Superhero comics explained

Superhero comics
Genre:Superhero
Pub1:DC Comics
Pub2:Marvel Comics
Pub3:Image Comics
Pub4:Valiant Comics
Pub5:Charlton Comics
Pub6:Dark Horse Comics
Pub7:...and others
Title1:Superman
Title2:Batman
Title3:The Amazing Spider-Man
Title4:Watchmen
Title5:Astro City
Person1:Jack Kirby
Person2:Stan Lee
Person3:Dennis O'Neil
Person4:Alan Moore
Person5:Steve Ditko
Series1:The Death of Superman
Series2:Gods and Mortals
Series3:Days of Future Past
Series4:The Night Gwen Stacy Died
Series5:Snowbirds Don't Fly
Related1:Comic book death
Related2:Magical girl
Related3:Superpower
Related4:Tokusatsu
Related5:Women in Refrigerators
Cat:Superhero fiction by medium

Superhero comics is one of the most common genres of American comic books. The genre rose to prominence in the 1930s and became extremely popular in the 1940s and has remained the dominant form of comic book in North America since the 1960s. Superhero comics feature stories about superheroes and the universes these characters inhabit.

Beginning with the introduction of Superman in 1938 in Action Comics #1 (an anthology of adventure features) comic books devoted to superheroes (heroic people with extraordinary or superhuman abilities and skills, or god-like powers and attributes) ballooned into a widespread genre, coincident with the beginnings of World War II and the end of the Great Depression.

Precursors

In comics format, superpowered and costumed heroes like Popeye and The Phantom had appeared in newspaper comic strips for several years prior to Superman. The first fully-masked hero The Clock first appeared in the comic book Funny Pages #6 (Nov. 1936).

History

See main article: History of American comics.

The Golden Age (c. 1938 – c. 1950)

See main article: Golden Age of Comic Books. In the Great Depression and World War II era, the first superhero comics appeared, the most popular being Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman and Captain America.

Decline

After World War II superhero comic books gradually declined in popularity, their sales hindered in part by the publication of Seduction of the Innocent and the investigations of The Senate Subcommittee hearings on juvenile delinquency. By 1954 only three superheroes still had their own titles; Superman and Batman, who also costarred in World's Finest Comics, and Wonder Woman.[1]

The Silver Age (c. 1956 – c. 1970)

See main article: Silver Age of Comic Books.

See also: Julius Schwartz. Beginning in the 1950s, DC under the editorship of Julius Schwartz (himself had roots in the science fiction fandom) began publishing revised versions of their 1940s superhero characters such as The Flash and Green Lantern with more of a science fiction focus. Marvel Comics followed suit in the 1960s, introducing characters such as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Thor, the X-Men and Iron Man who featured more complex personalities which had more dramatic potential.

The Bronze Age (c. 1970 – c. 1985)

See main article: Bronze Age of Comic Books. Superhero comics became much more political and dealt with social issues as in the short-lived run of Green Lantern/Green Arrow by Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams and the Captain America story arc of the superhero's political disillusionment by Steve Englehart. This was eventually supplanted by more sophisticated character driven titles of The Uncanny X-Men by Chris Claremont and John Byrne for Marvel and The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez for DC. Anti-hero themes became popular with appearances of the Punisher, Wolverine, Ghost Rider and a 1980s revival of Daredevil by Frank Miller.

The Modern Age (c. 1985 – present)

See main article: Modern Age of Comic Books. Superhero Comics became darker with the release of landmark deconstructive works such as Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns, which led to many imitations. The late 80s to early 90s saw the rise of successful new characters including the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the anti-hero Spawn which were predominantly creator owned as opposed to Marvel and DC's which were corporate owned. The comic book mini series Kingdom Come brought an end to the popularity of the anti-hero and encouraged instead a reconstruction of the genre with superhero characters that endeavored to combine artistic and literary sophistication with idealism.

See also

References

Notes and References

  1. Tim Hanley, Wonder Woman Unbound: The Curious History of the World's Most Famous Heroine, Chicago Review Press, 2014, p. 91.