The Comic Book Heroes: From the Silver Age to the PresentThe first history of modern costumed-hero comic books, from the start of the Silver Age in 1956 up to today. Focusing on DC and Marvel Comics, the story begins with the efforts of DC to revitalize such Golden Age heroes as the Flash, Superman, and Green Lantern in the wake of the anti-comic furor of the early 1950s. The authors cover the science fiction rage of the late 1950s, the birth of the experimental Marvel Comics Group in 1961, the emergence of such classic Marvel characters as the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man, the "camp" craze set off by the "Batman" TV show in 1966, and the socially conscious and politically relevant comics of the early 1970s. Later chapters describe the slump of the mid-1970s, as the medium lost touch with its young readers, followed by the comics' resurgence of the 1980s, as many new companies help DC and Marvel to extend the boundaries of the field with innovation, daring, and a new sophistication. Factually thorough and written in a lively, narrative style, this history includes behind-the-scenes glimpses at the men who wrote, drew, and published the comics, the impact of their creations on the fans, and critical assessments of the works themselves. Illustrated throughout with examples of comic book art, The Comic Book Heroes will inform and entertain both the hardcore fan and the casual reader of this most popular of American mediums. |
Contents
Acknowledgments | v |
3 | xiv |
Strange Adventures in Space | xiv |
Copyright | |
24 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
adventures alien Atom Avengers backup Batman battle became began Boltinoff Captain America Captain Marvel Carmine Infantino character Claremont colorful comic book costumed heroes costumed-hero created creation creative creators crime-fighters DC Comics DC Comics Inc DC's decade Ditko early Earth editor fandom fans Fantastic Four featured field Flash Gardner Fox genres Gil Kane Golden Age Green Lantern Grell horror Hulk human humor inks innovation issue Jack Kirby Julius Schwartz Justice League Kanigher kids Kirby's Kubert Kung Fu Lee's Legion magazine Marvel Comics Master of Kung Mike Moench monster Mort Weisinger mysterious Neal Adams never penciler planet plots powers publishers readers revival Roy Thomas Schiff science fiction scripting seemed Sept Showcase Silver Age Skartaris soon Spider-Man stable Star Starlin Steve stories storytelling Strange strip style Super Superboy Superman Thor tion titles turned villain Warlock Weisinger's X-Men young