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These are the ages that I hear about when I go to conventions around the nation:
Early "comics" or books that would allow development of the comic book as we know it. Most comics from this era are lost forever.
I think this age starts with the first issue of The Yellow Kid comic book. Most comics from this era are lost forever. Detective Comics by DC Comics is the only series to survive and still be developed, printed, and sold today from this age.
Starts in cover-date of June of 1938, with Superman's first appearance in Action Comics #1. Many titles started in this era are still developed, printed, and sold today from DC, Marvel, Archie and Gemstone. Most books published in this age are lost forever because of the war drives for paper during World War II.
Most collectors agree that the Silver Age started with the price of comics going from $0.10 to $0.12, and size was slightly reduced, too. Most comics survive this era, and this era produced the most amount of on-going series from all major companies.
Started with DC Comics' bullet logo, usually agreed to have ended when Image burst onto the scene, or sometimes Valiant, after their little Nintendo Comics phase.
And we all know the problems with this age. Allow me to bullet-point:
Debate all you all want, but it was in a few Overstreet price guides like this. Overstreet also acknowledges that the Modern Age of Comics started when DC Comics adopted the bullet logo (the 1980s DC logo). Now, I agree with an older post that this article is written, well, poorly. I mean, the sheer drama and events that took place, also daily and hourly, in comics from 1976 onward.
Furthermore, manga is a direct result of the Modern Age of Comics, and needs to be addressed. Companies like Antarctic, Viz, Dark Horse, and even Marvel did anime. Marvel has, within their line, the Marvel Mangaverse. This article seems hasty and actual did very little to remind me of anything.
As for the "graphic" novels and trade paperbacks, which are also a direct result of Viz, Tokyopop, and a few other now-defunct manga companies publishing led to a misunderstanding by the product-buyers of major book retailers, and have since, with comics shops big and small, led to the death of the comic shop, along with Diamond being the illegally monopoly and God of the the current comic industry. Perhaps one can say that the Modern Age ended and the Diamond Age started when Diamond started selling comics for everybody in Late 1996, around the time of Marvel's Heroes Reborn and DC's Superman in a blue jumpsuit. Anyways, the graphic novels aren't selling, nor is the manga, according to stockholder data listed for Sears (who owns K-Mart, who owns Waldensbooks, who owns Borders) and Barnes & Nobles. Comics, and sci-fi in general, lost them hundreds of millions over the last few years, and they reported this recently, especially with the economic collapse that might be happening. I know a few Borders I visited in the LA area have cut their shelf-space for manga and comics to a few measly shelves in the sci-fi section.
Again, I must stress that this article needs to deal with the rise of Diamond, the pyramid scheme they force sellers to buy from them, with is $50,000 a year give or take, and how the comic industry is in rapid decline and falling apart at the seams, and how the comic book shops are all going out of business.
What I've just written is reality. If you can't believe this is happening in the Modern Age of Comics, then you're not actually into comics. Just type Diamond Comic Distributors suck into Google and see how many people and stores have been hurt by Diamond since 1996. In the Las Vegas area, here are stores that have been defunct recently: Dreamwell Comics, Kool Kollectibles, Woody's World, Comic Oasis, Dark Tower (has to move from location to location), and Gameworld. Alternative Reality and Cosmic Comics are is hard financial straits, and may not survive the year. Coffee4binky ( talk) 22:54, 1 February 2009 (UTC)
Does anyone remember (or did anyone figure out) why there were 52 earths in the multiverse? I think this would be a really neat fact to put in the timeline with the entry, and I'm pretty sure the reason was somewhere in the 52 series, but either I never figured it out from the clues or I've forgotten it. -- Supergirl 12 June 2007
There is no reason given in the comic. All that is stated is that Mr. Mind destroys many of them and 52 are left. It is a big enough number so that it can include formerly recognized earths as well as creatively leaving room for new ones. It was obviously chosen in reference to the name of the series and explains some of the references made to the number 52.-- Leocomix 13:26, 13 June 2007 (UTC)
If I knew enough, I'd update the article myself, but I do note that Warren Ellis, a fairly prolific author, hasn't been mentioned here at all. Also, I wonder why Science Fiction exists only as a footnote on Swamp Thing. Everything I read I'd catagorise as Science Fiction, if I knew more of how it became important (again), I'd probably buy more of the classics of the field. Any takers for writing bits of this in? -- Eternal Confusion 11:15, 4 April 2006 (UTC)
The Modern Age, Dark Age, or whatever starts in the mid-1980's. I've never seen the term used to refer to the period from 1970 onwards, and only sections 1.1 and a single sentence from section 1.2 have anything to do with the period before 1985. Even then, most things that happened before 1985 didn't become trends until later (Wolverine didn't get a regular series until after 1985, and the Punisher didn't even get a miniseries until 1985; and X-Men spinoffs only became a trend after 1985 even though New Mutants was an isolated instance before that.) Ken Arromdee 30 June 2005 14:28 (UTC)
Absolutely! This article ignores the Bronze Age period (c. 1970-1985) by conflating it with the Modern Age (1986-?) The Bronze Age saw a number of changes to DC's heroes, including: Clark Kent left the Daily Planet to become a newscaster at WGBS-TV; Robin left Batman to attend college; Wonder Woman lost her powers (when the amazons left Earth), then regained them (thanks in part to Gloria Steinem); and Green Lantern started hanging out with Green Arrow. Not to mention the introduction of Jack Kirby's Fourth World. The Bronze age ended with Crisis on Infinite Earths.
I'm less familiar with Marvel Comics, but for them the Bronze Age began with the Spider-Man drug-abuse story (the first from a major publisher to see publication without the Comics Code Authority's approval) and ended with Secret Wars. Also, Dell Comics collapsed, leaving DC and Marvel with no real competition for two decades.
The Modern Age began (for DC) with Watchmen and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and the post-crisis revamps, and saw the rise of "grim and gritty" stories for both DC and Marvel. Some would argue that the Modern Age has ended, with the present (post-modern?) age beginning with the fading of the grim-and-gritty style, and/or with the end of the collector-driven comics market of the mid-1990s.
Comments? Suggestions?
--
Archola
Agreed! There should be two articles - one for bronze and one for modern. Whoever wrote this first got confused. The bronze age runs from the early 70's to (well it varies depending on which company, but the articles can reflect this). The modern age runs from the early/mid-80s to now.
Also, I think the diamond age of comics sometimes refers to the newspaper strips/comics that appeared before the golden age. I've never heard it used as another name for the 80's. rst20xx
You are absolutely right. I have heard the Modern Age called the Diamond Age as well because of the influence of Diamond and it deserves to be called the Diamond Age. The real issue is that with all the changes occurring due to Infinite Crisis and Civil War, is this the beginning of a new age? Perhaps it should be called the Iron Age because it was Iron Man who prompted Spider-Man to take off his mask. -- Maple Leaf 13:56, 22 July 2006 (UTC)Maple_Leaf
I think the dates listed for the 'modern age' are substantially wrong, and i think you key issue list even disagrees with them (although I'm inclined to agree with it). Half your 'modern' keys are from 1981, and they really are keys for this era (whatever we choose to call it), so clearly your 1986 start year is wrong.
First, lets be honest, this page is about an era typically called the 'copper', 'iron', and occasionally 'dark' age of comics. Its no longer the modern age, the new modern age starts sometime in teh mid-90s, although I'm sure I'm not qualified to render definitive judgement on when, but my guess is somewhere in the 1992-1996 timeframe. There's definitely an era transition sometime before 2000.
Second, the Copper Age (to choose one term) clearly starts in 1980 with Days of Future Past in Uncanny X-Men and 1981 with Miller's first Daredevil run. (IMO, the Bronze Age starts in 1970ish, and lasts ~10 years). Like with the silver->bronze age transition, not all books made the transition at the same time. But to hold up Miller's The Dark Knight Returns as the start of the era when its just the culmination of a trend that started with Days of Future Past (and arguably the Dark Phoenix Saga's end 4 issues earlier) is kind of ridiculous.
Even trends you claim are from this age definitively predate 1986. New Mutants is from 1984, and is already rather late in the 'minority super heroes' trend. Wolverine's first mini-series is 1982. Secret Wars starts in 1984. A start date for the age later than 1981 simply isn't tenable.
-- 69.209.75.199 ( talk) 11:12, 7 September 2011 (UTC)
these are the dates we're going with: Golden Age (1938-1955) Silver Age (1956-1969) Bronze Age (1970-1983) Copper Age (1984-1991) Modern Age (1992-Present) [now somebody please find and/or generate a reliable source, and also, copper age needs its own page] John xero ( talk) 21:17, 7 September 2012 (UTC)
Actually, no one editor can declare "these are the dates we're going with." Wikipedia works on consensus. And as a truly longtime collector — since 1968, so my credentials, I think, are in order — I've never heard of the Golden Age lasting past about 1949, and there's no consensus as to the end of the Silver Age. There is also no established Copper Age. Those demarcations you give above are your own and not that of widespread comics scholarship. -- Tenebrae ( talk) 20:10, 8 September 2012 (UTC)
This page has some serious problems, content-wise and organization-wise. I did some work on the intro paragraph, but the whole page needs a serious makeover. The best source I've found so far is this [1], which I used pretty extensively in expanding the opening paragraph. Lnlupa ( talk) 02:58, 28 May 2017 (UTC)
I cleaned-up the film adaptation section of the article, trying to concentrate on how they affected the comics. Also, I eliminated the references to cartoon shows because superhero cartoons are not a new development of the Modern Age. Rorschach567
There are too many superlatives and POV statements in the timeline (although I agree the dates are appropriately significant). Ok to make them more NPOV? -- Happylobster 20:18, 7 December 2005 (UTC)
Does anyone have a source for this statement?
Ken Arromdee 18:55, 11 December 2005 (UTC)
I feel it is. Horror comic books are big business these days, for example, as are many other alternative genres besides just superheros. There is one brief mention about horror comics, but even then it's in the context of Marvel's 70s entry into the genre. There is no mention of IDW at all. No mention of Dark Horse aside from it's position in the timeline. And very little about Vertigo. Of course superhero books still make up the mainstream of the market and should have more information about them. But at the same time you can't talk about modern age of comics and not include the alternative genres. if agreed I will try to add some more information. -- MateoP 03:21, 26 May 2006 (UTC)
Your comments were very useful. I have edited the page to include mentions of Dark Horse in 1992 with Star Wars: Dark Empire and 1993 with Comics Greatest World. I mention Warren Ellis in 1994 and David Lapham's Stray Bullets in 1995. Although I am not enough of an expert on alternative comics, a whole new page could be devoted to the genre.-- Maple Leaf 14:10, 22 July 2006 (UTC)
I totally agree. The changes at Marvel and DC didn't happen in a vacuum. Actually, what marks the Modern Age is that the content of the story comes from outside influences. Miller's stories are influenced by manga and Eisner. Moore is influenced by Underground and Harvey Kurtzmann. While editor control clamped Marvel's creativity, the existence of independent publishers allowed some creators to create groundbreaking stories, especially at First Comics, with Mike Grell's Jon Sable Freelance, Chaykin's American Flagg. In 1985, First Comics had four series in the top ten in the CBG awards. The use of the panel as a TV screen later used by Miller in Dark Knight was created by Chaykin in American Flagg. Later, Chaykin, Grell and Truman (all from First) were going to step up maturity in stories and redefine/re-energize long-time characters with Longbow Hunters, Blackhawk and Hawkworld. Most top writers of today came from outside the mainstream (Bendis, Morrison, Brubaker) and this applies also to Straczinsky, Guggenheim and Meltzer. See also what I say in th talk page of Bronze Age.
I agree as well - not only that, it's very superhero centric... I didn't see any mention of Sandman or Preacher, for instance. What about Groo? :) Luminifer ( talk) 20:20, 20 December 2008 (UTC)
No mention of '2000AD' either.--{Unsigned|86.177.108.228}} 22:00, 3 October 2011
I've just created an article for the Bronze Age of Comic Books. Perhaps the information in this article dealing with the 1970s and early 80s can be moved there. Iron Ghost 04:30, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
It deals only with comics issues and characters and omits events in the backstage like "speculations", "variant covers", new comics companies, conventions, magazines. For instance the new fandom movement characterizes the Silver Age. Creator-owned series started in the Silver Age but became mainstream in the modern age. What about Cerebus, Strangers in Paradise and other long-going creator owned-series? There is also a point. It's a bit too close to the present to state that the modern age is still continuing. There are already terms for current comics like neo-silver. This started with "1963", "Marvels" and Alan Moore's "Supreme". For instance "Infinite Crisis" (restoring pre-crisis continuity) could be the marker of a new age for DC. Because it's too close to know yet, I think we should not include events from before 2006 or even from before 2000 in this article. -- Leocomix 17:44, 17 August 2007 (UTC)
Perhaps the focus is on Marvel and DC comics because the "Ages" have, from the beginning, been attributed almost exclusively to superhero comics, which make up the lion's share of the comic market. I do agree that the "greed factor" that plagued the industry during to 90's and the effect it had on the industry should be included. -RB 24.163.208.79 05:09, 25 August 2007 (UTC)
That is true. Actually "Golden Age" and "Silver Age" were first used in the sense "Golden Age of superheroes" and "Silver Age of superheroes". So we need to refine the definition: i.e. it applies to mainstream publishers or it applies to super-heroes. -- Leocomix 08:55, 25 August 2007 (UTC)
Contains "This will fail also". Is this a correct entry? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.233.146.11 ( talk) 23:00, 11 December 2007 (UTC)
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BetacommandBot ( talk) 21:22, 2 January 2008 (UTC)
I don't know much about citing sources at all, but couldn't this be used as a source?
http://scifipedia.scifi.com/index.php/Modern_Age_of_Comics
I mean, maybe not much of it, as it talks a lot about DC's continuity changes, but still for something I would think. Spirit Stiff ( talk) 01:08, 25 April 2008 (UTC)
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This article needs the B-Class checklist filled in to remain a B-Class article for the Comics WikiProject. If the checklist is not filled in by 7th August this article will be re-assessed as C-Class. The checklist should be filled out referencing the guidance given at Wikipedia:Version 1.0 Editorial Team/Assessment/B-Class criteria. For further details please contact the Comics WikiProject. Comics-awb ( talk) 17:08, 31 July 2008 (UTC)
Gold: 1933-1955. Silver: 1956-1972. Bronze: 1973-1983. Modern: 1984-present.
Let's say that GA went on for 22 years, SA went on for 16, & BA went on for 10. In the future, when Modern Age comics are too old to be considered Modern Age, will they be Brass, Iron, or Stone Age? & when is the cut-off line? The comics I read in the 90s were kid-stuff to what's out now, so have we already missed the mark?
Why are they going downhill in time when the Golden Age comics were so terrible & the Silver Age comics were embarrassing & loaded with propaganda? Shouldn't the Golden Age be the Stone Age of comics?
The Way I've heard it it's
Gold 1938-1954
Silver 1954-1970
Bronze 1970-1986
Dark 1986-1996
Modern 1996-present.
My theory is the current era will be called the "Post-Modern Age of Comics" in the future. Simply because Grant Morrison and other top writers out now love to inject all kinds of Post Modernism in their storylines. —Preceding
unsigned comment added by
69.168.135.228 (
talk) 09:04, 9 October 2009 (UTC)
The most commonly held view in modern fandom is that the Dark age covers from the publishing of Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns to D.C.'s "Kingdom Come" which openly attacked the direction that comes where going in at the time. The Modern age is more nostalgic for the Silver age. Therefore I don't think that the Dark age page should redirect here. I believe that it should be split. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.168.136.137 ( talk) 04:52, 9 February 2009 (UTC)
Seconded. See how TvTropes lists them:
Golden Age Interregnum Silver Age Bronze Age Dark Age Modern Age —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.168.135.228 ( talk) 18:30, 8 October 2009 (UTC)
I agree but you'd need a reliable source. ArtistScientist ( talk) 09:40, 9 October 2009 (UTC)
TvTropes is more of an unacademic fan oriented wiki, however this is not necessarily a bad thing, as it's grounded more in the fan perceptions, and therefore tends to have a better understanding of the trends in media than a non fan or outsider would tend to have. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.168.135.228 ( talk) 00:59, 17 October 2009 (UTC)
As this B-Class article has yet to receive a review, it has been rated as C-Class. If you disagree and would like to request an assesment, please visit Wikipedia:WikiProject_Comics/Assessment#Requesting_an_assessment and list the article. Hiding T 15:01, 24 February 2009 (UTC)
[1] - Peregrine Fisher ( talk) ( contribs) 00:40, 7 March 2009 (UTC) [2] - Peregrine Fisher ( talk) ( contribs) 03:04, 17 March 2009 (UTC)
Seems like an obvious thing to have. -- Helenalex ( talk) 09:40, 4 April 2009 (UTC)
The key issues lists almost exclusively Marvel comics, and only lists comics for the first appearance of some once-popular characters. No mention of trends, writers, artists, etc. Unless someone says why it shouldn't be deleted or fixes it, I suggest it be deleted. Luminifer ( talk) 04:26, 24 April 2009 (UTC)
far too superhero centric there was other stuff going on in comics 78.149.76.67 ( talk) 18:30, 13 June 2009 (UTC)
far too superhero centric there was other stuff going on in comics 78.149.76.67 ( talk) 18:30, 13 June 2009 (UTC)
far too superhero centric there was other stuff going on in comics 78.149.76.67 ( talk) 18:30, 13 June 2009 (UTC)
This article need somebody, somewhere, who may have worked or owned a comic book shop, to discuss the rapid decline of comics thanks to graphic novels/trade paperbacks, manga and anime, and Diamond. See what can be found starting here:
Please note that this is one man's perspective, but it is a starting point. I'm suggesting this article needs to be re-written, then merged into one large article covering the history and overall of American Comic Books, instead of being four links deep or so from the regular comic book article.
Currently, in the Las Vegas, NV, area, I think only Alternate Reality Comics is the only shop making a profit and still in business. Since I don't live in Las Vegas, I wouldn't know if any other shops are still operating. I'm also unsure of Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Diego areas as well. But a mere 16 years ago, comic shops were everywhere, then a mere decade ago, comic shops returned to be everywhere again, then pfft! Gone, thanks to Diamond's pyramid scam and a illegal monopoly.
Coffee5binky ( talk) 14:15, 27 November 2009 (UTC)
There are some notable sources, such as Peter Coogan (author of Superhero: The Secret Origin of a Genre) who say the Iron Age has ended and we are in a new Renaissance Age. While I'm not saying there should be a new article (right now that's only 1 source), the article portrays it as fact that every major RS agrees that the Iron Age is still ongoing. ( Iron Age of Comics links to the mainspace). 陣 内 Jinnai 05:33, 1 March 2010 (UTC)
Who are you to say the modern age of comics started in the mid 80s I thought it started in the mid 90s.
The most commonly held view in modern fandom is that the Dark age covers from the publishing of Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns to D.C.'s "Kingdom Come" which openly attacked the direction that comes where going in at the time. The Modern age is more nostalgic for the Silver age. Therefore I don't think that the Dark age page should redirect here. I believe that it should be split. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.168.136.137 ( talk) 04:52, 9 February 2009 (UTC)
Seconded. See how TvTropes lists them:
Golden Age Interregnum Silver Age Bronze Age Dark Age Modern Age —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.168.135.228 ( talk) 18:30, 8 October 2009 (UTC)
I agree but you'd need a reliable source. ArtistScientist ( talk) 09:40, 9 October 2009 (UTC)
TvTropes is more of an unacademic fan oriented wiki, however this is not necessarily a bad thing, as it's grounded more in the fan perceptions, and therefore tends to have a better understanding of the trends in media than a non fan or outsider would tend to have. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.168.135.228 ( talk) 00:59, 17 October 2009 (UTC)
I agree, that to call the whole thing Modern age is ludicrous. Watchmen and DKR happened more than 20 years ago and the tone after Zero Hour and specially Kingdom Come and Marvels has nothing to do with that. There's a gray era in the middle and then, the period after Quiver, Hush, Batman/Superman, Identity Crisis and Rebirth up until know is widely called the Silver Age Renaissance.-- 20-dude ( talk) 05:05, 10 May 2010 (UTC)
So if everyone agrees that the widely held and logical view is that there were two Ages, why isn't this split? 148.85.233.226 ( talk) 19:53, 21 February 2014 (UTC)
I've made some edits today, giving my rationales in the edit summaries. The tag on this page is correct: It needs an enormous amount of research and writing work to approach being encyclopedic. This article is mostly original-research and POV claims, as far as I can see. -- Tenebrae ( talk) 23:16, 24 August 2011 (UTC)
Like many others on this page, I'm not convinced the modern age is the best name for this period. It seems the Overstreet Price Guide is the only reference for it? Is this the best source available? In cultural and historical terms, the modern age (modernist period) covers most of the 20th century for visual arts and design. To an art theorist or historian, most comics, as a visual art, are modern. Certainly superhero comics, since there beginnings in the 30s, are modern. The radical changes in the 80s, from Alan Moore for example, would from this perspective be post-modern. I think the use of modern in this article, as coined by Overstreet I assume, comes from a conflation of 'modern' with 'contemporary'. That said, I understand the naming is internal to the medium and corresponds to the gold/silver/etc nomeclature. But is 'modern' the best/only name we can find referenced? If so, and if this age really covers everything from the 80s or so the present day, then something like 'contemporary age of comics' could be a more appropriate and perhaps NPOV title. +|||||||||||||||||||||||||+ ( talk) 04:07, 17 October 2011 (UTC)
This article is riddled with factual errors and reads more like a 9th grader's "anything you like" research project than a well-written and sourced wiki article should. I've corrected a couple errors here and there over the last little while, but someone with the time and inclination could do a lot more and vastly improve this page. 19:41, 23 March 2012 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 8.225.177.253 ( talk)
[3] 75 Years of DC Comics is a huge art/history book published by Taschen. It lists The Dark Age as 1984-1998 and The Modern Age as 1998-2010.
[4] Here's a book about comics called The Dark Age that appears to start with Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns (both 1986).
I think these (especially the first one) are good indications that there was such a thing as a Dark Age of comics (that has ended), and that this article should be split to reflect this. The only issue would be deciding on an end date, but that has been an issue regarding the beginning and end of most comic book eras.
Tomorrowboy ( talk) 01:24, 8 April 2012 (UTC)
Material from Chromium age should be merged here, or material from here should be transferred to there. I'm of the opinion Moder Age dates back to mid 1990s/early 2000s, not the mid 80s, but I invite other opinions. Argento Surfer ( talk) 20:22, 22 October 2012 (UTC)
Personally, I'd like to see this article thoroughly cleaned up and properly referenced before any talk of splitting. The article as it stands is postively oozing with OR. CüRlyTüRkey Talk Contribs 20:57, 6 November 2012 (UTC)
I referred to the "Dark Age" thing in my own book, and yet I'm reluctant to split it off into a separate page. Unless the phrase first gains more widespread use, we'd be shaping the terminology instead of reporting on it. I think it will catch on, but that thought does not make it so. It's hard to argue that it definitely ended. There has been some backlash against the darkness during the past decade (for example, when Mark Waid said some creators were sick and tired of darkness while leading up to Infinite Crisis), and yet at least one major company's editors have actively directed writers to make characters act grimmer and have less fun lately. Doczilla STOMP! 02:20, 9 November 2012 (UTC)
Definitely a "no" to making a "Dark Age" article. It's very subjective, very biased, and isn't in common currency. And I've also seen the term Modern Age widely applied to comics from the 1980s onward. What's important to keep in mind is that the idea of "ages" of comics came about haphazardly, and there's no methodology behind the naming. WesleyDodds ( talk) 13:45, 18 November 2012 (UTC)
You know what I'd really like to see (and, honestly, what really needs to be done)? Someone (not me [a]) or some group of someones needs to do a History of Amercian comic books from scratch, following strictly what can be found in reliable sources (there is no lack of them, so there's really no excuse— here's a whole whopping whack of 'em).
Then (and only then), those periods of American comic book history that proven themselves to be too unmanageable for the main article could be spun off (obviously this would happen with the Golden Age and Bronze Age...personally, I wonder if the "Bronze Age" would even make it). Anything else should be a redirect.
I'm talking about an article stripped of all the endless lists, speculation, editorializing and fan cruft that plague these articles as they stand. These articles need focus, organization, and references, references, references ("4. ^ (see Batman #500)."?!? ⇐←←←≪ Is this an April Fool's prank? That's 11% of the "references" for the entire page!).
Do people do those "collaboration of the month" things any more? How many people would really commit themselves without flaking out? I would think this kind of thing was a "Top" priority project for the Project—I mean, it's only the history of the medium and all.
CüRlyTüRkey Talk Contribs 03:25, 9 November 2012 (UTC)
Erm… why is the lede written in past tense if this age lasts “until present day”? And wouldn’t it be better to say it’s ongoing or current or something? That wording kinda makes it sound like it’s ending tomorrow. — Frungi ( talk) 07:09, 26 February 2013 (UTC)
There's a discussion currently taking place at WP:NFCR#File:Watchmencovers.png regarding the use of this non-free image in the article. The concern is that the image is simply being used for identification and not as the subject of critical commentary per "Cover Art" in WP:NFCI, particularly WP:NFC#cite_note-2. All interested editors are welcome to participate in the discussion and provide further clarification as needed. Thanks in advance. - Marchjuly ( talk) 14:16, 10 June 2015 (UTC)
the new Wonder woman stamps from the USPS are 4 images, labelled Golden age, Silver age, Bronze age and Modern age. thats a very nice reference showing the terms usage.(mercurywoodrose) 2602:304:CFD0:6350:709C:91B3:9EA8:5B0 ( talk) 17:09, 24 July 2016 (UTC)
Needs a section on this and the impact it has on art styles and scatter-panel layouts. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.90.192.116 ( talk) 02:56, 21 December 2016 (UTC)
You've got the Dark Age from 1985-2000 and the Modern Age from 2000-present. Lumping together the Modern Age as being 35 years long (longer than every previous comic age) is weird.-- 98.235.178.140 ( talk) 22:51, 4 January 2020 (UTC)
It's too long. There has definitely been significant developments in the comic industry since 1985 that differentiate between then and now. I have heard amateur comics historians refer to the period from 1985 through the end of "Heroes Reborn" (or the beginning of the Ultimate Universe, depending who you ask) as the "Iron Age." Then 2000 through 2008 (when the Iron Man film was released) as the "Digital Age." Then 2008 - Present as the Modern Age, or in some circles the "Cinematic Age." I think some variation of this will become standard once history catches up with itself, and also, of course, when someone of academic or industry authority publishes a source we can use. Ditch ∝ 20:21, 20 January 2023 (UTC)
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These are the ages that I hear about when I go to conventions around the nation:
Early "comics" or books that would allow development of the comic book as we know it. Most comics from this era are lost forever.
I think this age starts with the first issue of The Yellow Kid comic book. Most comics from this era are lost forever. Detective Comics by DC Comics is the only series to survive and still be developed, printed, and sold today from this age.
Starts in cover-date of June of 1938, with Superman's first appearance in Action Comics #1. Many titles started in this era are still developed, printed, and sold today from DC, Marvel, Archie and Gemstone. Most books published in this age are lost forever because of the war drives for paper during World War II.
Most collectors agree that the Silver Age started with the price of comics going from $0.10 to $0.12, and size was slightly reduced, too. Most comics survive this era, and this era produced the most amount of on-going series from all major companies.
Started with DC Comics' bullet logo, usually agreed to have ended when Image burst onto the scene, or sometimes Valiant, after their little Nintendo Comics phase.
And we all know the problems with this age. Allow me to bullet-point:
Debate all you all want, but it was in a few Overstreet price guides like this. Overstreet also acknowledges that the Modern Age of Comics started when DC Comics adopted the bullet logo (the 1980s DC logo). Now, I agree with an older post that this article is written, well, poorly. I mean, the sheer drama and events that took place, also daily and hourly, in comics from 1976 onward.
Furthermore, manga is a direct result of the Modern Age of Comics, and needs to be addressed. Companies like Antarctic, Viz, Dark Horse, and even Marvel did anime. Marvel has, within their line, the Marvel Mangaverse. This article seems hasty and actual did very little to remind me of anything.
As for the "graphic" novels and trade paperbacks, which are also a direct result of Viz, Tokyopop, and a few other now-defunct manga companies publishing led to a misunderstanding by the product-buyers of major book retailers, and have since, with comics shops big and small, led to the death of the comic shop, along with Diamond being the illegally monopoly and God of the the current comic industry. Perhaps one can say that the Modern Age ended and the Diamond Age started when Diamond started selling comics for everybody in Late 1996, around the time of Marvel's Heroes Reborn and DC's Superman in a blue jumpsuit. Anyways, the graphic novels aren't selling, nor is the manga, according to stockholder data listed for Sears (who owns K-Mart, who owns Waldensbooks, who owns Borders) and Barnes & Nobles. Comics, and sci-fi in general, lost them hundreds of millions over the last few years, and they reported this recently, especially with the economic collapse that might be happening. I know a few Borders I visited in the LA area have cut their shelf-space for manga and comics to a few measly shelves in the sci-fi section.
Again, I must stress that this article needs to deal with the rise of Diamond, the pyramid scheme they force sellers to buy from them, with is $50,000 a year give or take, and how the comic industry is in rapid decline and falling apart at the seams, and how the comic book shops are all going out of business.
What I've just written is reality. If you can't believe this is happening in the Modern Age of Comics, then you're not actually into comics. Just type Diamond Comic Distributors suck into Google and see how many people and stores have been hurt by Diamond since 1996. In the Las Vegas area, here are stores that have been defunct recently: Dreamwell Comics, Kool Kollectibles, Woody's World, Comic Oasis, Dark Tower (has to move from location to location), and Gameworld. Alternative Reality and Cosmic Comics are is hard financial straits, and may not survive the year. Coffee4binky ( talk) 22:54, 1 February 2009 (UTC)
Does anyone remember (or did anyone figure out) why there were 52 earths in the multiverse? I think this would be a really neat fact to put in the timeline with the entry, and I'm pretty sure the reason was somewhere in the 52 series, but either I never figured it out from the clues or I've forgotten it. -- Supergirl 12 June 2007
There is no reason given in the comic. All that is stated is that Mr. Mind destroys many of them and 52 are left. It is a big enough number so that it can include formerly recognized earths as well as creatively leaving room for new ones. It was obviously chosen in reference to the name of the series and explains some of the references made to the number 52.-- Leocomix 13:26, 13 June 2007 (UTC)
If I knew enough, I'd update the article myself, but I do note that Warren Ellis, a fairly prolific author, hasn't been mentioned here at all. Also, I wonder why Science Fiction exists only as a footnote on Swamp Thing. Everything I read I'd catagorise as Science Fiction, if I knew more of how it became important (again), I'd probably buy more of the classics of the field. Any takers for writing bits of this in? -- Eternal Confusion 11:15, 4 April 2006 (UTC)
The Modern Age, Dark Age, or whatever starts in the mid-1980's. I've never seen the term used to refer to the period from 1970 onwards, and only sections 1.1 and a single sentence from section 1.2 have anything to do with the period before 1985. Even then, most things that happened before 1985 didn't become trends until later (Wolverine didn't get a regular series until after 1985, and the Punisher didn't even get a miniseries until 1985; and X-Men spinoffs only became a trend after 1985 even though New Mutants was an isolated instance before that.) Ken Arromdee 30 June 2005 14:28 (UTC)
Absolutely! This article ignores the Bronze Age period (c. 1970-1985) by conflating it with the Modern Age (1986-?) The Bronze Age saw a number of changes to DC's heroes, including: Clark Kent left the Daily Planet to become a newscaster at WGBS-TV; Robin left Batman to attend college; Wonder Woman lost her powers (when the amazons left Earth), then regained them (thanks in part to Gloria Steinem); and Green Lantern started hanging out with Green Arrow. Not to mention the introduction of Jack Kirby's Fourth World. The Bronze age ended with Crisis on Infinite Earths.
I'm less familiar with Marvel Comics, but for them the Bronze Age began with the Spider-Man drug-abuse story (the first from a major publisher to see publication without the Comics Code Authority's approval) and ended with Secret Wars. Also, Dell Comics collapsed, leaving DC and Marvel with no real competition for two decades.
The Modern Age began (for DC) with Watchmen and Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and the post-crisis revamps, and saw the rise of "grim and gritty" stories for both DC and Marvel. Some would argue that the Modern Age has ended, with the present (post-modern?) age beginning with the fading of the grim-and-gritty style, and/or with the end of the collector-driven comics market of the mid-1990s.
Comments? Suggestions?
--
Archola
Agreed! There should be two articles - one for bronze and one for modern. Whoever wrote this first got confused. The bronze age runs from the early 70's to (well it varies depending on which company, but the articles can reflect this). The modern age runs from the early/mid-80s to now.
Also, I think the diamond age of comics sometimes refers to the newspaper strips/comics that appeared before the golden age. I've never heard it used as another name for the 80's. rst20xx
You are absolutely right. I have heard the Modern Age called the Diamond Age as well because of the influence of Diamond and it deserves to be called the Diamond Age. The real issue is that with all the changes occurring due to Infinite Crisis and Civil War, is this the beginning of a new age? Perhaps it should be called the Iron Age because it was Iron Man who prompted Spider-Man to take off his mask. -- Maple Leaf 13:56, 22 July 2006 (UTC)Maple_Leaf
I think the dates listed for the 'modern age' are substantially wrong, and i think you key issue list even disagrees with them (although I'm inclined to agree with it). Half your 'modern' keys are from 1981, and they really are keys for this era (whatever we choose to call it), so clearly your 1986 start year is wrong.
First, lets be honest, this page is about an era typically called the 'copper', 'iron', and occasionally 'dark' age of comics. Its no longer the modern age, the new modern age starts sometime in teh mid-90s, although I'm sure I'm not qualified to render definitive judgement on when, but my guess is somewhere in the 1992-1996 timeframe. There's definitely an era transition sometime before 2000.
Second, the Copper Age (to choose one term) clearly starts in 1980 with Days of Future Past in Uncanny X-Men and 1981 with Miller's first Daredevil run. (IMO, the Bronze Age starts in 1970ish, and lasts ~10 years). Like with the silver->bronze age transition, not all books made the transition at the same time. But to hold up Miller's The Dark Knight Returns as the start of the era when its just the culmination of a trend that started with Days of Future Past (and arguably the Dark Phoenix Saga's end 4 issues earlier) is kind of ridiculous.
Even trends you claim are from this age definitively predate 1986. New Mutants is from 1984, and is already rather late in the 'minority super heroes' trend. Wolverine's first mini-series is 1982. Secret Wars starts in 1984. A start date for the age later than 1981 simply isn't tenable.
-- 69.209.75.199 ( talk) 11:12, 7 September 2011 (UTC)
these are the dates we're going with: Golden Age (1938-1955) Silver Age (1956-1969) Bronze Age (1970-1983) Copper Age (1984-1991) Modern Age (1992-Present) [now somebody please find and/or generate a reliable source, and also, copper age needs its own page] John xero ( talk) 21:17, 7 September 2012 (UTC)
Actually, no one editor can declare "these are the dates we're going with." Wikipedia works on consensus. And as a truly longtime collector — since 1968, so my credentials, I think, are in order — I've never heard of the Golden Age lasting past about 1949, and there's no consensus as to the end of the Silver Age. There is also no established Copper Age. Those demarcations you give above are your own and not that of widespread comics scholarship. -- Tenebrae ( talk) 20:10, 8 September 2012 (UTC)
This page has some serious problems, content-wise and organization-wise. I did some work on the intro paragraph, but the whole page needs a serious makeover. The best source I've found so far is this [1], which I used pretty extensively in expanding the opening paragraph. Lnlupa ( talk) 02:58, 28 May 2017 (UTC)
I cleaned-up the film adaptation section of the article, trying to concentrate on how they affected the comics. Also, I eliminated the references to cartoon shows because superhero cartoons are not a new development of the Modern Age. Rorschach567
There are too many superlatives and POV statements in the timeline (although I agree the dates are appropriately significant). Ok to make them more NPOV? -- Happylobster 20:18, 7 December 2005 (UTC)
Does anyone have a source for this statement?
Ken Arromdee 18:55, 11 December 2005 (UTC)
I feel it is. Horror comic books are big business these days, for example, as are many other alternative genres besides just superheros. There is one brief mention about horror comics, but even then it's in the context of Marvel's 70s entry into the genre. There is no mention of IDW at all. No mention of Dark Horse aside from it's position in the timeline. And very little about Vertigo. Of course superhero books still make up the mainstream of the market and should have more information about them. But at the same time you can't talk about modern age of comics and not include the alternative genres. if agreed I will try to add some more information. -- MateoP 03:21, 26 May 2006 (UTC)
Your comments were very useful. I have edited the page to include mentions of Dark Horse in 1992 with Star Wars: Dark Empire and 1993 with Comics Greatest World. I mention Warren Ellis in 1994 and David Lapham's Stray Bullets in 1995. Although I am not enough of an expert on alternative comics, a whole new page could be devoted to the genre.-- Maple Leaf 14:10, 22 July 2006 (UTC)
I totally agree. The changes at Marvel and DC didn't happen in a vacuum. Actually, what marks the Modern Age is that the content of the story comes from outside influences. Miller's stories are influenced by manga and Eisner. Moore is influenced by Underground and Harvey Kurtzmann. While editor control clamped Marvel's creativity, the existence of independent publishers allowed some creators to create groundbreaking stories, especially at First Comics, with Mike Grell's Jon Sable Freelance, Chaykin's American Flagg. In 1985, First Comics had four series in the top ten in the CBG awards. The use of the panel as a TV screen later used by Miller in Dark Knight was created by Chaykin in American Flagg. Later, Chaykin, Grell and Truman (all from First) were going to step up maturity in stories and redefine/re-energize long-time characters with Longbow Hunters, Blackhawk and Hawkworld. Most top writers of today came from outside the mainstream (Bendis, Morrison, Brubaker) and this applies also to Straczinsky, Guggenheim and Meltzer. See also what I say in th talk page of Bronze Age.
I agree as well - not only that, it's very superhero centric... I didn't see any mention of Sandman or Preacher, for instance. What about Groo? :) Luminifer ( talk) 20:20, 20 December 2008 (UTC)
No mention of '2000AD' either.--{Unsigned|86.177.108.228}} 22:00, 3 October 2011
I've just created an article for the Bronze Age of Comic Books. Perhaps the information in this article dealing with the 1970s and early 80s can be moved there. Iron Ghost 04:30, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
It deals only with comics issues and characters and omits events in the backstage like "speculations", "variant covers", new comics companies, conventions, magazines. For instance the new fandom movement characterizes the Silver Age. Creator-owned series started in the Silver Age but became mainstream in the modern age. What about Cerebus, Strangers in Paradise and other long-going creator owned-series? There is also a point. It's a bit too close to the present to state that the modern age is still continuing. There are already terms for current comics like neo-silver. This started with "1963", "Marvels" and Alan Moore's "Supreme". For instance "Infinite Crisis" (restoring pre-crisis continuity) could be the marker of a new age for DC. Because it's too close to know yet, I think we should not include events from before 2006 or even from before 2000 in this article. -- Leocomix 17:44, 17 August 2007 (UTC)
Perhaps the focus is on Marvel and DC comics because the "Ages" have, from the beginning, been attributed almost exclusively to superhero comics, which make up the lion's share of the comic market. I do agree that the "greed factor" that plagued the industry during to 90's and the effect it had on the industry should be included. -RB 24.163.208.79 05:09, 25 August 2007 (UTC)
That is true. Actually "Golden Age" and "Silver Age" were first used in the sense "Golden Age of superheroes" and "Silver Age of superheroes". So we need to refine the definition: i.e. it applies to mainstream publishers or it applies to super-heroes. -- Leocomix 08:55, 25 August 2007 (UTC)
Contains "This will fail also". Is this a correct entry? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.233.146.11 ( talk) 23:00, 11 December 2007 (UTC)
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BetacommandBot ( talk) 21:22, 2 January 2008 (UTC)
I don't know much about citing sources at all, but couldn't this be used as a source?
http://scifipedia.scifi.com/index.php/Modern_Age_of_Comics
I mean, maybe not much of it, as it talks a lot about DC's continuity changes, but still for something I would think. Spirit Stiff ( talk) 01:08, 25 April 2008 (UTC)
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This article needs the B-Class checklist filled in to remain a B-Class article for the Comics WikiProject. If the checklist is not filled in by 7th August this article will be re-assessed as C-Class. The checklist should be filled out referencing the guidance given at Wikipedia:Version 1.0 Editorial Team/Assessment/B-Class criteria. For further details please contact the Comics WikiProject. Comics-awb ( talk) 17:08, 31 July 2008 (UTC)
Gold: 1933-1955. Silver: 1956-1972. Bronze: 1973-1983. Modern: 1984-present.
Let's say that GA went on for 22 years, SA went on for 16, & BA went on for 10. In the future, when Modern Age comics are too old to be considered Modern Age, will they be Brass, Iron, or Stone Age? & when is the cut-off line? The comics I read in the 90s were kid-stuff to what's out now, so have we already missed the mark?
Why are they going downhill in time when the Golden Age comics were so terrible & the Silver Age comics were embarrassing & loaded with propaganda? Shouldn't the Golden Age be the Stone Age of comics?
The Way I've heard it it's
Gold 1938-1954
Silver 1954-1970
Bronze 1970-1986
Dark 1986-1996
Modern 1996-present.
My theory is the current era will be called the "Post-Modern Age of Comics" in the future. Simply because Grant Morrison and other top writers out now love to inject all kinds of Post Modernism in their storylines. —Preceding
unsigned comment added by
69.168.135.228 (
talk) 09:04, 9 October 2009 (UTC)
The most commonly held view in modern fandom is that the Dark age covers from the publishing of Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns to D.C.'s "Kingdom Come" which openly attacked the direction that comes where going in at the time. The Modern age is more nostalgic for the Silver age. Therefore I don't think that the Dark age page should redirect here. I believe that it should be split. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.168.136.137 ( talk) 04:52, 9 February 2009 (UTC)
Seconded. See how TvTropes lists them:
Golden Age Interregnum Silver Age Bronze Age Dark Age Modern Age —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.168.135.228 ( talk) 18:30, 8 October 2009 (UTC)
I agree but you'd need a reliable source. ArtistScientist ( talk) 09:40, 9 October 2009 (UTC)
TvTropes is more of an unacademic fan oriented wiki, however this is not necessarily a bad thing, as it's grounded more in the fan perceptions, and therefore tends to have a better understanding of the trends in media than a non fan or outsider would tend to have. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.168.135.228 ( talk) 00:59, 17 October 2009 (UTC)
As this B-Class article has yet to receive a review, it has been rated as C-Class. If you disagree and would like to request an assesment, please visit Wikipedia:WikiProject_Comics/Assessment#Requesting_an_assessment and list the article. Hiding T 15:01, 24 February 2009 (UTC)
[1] - Peregrine Fisher ( talk) ( contribs) 00:40, 7 March 2009 (UTC) [2] - Peregrine Fisher ( talk) ( contribs) 03:04, 17 March 2009 (UTC)
Seems like an obvious thing to have. -- Helenalex ( talk) 09:40, 4 April 2009 (UTC)
The key issues lists almost exclusively Marvel comics, and only lists comics for the first appearance of some once-popular characters. No mention of trends, writers, artists, etc. Unless someone says why it shouldn't be deleted or fixes it, I suggest it be deleted. Luminifer ( talk) 04:26, 24 April 2009 (UTC)
far too superhero centric there was other stuff going on in comics 78.149.76.67 ( talk) 18:30, 13 June 2009 (UTC)
far too superhero centric there was other stuff going on in comics 78.149.76.67 ( talk) 18:30, 13 June 2009 (UTC)
far too superhero centric there was other stuff going on in comics 78.149.76.67 ( talk) 18:30, 13 June 2009 (UTC)
This article need somebody, somewhere, who may have worked or owned a comic book shop, to discuss the rapid decline of comics thanks to graphic novels/trade paperbacks, manga and anime, and Diamond. See what can be found starting here:
Please note that this is one man's perspective, but it is a starting point. I'm suggesting this article needs to be re-written, then merged into one large article covering the history and overall of American Comic Books, instead of being four links deep or so from the regular comic book article.
Currently, in the Las Vegas, NV, area, I think only Alternate Reality Comics is the only shop making a profit and still in business. Since I don't live in Las Vegas, I wouldn't know if any other shops are still operating. I'm also unsure of Phoenix, Los Angeles, and San Diego areas as well. But a mere 16 years ago, comic shops were everywhere, then a mere decade ago, comic shops returned to be everywhere again, then pfft! Gone, thanks to Diamond's pyramid scam and a illegal monopoly.
Coffee5binky ( talk) 14:15, 27 November 2009 (UTC)
There are some notable sources, such as Peter Coogan (author of Superhero: The Secret Origin of a Genre) who say the Iron Age has ended and we are in a new Renaissance Age. While I'm not saying there should be a new article (right now that's only 1 source), the article portrays it as fact that every major RS agrees that the Iron Age is still ongoing. ( Iron Age of Comics links to the mainspace). 陣 内 Jinnai 05:33, 1 March 2010 (UTC)
Who are you to say the modern age of comics started in the mid 80s I thought it started in the mid 90s.
The most commonly held view in modern fandom is that the Dark age covers from the publishing of Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns to D.C.'s "Kingdom Come" which openly attacked the direction that comes where going in at the time. The Modern age is more nostalgic for the Silver age. Therefore I don't think that the Dark age page should redirect here. I believe that it should be split. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.168.136.137 ( talk) 04:52, 9 February 2009 (UTC)
Seconded. See how TvTropes lists them:
Golden Age Interregnum Silver Age Bronze Age Dark Age Modern Age —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.168.135.228 ( talk) 18:30, 8 October 2009 (UTC)
I agree but you'd need a reliable source. ArtistScientist ( talk) 09:40, 9 October 2009 (UTC)
TvTropes is more of an unacademic fan oriented wiki, however this is not necessarily a bad thing, as it's grounded more in the fan perceptions, and therefore tends to have a better understanding of the trends in media than a non fan or outsider would tend to have. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.168.135.228 ( talk) 00:59, 17 October 2009 (UTC)
I agree, that to call the whole thing Modern age is ludicrous. Watchmen and DKR happened more than 20 years ago and the tone after Zero Hour and specially Kingdom Come and Marvels has nothing to do with that. There's a gray era in the middle and then, the period after Quiver, Hush, Batman/Superman, Identity Crisis and Rebirth up until know is widely called the Silver Age Renaissance.-- 20-dude ( talk) 05:05, 10 May 2010 (UTC)
So if everyone agrees that the widely held and logical view is that there were two Ages, why isn't this split? 148.85.233.226 ( talk) 19:53, 21 February 2014 (UTC)
I've made some edits today, giving my rationales in the edit summaries. The tag on this page is correct: It needs an enormous amount of research and writing work to approach being encyclopedic. This article is mostly original-research and POV claims, as far as I can see. -- Tenebrae ( talk) 23:16, 24 August 2011 (UTC)
Like many others on this page, I'm not convinced the modern age is the best name for this period. It seems the Overstreet Price Guide is the only reference for it? Is this the best source available? In cultural and historical terms, the modern age (modernist period) covers most of the 20th century for visual arts and design. To an art theorist or historian, most comics, as a visual art, are modern. Certainly superhero comics, since there beginnings in the 30s, are modern. The radical changes in the 80s, from Alan Moore for example, would from this perspective be post-modern. I think the use of modern in this article, as coined by Overstreet I assume, comes from a conflation of 'modern' with 'contemporary'. That said, I understand the naming is internal to the medium and corresponds to the gold/silver/etc nomeclature. But is 'modern' the best/only name we can find referenced? If so, and if this age really covers everything from the 80s or so the present day, then something like 'contemporary age of comics' could be a more appropriate and perhaps NPOV title. +|||||||||||||||||||||||||+ ( talk) 04:07, 17 October 2011 (UTC)
This article is riddled with factual errors and reads more like a 9th grader's "anything you like" research project than a well-written and sourced wiki article should. I've corrected a couple errors here and there over the last little while, but someone with the time and inclination could do a lot more and vastly improve this page. 19:41, 23 March 2012 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 8.225.177.253 ( talk)
[3] 75 Years of DC Comics is a huge art/history book published by Taschen. It lists The Dark Age as 1984-1998 and The Modern Age as 1998-2010.
[4] Here's a book about comics called The Dark Age that appears to start with Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns (both 1986).
I think these (especially the first one) are good indications that there was such a thing as a Dark Age of comics (that has ended), and that this article should be split to reflect this. The only issue would be deciding on an end date, but that has been an issue regarding the beginning and end of most comic book eras.
Tomorrowboy ( talk) 01:24, 8 April 2012 (UTC)
Material from Chromium age should be merged here, or material from here should be transferred to there. I'm of the opinion Moder Age dates back to mid 1990s/early 2000s, not the mid 80s, but I invite other opinions. Argento Surfer ( talk) 20:22, 22 October 2012 (UTC)
Personally, I'd like to see this article thoroughly cleaned up and properly referenced before any talk of splitting. The article as it stands is postively oozing with OR. CüRlyTüRkey Talk Contribs 20:57, 6 November 2012 (UTC)
I referred to the "Dark Age" thing in my own book, and yet I'm reluctant to split it off into a separate page. Unless the phrase first gains more widespread use, we'd be shaping the terminology instead of reporting on it. I think it will catch on, but that thought does not make it so. It's hard to argue that it definitely ended. There has been some backlash against the darkness during the past decade (for example, when Mark Waid said some creators were sick and tired of darkness while leading up to Infinite Crisis), and yet at least one major company's editors have actively directed writers to make characters act grimmer and have less fun lately. Doczilla STOMP! 02:20, 9 November 2012 (UTC)
Definitely a "no" to making a "Dark Age" article. It's very subjective, very biased, and isn't in common currency. And I've also seen the term Modern Age widely applied to comics from the 1980s onward. What's important to keep in mind is that the idea of "ages" of comics came about haphazardly, and there's no methodology behind the naming. WesleyDodds ( talk) 13:45, 18 November 2012 (UTC)
You know what I'd really like to see (and, honestly, what really needs to be done)? Someone (not me [a]) or some group of someones needs to do a History of Amercian comic books from scratch, following strictly what can be found in reliable sources (there is no lack of them, so there's really no excuse— here's a whole whopping whack of 'em).
Then (and only then), those periods of American comic book history that proven themselves to be too unmanageable for the main article could be spun off (obviously this would happen with the Golden Age and Bronze Age...personally, I wonder if the "Bronze Age" would even make it). Anything else should be a redirect.
I'm talking about an article stripped of all the endless lists, speculation, editorializing and fan cruft that plague these articles as they stand. These articles need focus, organization, and references, references, references ("4. ^ (see Batman #500)."?!? ⇐←←←≪ Is this an April Fool's prank? That's 11% of the "references" for the entire page!).
Do people do those "collaboration of the month" things any more? How many people would really commit themselves without flaking out? I would think this kind of thing was a "Top" priority project for the Project—I mean, it's only the history of the medium and all.
CüRlyTüRkey Talk Contribs 03:25, 9 November 2012 (UTC)
Erm… why is the lede written in past tense if this age lasts “until present day”? And wouldn’t it be better to say it’s ongoing or current or something? That wording kinda makes it sound like it’s ending tomorrow. — Frungi ( talk) 07:09, 26 February 2013 (UTC)
There's a discussion currently taking place at WP:NFCR#File:Watchmencovers.png regarding the use of this non-free image in the article. The concern is that the image is simply being used for identification and not as the subject of critical commentary per "Cover Art" in WP:NFCI, particularly WP:NFC#cite_note-2. All interested editors are welcome to participate in the discussion and provide further clarification as needed. Thanks in advance. - Marchjuly ( talk) 14:16, 10 June 2015 (UTC)
the new Wonder woman stamps from the USPS are 4 images, labelled Golden age, Silver age, Bronze age and Modern age. thats a very nice reference showing the terms usage.(mercurywoodrose) 2602:304:CFD0:6350:709C:91B3:9EA8:5B0 ( talk) 17:09, 24 July 2016 (UTC)
Needs a section on this and the impact it has on art styles and scatter-panel layouts. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.90.192.116 ( talk) 02:56, 21 December 2016 (UTC)
You've got the Dark Age from 1985-2000 and the Modern Age from 2000-present. Lumping together the Modern Age as being 35 years long (longer than every previous comic age) is weird.-- 98.235.178.140 ( talk) 22:51, 4 January 2020 (UTC)
It's too long. There has definitely been significant developments in the comic industry since 1985 that differentiate between then and now. I have heard amateur comics historians refer to the period from 1985 through the end of "Heroes Reborn" (or the beginning of the Ultimate Universe, depending who you ask) as the "Iron Age." Then 2000 through 2008 (when the Iron Man film was released) as the "Digital Age." Then 2008 - Present as the Modern Age, or in some circles the "Cinematic Age." I think some variation of this will become standard once history catches up with itself, and also, of course, when someone of academic or industry authority publishes a source we can use. Ditch ∝ 20:21, 20 January 2023 (UTC)