Favourite Comics Age

With DC seemingly poised to inaugurate a new age of comics, it got me wondering, which is my favourite?

The way I see it, for most people, there can only be two possible choices: the "age" they started reading comics or the current age. Well, I started reading in 1983, the end of the bronze age but quite close to the beginning of the dark age, so I guess for me there's three possible choices. The thing is, I can't really choose, the best I can do is identify favourite titles from each age.

For the bronze age: Justice League of America, The Defenders, and Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew.

For the dark age: Justice League International and Legends of the Dark Knight.

For the modern age: JSA, Power of Shazam, and Astrocity.

Maybe the new age will wind up being my favourite. How about the rest of you? Do you have a favourite age or simply favourite titles from each age?

BTW, how do you think the nomenclature is going to go? Do you think fans in general will agree on a new name for the current "modern" age or do you think the next age will be the post-modern age?

I agree that most people best like the "age" when they started reading comics, when these new worlds of exciting stuff first opened up to them. Sometimes, that leads them back to earlier comics, which they like even more, but it still comes off of that introduction

Although I agree that comics from when you started reading have an everything's fresh / nostalgia bloom, I think it's quite possible that if you're still actively involved with the hobby, the "now" could have just as much or more appeal as the "then". While I love both Captain Carrot and Astrocity, I think I'd be happier to find an Astrocity that I missed rather than a Captain Carrot that I somehow overlooked.

I think the age of Ages is over. Most people agree on when the Golden and Silver Age started, but there's little agreement on when they ended. There's even less agreement on when the Bronze Age started--it's kind of a "I know it when I see it" idea that stamps anything with Neal Adams or Berni Wrightson art as BA. After that, there are more suggestions than there are people

I suspect the whole DCnU launch with its clear "that was then this is now" cut off point is going to cause fans in general to decide that another age is beginning. Having looked back over Chris' blog from last year, I agree with him that there's been two ages since the bronze age, however, it wouldn't surprise me if fans in general consider September on as a 5th age instead of a 6th one. I'm kind of curious to see what name will reach critical mass and whether it's naming what's gone by or what's coming up.

Replies

Mr. Silver Age August 17, 2011 at 11:46am

I agree that most people best like the "age" when they started reading comics, when these new worlds of exciting stuff first opened up to them. Sometimes, that leads them back to earlier comics, which they like even more, but it still comes off of that introduction.

I think the age of Ages is over. Most people agree on when the Golden and Silver Age started, but there's little agreement on when they ended. There's even less agreement on when the Bronze Age started--it's kind of a "I know it when I see it" idea that stamps anything with Neal Adams or Berni Wrightson art as BA. After that, there are more suggestions than there are people.

"Dark Age" is not exactly complimentary, although I suppose it could be seen as simply descriptive rather than a negative.

I've spelled out my demarcations for the Bronze Age and the Age that followed, but I don't know that anyone agrees, or that anyone has tried to name it, beyond the "Modern" Age, which again is one of those "I know it when I see it" deals. And the Modern Age started around 20 or more years ago for most people, and there's little talk of ages beyond that.

-- MSA
Border Mutt August 19, 2011 at 8:47pm

I agree that most people best like the "age" when they started reading comics, when these new worlds of exciting stuff first opened up to them. Sometimes, that leads them back to earlier comics, which they like even more, but it still comes off of that introduction

Although I agree that comics from when you started reading have an everything's fresh / nostalgia bloom, I think it's quite possible that if you're still actively involved with the hobby, the "now" could have just as much or more appeal as the "then". While I love both Captain Carrot and Astrocity, I think I'd be happier to find an Astrocity that I missed rather than a Captain Carrot that I somehow overlooked.

I think the age of Ages is over. Most people agree on when the Golden and Silver Age started, but there's little agreement on when they ended. There's even less agreement on when the Bronze Age started--it's kind of a "I know it when I see it" idea that stamps anything with Neal Adams or Berni Wrightson art as BA. After that, there are more suggestions than there are people
I suspect the whole DCnU launch with its clear "that was then this is now" cut off point is going to cause fans in general to decide that another age is beginning. Having looked back over Chris' blog from last year, I agree with him that there's been two ages since the bronze age, however, it wouldn't surprise me if fans in general consider September on as a 5th age instead of a 6th one. I'm kind of curious to see what name will reach critical mass and whether it's naming what's gone by or what's coming up.

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