tadk Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Ok I am trying to get caught up here on the idea of Golden Age, Silver Age, Iron Age of Comics, and where are we technically at now so Golden Age is back in the 50s I take it Silver Age follows I believe Iron Age is 70s to 80s, when I was reading them the most, the most influence (Marvel Comics especially) on my old Champions Gaming. So the question is, what Age, what defining characteristics are we in right now? Just curious thanks Tad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now Ok I am trying to get caught up here on the idea of Golden Age, Silver Age, Iron Age of Comics, and where are we technically at now so Golden Age is back in the 50s I take it Silver Age follows I believe Iron Age is 70s to 80s, when I was reading them the most, the most influence (Marvel Comics especially) on my old Champions Gaming. So the question is, what Age, what defining characteristics are we in right now? Just curious thanks Tad Not the answer you wanted, but I thought you should know, You skipped the bronze age, which was after the silver... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now Golden Age actually goes all the way back to the 30s/40s. Silver Age is the adaption of the Comics Code in the 50s (IIRC). Bronze Age is the 70s through early 80s. Iron Age is mid 80s onwards. I think, and I don't really follow comics, we're in the "Diamond Age" or some such rubbish. I'll start reading 'em regularly when we're in the Molybdenum Age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pental Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now Fondant Age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now Fondue age? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tadk Posted January 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now Fondant Age. Works best for the Great Cakester Master of Towering masterpieces Cool answer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tadk Posted January 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now Golden Age actually goes all the way back to the 30s/40s. Silver Age is the adaption of the Comics Code in the 50s (IIRC). Bronze Age is the 70s through early 80s. Iron Age is mid 80s onwards. I think, and I don't really follow comics, we're in the "Diamond Age" or some such rubbish. I'll start reading 'em regularly when we're in the Molybdenum Age. Cool then, I was not sure. I saw some Iron Age supplement for M&M the other day when I bought Madmen and Masterminds for Hero Pulp and I was not really sure. So it wont matter what I declare my new city to be like Thanks tons for the reply Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now The Lint Age Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now I am trying to get caught up here on the idea of Golden Age' date=' Silver Age, Iron Age of Comics, and where are we technically at now[/quote'] This is not a science, so there is considerable disagreemnet as to precise timing. so Golden Age is back in the 50s I take it The Golden Age is in the 1940's, generally considered to end when the Supers stoped being opublished (other than those who made it through the "interregnum" - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman). This is the cleanest cutoff. Supers were pretty much done. Afterwards, their publishing was unabated and the cutoff dates become less clear as one age "bleeds" into the next. Silver Age follows I believe The intro of the Martian Manhunter (Nov/55), The intro of the Barry Alen Flash (Oct/56) and the intro of the Fantastic Four, and with them the Marvel Age (Nov/61) are generally benchmarks for the dawn of the Silver Age, and the resurgence of the Super Hero. Its end is often identified with the Death of Gwen Stacy arc in Spider Man (June/73) and with the "Speedy Heroin Addict" arc in Green Lantern/Green Arrow (1971) Bronze Age The Bronze follows Silver, and is generally characterized by heroes facing more real-world issues and more shades of grey. It's generally accepted to go from the early '70s (see above) to sometime in the 1980's. Iron Age is 70s to 80s' date=' when I was reading them the most, the most influence (Marvel Comics especially) on my old Champions Gaming.[/quote'] Iron Age is generally considered marked by the emergence of anti-heroes, heros with guns, claws, etc. and a sharp reduction in the superior "morality" of the Superhero. Heros who kill, ultimately making it hard to differentiate the hero from the villain. Watchmen (1986) is often considered either a precursor to, or the dawning of, the Iron Age. There appears to be little common ground as to when Iron ended, or what came next. It's probably too recent for anything to gel in this regard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tadk Posted January 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now Thanks Hugh that works wonders for me Shows me my prior gaming is pretty firm into the Bronze Age with some dabbling in Iron Age, not a whole lot but some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreadnought Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now Hopefully we'll see the end of the Quesada Age before too long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now Also worth noting that there are always exceptions to the "____ Age is" stereotypes, and that there are books that intentionally draw on tropes from other "ages". There's considerable overlap. I usually think of the best current comics as Steel Age (polished Iron) or Alloy Age (mixes of tropes from various ages). One way to look at ages is through various incarnations of Batman. Golden Age Batman: Beats up Crooks & Nazis, criminals are thieves and mobsters, vigilante but no one much cares, takes Robin to the park, plays idiotic pranks on Superman, chases the Joker through warehouses, Joker tries to steal things and threaten people Silver Age Batman: Beats up Crooks but not too badly, criminals are petty thieves and pranksters, becomes a police deputy, spends a lot of time with Robin trapped in giant pinball machines and birthday cakes, tormented by obsessed fan 5th dimensional imp (Batmite), plays idiotic pranks on Superman, chases the Joker through fun-houses, Joker tries to play pointless pranks Bronze Age Batman: Beats up Crooks, suddenly notices that Gotham is full of sex workers and drug dealers, creative differences with Robin, far fewer giant birthday cakes and pranksters, very few pranks on Superman, starts beating the Joker up more seriously, Joker starts seriously trying to kill people Iron Age Batman: Beats up Crooks and Superman, the sex workers and drug dealers are under the thumbs of hopelessly corrupt cops and politicians, everyone starts to notice that Batman is a vigilante again, Robin is gone but regularly replaced and occasionally killed, starts beating the Joker but not quite killing him (or, depending on point of view, only killing him once), Joker's body count rises into the thousands Rusty Iron Batman: Beats up Robin, Superman, White Martians, Martian Manhunter, and whoever else he feels like, refrains from saying "Bub, Snikt" but only just, the out-and-out criminals are the least morally reprehensible people in Gotham, no good natured pranks on anyone to speak of, feeds Robin rats between bouts of absurd abuse, plots the neutralization of his friends (who are all morally reprehensible), Joker starts turning Superheroines into broken victims Steel Age Batman: Yet to be determined Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now . . .refrains from saying "Bub' date=' Snikt" but only just. . .[/quote'] The meeting of Mary Sues.... "I'm the G-Damn Batman, bub." *snikt* think of the ratings!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now Hopefully we'll see the end of the Quesada Age before too long. Quesadilla age. Flat & Cheesy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sketchpad Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now So the question is, what Age, what defining characteristics are we in right now? I've heard it coined both "Platinum Age" and "Modern Age" Hopefully we'll see the end of the Quesada Age before too long. Nah, it should be the Joephitso Age Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balabanto Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now I like to think of this as the Moron Age of Comics. This is the age of comics where the writers decide to completely ruin characters and treat their readers like morons. It's like the comics are being written by talk show shockjocks who can't write. Tony Stark checking to see if his penis is still there? Come on, Bendis. Show some decorum! Yeah, it's funny, but it's still tasteless. Superboy Prime? What is the POINT of this nonsense? Rainbow Guardians of the Universe? Geoff Johns needs to go to Detox mansion and stop mainlining crack. Why can't people just write good stories? Everything has to be either A) Cosmic or Illogical or C) Both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now This is not a science, so there is considerable disagreemnet as to precise timing. The Golden Age is in the 1940's, generally considered to end when the Supers stoped being opublished (other than those who made it through the "interregnum" - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman). This is the cleanest cutoff. Supers were pretty much done. Afterwards, their publishing was unabated and the cutoff dates become less clear as one age "bleeds" into the next. The intro of the Martian Manhunter (Nov/55), The intro of the Barry Alen Flash (Oct/56) and the intro of the Fantastic Four, and with them the Marvel Age (Nov/61) are generally benchmarks for the dawn of the Silver Age, and the resurgence of the Super Hero. Its end is often identified with the Death of Gwen Stacy arc in Spider Man (June/73) and with the "Speedy Heroin Addict" arc in Green Lantern/Green Arrow (1971) The Bronze follows Silver, and is generally characterized by heroes facing more real-world issues and more shades of grey. It's generally accepted to go from the early '70s (see above) to sometime in the 1980's. Iron Age is generally considered marked by the emergence of anti-heroes, heros with guns, claws, etc. and a sharp reduction in the superior "morality" of the Superhero. Heros who kill, ultimately making it hard to differentiate the hero from the villain. Watchmen (1986) is often considered either a precursor to, or the dawning of, the Iron Age. There appears to be little common ground as to when Iron ended, or what came next. It's probably too recent for anything to gel in this regard. Well the benchmarks of the past are: 1939: Superman and Batman come out. 1956: The Flash reintroduced the superhero. 1973: Gwen Stacy dies and with her the Comics Code Authority 1986: The Punisher gets his own comic book. I can't really think of another such benchmark, nothing that is likely to revolutionise the business (Civil War being just more of the same with the default Marvel universe being retooled for a greater resemblance to the more Irony Ultimates universe) so I'm guessing we're still in the Iron Age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now The fun thing about old posts is they are recyclable. For my personal break down on what's gone before, I repeat a post where one line descriptions were asked for. ....... One line descriptions? Whew.. mmm... okay, I think that there are two golden age styles (comic code enforced and filtered retroactively, and the more pulpish and often ruthless), and two Silver (DC and Marvel) so... off the top of my head: Golden Age (before Comics Code enforced): "It's a long way down, Herr Kruegor. Tell me where the Uber-bomb is, and MAYBE I'll pull you up." (Often followed by a plummetting scream) Golden Age (as retroactively sanitized): "Come on, Patriot Guard! Let's knock these Nazi Neerdowells to their jack booted knees!" Silver Age (DC Style): "Great Godfrey! The Andromedeans are launching the moons of Jupiter at us. I've got to catch them all before they crush the city!" Silver Age (Marvel Style): "Great, the girl of my dreams won't give me the time of day as a maskless milksop, and now she blames Mantis Man for her father's death not knowing the truth... either way, I just can't win." Bronze Age: "Listen, I know what you're going through, I know it hurts to go without the serum that gives you power, but you have to fight it. You CAN beat an addiction... trust me, I know from experience." Iron Age: "What makes you think you get to SEE jail, you #$#$ #$#$%er! Hell, I'd do you in even if I wasn't being paid!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alverant Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now The iron age has gone on for a few decades, longer than the other ages. Considering everything that has changed, I've tried to spread the concept of a Steel Age. The Steel Age is marked by more realistic motivations. In the Steel Age, everyone has their own agenda, your allies are only allies of convenience and you may work against them one day when your agendas conflict. There's less idealism and more ideology. For example there's the Civil War (no matter how horribly done) the heroes acted in accordance to their own motivations instead of working together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now The iron age has gone on for a few decades' date=' longer than the other ages. Considering everything that has changed, I've tried to spread the concept of a Steel Age. The Steel Age is marked by more realistic motivations. In the Steel Age, everyone has their own agenda, your allies are only allies of convenience and you may work against them one day when your agendas conflict. There's less idealism and more ideology. For example there's the Civil War (no matter how horribly done) the heroes acted in accordance to their own motivations instead of working together.[/quote'] I have a different take on this. I consider Steel Age titles (shiny Iron) to be books like Alan Moore's Supreme, Promethea or Tom Strong, or Kurt Busiek's Astro City. Maybe some of Warren Ellis Planetary or his run on the Authority (tough those are arguably just well done Iron). Books freely borrowing tropes from the Gold, Silver and Bronze age, where there's still an essential idealism to the characters. Alan Moore once said that his run on Supreme was an attempt to re-construct the Superhero, and something of an apology for the mess that had been left behind by the constant de-construction that he contributed to with Watchmen and Marvel Man / Miracle Man. That, to me, is Steel Age: A Super Hero (note the two parts of the descriptor) comic written for adults, with genuine fondness for the tropes of the genre even if some of them are whimsical or absurd by real world standards. Iron Age is still being published (and is in fact still dominant in the tiny comic book industry), but then so is Bronze, Silver, and even a little Gold. The most successful Superhero movies and television are Bronze or Steel, with the exception of Batman Begins (which was arguably Iron, just not Rusty Iron). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balabanto Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now I'm going to disagree with you on Batman Begins, Oddhat. I think it's pure steel. I think Batman believes that Ra's will come back to life, and therefore, he simply doesn't feel the need to save a man who will suddenly be restored to life later. If I know my enemy is going to return to life, there is no reason to try and save him from pits of lava, exploding train wrecks, or radioactive burst chambers. My time as a superhero is better spent saving someone other than the villain whose powers include being ressurrection lad. Did we see a body? No. They didn't make the mistake that Tim Burton made with the Joker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloodstone Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now The meeting of Mary Sues.... "I'm the G-Damn Batman, bub." *snikt* think of the ratings!!!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Claw But, at least they had the sense to make it Jubilee in the little green shorts http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparrow_%28comics%29 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now I've heard it coined both "Platinum Age" and "Modern Age" But so far nobody has identified any characteristics of it. Which makes me think people keep trying to declare the Iron Age over because they know it's horrible, but even though they stab it with their forks the thing just won't die. I mean c'mon what's different about the last few years from the 90s? More cannibalism because that's the only way a villain can be worse than a hero? More heroes turning on each other? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now I, personally, would call it the Rust Age. It used to be Iron, then it got even more tarnished, nobody took care of it, and now it's all full of holes and falling apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Re: What Age are we in now But so far nobody has identified any characteristics of it. Which makes me think people keep trying to declare the Iron Age over because they know it's horrible' date=' but even though they stab it with their forks the thing just won't die. I mean c'mon what's different about the last few years from the 90s? More cannibalism because that's the only way a villain can be worse than a hero? More heroes turning on each other?[/quote'] I described characteristics of "Steel Age" titles here. "Alan Moore once said that his run on Supreme was an attempt to re-construct the Superhero, and something of an apology for the mess that had been left behind by the constant de-construction that he contributed to with Watchmen and Marvel Man / Miracle Man. That, to me, is Steel Age: A Super Hero (note the two parts of the descriptor) comic written for adults, with genuine fondness for the tropes of the genre even if some of them are whimsical or absurd by real world standards." Not that I'd say the Iron Age is over with the big two; just pointing out that some creators are trying to re-construct what has been deconstructed to death. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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