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{{quote|''Today we once again venture forth into the deepest depths of insanity known as 'the Silver Age' - when comics cost 12 cents, Superman could juggle planets with his pinky finger, and stories didn't have to follow anything like "logic" or "natural plot development!"''|'''Linkara''', ''[[
▲{{quote|''Today we once again venture forth into the deepest depths of insanity known as 'the Silver Age' - when comics cost 12 cents, Superman could juggle planets with his pinky finger, and stories didn't have to follow anything like "logic" or "natural plot development!"''|'''Linkara''', ''[[Atop the Fourth Wall (Web Video)|Atop the Fourth Wall]]''}}
Depending on who you ask, either a magical time when comic books were wonderful and everyone read them, or a historical relic where everything was childish, pointless, and/or ludicrous. ([[Narm Charm|Or both]].)
'''The Silver Age of Comic Books''' lasted from 1954 or 1956 to about 1970 (though some people count everything up until 1985 as part of it, folding in the [[The Bronze Age of Comic Books]]). Note that this is the period that spawned the '60s ''[[Batman (TV series)|Batman]]'' series, and no, this is not a coincidence. The Silver Age was a time of talking gorillas and super-powered pets, of covers that were created before the story and seventeen types of Kryptonite. It was naive and visionary, futuristic and outdated. And every [[Superhero]] comic published today owes something to it.
In the late 1930s, the [[Superhero]] had been born, and the genre exploded, with hundreds of titles published at the height of the time now known as the [[The Golden Age of Comic Books]]. Unfortunately, by 1950, comics had suffered the one-two punch of the end of World War II (taking away the then-largest enemy for the heroes to fight, and the interest in people waging an ongoing battle) and the publication of Frederic Wertham's
And then, in the
The Silver Age could be split between these two
The Silver Age was, in a word, silly. Due to the assumptions of the [[Comics Code]], creators were generally restricted to creating entertainment for children, and the Code's guidelines as to what was age-appropriate were very strict, precluding a lot of possible storylines that might deal with more mature themes. [[The Fifties]] also saw a general turn toward conservatism in American society as a reaction against the disruption of the war, and pushing the envelope or questioning social norms was frowned upon. This is most obvious when it comes to female characters, who had been more independent back in the [[Golden Age]]: the Silver Age is the time when [[Wonder Woman]] became [[No Guy Wants an Amazon|vaguely apologetic about rescuing male characters]], and Lois Lane, who had been portrayed as an ambitious career woman before, decided [[Acceptable Feminine Goals|her main goal in life]] was [[And Now You Must Marry Me|forcing Superman to marry her]] and becoming a housewife. Morality in Silver Age comics was extremely [[Black and White Morality|black and white]]; heroes in particular followed a strict, moralistic code of conduct. Since dealing with serious real-world issues was frowned upon, wacky [[Speculative Fiction]] plots that bore no relation to reality became increasingly common. Supervillains' plans were usually [[Lighter and Softer|more goofy than genuinely threatening]]. Superheroes had names like [[Something Person]] or [[The Adjectival Superhero]], which would seem too [[Narm|
Another fascination of the Silver Age was '''Science!''' The Silver Age occurred alongside the [[Space Race]]. Science was the answer to, and source of, every problem. The mutations of the [[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Men]], the alternate universe known as Earth-2, the alien conqueror known as
Which is not to downplay its significance, mind you. Many of the most famous comic book characters and story-lines came from this era (The Avengers, Spider-man, X-Men, Daredevil) and many new ideas were created that would become standard in future comics: Superheroes as a social platform? The teenage masked hero? They came about here. As well as how already existing characters were changed. (Many of the most famous elements and characters in The Green Lantern were non-existent in the Golden age).
Over time, social mores relaxed and the moral panic around comic books faded. The [[Superhero]] genre began deliberately distancing itself from Silver Age silliness in an attempt to prove that comic books were a medium that could tell stories that were relevant to adults as well as kids and dealt with serious real-world issues. This trend toward [[Darker and Edgier|a more serious tone]] and [[Very Special Episode|more socially relevant stories]] continued throughout the [[The Bronze Age of Comic Books|Bronze Age]] and culminated in the grim darkness of the [[The Dark Age of Comic Books|Dark Age]]. In the [[The Modern Age of Comic Books|Modern Age]], however, the pendulum has started to swing back (which might qualify the various Ages as parts of a [[Cyclic Trope]]). Currently, ''[[Batman:
* ''[[Spider
* ''[[Fantastic Four (Comic Book)|Fantastic Four]]'' (beginning of the modern [[Marvel Universe]])
* ''The [[Flash]]'' (introduced the [[Alternate Universe]] to [[The DCU]] and in general exemplifies the age)
* ''Showcase'' (introduced updated versions of Golden Age heroes as well as popular new characters)
* ''Superman's Pal [[Jimmy Olsen]]'' and ''Superman's Girl Friend, [[Lois Lane]]'' (spinoffs from [[
* ''[[Incredible Hulk
* [[The Legion of Super Heroes]]
The brilliant computer game ''[[Freedom Force]]'' and its almost-as-brilliant sequel ''Freedom Force Versus the Third Reich'', both from Irrational Games, are loving [[
----
Usually accepted as lasting from the foundation of the [[Comics Code]] until [[Jack Kirby|Jack Kirby's]] move to DC. (1954-1970). Alternatively starting with the reintroduction of the [[Flash]] (1956). Alternatively ending with price increases to 15 cents (1969) or ''Spiderman'' #100
{{reflist}}
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[[Category:The Sixties]]
[[Category:The Fifties]]
{{The Ages of Super Hero Comics}}
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