Favorite Comic Age of Superman

[Adekis]

Golden Age but ending earlier than the OP lists. I prefer Superman to leap buildings in a single bound not fly, and I think the character was fundamentally changed from its core concept before the 40s ended.

-M

I agree. I've been reading the newspaper strips, and honestly I have a very real sense that Superman began to slowly but irrevocably change, literally as soon as Siegel and Shuster started responding to Pearl Harbor in the strips, which happened in mid-'42.

I wouldn't say Superman jumped the shark by the mid forties, though. Obviously, they made it work, and I have a lot of fondness for many developments that happened in the next two decades - like the George Reeves show, especially the first season, and the Silver Age, with the likes of Brainiac, Kandor, Supergirl, Krypto, and of course my personal favorite, the Legion.

Not to mention, the Bronze Age might be one of my absolute favorite eras of Superman overall, and I still maintain that the specific Metropolis from post-Crisis is my favorite take on the city and the people who live there.

Still, I think there's a reason why so many creators from Byrne to Morrison have tried, to lesser and greater degrees of success, to bring back that early Golden Age magic. There's just something about the Golden Age that nothing else quite matches to me.

[Ascended]

Definitely the Golden Age. I don't even mind the flag waving that creeped into the stories, given that WWII was a conflict with very clear lines between good and evil and battles against lousy landlords and corrupt local politicians had to be set aside in the face of a much greater threat.

There's a raw energy to those early stories that just make you want to cheer the guy on.

Like the World said though, I can read pretty much any era and enjoy it.

[manwhohaseverything]

Golden Age but ending earlier than the OP lists. I prefer Superman to leap buildings in a single bound not fly, and I think the character was fundamentally changed from its core concept before the 40s ended.

-M

I have the same opinion as well.

given that WWII was a conflict with very clear lines between good and evil

I don't think the line was that clear. It was, decent to bad vs evil. That's generally it.

[Jon Clark]

I don't think the line was that clear. It was, decent to bad vs evil. That's generally it.

It was clear in the sense that one side was definitely closer to pure evil than the other. Sort of like the Churchill bit where if it's a choice between siding with Satan or with Hitler, Churchill would send British troops to defend Hell. You don't have to like America or any of the Allies to feel more sympathy for them than the guy who industrialized genocide. Even the 1938 Superman would se some light between corrupt businessmen and the guys behind The Rape of Nanking, the Bataan Death March, Auschwitz, and various medical experiments performed by Axis scientists..

[Johnny Thunders!]

Bronze Age is my favorite, the scale of the Superman legend is there but the supporting cast seem more fully realized and the entire tone is less goofball than the Silver Age, but come on let's hear it for the Silver Age. Braniac, Bizarro, Kandor, the Phantom Zone, the Parasite, The Justice League, the Legion of Super Heroes. Death of Superman Stories, Imaginary stories, weird struggles with identity and loss of power, is there any other time period that gave so much to the character that still endures to this day? After Bronze and Silver, I actually think I lean to the modern age. I like Superman back in the Golden Age but as I mentioned in another thread, it's tough for me to love the villains, especially when so many of them are grifters, swindlers, crooked big shots, and mobsters, they all seem anonymous. (I also think Jerry Siegel's best work is actually in the Silver Age. I oddly think the stories feel more personal then, even if they were dressed up in Mermaids and time travelers.)

[deadboy80]

Modern, everything after has been a joke.

[ngroove]

Bronze Age is my favorite, the scale of the Superman legend is there but the supporting cast seem more fully realized and the entire tone is less goofball than the Silver Age, but come on let's hear it for the Silver Age. Braniac, Bizarro, Kandor, the Phantom Zone, the Parasite, The Justice League, the Legion of Super Heroes. Death of Superman Stories, Imaginary stories, weird struggles with identity and loss of power, is there any other time period that gave so much to the character that still endures to this day? After Bronze and Silver, I actually think I lean to the modern age. I like Superman back in the Golden Age but as I mentioned in another thread, it's tough for me to love the villains, especially when so many of them are grifters, swindlers, crooked big shots, and mobsters, they all seem anonymous. (I also think Jerry Siegel's best work is actually in the Silver Age. I oddly think the stories feel more personal then, even if they were dressed up in Mermaids and time travelers.)

Personally, the villains, that it felt like Superman, for the first time, has been given a fully formed rogues gallery, is a major reason why my favorite Super-Age is the Bronze Age. Lex Luthor, in his green-and-purple supervillain costumes. Brainiac. Mister Mxyzptlk. Terra Man. Parasite. Toyman, and Toyman. Bizarro Superman No.1. Metallo, Roger Corben. SKULL. Phantom Zone Prisoners. Atomic Skull. Master Jailer. Along with Superman's just as memorable bouts against Gorilla Grodd, Star Sapphire, Amazo, and Solomon Grundy. And, not to mention Captain Strong, and Clark's friendly rivalry with Steve Lombard.

[Tony]

Man of Steel mini through Funeral for a Friend would be the first time I seriously collected comics never missing an issue, and I still enjoy rereading them to this day. I find love in most pre 2000 after that it gets a lot more miss than hit, but I really enjoyed Rebirth up till Bendis. I'm sure I'll read new Superman again someday.

[Rod G]

Me, I’ve enjoyed the Post Flashpoint one from 2011 and would rather forget Birthright.

[Jim Kelly]

I like Superman back in the Golden Age but as I mentioned in another thread, it's tough for me to love the villains, especially when so many of them are grifters, swindlers, crooked big shots, and mobsters, they all seem anonymous. (I also think Jerry Siegel's best work is actually in the Silver Age. I oddly think the stories feel more personal then, even if they were dressed up in Mermaids and time travelers.)

Man, now I feel like I wasted my time on that other thread.

What's good about ne'er-do-wells that never break any actual laws--or at least can't be convicted--is they can keep coming back. And once the Code was in effect, every bad guy was supposed to be punished by the end of the story.

Crimes shall never be presented in such a way as to create sympathy for the criminal, to promote distrust of the forces of law and justice, or to inspire others with a desire to imitate criminals.
If crime is depicted it shall be as a sordid and unpleasant activity.
Policemen, judges, government officials, and respected institutions shall never be presented in such a way as to create disrespect for established authority.
Criminals shall not be presented so as to be rendered glamorous or to occupy a position which creates a desire for emulation.
In every instance good shall triumph over evil and the criminal punished for his misdeeds.
Scenes of excessive violence shall be prohibited. Scenes of brutal torture, excessive and unnecessary knife and gunplay, physical agony, the gory and gruesome crime shall be eliminated.

In the case of Lex Luthor, once he was made into a corporate boss, his hands were clean of any overt crimes and therefore he didn't need to go to prison. But quite frankly the going to prison was some of the best action for Luthor--see the beginning of "Hercules in the 20th Century" (ACTION COMICS 267) for an example of what I mean.

I feel like Jerry Siegel was never more happier than when he was having a laugh. His best stories always have some hilarious edge to them. I enjoyed stuff he did for the Legion and for the Mighty Crusaders before I ever knew he was the writer.

[superduperman]

Probably Golden Age. Specifically 1938-42. Before he got all the baggage and it wasn't alien of the month stories. I liked it when he fought more street level criminals.

[Robanker]

I'm nostalgic as hell for the Byrne era despite its immense flaws, probably because I loved how the supporting cast was revitalized (with Lex being a stroke of genius) as well as Byrne's art... but as for a favorite? Toss up between the Bronze age and when Roger Stern took over the books into the triangle era.

But every era of Superman has some quality books to read, even those I generally don't like. Hard not to love the golden age champion of the oppressed or silver age ridiculousness of a guy who puts a galaxy on a rope and tows them to safety for light exercise. I'm a sucker for a good Lois Lane story, too, so stories where she's more prominent with agency as opposed to trying to swindle Superman into marriage definitely help.

[Johnny Thunders!]

Man, now I feel like I wasted my time on that other thread.

What's good about ne'er-do-wells that never break any actual laws--or at least can't be convicted--is they can keep coming back. And once the Code was in effect, every bad guy was supposed to be punished by the end of the story.

Crimes shall never be presented in such a way as to create sympathy for the criminal, to promote distrust of the forces of law and justice, or to inspire others with a desire to imitate criminals.
If crime is depicted it shall be as a sordid and unpleasant activity.
Policemen, judges, government officials, and respected institutions shall never be presented in such a way as to create disrespect for established authority.
Criminals shall not be presented so as to be rendered glamorous or to occupy a position which creates a desire for emulation.
In every instance good shall triumph over evil and the criminal punished for his misdeeds.
Scenes of excessive violence shall be prohibited. Scenes of brutal torture, excessive and unnecessary knife and gunplay, physical agony, the gory and gruesome crime shall be eliminated.

In the case of Lex Luthor, once he was made into a corporate boss, his hands were clean of any overt crimes and therefore he didn't need to go to prison. But quite frankly the going to prison was some of the best action for Luthor--see the beginning of "Hercules in the 20th Century" (ACTION COMICS 267) for an example of what I mean.

I feel like Jerry Siegel was never more happier than when he was having a laugh. His best stories always have some hilarious edge to them. I enjoyed stuff he did for the Legion and for the Mighty Crusaders before I ever knew he was the writer.

Sorry just read the other post! Well worth the read!

[witchboy]

It is hard to narrow it down, as I have so much love for many eras.
I grew up on the Bronze Age, but I was also buying Silver Age back issues every chance I got with birthday and Christmas money, and as I got older, part time jobs whenever I could get to the comic shop in the big city.
If push comes to shove though I'd say Byrne's era is my favorite, as he really reinvented the characters for the modern era, and that's been the core that most everything has built from.

[Jim Kelly]

It is hard to narrow it down, as I have so much love for many eras.
I grew up on the Bronze Age, but I was also buying Silver Age back issues every chance I got with birthday and Christmas money, and as I got older, part time jobs whenever I could get to the comic shop in the big city.
If push comes to shove though I'd say Byrne's era is my favorite, as he really reinvented the characters for the modern era, and that's been the core that most everything has built from.

Even though I bought some Superman comics in the 1960s, it was a short stack of comics in the box under my bed. Not more than 30, I'd say. My comics buying exploded in the 1970s when I was a bit older and I had some more money from my paper route. The great thing about the 1970s comics was they reprinted lots of stories from 1938 onward--and there was an attitude that it was all good and worthwhile. Plus I was getting some back issues from the 1960s, also. It's really that era that gave me a love for Superman comics.

Granted 2020 is probably the best of all times, since you can get pretty much every Superman story ever printed, with just a little effort.