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Introduction of the Bronze Age?

Started by Red_Hood,

57 posts in this topic

DeliBebek

DeliBebek

Posted
Posted
Giant-Size X-Men #1 is the Showcase #4 of the Bronze Age.

 

There; I've lost several of you already. Now, for anyone open to a voice of dissent, let's go this direction... If we're going to assign ages to comics, let's be consistant about it.

 

For those who are positive that all the comics of the 1970s are bronze, (and I'm not saying you're wrong, BTW), then the best answer to the question "What is the Introduction of the Bronze Age?" is New Year's Day, 1970.

 

Just my 2c

 

When I reached a similar point in my thinking, I observed that there was already too much of the collecting community entrenched in a much older way of thinking. A paradigm shift wasn't going to occur. There were too many hits tied to the established sense of what "Bronze Age" means. GS X-Men was a bit of a sleeper, as I recall. It counts for more in hindsight.

 

Given the idea of Bronze Age = 70s, it implies that the idea of ages is more about setting a time frame than about categorizing waves of change in the comics industry.

 

A new idiom would be better for anyone trying to do a more objective analysis of the significant contributions that have led the industry to its current state.

 

My 3¢

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shadroch

shadroch

Posted
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Marvel books cost 25 cents BEFORE they cost 20 cents. Same thing with DCs, I believe. Marvel jumped their prices from 15 cents to 25 cents for a short while before setteling for the 20 cent price point.

I consider the squarebound Marvel 25 cent books as BA, as do most people.

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Speedy-D

Speedy-D

Posted
Posted
Marvel books cost 25 cents BEFORE they cost 20 cents. Same thing with DCs, I believe. Marvel jumped their prices from 15 cents to 25 cents for a short while before setteling for the 20 cent price point.

I consider the squarebound Marvel 25 cent books as BA, as do most people.

Sorry, I was talking about comic books, not Marvel stuff. :)

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DeliBebek

DeliBebek

Posted
Posted
Rather than one comic, I would say it began January 28, 1971.

 

Brownie points for who knows why without googling it. It is a legit date related to the entire comic industry.

 

I saw a case being made similar to this on an old eBay comics forum thread, although it was regarding the start point of a different age.

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Dale Roberts

Dale Roberts

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To me, the 15 cent comics still "feel" like Silver Age comics, and then something changed during when the books went to the 25 cent squarebound Marvels and the 52 page DCs.

 

I know that is not the popular line, but I think it is more significant than trying to pick out a certain character which brought in the Bronze Age. Yes Conan #1 and GL #76 were amazing books that changed comics, and they may have ushered in the bronze age of comics, but to me Bronze Age is defined by the 52 page DCs and 20 cent Marvels and DCs.

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NuffSaid57

NuffSaid57

Posted
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To me, the 15 cent comics still "feel" like Silver Age comics, and then something changed during when the books went to the 25 cent squarebound Marvels and the 52 page DCs.

 

I know that is not the popular line, but I think it is more significant than trying to pick out a certain character which brought in the Bronze Age. Yes Conan #1 and GL #76 were amazing books that changed comics, and they may have ushered in the bronze age of comics, but to me Bronze Age is defined by the 52 page DCs and 20 cent Marvels and DCs.

 

This is close to my thinking! Cover prices are more significant than any particular character(s) and a lot easier to keep track of. One difference is I might argue that the Bronze Age should have began when the prices changed to $.15. When prices changed from $.12, where they had been for many years it felt like the end of an era. Happening in the latter part of 1969 it also coincides well with the end of the 60's.

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Ken Aldred

Ken Aldred

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Rather than one comic, I would say it began January 28, 1971.

 

Brownie points for who knows why without googling it. It is a legit date related to the entire comic industry.

 

I'll play.  It's what I was talking about earlier, maybe?

 

A more permissive Comics Code. Official changes to it? (shrug)

 

I did originally think it might have been Jack Kirby moving from Marvel to DC, which was around the same time, but that's not as all-encompassing as the former.

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sterlingcomics

sterlingcomics

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To me, the 15 cent comics still "feel" like Silver Age comics, and then something changed during when the books went to the 25 cent squarebound Marvels and the 52 page DCs.

 

I know that is not the popular line, but I think it is more significant than trying to pick out a certain character which brought in the Bronze Age. Yes Conan #1 and GL #76 were amazing books that changed comics, and they may have ushered in the bronze age of comics, but to me Bronze Age is defined by the 52 page DCs and 20 cent Marvels and DCs.

 

I can understand your rationale here, just as I think some of the obvious comic shifts also occur before the move to these formats that are distinctly "bronze" relative to the previous decade.

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Red_Hood

Red_Hood

Posted
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To me, the 15 cent comics still "feel" like Silver Age comics, and then something changed during when the books went to the 25 cent squarebound Marvels and the 52 page DCs.

 

I know that is not the popular line, but I think it is more significant than trying to pick out a certain character which brought in the Bronze Age. Yes Conan #1 and GL #76 were amazing books that changed comics, and they may have ushered in the bronze age of comics, but to me Bronze Age is defined by the 52 page DCs and 20 cent Marvels and DCs.

 

I never thought of this angle for ushering in a new era for comics. I like it.

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Speedy-D

Speedy-D

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To me, the 15 cent comics still "feel" like Silver Age comics, and then something changed during when the books went to the 25 cent squarebound Marvels and the 52 page DCs.

 

I know that is not the popular line, but I think it is more significant than trying to pick out a certain character which brought in the Bronze Age. Yes Conan #1 and GL #76 were amazing books that changed comics, and they may have ushered in the bronze age of comics, but to me Bronze Age is defined by the 52 page DCs and 20 cent Marvels and DCs.

That's what I was was trying to say before.

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