There was a time, not so long ago, that comics were the subject of ridicule. They were silly, only for kids, and to be disposed of as soon they were read. In the first few years of their existence, they were barely acknowledged... until the Superhero Era began with the introduction of Superman in 1938. Years later came The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and the rise of Marvel Comics, which changed everything. Heroes were back, though it would be some time before the general public took them seriously again. That process would be a long one that would take decades, but it began in 1970, with the dawn of the Bronze Age. Suddenly, comic books had stakes. Batman was once again the Dark Knight Detective his creators had conceived him to be. Spider-Man’s girlfriend was murdered. Things changed, and people noticed. These days, comic books are not only taken seriously, but pop culture is also centered around them. The biggest movies are based on these stories from the Wednesday weeklies, movie stars are made when actors put on a cowl or take flight, and the industry that almost folded is now worth billions and billions of dollars.
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO COMIC BOOKS
GRAB YOUR CAPE! • From maligned medium to a billion-dollar biz, discover the history of comic books!
THE GOLDEN AGE • Superman ushered in a wave of memorable heroes
THE SILVER AGE • Exciting heroes and a changing aesthetic brought new life to the Wednesday weeklies
THE 1970S • Drugs, politics, diversity and teenagers find their way into the funnies.
THE BRONZE AGE • New writers brought the heroes of DC and Marvel into the modern era
THE PERIOD’S 10 MOST IMPORTANT COMICS • IT’S NOT EASY TO PICK THE BIGGEST ISSUES OF THE BRONZE AGE, ESPECIALLY SINCE SO MANY STORIES COVER MORE THAN A SINGLE ISSUE, SO WE LIMITED THE SELECTIONS TO ONE PER TITLE.
BACK IN BLACK… ER, BLUE • New talent knocks the camp out of Batman and the gang
A FEMINIST RE-POWERS WONDER WOMAN
SEX, DRUGS AND CHARACTER DEATHS • Spider-Manand Marvel Comics grew up in the BronzeAge
WOLVERINE CLAWS HIS WAY TO THE TOP
THE UNLIKELIEST HERO OF ALL: HOWARD THE DUCK
HORROR • With the lifting of the Comics Code, things get scary again
GROOVY INDIES • Independent comics hit the scene in the ’70s, breaking new ground
THE MAKING AND BANNING OF MAUS
THE 1980S • A decadent decade birthed some of comics’ biggest stars and trends.
END OF THE WORLD PARTY • Apocalyptic tales and comics go hand in dystopian hand
RISE OF THE TEENAGER • The young heroes of X-Men and Teen Titans helped elevate the industry
CRISIS ON INFINITE SECRET WARS • Both DC and Marvel changed their game with the introduction of the event series
MAJOR EVENTS SERIES SINCE…
WATCHMEN AND THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS • Alan Moore and Frank Miller took the medium to dark and glorious places with seminal works
WATCHMEN ON HBO
INDIE REVOLUTION • With new marketing options, underground titles like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made a mainstream splash
THE 1990S • The decade saw a major crash and an influx of new ideas.
CATASTROPHIC COLLAPSE • After decades of growth, the biz nearly went belly-up in the 1990s
ORIGINS OF IMAGE COMICS • Some of Marvel’s biggest stars wanted more freedom, so they made their own
WOMEN IN REFRIGERATORS • Gail Simone pointed out the industry’s abysmal treatment of the ladies—and went on to change it
THE 2000S • New creators and blockbuster films propel the industry into an über-biz.
CENTURY 21 • Social media and diverse voices bring some freshness to familiar stories
HOW COMICS TOOK OVER THE WORLD • Everywhere you turn, you can feel the...
