PLEASE HELP. WHAT YEARS DEFINE SILVER AGE? posted by Ronnylama

[CSJournals-migration]

The DC silver age set just posted and I see books from the early to mid fifties in there. The Marvel Silver is contained within 1965 to 1969

 

I have looked it up and still have questions. Can anyone add to this formula so we might get a better understanding of what Silver Age is?

If DC is correct then ASM #1 FF #1, Hulk #1, Daredevil, X-Men etc would be considered in this vein of SILVER

PS>>>I do not think Marvel has any Golden issues as far as FF and the like

 

Thanks

 

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[Lee K]

First month of the silver age is generally accepted to be October 1956.

 

See, I have one book in that set even.

 

See you when I get back from Phoenix.

 

Lee

[Ronnylama]

Well if this is the case then the Marvel Silver Firsts should be adjusted

[Shivabali]

I don't know about dates. I've always gone by the price. 10 cent books=Golden Age, 12 cent books=Silver Age, 15 cent to (I think ) 60 cent= Bronze Age. Then it gets hazy with Copper and Modern. Also with Mags, Annuals, Giant-Size and such. Plus there are plenty of Silver Age 10 centers. It's of course a flawed concept, but a simple way I use to sort it out.

 

When it comes to Silver Age Firsts set, I don't know why ASM, FF, DD and the like aren't in there. Yikes. That's a can of worms perhaps.

 

In the end, many of the non-title-specific CGC sets are unkempt works in progress at best, somewhat subjective and have a life of their own. But it's up to us to keep the sets honest. And evolve them (and ourselves) like good mutants...I mean humans

[Ronnylama]

I added a couple edits since we last talked. Let us make this mutant challenge meet the maker

[Qua-Brot]

Its a complicated and contentious question - but I think you have to figure out what framework you want to work in.

 

If you are looking for the first total change in comics from when Superman was introduced in 1938 it has to be DC's reintroduction of Flash in Showcase 4 (Oct. 1956). Showcase 4 was a seminal publication that paved the way for not just the reintroduction of Superheroes, but introduced a different presentation (pseudo-scientific explanations) which was taken to the next level by Marvel when it finally joined the fun in about 1961. I can't imagine anyone who seriously questions this demarcation.

 

The confusion arises when you start thinking of other changes in the comics field - both before and after 1956. Some posit an Atomic Age - the period from the end of WWII until 1956. This was a period in which Superheroes were on the decline and Romance, Crime, and Horror really ascended. These had always been around, but they became popular and eventually caused comics to be reviled. The problem with naming this period, in my humble opinion, is that there is no defining character to it. The Silver Age is about the maturing of Superheroes as a concept - the pseudo-science is one aspect, but more importantly is the character development (which, again, was taken to new levels by Marvel). The Atomic Age is merely a description of the time period between the end of the war and the beginning of the Silver Age.

 

You could also say that the Silver Age started at different times for different publishers - DC started in 1956, Marvel in 1961 with Fantastic Four #1, and so on (well, I can't really think of any other publisher who this may apply to, but I'm open to hearing suggestions).

 

The end of the Silver Age is harder to define - I've heard Conan #1, Green Lantern 76, and others as the beginning of the Bronze Age. The beginning of the Bronze

Age (and therefor the end of the Silver Age) is hazier than the beginning of the Silver Age. What sea-change happened in the late 60's/early 70's that radically altered comics? Reintroduction of Horror titles? Dealing with serious issues such as drugs or racism?

 

You can get into reducto ad absurdum if you start trying to sub-divide each of the main Ages into smaller groups - early, middle, late Silver Marvel or DC, Independent Silver (THUNDER agents, or the Fly, or Crusaders, etc), and so on.

 

I can't imagine I've clarified anything for you, but its really late and I should have gone to bed a few hours ago, and this was a fun way to stay up even later past my bedtime . . .

[Alawson453]

Hi Ron, Lee K nailed it. The Silver Age starts at sident times for

both Marvel and DC, because it is based on the introduction of the superhero. For DC it was The Flash in 1956 with the first appearance in Showcase issue #4. With Marvel it was Fantastic For making the first appearance in 1961.

 

These were both respective first superhero appearances for each company since the comic code was now in place. There was a long gap in which no hero books were published because of the crusades in the early 1950's that led to the destruction of many superhero books that were said to be corrupting the minds of young boys.

 

The crusade was led by Dr. Fredrick Wertham and led to the establishment of the code.

There is a lot of material out there for anyone who wishes to read up on the history on.

[seanfingh]

Well if this is the case then the Marvel Silver Firsts should be adjusted

 

The Marvel Silver Age Firsts is actually called Marvel Silver Age Firsts (1965-1969) it was constructed that way specifically to exclude the big Marvel #1s. That way lots of people could collect and compete without having some big BSD drop a 9.6 ASM or Avengers 1 and destroy everyone with one book.

[Hibou]

"You can get into reducto ad absurdum if you start trying to sub-divide each of the main Ages into smaller groups - early, middle, late Silver Marvel or DC..."

 

For the most part, that's what I've done but I agree with the dates of the SA being 1956 and 1961 for DC and Marvel respectively.

[Ronnylama]

Thanks to every response. By reading all of your inputs I would understand that each company has its own sets to when Silver Age started. That clears up my confusion.

[surfer99]

Hey Ron,

 

I've found that when it comes to defining the Age of comics, it's more of a general consensus than an exact date range. Why that is I don't know.

 

According to Wikipedia...the Silver Age is considered to cover the period from 1956 to circa 1970.

 

According to mycomicshop.com...Comic books 1956-1969.

 

According to Comics 101...a period between 1956 and the early 1970s.

 

According to About.com...most consider the start of the Silver Age to be with Showcase #4, published in 1956 by DC Comics.

 

According to eBay...1956-1969.

 

 

 

[kaholo1256]

Awesome as this helps me better understand it as well. One of the best things about going on here is learning of the history of what some of us covet as a passion.

[The Big Dipper Collection]

Hi! I wrote up and suggested that set! I've also put together Silver Age sets for individual titles that I've submitted:

 

ACTION (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 221-402

ADVENTURE COMICS (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 229-408

BATMAN (SILVER AGE ISSUES)103-232

BLACKHAWK (SILVER AGE ISSUES)105-243

BRAVE AND THE BOLD (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 8-96

DETECTIVE (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 236-413

FLASH (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 105-207

GREEN LANTERN (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 1-84

HOUSE OF MYSTERY (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 55-192

JIMMY OLSEN (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 15-139

JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 1-90

LOIS LANE (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 1-111

MY GREATEST ADVENTURES (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 12-85

MYSTERY IN SPACE (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 34-111

OUR ARMY AT WAR (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 51-234

OUR FIGHTING FORCES (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 7-132

SHOWCASE (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 4-93

STAR SPANGLED WAR STORIES (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 50-145

SUPERBOY (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 52-176

SUPERMAN (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 110-240

WONDER WOMAN (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 85-182

WORLD’S FINEST (SILVER AGE ISSUES) 84-203

 

[Hibou]

Awesome as this helps me better understand it as well. One of the best things about going on here is learning of the history of what some of us covet as a passion.

 

Perfect!

[comicshark]

How about the size of the book. Silver age books only fit the silver age Mylars. ha..ha...