In October 1956, issue number four of “Showcase” comics included a story called “Whirlwind Adventures of the Fastest Man Alive – the Flash!” With this reinvention of a Golden Age comic-book character called the Flash, the Silver Age of comics had begun.

At the time, the comic-book industry was suffering from two major setbacks. First, World War II was over, leaving writers and illustrators with a much smaller pool of stock villains to choose from. Second, Frederick Wertham’s book, “Seduction of the Innocent,” echoed accusations aired at a Senate subcommittee hearing on juvenile delinquency in 1954—in that famous hearing, comic books had been blamed for the rise in deviancy among adolescents and teens.

With the success of the Flash, however, superheroes experienced a rush of new life. Another Golden Age hero, Green Lantern, was resurrected, and Marvel—propelled by the creative ...

Unlike the hardy, forever-optimistic heroes of the Golden Age, these characters battled enemies both inside their heads and out on the streets—their human frailties helped readers identify with them. The Silver Age was also contemporaneous with the space race against Russia, and the genre’s fascination with plots and characters that revolved around science—or some imitation of it—spawned characters like the X-Men and settings like Earth-2.

Many comic book collectors peg the end of the Silver Age at 1970, when Jack Kirby left Marvel for DC Comics.

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Recent News: Silver Age Comic Books

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Remember When We Said Man of Steel's Jimmy Olsen Might Be a Woman? We ...
The Mary Sue, May 16th

I actually see him being more of a bisexual, since it seemed like everyone wanted him in those Silver Age comics. Rebecca Pahle. That's what they've done, ultimately: They wanted a female character so they created one in Jenny. And that's awesome!...Read more

The Daredevil You Don't Know Part 3: Devil Boomerangs Back
PopMatters, May 14th

That is until the Silver Age truly took hold. When Timely Comics changed their name to match one of their earlier golden age successes “Marvel Comics”, they began to make a killing in the 1960s both by resurrecting their older heroes (like Captain...Read more

Superman: A 75th Anniversary Celebration @ Cartoon Art Museum, San Francisco
Comic Book Resources, May 11th

long and storied history of The Last Son of Krypton, from his earliest incarnation when he launched the Golden Age of comics through his bizarre adventures in the Silver Age of comics to the modern era, where he continues his never-ending battle...Read more

Comics AM | Silver Age artist Dan Adkins passes away
Comic Book Resources, May 9th

Passings | Silver Age artist Dan Adkins died earlier this month at the age of 76. Adkins, who began with self-published zines before becoming a freelance illustrator, served as Wally Wood's assistant. As a member of Wood's studio, he was one of the...Read more

DC Comics news: Various Superman items and film advice from Kevin Feige
Examiner.com, May 8th

the characters of involved with the Superman saga debuted in "Action Comics #1", longtime rival and lover Lois Lane actually did; DC Comics has done little to promote her, even though she once had her own ongoing series during the Silver Age of comics...Read more

Retro Rules In Haspiel's Red Hook
Bleeding Cool News, May 1st

The color range, from cerulean blue to blood red and buttercup yellow, goes hand in hand with the short story format, which he presents in a nod to the multi-story comics full of shorts featuring heroes in the Silver Age, one of his biggest influences...Read more

Stunning Frank Miller Dark Knight original art at Heritage Auctions in May
Art Daily, April 26th

A truly high-grade copy of Amazing Fantasy #15, the first appearance of Spider-Man, and what is easily the most sought after Silver Age comic book of all, is the top comic book in the auction, and is expected to bring more than $85,000. The event also...Read more

Ask Chris #151: Flash! Savior Of The Universe!
ComicsAlliance, April 26th

Barry Allen's introduction ushered in the Silver Age, bridged the gap with the Golden Age by introducing the concept of Earth-2, and his death, maybe The Last Good Death In Comics, arguably marked the end of the Bronze Age, and even after his eventual...Read more