What Are the Comic Book Ages?

If you’re new to comic book collecting, you may have heard individuals referring to the “ages” of comic books when looking at certain issues. But exactly what are the different comic book ages?

The short answer is that comics are generally categorized into four major ages: The Golden Age (beginning in the late 1930s), the Silver Age (beginning in the mid-1950s), the Bronze Age (beginning in the early 1970s) and the Modern Age (starting in the mid-1980s).

Each age is generally considered to have moved the medium forward in a significant way. For example, the Golden Age is known for seeing the creation of superheroes, while the Modern Age ushered in a darker, grittier era with more mature storytelling.

It’s also important to note that the exact dates for each age are somewhat debatable. There are a few authoritative sources, such as CGC and the Overstreet Guide to Grading Comics, that do officially classify the ages of comic books, but other collectors and dealers may have their own interpretations of the specific years that constitute each of the four ages.

Some collectors also include additional ages (such as the Platinum, Copper and Plastic age). In general, however, the four ages are accepted among most major sellers, collectors and online retailers.

Table of Contents

• The Golden Age
• The Silver Age
• The Bronze Age
• The Modern Age
• Other Possible Ages

The Golden Age of Comic Books (1938 – 1956)

The Golden Age of comic books is generally considered to have begun with the publication of Action Comics #1 in June 1938. This seminal issue marks the first appearance of Superman, a character who would usher in the popular superhero archetype that continues to this day. The iconic hero was later joined by Batman, who first appeared in the pages of Detective Comics #27 in May 1939.

Over the course of the Golden Age, comic publishers would go on to introduce a slew of other popular superheroes, including Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and Captain America. The two dominant publishers of the day, Detective Comics and Marvel Comics, also first began during the Golden Age (although at the time Marvel was known as Timely Comics).

As World War II erupted, many superheroes found themselves battling real world enemies, with Captain America slugging it out with Hitler on the printed page. Comics also remained a popular medium among overseas troops, serving as both entertainment and a much needed morale boost.

In the late 1940s, additional genres started to appear, including westerns, romance, science fiction and crime stories, with the popularity of superhero comics gradually declining in the early 1950s.

The Silver Age of Comic Books (1956 – 1970)

For many collectors, the Silver Age of comics is often considered a challenging period as well as renaissance for the medium. At the start of this era, superheroes had largely faded from the public eye in the post-war years and horror and crime comic books began to rise in popularity. This eventually lead to the publication of the infamous non-fiction book Seduction of the Innocent by the German-born American psychiatrist Fredric Wertham, who claimed that comic books were the direct cause of juvenile delinquency. The subsequent outcry resulted in mass hysteria, comic book burnings and the creation of the Comics Code Authority, which would govern the content of comics for decades (and is perhaps best recognized for the iconic “Approved” stamp found on the cover of countless books).

As sales of horror, crime and suspense comics declined in the wake of the public outcry, publishers turned back to the familiar superhero books of the Golden Age. Many creators, however, added a few unique twists to the genre, with Marvel Comics in particular introducing popular and more relatable characters like Spider-Man and the X-Men, who battled both super villains and the everyday challenges of adolescence and family drama.

The Bronze Age of Comic Books (1970 – 1985)

In many ways the Bronze Age of comics is a reflection of the social changes occurring in post-Vietnam War era America. During this time, superhero comics remained popular, but creators and publishers also began to experiment with darker, real world issues, such as drug use, poverty and pollution.

A classic example of this is writer Dennis O’Neil and artist Neal Adams’ groundbreaking work on the Green Lantern/Green Arrow series, which saw the two heroes explore racism, addiction and other social issues facing America in the 1970s.

The Bronze Age also marked the end of the careers for many Golden and Silver Age comic writers and artists, ushering in a new wave of talent who would explored more complex storylines and push the medium in new ways, ultimately paving the way for the emergence of the Modern Age.

The Modern Age of Comic Books (1985 – Present Day)

The Modern Age, which still continues today, saw a number of changes to the comic book industry and medium as a whole. At the start of this period, comic book storytelling became more sophisticated and mature, with Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns and Alan Moore’s Watchmen bringing a complexity to traditional superhero tales.

This was followed by the rise of other anti-heroes, with existing characters – such as Wolverine and the Punisher – becoming bloodier and grittier, and new violent heroes – such as Deadpool and Grendel – arriving on the scene.

The 90s also saw the burst of the so-called “comic book bubble” in which the market became saturated with superhero titles, with sales generally plummeting. This in turn lead to more indie titles, and the creation of new publishers such as Image Comics.

As part of the modern era, we’ve also seen the emergence of new comic book film and television properties, particularly among Marvel and DC, which has in turn driven up demand for older comics among nostalgia-hungry collectors (although sales of new issues are a fraction of what they once were during the start of the Modern Age). The question now is whether the modern age will continue unabated or whether some other new age of comics will be ushered in.

Other Possible Comic Book Ages

While in general, most fans and collectors agree on the four core ages of comic books, there are some who believe that additional ages should be considered.

• The Platinum Age (Pre-1935): This early period saw several publishers reprinting collections of newspaper cartoon strips, which many historians believe paved the way for larger comic book publishers during the Golden Age.
• Copper Age (1985-2000): Some collectors consider the Modern Age to begin after 2000. The Copper age therefore is a period of expansion that saw grittier, more adult-themed content during the 80s, the implosion of the comic industry in the 90s, and the rise of indie publishers like Image and Dark Horse Comics.
• Plastic Age (2000 – Now): A small number of collectors will sometimes refer to this time period as “The Plastic Age” due to the rapid growth of the collector community and the prominence of CGC “slabs” (hard plastic cases used encapsulate and protect graded comics). During this period new comic book sales have dwindled and collectors have turned largely to purchasing, older key comics (with more value being put on graded and “slabbed” books). During the COVID-19 pandemic, prices for comics skyrocketed and remain high.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it. The answer to the question: what are the comic book ages? Are there any additional ages you think we should include? What do you think the next great age of comics will be? Let us know in the comments below!

More on Comic Book Keys

Want to know more about key issues from the various comic book ages? Check out our Comic Book Speculation and Investing Guide.