Ages of Comics (Golden, Silver, Bronze, Modern)
The ages of comics are the eras historians use for American comics: the Golden Age from the late 1930s, the Silver Age from 1956, the Bronze Age from around 1970, and the Modern Age from the mid-1980s.
In depth
Fans and historians divide American comics, especially superhero comics, into eras. The boundaries are approximate, but each age has a distinct style.
Golden Age (late 1930s to early 1950s)
Begins with Superman in Action Comics #1 (1938). Superheroes multiply during the Second World War, then decline as crime, horror, romance and western comics take over.
Silver Age (1956 to about 1970)
Usually dated from Showcase #4 (1956), which introduced a new Flash. DC revives its heroes; from 1961 Marvel's Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and others bring flawed, human heroes.
Bronze Age (about 1970 to 1985)
Darker, more socially engaged stories; the Comics Code loosens.
Modern Age (mid-1980s onward)
Often dated from 1985–1986: Crisis on Infinite Earths, Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns. Grittier tone, collected editions and graphic novels in bookshops.
Where it appears
The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller. 1986, a marker of the Modern Age
What it means today
Classic reprints from the Golden and Silver Ages have a lighter, faster style than modern comics; reading them is closer to reading period adventure fiction.
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