvel style.
36	** ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderMan1963
37	*** ''ComicBook/AmazingFantasyNumber15'' (1962) -- The first appearance of the character.
38	*** ''ComicBook/TheAmazingSpiderManLeeAndDitko'' (1962-1966) -- The initial and defining run of the character, which over its 4 year span introduced many of Spidey's friends and foes, and to this day remains the foundation for the character.
39	*** ''ComicBook/IfThisBeMyDestiny'' (1965-1966): The first story arc of Lee and Ditko's run, and considered by fans to be their magnum opus.
40	** ''ComicBook/TheNightGwenStacyDied'' (1973) -- Often credited with ending the Silver Age, as mentioned below.
41	* ''ComicBook/{{Aquaman}}'' -- Aquaman received his first solo comic.
42	** ''ComicBook/Aquaman1962''
43	* ''ComicBook/FantasticFour'' -- Beginning of the modern Franchise/MarvelUniverse.
44	** ''ComicBook/FantasticFour1961''
45	*** ''ComicBook/FantasticFourNumber1'' (1961) -- The first appearance of the team.
46	*** ''ComicBook/FantasticFourLeeAndKirby'' (1961-1970): The initial run of the team, written by Stan Lee and drawn by Jack Kirby.
47	* ''ComicBook/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.
48	** ''ComicBook/TheFlash1959'' -- The second run of the character.
49	* ''ComicBook/GreenLantern'' -- A revival of ''ComicBook/GreenLantern1941''.
50	** ''ComicBook/GreenLantern1960'' (1960—1986): The second run of the character.
51	* ''ComicBook/{{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, ComicBook/GreenLantern and ComicBook/TheAtom, as well as popular new characters like the ComicBook/MetalMen and ComicBook/TeenTitans.
52	** ''ComicBook/ShowcaseNumberFour'' (1956) -- The first appearance of the second Flash, Barry Allen, credited for kickstarting the Silver Age.
53	[[/index]]
54	* ''ComicBook/{{Superman}}'' -- Superman revieved two spinoffs 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.
55	[[index]]
56	** ''ComicBook/SupermansPalJimmyOlsen''
57	** ''ComicBook/SupermansGirlFriendLoisLane''
58	* ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk'' -- First true anti-hero of that age, and arguably the last "monster comic" that Jack Kirby and Stan Lee did.
59	** ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk1962'' (1962-1963): The short-lived initial run of the character.
60	** ''ComicBook/TheIncredibleHulk1968'' (1968-1999): The longest-lived second run, which was originally titled "Tales To Astonish".
61	* ''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes'' -- 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''.
62	* ''[[ComicBook/NickFury Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.]]'' by Creator/JimSteranko which looked like no other mainstream comic with his trippy surrealism and flowing cinematic style.
63	* ''[[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Wonder Woman Volume 1]]'': Wonder Woman's shorts shrunk until she was essentially wearing a swimsuit, and she spent much of the era fighting duplicates of herself and giants, and teaming up with Wonder Tot and ComicBook/WonderGirl both of whom were herself.
64	* Creator/CharltonComics -- They got into the superhero game in this era with their Action Heroes line, and became noted for their low page rates versus their high degree of creator freedom, which appealed to both new and veteran creators alike. Their line of characters would later inspire Creator/AlanMoore and Dave Gibbons' ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'', who's characters were {{expies}} of Charlton (then acquired by DC) and [[Creator/ArchieComics MLJ]] heroes, created after DC editors denied them use of the actual characters, the former because they had plans for them ComicBook/PostCrisis and the latter because it turned out they didn't actually own them.
65	** ''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 bug-themed superhero. (Sound familiar?) Both versions of the character inspired Nite Owl I and II in ''Watchmen''.
66	** ''ComicBook/CaptainAtom'' -- An atomic-powered hero co-created by Joe Gill and Ditko, who was changed entirely when DC rebooted him in the 80s. He was the inspiration for Doctor Manhattan in ''Watchmen''.
67	** ''ComicBook/PeterCannonThunderbolt'' -- An early martial arts hero with a touch of mysticism, trained in UsefulNotes/{{Tibet}} and the inspiration for Ozymandias in ''Watchmen''. Rights to Peter Cannon, uniquely among the Charlton heroes, remained with his creator, which is why he has appeared in publications by a company other than DC.
68	** ''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 [[UsefulNotes/{{Objectivism}} Objectivist]] beliefs. This character would inspire ''Watchmen'''s Rorshach, and his DC revival has become a [[EnsembleDarkhorse fan favorite]], with notable appearances in ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague'', portrayed there by Creator/JeffreyCombs.
69	[[/index]]
70
71	The brilliant computer game ''VideoGame/FreedomForce'' and its almost-as-brilliant sequel ''Freedom Force Versus the Third Reich'', both from Irrational Games, are loving {{homage}}s to the Silver Age, played 100% straight. Another homage is Creator/AlanMoore's ''ComicBook/NineteenSixtyThree'' universe, a series of interrelated comics that are all [[AffectionateParody affectionate parodies]] of the early Marvel books.
72
73	"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 "superheroes are cool in their own right and don't need to be made dark or gritty to be entertaining".
74	->''"A teenage sidekick ruins the gritty realism of a man dressing as a bat and fighting crime."''
75	-->-- Dark Knight fanboy
76	----
77	Usually accepted as lasting from the foundation of MediaNotes/TheComicsCode until Creator/JackKirby's move to DC. (1954-1970). Alternatively starting with the reintroduction of ''ComicBook/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.

Context MediaNotes / TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks