Matthew Sunrich Presents... Just What Is the Bronze Age?
By Matthew Sunrich
In the realm of comic-book fandom and collecting, the terms "Golden Age" and "Silver Age" are firmly established. They represent, respectively, the era in
which superhero comic books originated and the one in which they enjoyed a renaissance.
Superman's first appearance in Action
Comics #1 (1938) is universally considered to be the start of the Golden
Age, and Barry Allen's first appearance as The Flash in Showcase #4 (1956) is recognized as the beginning of the Silver
Age.
These ages are primarily concerned with the birth and refinement of
superheroes. While there were other types of comics published at the same time,
they are usually omitted because their relevance is limited. Comics were a new
thing during the Golden Age, which only lasted for about seven years (the
popularity of superheroes waned after the end of World War II, leading to the
cancelation of dozens of titles), so creators weren't really sure what they
were doing. For the first half of the 1950s, superheroes were virtually absent
from the comic racks (Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman were the only
survivors of the "crash"), but they returned in a big way when DC
decided to bring back a hero from their early years, The Flash, in a new
identity. (The fact that this eventually destroyed DC's continuity is another
matter altogether.)
The success of this venture led to the resurrection of other Golden-Age
heroes and the retooling of the concepts behind superhero fiction. "Comic-book
art" became a legitimate thing, whereas it had only been an offshoot of
comic-strip illustration during the Golden Age. By 1968, comics had "solidified"
(especially at Marvel), and it was apparent that the next big development in
the medium was just around the corner.
But what form would this development take, and what would be the "event"
that would initiate it?
This is where the problem comes in.
The Bronze Age is typically defined as the era from 1970-1985 (this
effectively makes it the longest of the comic book ages), but there is no consensus
as to what started it or what caused the "break" from the Silver Age.
Between the Golden and Silver Ages, there was an "interregnum" period
of about eleven years. If we are to accept the idea that the Bronze Age began
in 1970, that would mean that the Silver Age just abruptly ended at the end of
1969, with no "gap" and for no apparent reason.
In an issue of Comics Buyer's
Guide a few years ago, a group of industry experts discussed the various
ages of comics and tried to make some relevant determinations in the interest
of posterity or whatever. The consensus in regards to the end of the Silver
Age/start of the Bronze Age was that 1970 was significant because that was when
Jack Kirby left Marvel for DC. As anyone familiar with comic history knows,
Kirby was responsible for the co-creation of most of the Marvel Universe, and
his move from the company he had helped to create to its direct rival was a
monumental thing indeed.
This means that the end of the Silver Age, not unlike the Golden Age,
was defined by a real-world event. If we adhere to this model, then, comic book
ages start with the introduction of a significant new character and end with a
change in the real-life status quo (although the end of the Second World War
and Kirby's departure from Marvel can hardly be compared).
The Bronze Age does not fit this pattern.
There were many new characters introduced during the Bronze Age,
certainly, but can any of them really be thought of as definitive? Wolverine is
probably the most significant character introduced during the early 1970s, but
was his debut really earth-shattering? Is he the superhero most associated with
the Bronze Age? While Incredible Hulk
#181 (1974) is perhaps the Holy Grail of Bronze-Age back issues, is it really a
standout comic?
One could argue that Wolverine was the first antihero in mainstream
comics (the Punisher debuted in Amazing
Spider-Man #129 the year before, but he was a bad guy at that time), but
this doesn't really become clear until later. In fact, his nature is somewhat
unclear during his first appearance, and, moreover, it's reasonable to speculate
that he might have been forgotten had he not been chosen as one of the new
X-Men (and, furthermore, that the initiative of revamping Marvel's mutants had
worked at all; recall that X-Men had
gone into reprints and was facing cancelation before its overhaul). And, as far
as that goes, antiheroes didn't really become definitive until after the Bronze Age. So, the "introduction
of a character" idea doesn't really work here.
It's been suggested by some that Gwen Stacy's death in Amazing Spider-Man #121 (1973) marked
the start of the Bronze Age, but I think this is kind of arbitrary. There had
been deaths in Spidey's comics before (Uncle Ben most notably), so I don't see why
this is especially significant (even though it caused an uproar in the fan
community).
It is also important to note that the Bronze Age, unlike the ages that
preceded it, is not just about superheroes. This was the period during which we
saw the return of horror comics and the introduction of Conan the Barbarian
(not to mention his host of imitations) as a comic-book character. Science
fiction/science fantasy also gained considerable momentum. One cannot ignore
these things; they are vital components of the Bronze Age. Superheroes remained
dominant, but other genres were woven into the fabric of the age, creating a four-color
tapestry that was unlike what had come before.
Why, one has to wonder, did horror, sword & sorcery, and sci-fi become
fixtures in comics at this time? One factor is certainly the oft-cited
relaxation of the standards of the Comics Code. While comics remained "kid
friendly," creators were given more options in terms of content (monsters,
most notably). Also, a great many creators were fans of these genres and wanted
to see them represented in comics. Furthermore, it's possible that superheroes
seemed to be reaching their creative limits. A plethora of new characters had
exploded onto the comics page during the Silver Age, and there really wasn't
much else one could do because Lee, Kirby, and a handful of others had already
done it.
I suggest, therefore, that the Bronze Age is the comic-book equivalent
of postmodernism. No one can define it; every reader is allowed to see it in
his or her own way. There are a lot of things to choose from, but one thing is
certain: the Bronze Age has a unique feel and is an immensely satisfying era of
comics for those willing to explore it.
What brought about the end of the Bronze Age? That can be attributed to the release of two celebrated DC comics in 1986: The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen. In one way or another, comics have been trying to recover ever since.
What brought about the end of the Bronze Age? That can be attributed to the release of two celebrated DC comics in 1986: The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen. In one way or another, comics have been trying to recover ever since.
Matt Sunrich, a great fan of the Bronze Age of comic books, maintains two blogs: The Other Other Castle, about Bronze-Age sword and sorcery, and Forging the Dark Knight, concerning Bronze-Age Batman.
Labels: Bronze Age, comics, Matt Sunrich
1 Comments:
I have a problem with modern experts presenting this idea of a Bronze Age starting in 1970. I started seriously collecting comics in 1989. About that time I got a collectors kit that only mentioned a Golden Age and a Silver Age (concurrent with the Marvel Age) and a Modern Age starting in 1986. Further reading since then let me know that the Golden Age had waning years but at that time still everything up to the Silver Age was still considered Golden Age even the waning years. Thus likewise this explosion of other genres during the Silver Age would have at that time been considered just a thing during it instead of a new age. I first heard of this multiple ages in a DK Batman encyclopedia from early 2000's that divided his history up into a bazillion micro ages. If we are to keep up this micro age idea are we to create a special age for titles producing sequential trade paperback with the advent of Crossgen; or one for same time digital for new comics; or one for Jim Shooter getting a comicbook idea farting in the bathroom?
So in short I am sticking with the ages idea from when I grow up. Golden Age until the 60's, Silver age until 1986, which mean the Modern Age of the time would now be the Bronze Age ending with 2011. As you noted this would coincide with DC doing a brand new slate cleaning continuity (not just minor adjustments like Zero Hour but slate cleaners like the original Crisis and the new 52).
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home