The Modern Age of Comic Books

The Modern Age of American comic books of is thought to be between the mid-1980 until present day. This age saw a continuation of the Bronze Age with a notable exception. The independent comic book publishers grew and rose from obscurity. Some of the more well known people from the two big comic book publishers to independent comic book companies. These include, but are not limited to Pacific, Eclipse and First. Why would someone who had made a name for themselves change companies? In independent comic books, the writers had more freedom of expression. The creativity would have been a prized commodity. No limitations or restraints produce some very interesting comic books. With such freedom, they would be able to personify their works.

Moreover, the waned influence that the Comic Code Authority experienced was a boom to the comic book industry of the Modern Age. Horror stories and science fiction once again became popular. The novels of Conan the Destroyer were put into comic book format with much success. Given the popularity of Conan, other venues showed up. Dracula started making a comeback. Dracula once had an encounter with The Batman. The ability to fuse two genres, horror and super heroes, enabled the comic books to showcased two great characters. Thus, the artistic expressions of the independent comic books were enhanced because the readers had the pleasure of experiencing fine artwork, without the limitations imposed by the other mainstream comic books.

The culmination of changes that rippled through the comic book industry created a need for the creation of an anti- super hero. With super heroes and arch villains exploring their dark side, it became apparent that that endeavor needed exploration. The Batman had experienced a metamorphosis that turned him into a darker character. Jason Todd, who was the second incarnation of Robin, died at the hands of the Joker.

Another comic book hero that personified darkness was the Wolverine. From his introduction, Wolverine had a bad attitude. He was the quintessential anti-hero. He was a super hero who helped people in need. However, the darker side held sway. He is a mutant and knows people's perception. He still does the right thing, albeit sometimes he barely manages to hold his temper in check.

Daredevil typifies a hero who possesses a dark side. The devil costume he wears is supposed to instill fear in criminals. Yet, wearing a devils costume also illustrates his darker side. Indeed, Daredevil's original costume was yellow and it would be a stretch to see any significance germane to his other half. Another attribute that casts him in the category of anti-hero is his blindness. He knows he is different from the rest of society with his amplification of hearing, smelling, tasting and "seeing". Daredevil still maintains a resolute personality, a key ingredient in any super hero.
The Modern Age of Comic Books inception is hard to pinpoint. It could be a continuation of the Bronze Age with minor changes, or it could be an entity by itself. What matters most is the comic book industry continues to evolve and create make believe characters and make them believable.

Concerns With Comic Books

One of the areas of concern with comic books is the violence. The violence contained in some of the comic books today is common. With more realism being demanded, comic books of today assimilate real life situations into their plots. The perilous undertaking of the hero or villain can be justified with a realistic approach. If people want what is transpiring in today's world then comic books will emulate that. Parents should caution their children with some of the content published in various comic books. The graphics displayed today are amazingly realistic. Children need to be aware and make responsible choices. With that being said, the content being viewed on television makes children desensitized to explicit situations. The graphic composition of some comic books are illustrated through various categories. The super hero comic books usually will be more graphic than a non-super hero comic book.

The question of reading a graphic comic book can be dispelled when a child's age is taken into consideration. The comic book business has a rating system, but if you make an analogy to the movie companies rating system then the existing question remains. At what age would be appropriate for a person to read a graphic comic book? There is no easy answer to that question because each household embraces different standards. Family A allows their child to watch adult movies but family B does not. They watched the same movie but in different homes with differing standards. Common sense should dictate. However, common sense is not so common.

If a superhero, villain or civilian gets wounded in a comic book, how much should the artist show to illustrate their point? Should blood rush out in steady bursts or would a trickle suffice? Again, it depends on the content of the comic book. What kind of brawl was it? What, if any, kind of weapons were used? The result is dependant upon the battle itself. Therefore, to suggest a toning down of bloodshed would diminish the realism that is being sought.
Ultimately, it is the parent's decision to monitor what the children read while being cautious not to initiate censorship. A delicate balance must be in accord with the parent's belief structure.

A parent raised on comic books might be more apt to let their children read them while a person who grew up in a stricter household would not. What becomes right or wrong is distorted when viewed on an individual basis. Collectively a standard exists with the current rating system in place. Individual bias toward comic books need not render the system obsolete. Individuals should view comic books according to the genre and read within the family's belief structure.

In addition to the graphic content of comic books, a different component surfaces. While it is not widespread, cursing does appear in comic books. The harsher of curse words are not necessarily shown but the more accepted ones are. Children are going to learn derogatory words through friends, school and the parents themselves. Even a great deal of novels contains curse words.

In comic books, the curse words are placed there to demonstrate a point of how the characters are feeling. The anguished faces that are drawn suggest that a curse word would be nestled in there to express their position.
Whatever side of the table you sit on, the comic books graphic content and the colorful metaphors are an intricate part of the experience.

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Rare and First

Printing Comic

Books

Rare and first printing comic books are an industry that comprises serious minded individual's intent on getting their moneys worth. There is a great deal of information that needs to be understood prior to getting into the business. The values placed on comic books are based on rare the comic book is, was it a first edition, and most importantly the condition of the comic book. A good comic pricing guide is essential to determine how much, if any, your comic book is worth.

A prime example of this is my comic book collection. When the Batman's Dark Knight Series came out, I bought the first issue. I purchased it because I liked the concept of an old Bruce Wayne trying to gain back his lost youth. The streets had fallen to the younger generation. In one segment he fought, and barely won, a young person. In his prime, Batman would have had no problem taking the young man out. However, old age crept in and he had to deal with his lost youth, and his mortality. I never took into the account that it would end up being worth anything. Imagine my surprise when I learned DC had only made a certain number of issues, never dreaming the popularity would ensue. I bought the three remaining first printing issues. They were worth, to me, a lot more than I paid for them. When they were stolen, I was devastated. I was crushed because I loved the comic books and not because they were worth a little money.

The pricing guide's most famous company is The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide. It has an extensive list of every comic book and a guide to its value. Some of the grades of the comic book affect the pricing. Here are a few brief examples.
Mint- Mint condition comic books are probably as good as the comic book will ever be. Everything from the fresh colors, to the absence of rust from the staples, to the different shades of white the paper is. Who can say if such a condition exists? I would love to see someone's version of a mint comic book.
Near mint-, this condition has somewhat lower standards than the mint. Negligible flaws are to be expected, but none that would hamper the price.

Very fine- very fine condition has outstanding looks that are entreaty in nature.
There are many more categories to take into consideration when buying comic books for their value. The monthly magazine, Wizard, also has a pricing guide for comic books but I do not believe they are as comprehensive as The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide.

Rare and first printing comic books can be very lucrative if you know how to play the game. It takes patience and a keen, discerning eye, coupled with knowledge of the market. Without the knowledge of the comic book market, the rest of the objectives become useless. A great deal of research is required. Going into a situation blind is not recommended unless you have deep pockets and a jovial disposition.



Comic Book Merchandising

When a comic book hero becomes famous, the natural inclination is to profit from it. The merchandising of comic book characters is such a venue. The advertising agencies are cognizant of that fact, and so are the comic book publishers. The merchandisings of movies are popular too. Star Wars is a prime example of that. The movie came first. It became such a success that they sold posters and action figures of all the main characters, and a wide assortment of related materials. To put the merchandising power in perspective, consider George Lucas's Star War films. All six of the movies grossed almost three and a half billion dollars. The merchandising of the Star Wars totaled over nine billion dollars. After you consider that, they made Star Wars into comic books!

Merchandising comic books is a serious art. If done correctly the amount of revenue could be staggering. Never the less, there are points to mull over. The location of the action figure in stores, are they displayed prominently where they will receive the most attention? Is the box packaged in such a way that it lures the target audience to it? In addition, one of the most important items is the price. The price has to be reasonable to the public.

The merchandising of comic books also takes form in tee shirts. You can acquire a Superman logo tee shirt from any comic book store. Moreover, you can buy a Superman logo tee shirt at any local mall. The mainstreaming of merchandising in local stores put the super heroes in the forefront of people's consciousness. If you are bombarded with something long enough, it becomes accepted and more people are apt to buy it.

There are psychological and sociological studies to determine the best course of action for merchandising company's products. People's nonverbal movements can be observed to determine if a product, in this case an action figure, tee shirt or anything related to the comic book merchandising, is pleasing to the consumer or not. Facial expressions are an important indicator to see if a person will purchase your merchandise.

Another key area is word of mouth. When you see a movie, and really liked it, you are more lilkely to tell everyone you know about it. When a comic book company makes a movie, they advertise it extensively. The fast food restaurants are an excellent place to market their merchandise for young children. What better way to advertise than go to a local Burger King, Wendy's or McDonalds and see the latest comic book movie's (or any other movie that pertains to children) main characters as action figures?

There are so many aspects to merchandising comic books and the respective super heroes. It does not take a qualified expert to see the prospect of making copious amounts of money through seemingly harmless venues. The operative word I chose was seemingly. Only time will tell the effects of the barrage of advertising merchandise that takes place on a daily basis. Merchandising for comic books is no exception.


The Bronze Age of Comic Books

The bronze age of comic books is generally considered from the early 1970's to the mid 1980's in the American culture. This period saw a continuance from the silver age. However, during this time the comic book publishers were introducing a darkening of plots with more adult themes.

One of the most central events that characterized the darkness inception was the death of Gwen Stacy. She was Peter Parker's long time girlfriend. For the first time in comic books, the arch- villain (in this case The Green Goblin) took a life. Gwen Stacy epitome was cut short. Now the public knew that realism in the comic book world had taken a bold new course. Never again would the comic book world be the same. That occurrence underscored the end of one era and the beginning of another.

The mature content was a wake up call. Comic books once again took on social issues.

The social problems were dealt with the appearance of minority comic book heroes. The heroes for hire co-starring Luke Cage embodied the industries intent on implementing African-Americans despite condemnation claiming he was just another ethnic typecast. Prior to Luke's entrance, the Black Panther and Falcon were a staple in the comic book world. Both the Black Panther and the Falcon were more resistant to the social outcry of Luke Cage. Perhaps it was because there were no stereotypical portrayals within their respective comic books.

Another important addition, lending the credence of minorities in comic books, were the X-Men. Humanity was shown to be prejudiced against the X-Men because they were mutants. Apparently, the next step in human evolution was hard to swallow in the Marvel comic book universe. When people do not understand something, or are in fear of it, then they rebel. The representation of X-Men seemed analogous to the minority concerns. On a collective scale, the issues surrounding the X-Men portend a shift in the perception of the human race. If civilization cannot handle, or accept the mutants as they are, then how are we, as a whole, able to accept minorities? The bronze age of comic books addressed those concerns, and others, with realism (as far as realism can be attained within that context). On an individual level, people were not accepting of the X-men. They feared what they could not comprehend. When that transpires then fear turns to rage then to violence. Violence usually ensues when ignorance runs rampant. The analogy of the X-men to minorities is a first-rate one. The prejudices faced by both the X-Men and minorities may have taken different paths but the result is the same. The Bronze Age of Comic books helped define what America was thinking at the time.

The end of the Bronze Age of comic books is littered with speculation. Some suggest that the "Crisis On Infinite Earths" was the beginning of the end, but there is no definitive proof. Other people claim that the Bronze Age of comic books never really left and that it continues with the dawn of the Modern Age of comics. By either account, the Bronze Age of comic books was an important one where social change took place on more than front.


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