What age of comics has the best stories? 2 2

[InsomniacComics]

So I know this is largely just opinion based, but I was wondering what the community enjoyed storywise as far as age is concerned in comic books. I know golden age was war and outlandish superhero escapades, while silver settled it down a bit, etc. etc.

I wanted to know what your guys's opinion is on this subject. I personally think the bronze age of comics has some great storylines.

[KirbyTown]

Everything pre-code basically

[Nick Furious]

I think that Chris Claremont with X-men (1979?) has to be recognized as being at the forefront of a new era in mainstream comics.  Before that, most comic books that were written even for adults were aimed at our less mature side.  There were some exceptions of course, but I think many mainstream large distribution books picked up on his more mature storytelling and we saw it really grow throughout the 80's.  

[kav]

On 7/21/2022 at 9:13 PM, InsomniacComics said:

So I know this is largely just opinion based, but I was wondering what the community enjoyed storywise as far as age is concerned in comic books. I know golden age was war and outlandish superhero escapades, while silver settled it down a bit, etc. etc.

I wanted to know what your guys's opinion is on this subject. I personally think the bronze age of comics has some great storylines.

Silver Age. Absolutely.  That's where all the best work was done.  When comics were written for kids but at a level that could be enjoyed by adults.  Marvel had drama that an adult could enjoy while DC stories were so imaginatively goofy you could not help but like them.  Golden age-boring.  Bronze age some good stuff but not sweeping like the silver age.  Then the 90s with their adolescent stuff that adults could not enjoy nor kids.  To today where its all written for adults, with many preaching social issues.  Yes there were social issues in the bronze age, GL/GA for example but it was not heavy handed and insulting.

[MattTheDuck]

About 12.  After that you get interested in girls and cars and stuff like that.

[shadroch]

Late bronze/early copper.   Miller Daredevil, Teen Titans, Legion, Watchmen, Crisis, Cerebus, Dreadstar, Elfquest, Swamp Thing, Dark Knight, Groo.

Simonson on Thor, X-Men,Turtles

[Von Cichlid]

On 7/22/2022 at 1:00 AM, shadroch said:

Late bronze/early copper.   Miller Daredevil, Teen Titans, Legion, Watchmen, Crisis, Cerebus, Dreadstar, Elfquest, Swamp Thing, Dark Knight, Groo.

Simonson on Thor, X-Men,Turtles

I would extend that all the way to about 1991 right before the talent exodus to Image, with the decline starting at Spiderman 1, X-Force 1, and X-Men 1. 

I feel lucky to have been 12 and into comics at that precise time. That was the point when the balance of quality and number of series offered was at its absolute max. 

Punisher had two very readable series, Wolverine's was good to great initially, Uncanny X-Men, while not what it was in the Bronze Age, still had it's core intact, X-Factor and New Mutants had their moments, Daredevil was good, ASM was great, with Web and Spectacular being decent.  Incredible Hulk was good, Infinity Gauntlet provided a resurgence for many non-mutant characters.  Crossovers were still anticipated and had not yet been run into the ground.  Ghost Rider was interesting.  And that was just Marvel.  The sky was the limit had all the parties involved remained relatively humble and continued to do what they were best at.     

[KirbyTown]

On 7/22/2022 at 12:35 AM, kav said:

Golden age-boring.

[Ken Aldred]

Generally, the quality of stories improved during the early-to-mid 80s for me, early Copper Age, and remained very readable until the comics companies started to be controlled by asset-stripping investors and their glut of high-volume, low quality books in the early 90s.  Still some great books during that time, but, for me, a return to the pre-Copper Age situation of a very few exceptional titles and lots of mediocre-to-unreadable dross ‘on the stands’.  Remember, that was true of earlier times; for every Claremont / Byrne X-Men, Miller Daredevil, O’Neil / Adams Batman, or classic New Trend EC there was a lot of tenth-rate, churned-out rubbish around them as well.

Quality started to improve again from the 2000s onwards, with Marvel starting to produce more interesting books, and the emergence of Image Comics as a high quality independent imprint, almost the polar opposite to its 90s incarnation.

I find a lot of very well-written books in the modern era, and consider it to be unfairly, harshly criticised, along with being illustrated by some clearly very talented artists. 

Edited July 22, 2022 by Ken Aldred

[Nick Furious]

Looks like several people are alluding to the 80's, and I totally agree.  But I would reiterate that Chris Claremont taking the X-men from zero to hero was a huge influence on the writing of the 80's.  For artwork I would say that great artwork has been a constant in comic books from Golden Age on.  I actually think that cover art was best in the Gold and Silver age, as it was the main driver in selling books off the newsstand.  But for storytelling I think there was a major shift at the start of the 80's.  I don't think movement of the 80's was restricted just to comic books.  We saw it in music and film as well.  It was a particularly transformative and innovative decade, in my opinion.  

[jdandns]

The Alan Moore Age which thankfully endured for nearly 40 years. 

Compared to his average story, even the best stories from other writers throughout the 1980's (when comics finally came of age), tended to be simplistic affairs that only scratched at the surface of what could be done in the medium while Affable Al fully revealed it time and again.

We shall not see his like again.

 

[Nick Furious]

On 7/22/2022 at 1:41 AM, jdandns said:

The Alan Moore Age which thankfully endured for nearly 40 years. 

Compared to his average story, even the best stories from other writers throughout the 1980's (when comics finally came of age), tended to be simplistic affairs that only scratched at the surface of what could be done in the medium while Affable Al fully revealed it time and again.

We shall not see his like again.

 

I wish I could remember where I read it, but Alan Moore describing his thought process behind Miracleman was profound.  And once I read it, I could see the influence in much of his work.  Taking something absurd from the past and giving it a rational explanation in the present.  It was artistic genius.  

[Ken Aldred]

On 7/22/2022 at 9:41 AM, jdandns said:

The Alan Moore Age which thankfully endured for nearly 40 years.

For me, his peak was the 80s.

Swamp Thing, Miracleman, Watchmen.

Beyond that, there are other writers with just as great an imagination, such as Grant Morrison, but nothing much quite on that level from Moore. Promethea, maybe.

[WolverineX]

On 7/22/2022 at 1:34 AM, Nick Furious said:

I think that Chris Claremont with X-men (1979?) has to be recognized as being at the forefront of a new era in mainstream comics.  Before that, most comic books that were written even for adults were aimed at our less mature side.  There were some exceptions of course, but I think many mainstream large distribution books picked up on his more mature storytelling and we saw it really grow throughout the 80's.  

Yes, his Xmen 94-150 is my favorite run to read.   Dark Phoenix, Days of Future past

[Cat]

Every era has its greatness. Every era has its embarrassments, its failures. It's all  relative. 

[romanheart]

Late 60s an 70s. Good runs here and there in the 80s. Independent titles have done well mostly afterwards. I like mainstream stories here and there.

[Toz]

I am partial to comics from 1968 up to around 1977.I can't put my finger on one particular age/era because I enjoy some stuff from all different age.

Golden Age Eisner's Spirit reigns supreme.I do enjoy Fritzi Ritz also and the early DC heroes I found reprinted in the 100 page Spectaculars hold a special place in my heart.

Silver age have to go with Marvel.Just begining to get hooked on Sgt.Fury stuff.

1968-1977.Captain Marvel.Silver Surfer,Conan,Warlock,Dr.Strange,HTD,New X-Men,So much cool stuff

For me the Copper Age started with Epic #1 and I was introduced to Dreadstar.The comic BOOM had so much impact on the market.I have so many great memories driving 50 miles to the LCS & picking up my 50+ pull list.Fish Police,Mage,Scout,Miracle Man,Simonson's Thor,Byrne's FF & She-Hulk,First,Eclipse,Pacific,Comico. All the weird stuff from Britain.Good times man.Good times.

Modern have to go with Liberty Meadows,Emma Frost mini series & right now I'm hooked on Fables.Reall got into WW Hulk & Civil War at the time but now that just doesn't do it.Guess I O.D. on Marvel.

Name your poision,try lots of different stuff & enjoy.

Oh .Almost forgot Groo!

[Krismusic]

I love the stories I grew up reading that’s mostly early 90s and some Bronze Age stuff.. Wolverine, Batman, Spider-Man, punisher, etc…

loved super man and doomsday story for me and death of super man was shocking for me as a kid and going what…  good old memories. 

Edited July 22, 2022 by Krismusic

[Poekaymon]

Copper.  Claremont X-Men/Wolverine limited series, David Hulk, Simonson Thor, Moore Swamp Thing/Watchmen/Killing Joke, Grell Green Arrow, Miller Daredevil/Dark Knight Returns/Ronin, Starlin Batman/Infinity Gauntlet, Sakai Yojimbo, Secret Wars 1--just off the top of my head.   alright I had to edit in a couple more.

Edited July 22, 2022 by Poekaymon

[BitterOldMan]

On 7/22/2022 at 2:23 AM, Ken Aldred said:

For me, his peak was the 80s.

Swamp Thing, Miracleman, Watchmen.

Beyond that, there are other writers with just as great an imagination, such as Grant Morrison, but nothing much quite on that level from Moore. Promethea, maybe.

My favorite Alan Moore stories were The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen series with all the inside jokes and witty humor in each panel.  Some of the British humor was so subtle and esoteric that I needed the footnotes to truly understand his genius.  Still enjoy reading and discovering more fun stuff today.

Edited July 22, 2022 by BitterOldMan