Comic Book Eras and Ages

Comic books are generally classified into 4 common ages. Each age represents a distinct period of comic book art, stories, and themes. If you’re interested in selling your comic books, knowing what age they fall in is can help you figure out which ones are worth more. As an over all assumption the older the age the more potential your comic has for a higher value.

Here are the four major ages for comic books in chronological order:

Golden Age (1938 – 1956)

The beginning of the Golden Age is typically recognized as the 1938 debut of Superman in Action Comics #1. Superman's success led to a boom in comic book publishing which gave us many of the super heroes we all know today: Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Captain America and many more iconic superheros all started in the Golden age.

In the late 1940's, comics started to shift to other genres like Westerns, Sci-Fi, Horror, and Detective Stories.

Silver Age (1956 – 1970)

The Silver Age of Comic Books is typically recognized as beginning with the debut of Flash, in Showcase #4,October 1956. Flash was the first successful "New" superhero since the Golden Age of comics. Flash's success was followed quickly by Marvel's Fantastic Four #1.

In 1954, publishers implemented the Comics Code Authority to regulate comic content. Due to a rise in concern about horror and crime comic book titles at the time. This new regulation spurred many publishers to create new superheroes.

Amazing Fantasy #15, August 1962, gave us our first appearance of Amazing Spider-Man. Part of the Marvel boom during the Silver Age. Marvel brought something new to the table that had never been seen "Flawed and self-doubting" superheroes, which the audience could relate to and loved.

Bronze Age (1970 – 1985)

The Bronze Age retained of the Silver Age characteristics, with traditional superhero titles dominating the industry. However, storylines tended to reflect more relevant social issues such as racism, drug use, alcoholism, urban poverty, and environmental pollution. The retirement of many of the writers and artists from the Silver Age is also seen in the difference between Silver Age comics and Bronze Age comics.

Publishers began the Bronze Age of comics by scaling back on their super-hero publications. They cancelled many of the weaker-selling titles, and experimenting with other genres such as horror and sword-and-sorcery. The Bronze age also was the beginning of the shift of comic book distribution from newsstands to what we think of as comic book stores today.

Modern Age (1985 – Present Day)

The Modern Age, which began in the mid-1980s and continued to present day, is identified by a number of trends: the commercialization of comic book publishers, more psychologically-complex characters and twisting plots. Some argue that the beginning of the Modern Age is better classified as the Dark Age of comics with serious/dark content, such as Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen. The rise of anti-hero is also part of the shift of comics during the Modern Age as seen in Elektra and Wolverine, and the rise in the X-Men overall.

Wow, that is a lot to take in but gives you a great overview. There are so many more nuances that each era brought to the comic book industry.

If you are ever considering selling your comics give us a shout at customerservice@comiccastle.com and we can make you an offer. We are always buying comic regardless of which era they came from.