History MediaNotes / TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks

MediaNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks was known for [[LighterAndSofter goofy, lighthearted and rather fantastic plots]], BlackAndWhiteMorality, and a general absence of mature themes. [[KryptoniteIsEverywhere Multicolored Kryptonite]], [[NonHumanSidekick dog sidekicks]], telepathic gorillas, and NewPowersAsThePlotDemands were all characteristic tropes. And then... well, TheSixties happened. And TheSeventies. Comics were swept up in the same social revolution fervor and post-Vietnam post-Watergate disillusionment as the rest of the UsefulNotes/UnitedStates. MediaNotes/TheComicsCode gradually loosened, letting [[GrayAndGrayMorality morally ambiguous]] stories appear more often. Character conflict as a plot device became the rule, and horror comics reappeared on the shelves. Some comics dispensed with the stamp of the Code altogether.

* Britain's ''ComicBook/TwoThousandAD'', a weekly SciFi [[AnthologyComic anthology]] debuted in 1977. It would go on to launch the careers of many influential British comic writers and artists during the early [[TheEighties 80s]], including comics legend Creator/AlanMoore. Its most popular strip, ''ComicBook/JudgeDredd'' flirted with a kind of proto-CyberPunk seven years before Creator/WilliamGibson wrote ''Literature/{{Neuromancer}}''. British comics heroes had more of a leaning towards the "[[AntiHero anti]]" side, and Dredd's series exploited that to the full. ''2000 A.D.'' more or less ''created'' the British comic industry as we know it today, and is to this day the most successful British comic series of all time.

Non-white {{Super Hero}}es finally started to appear, although many were CaptainEthnic stereotypes lifted from the pop culture of the time -- big, tough {{Scary Black M|an}}en with [[{{Blaxploitation}} afros and Jive Turkey dialogue]], [[AllAsiansKnowMartialArts Asian martial artists]] who spouted Confucian homilies[[note]]a notable subversion here being ComicBook/IronFist, who fits the bill in everything but one detail: he is not Asian[[/note]], and so on. But some writers managed to transcend these cliches, bringing the first hints of true diversity to the genre. Prominent characters such as ComicBook/{{Storm}} of the ComicBook/XMen, Cyborg of the ComicBook/TeenTitans, and ComicBook/GreenLantern John Stewart were all created with this honest effort in mind (although the latter did start out as an angry black man, but leveled out later). Similarly, more super''heroines'' began to show up on the scene, and established female superheroes became more confident, assertive and independent, taking a more active and prominent role in stories than they had in the Silver Age. The Invisible Girl realized she had been [[DamselInDistress holding herself back]] and renamed herself The ComicBook/InvisibleWoman, became more aggressive and resourceful about using her powers, and took over as leader of the Fantastic Four; Hawkgirl similarly became Hawkwoman and finally joined the Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica. Perhaps this new emphasis on diversity explains why the ComicBook/XMen, who had been around but relatively unsuccessful in the Silver Age, rocketed to prominence under writer Creator/ChrisClaremont and artists Dave Cockrum and Creator/JohnByrne. The core group underwent a {{Revival}} as a MultinationalTeam, and the books used the theme of anti-mutant prejudice to drive plotlines, allowing it to serve as a convenient metaphor for contemporary issues like racism and homophobia.

* ''ComicBook/{{Miracleman}}''. The first uncompromising {{Deconstruction}}s of the superhero genre, by Creator/AlanMoore, of course. Once described as "Superman, but told as a horror story," although the premise is actually based on a British copy of ''ComicBook/{{Shazam}}''. Without Miracleman, there might not have been a ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}''.

Of course, the traditional Silver Age goofiness never entirely disappeared, leading to occasional moments of MoodWhiplash like ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} having a conversation with a leprechaun. Or the occasional [[Advertising/HostessFruitPies after-comic ads]] sponsored by Hostess.

UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks was known for [[LighterAndSofter goofy, lighthearted and rather fantastic plots]], BlackAndWhiteMorality, and a general absence of mature themes. [[KryptoniteIsEverywhere Multicolored Kryptonite]], [[NonHumanSidekick dog sidekicks]], telepathic gorillas, and NewPowersAsThePlotDemands were all characteristic tropes. And then... well, TheSixties happened. And TheSeventies. Comics were swept up in the same social revolution fervor and post-Vietnam post-Watergate disillusionment as the rest of the UsefulNotes/UnitedStates. UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode gradually loosened, letting [[GrayAndGrayMorality morally ambiguous]] stories appear more often. Character conflict as a plot device became the rule, and horror comics reappeared on the shelves. Some comics dispensed with the stamp of the Code altogether.

Sources differ on when the Bronze Age of Comic Books started and UsefulNotes/{{the Silver Age|Of Comic Books}} ended. The most inclusive definition is that it started in 1970, when Jack Kirby left Creator/{{Marvel|Comics}} to work for Creator/{{DC|Comics}}, bringing with him the characterization-based style that had become Marvel's trademark, and created his ambitious, if short-lived, ''[[ComicBook/NewGods Fourth World]]'' titles. The same year saw the retirement of Mort Weisinger, Silver Age editor of the ComicBook/{{Superman}} titles. ''Amazing ComicBook/SpiderMan'' #96 and #97 were the first to abandon UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode entirely; these issues ran a U.S. Government requested story with a strong anti-drug message, but the Code at the time didn't allow any references to drugs at all. Considering who asked for the story, Creator/StanLee decided to [[DefyingTheCensors defy the censors]] and had the story published anyway. The issues sold well even with[[note]], or possibly ''[[NoSuchThingAsBadPublicity because of]]''[[/note]] the controversy, and the gates were opened. Even if this is considered the last days of the Silver Age, ''ComicBook/TheNightGwenStacyDied'' definitely clinched it and the Bronze Age of Comic Books began.

With the looser constraints of the Comics Code's 1971 revision, comics were free to address [[DarkerAndEdgier more mature issues]]. Creators were eager to prove to skeptical audiences that despite the Silver Age silliness that had become synonymous with the medium, comics could tell stories that were compelling to older readers. The Bronze Age is thus known for the first attempts to bring realism and adult issues to SuperHero comic books, themes which would later overtake the genre entirely in UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks. [[FanService Overt sexuality]] appeared; necklines came down and hemlines came up. The BreastPlate started to appear on female characters such as ComicBook/RedSonja, while males like Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian ran around with no shirt on. Religion also became available as a subject of discussion. TheLegionsOfHell started showing up, and religion-themed horror comics became popular. Perhaps most prominently, contemporary political issues appeared in comics for the first time since [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks the Golden Age]]. For instance, ComicBook/CaptainAmerica went up against the Secret Empire, a conspiracy to take over the United States government whose leader was finally unmasked as a thinly veiled version of then-President UsefulNotes/RichardNixon, who then committed suicide in front of the superhero. This shook Cap so badly that he temporarily abandoned his hero identity, taking on the name, Nomad. Eventually, though, [[ToBeLawfulOrGood Cap realized he could champion the ideals of America without necessarily always supporting the government]], and returned to the red-white-and-blue.

This was the time when many now-classic comic stories appeared -- epic story arcs that covered multiple issues, a radical departure from the self-contained stories of the [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver]] and [[UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks Golden]] Ages, which usually had the [[ResetButton status quo comfortably restored]] at the end of each issue. ComicBook/TheDarkPhoenixSaga deserves special mention as an epic storyline that not only put a female character in the TragicHero role, but ended with a major, well-established superhero KilledOffForReal [[note]]She got better.[[/note]]-- and, just as unprecedented, her death was not immediately forgotten, but continued to affect the characters who had known her. The Bronze Age also saw ComicBook/SpiderMan's girlfriend Gwen Stacy killed, an unprecedented move that sent shockwaves throughout the industry. It was the first time a superhero had failed in the attempt to save the life of his own LoveInterest, and as with the Phoenix Saga, characters who had known Gwen grieved over the course of multiple issues rather than immediately moving on. Perhaps more than any other single event, Gwen's death was a big red sign that the innocence of the Silver Age was over.

Not only the content but the format of comics was being experimented with. Comics creators were ready to take chances for the first time since the creation of UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode in the late 1950s. The first "{{graphic novel}}s" showed up, complete book-sized stories in a single volume, which the great Creator/WillEisner set to work popularizing after he left the US Army after decades of doing instructional comics. Black-and-white, non-Code-approved magazines appeared on the newsstands. Satirical comics, political comics, comics that pushed the envelope of art, many different gimmicks were thrown at the wall to see what would stick. At DC, this meant a boom of new titles, and larger comics with more pages dedicated to story, in what was called the "DC Explosion". Over 50 new titles were created. Unfortunately[[note]]due to extraneous factors, including a particularly severe winter in 1977-8 up and down the US Eastern Seaboard snarling distribution[[/note]], most of these were later canceled in the infamous "DC Implosion" of 1978. With that debacle, the new management of DC picked up the pieces with more sensible moves like the "limited series" publishing concept, which allowed comics that could tell stories in deliberately short runs that don't have to trap the talent into unsustainable indefinite runs. In addition, the magazine ''Magazine/HeavyMetal'' introduced North American readers to translated continental European fantasy comics, which had an alluring content freedom and narrative daring undreamed of for native talents.

Some people consider this the time period when comics started getting more insular, creating today's view of the geekish, obsessed comic book fan. Certainly, the average age of readers increased, as the "adult" aspects grew more and more prominent in the books of the day. Eventually, this trend would take over the genre so completely it culminated in a new era, the [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Dark Age]].

The Bronze Age's end is debated, including whether it has ended at all. One suggested turning point is 1986, when DC's ''ComicBook/CrisisOnInfiniteEarths'' concluded and ushered in a wholesale revision of the DC Universe, making the company a legitimate challenger to Marvel once more. In addition, the company published the seminal and highly influential miniseries ''ComicBook/{{Watchmen}}'' and ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'', which introduced a new and darker take on the superhero genre. However, some works with [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Dark Age]] sensibilities such as Creator/AlanMoore's ''ComicBook/VForVendetta'' (1982), and Creator/FrankMiller's ''ComicBook/Ronin1983'' had debuted a few years previously. Even Marvel's ComicBook/ThePunisher, one of the key figures of UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks, debuted as early as 1974!

The Bronze Age is underrepresented in the area of trade paperback and hardcover reprint collections. The Age ended just about the time such collections started happening ''at all,'' and they tended to be of ''recent'' material -- i.e., [[UsefulNotes/TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks Dark Age]] material. When publishers started seriously collecting their earlier work in archival collections, they began at "the beginning", in the Gold and Silver Ages. Said collection series tended to peter out in sales before reaching the Bronze Age. (Notable exceptions are the X-Men and the Teen Titans, the two hottest books of the era.) In the case of DC, there are additional issues with clauses in creator contracts during the era which render collected reprint publication less financially rewarding for the company than earlier and later. Ergo, there are entire contiguous ''decades'' of mainstream comics which remain unavailable except in back-issue bins. Marvel has begun addressing this absence with its "Epic Collection" trade paperback line - an archival series released out-of-order, which has thus far prioritized Bronze Age material that has never been in print before. And with the rising popularity of digital comics, they have begun to digitize old issues, either singularly or in collections, many of which were difficult to find before.

Non-white {{Super Hero}}es finally started to appear, although many were CaptainEthnic stereotypes lifted from the pop culture of the time -- big, tough {{Scary Black M|an}}en with [[{{Blaxploitation}} afros and Jive Turkey dialogue]], [[AllAsiansKnowMartialArts Asian martial artists]] who spouted Confucian homilies[[note]]a notable subversion here being ComicBook/IronFist, who fits the bill in everything but one detail: he is not Asian[[/note]], and so on. But some writers managed to transcend these cliches, bringing the first hints of true diversity to the genre. Prominent characters such as ComicBook/{{Storm}} of the ComicBook/XMen, Cyborg of the ComicBook/TeenTitans, and ComicBook/GreenLantern John Stewart were all created with this honest effort in mind (although the latter did start out as an angry black man, but leveled out later). Similarly, more super''heroines'' began to show up on the scene, and established female superheroes became more confident, assertive and independent, taking a more active and prominent role in stories than they had in the Silver Age. The Invisible Girl realized she had been [[DistressedDamsel holding herself back]] and renamed herself The ComicBook/InvisibleWoman, became more aggressive and resourceful about using her powers, and took over as leader of the Fantastic Four; Hawkgirl similarly became Hawkwoman and finally joined the Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica. Perhaps this new emphasis on diversity explains why the ComicBook/XMen, who had been around but relatively unsuccessful in the Silver Age, rocketed to prominence under writer Creator/ChrisClaremont and artists Dave Cockrum and Creator/JohnByrne. The core group underwent a {{Revival}} as a MultinationalTeam, and the books used the theme of anti-mutant prejudice to drive plotlines, allowing it to serve as a convenient metaphor for contemporary issues like racism and homophobia.

While many of these changes were later undone, some, such as Batman becoming more gothic in tone, remain in place to this day. The Bronze Age was also the era when the FadSuper became most prominent. This was the era of superheroes who fought crime using football, transport trucks, and disco, all stemming from creators struggling to come up with new ideas for superheroes with varying degrees of success. While some characters created this way, such as Marvel's Comicbook/GhostRider, would develop cult followings, most would simply be swept under the rug and forgotten.

UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks was known for [[LighterAndSofter goofy, lighthearted and rather fantastic plots]], BlackAndWhiteMorality, and a general absence of mature themes. [[KryptoniteIsEverywhere Multicolored Kryptonite]], [[NonHumanSidekick dog sidekicks]], telepathic gorillas, and NewPowersAsThePlotDemands were all characteristic tropes. And then... well, TheSixties happened. And TheSeventies. Comics were swept up in the same social revolution fervor and post-Vietnam post-Watergate disillusionment as the rest of the USA. UsefulNotes/TheComicsCode gradually loosened, letting [[GrayAndGrayMorality morally ambiguous]] stories appear more often. Character conflict as a plot device became the rule, and horror comics reappeared on the shelves. Some comics dispensed with the stamp of the Code altogether.