Superhero Comics 5 Golden Age Lessons That Still Apply Today (& 5 Things Modern Comics Do Better)

Superhero Comics: 5 Golden Age Lessons That Still Apply Today (& 5 Things Modern Comics Do Better)

Comic books would be different without the Golden Age of superheroes. Here are some lessons from that time that still apply in the modern age.

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Comic books would certainly be different without the Golden Age of superheroes. The rich histories of many characters would not exist. Nor would legacies that gave birth to the Silver Age of superheroes.

Several lessons from the earliest days of comic books still resonate today. On the other hand, what worked in the Golden Age don’t work with modern superheroes. Here are 5 lessons of Golden Age superhero comics that still apply today and 5 that don’t.

10 Doesn’t Apply: Sidekicks

Most Golden Age superheroes were serious characters. To lighten them up and draw in new readers, sidekicks were invented. Robin was one of the first. He was followed by Green Arrow’s Speedy, Green Lantern’s Dolby Dickles, Captain America’s Bucky, and the Human Torch’s Toro.

Sidekicks are no longer the norm in today’s comics. In fact, they haven’t been popular since the late 1960s-early 1970s. Instead, younger versions of these heroes are proteges are apprentices. There are even some situations where old/young heroes with the same name team up. For instance, Connor Hawke’s Green Arrow and Kate Bishop’s Hawkeye.

9 Apply: It’s About Alienation

When Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster started in the comic book industry, they were two alienated Jewish kids in search of riches and admiring looks of the opposite sex. They definitely got this when they created Superman. In doing so, they also introduced the act of alienation, both literally and figuratively, into the world of superheroes.

Pick any superhero as an example. Superman was the last citizen of his destroyed planet. Spider-Man was a geeky high school kid raised by his aunt and uncle. Shazam was an orphaned teen. They have all been alienated in one form or another. Yet, they rose above the fray to become outstanding heroes.

8 Doesn’t Apply: It’s About Patriotism

Though they weren’t created for the purpose of patriotism or propaganda, Golden Age superheroes certainly took on the mantle before and during World War II. Superman and Batman teamed up, at least on comic book covers, to promote the sale of war bonds. Captain America became the bastion of freedom. Wonder Woman appeared on the scene to help man’s world from being overrun by the Nazis.

It’s not the same today. While heroes gathered together after the events of September 11th, they don’t get together to battle the Russians, Arabs, or Chinese for freedom. Much of this is due to global sensitivity. The rest is based on what readers want to see.

7 Apply: It’s Not Black And White

As World War II started to heat up, comic book publishers and creators made sure that the lines between good and bad were sharply defined. The heroes were the good guys, the Axis powers and those who supported them were the bad people.

Prior to this, things weren’t as cut and dry. Superman and Batman acted like anti-heroes in their first stories. What they did in the late 30s and early 40s reemerged in the 70s and 80s as that generation’s creators decided grey was a much better way to tell stories.

6 Doesn’t Apply: Show And Tell

For some unknown reason, comic book writers felt it was a good idea to tell readers what occurred in the color panels. So, if Superman utilized his super-breath, they would have the Man of Steel narrate or think it. As a result, some stories were awkward reads.

Fortunately, today’s writers go the other way with show, don’t tell — a method is used by authors of short stories and novels. This gives creators the freedom to minimize the mention of every single item or action. Instead, they believe readers can imply what’s going on. As a result, superhero comics have a smoother narrative.

5 Apply: Imitation Is Still The Sincerest Form Of Flattery

When Golden Age comic book companies saw the success of Superman and Captain America, they didn’t wait too long to imitate them. Thus, Fawcett created their own superhuman in the form of Captain Marvel. Meanwhile, DC localized their Cap imitation to be the Guardian.

This hasn’t changed in almost a century of superhero creation. The popularity of one character inspires others. For example, the Silver Age Flash helped spawn Marvel’s Quicksilver. Two months after the modern version of DC’s Red Tornado premiered, Marvel gave readers the Vision. A decade or so after the Justice League was established, Marvel came out with the Squadron Supreme. It continues to this day.

4 Doesn’t Apply: Women As Secondary Heroes

There were plenty of women superheroes in the Golden Age. Besides Wonder Woman there was Black Canary, Harvey Comics’ Black Cat, Marvel’s Black Widow, and the Woman in Red. Superhuman powers or not, these were all strong females who took down as many Nazis and mobsters as their male counterparts.

Yet, except for Wonder Woman, they didn’t have prominent places in comic book company line-ups. In addition, many of them wore costumes that made them more like pin-up girls than crimefighters. This is certainly not the situation in today’s comics. There are plenty of female superheroes who have more prominence — Harley Quinn and Captain Marvel as examples — as well as the power to smack down a majority of the male heroes in a fight.

3 Apply: Heroes Help Each Other

Alone, superheroes of the Golden Age were able to take down the villains of the time. Yet, when situations got too hot for them to handle, they relied on the help of others to take down the bad guys. Hence, the reason the Justice Society of America and All-Winners Squad were formed.

This hasn’t changed in today’s comic books, though it took some time to rev back up. Once the Justice League premiered, Marvel countered with the Fantastic Four, Avengers, and X-Men. Since then, dozens of superhero teams from different publishers have formed, disbanded, and returned.

2 Doesn’t Apply: Comic Books Are For The Uneducated

Comic books and superheroes weren’t as loved as they are today. Though Supes and Cap battled Axis forces, intellectuals felt these illustrated adventures were for the uneducated. This belief increased significantly after the war ended and officials tried to right teenage attitudes.

This is certainly not the case today. In fact, comic books are now part of library collections while their creators are superstars. Overall, superheroes have become part of the norm. The several billion dollars made by Avengers: Endgame proved that point. Overall, we are all nerds in today’s society.

1 Apply: Comic Books Can Be Influential

As mentioned, superheroes were influential during the Second World War. They encouraged kids to buy war bonds and helped young adults get through the fear of battle. Though they lost their appeal in the late 1940s and early 50s, there were still individuals who wanted to be part of the magic.

It’s this influence that brought creatives like Jim Shooter and Gerry Conway into the industry while still teenagers. It also encouraged artists like Alex Ross to turn their talents toward superheroes. In addition, it spurred screenwriters, directors, and actors to transform these two-dimensional heroes into live-action counterparts.

Link Source : https://www.cbr.com/superhero-comics-golden-age-lessons-apply-modern-times-dc-marvel/

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