The Silver Age of comic books was a period that lasted roughly a decade and a half from 1956-1970. This period was notable for the drastic increase in popularity of comic books during that time. That increase in popularity came from several sources and the Silver Age of comics paved the way for comics for decades, still influencing comic books from today.



The Silver Age of comics stands out for its dramatically improved artwork. Finer detail was used and brighter colors were also used to make the characters and the action stand out better. The comics were action filled and the action jumped off the page. Even the format and story telling of the comics themselves were evolving to better portray emotion, storylines and action or dialogue scenes.

The biggest change from its preceding era, the Golden Age, was that in the Silver Age of comic books the focus was firmly on superheroes. Superheroes and the villains they battled were essentially the sole focus of comic books during this time period. Additionally, these superheroes were being made more human. The tales of how they became superheroes typically involved science fiction storylines, dramatic emotional and personal problems or both. This change in the plots, stories and characters of comics was spurred on by the Comics Code.

The Comics Code Authority was formed in 1954 in an effort to standardize and improve comic books for younger generations, after receiving national attention and criticism from politicians. The decree was to make comics less violent, less gory and less sexual. Therefore there had to be a change in the direction comics were moving, and that change focused all efforts onto the superhero genre.

By making the superheroes have dramatic events shaping their personalities or science fiction mishaps giving them extra abilities and powers, they made the characters more human. This gave the comic book characters more life, personality and background, and made it easier for people to become invested in them.

Some of the most popular comic book superheroes in the Silver Age were rehashed characters from decades past. They were revamped via the new Comics Code and the new artistic, creative and design capabilities of artists and writers. Characters such as Batman and Superman were remade in this method and would go on of course to extreme new heights of popularity and reach. Other superheroes and characters from the Silver Age are also still overwhelmingly popular. These include Spiderman, the Hulk, the Flash, Iron Man and the X-Men, among many other notables.

The exact time period engulfing the Silver Age is debated. It is largely conceded that the 1956 re-introduction of the Flash started the beginning of the period. The end of the period is demarked over several years, including the retirements and departures of several prominent producers and editors in 1970, the changing of rules by the Comics Code Authority in 1971 and the departure of Stan Lee from Marvel Comics in 1972.

As with all good things that must come to an end, the Silver Age of Comic Books did, but not until it reshaped how we view comics today. That time period alone is responsible for the superheroes young boys and girls look up to today.