Any Golden Age DC aficionados here? What do u love most about Golden Age comics?

[theboychild]

Hi all! I'd love to get into Golden Age DC comics and start off with Wonder Woman. Rich in history and absolutely timeless. I also appreciate the cultural significance of this era. Any thoughts? Cheers!

[MajorHoy]

Hi all! I'd love to get into Golden Age DC comics and start off with Wonder Woman. Rich in history and absolutely timeless. I also appreciate the cultural significance of this era. Any thoughts? Cheers!

The Golden Age versions may seem "timeless", but sometimes the problems between what was acceptable then vs. present-day can be a bit jarring, and there's the whole bondage-issue as well with Golden Age Wonder Woman. (Losing her powers when tied up by a man?)

If you're interested in Golden Age Wonder Woman, you might want to check the Wonder Woman section of the Forum (https://community.cbr.com/forumdispl...4-Wonder-Woman).
Also, a book with a more modern approach (2016) to that era may be worth checking: The Legend of Wonder Woman by Renae De Liz and Ray Dillon

[andersonh1]

Hi all! I'd love to get into Golden Age DC comics and start off with Wonder Woman. Rich in history and absolutely timeless. I also appreciate the cultural significance of this era. Any thoughts? Cheers!

I wish DC would reprint more Golden Age. We're just about to get (hopefully!) Golden Age Superman omnibus vol. 7 which will finish off the 1940s and get into 1950, and Golden Age Wonder Woman omnibus vol. 5. Batman has 9 volumes running through 1954, so for those three characters, DC has reprinted a massive amount of material, and I'm glad to see it. But for just about anyone else, we get a few stories in anniversary volumes, and if you can find them for a good price, the Archives at least got the early years of a lot of characters before they ended.

Here's some of what I have, all of which I enjoy to various degrees:

Dr. Fate - a single volume has everything from the 1940s, and the material divides into three eras: the full helmet, magic-enemy fighting Dr. Fate, a half-helmet where his mouth and chin are visible and he's vulnerable to not being able to breathe (not the most impressive weakness) and the final third of his series where he decides to become an actual medical doctor and mostly slugs the bad guys. Seems like a series that struggled to keep an audience and kept experimenting with the character.

Starman vols 1, 2 - the complete run of Golden Age Starman starts out with a somewhat noir inspired superhero with some great Jack Burnley art. I've always thought he's one of the best Golden Age artists. About halfway through the series the art changes and the stories are less about crooks and mad scientists and exotic locations and start being themed around "stars" in some way, often astrology themed crooks, so this is a series where the first half is far stronger than the second, but it's one of my favorites of the era.

Sandman - only has one Archive volume where he's in a suit and cape and fedora with his gas mask. He sneaks around, he hits bad guys with his gas gun, he gets shot, he has a steady girlfriend who knows his secret identity, and it's generally a great series. Most of the second half of the series can be found in the Jack Kirby Sandman volume which is scanned rather than restored, and it feels like a completely different character. Sandman is in a gold and purple set of tights and has a kid sidekick named Sandy, but it's still worth reading due to Jack Kirby's involvement and art.

All-Star Archives 0-11 - 12 volumes reprints the entire 1940s run of All-Star comics with the Justice Society of America. The quality of the art and stories varies wildly, some are great, some are passable or repetitive, and a few are a slog to get through. But I'm glad to see that DC reprinted this entire series, and if it ever appears in omnibus format I would likely re-buy it.

The Seven Soldiers of Victory - three Archive volumes, the other super-team of the era has no super-powered characters on it. It's Green Arrow, Speedy, Shining Knight, Vigilante, Crimson Avenger, the Star Spangled Kid and Stripesy. These guys don't get a lot of attention, but honestly I think the quality of the art and writing is often better than All-Star comics.

Hawkman - there's only one Archive, but it's worth owning. This book has great art by Sheldon Moldoff, and it's sort of Indiana Jones globe-trotting adventure.

The Flash - Jay Garrick is my favorite character from this era, and I hate that we only have two Archives. He's another character whose girlfriend knows his identity and the two have a nicely written relationship given the era these were written in. Jay doesn't fight a lot of super villains in the two archives, and he's none too serious in his methods. He likes to prank the bad guys while bringing them to justice. Several of the anniversary volumes have some reprints from later in his era, and if you can get the Flash 80th anniversary volume, all three Rose and Thorn stories from the 40s are reprinted, including the 3rd which was unpublished at the time.

Green Lantern - as much as I like the character and the series, this has the worst art of the era. If you can get past that, it's fascinating to see where the whole Green Lantern concept started with engineer Alan Scott who uses his fists more than he uses his ring, and rarely makes constructs in the early days as the writers evolve the concept. Doiby Dickles is one of the best sidekicks of the era, he should be the annoying, bumbling comic sidekick, but somehow he rises above that to become a genuinely likeable character.

Shazam 1-4 - The original Captain Marvel has some crazy adventures, and I would seriously like to see more of this reprinted. It's lighthearted, it's fun, it never takes itself too seriously, and I can see why it was so popular at the time.

I've got a few more, but that's a good start. The Golden Age, at least in the early years, is light on supervillains and heavy on crooks in suits and fedoras running schemes and robbing banks and stealing jewels, and hating these costumed heroes who keep ruining their plans. In terms of art and writing it's so different from today. I find a lot to enjoy in the era, even though much of it can be repetitive, but it's the beginning of the super-hero genre. It would take the writers a while to expand the genre and learn all the different things that could be done with it. There are characters that work and which have lasted, and characters which didn't, but have been around as part of other groups ever since, or which were reimagined. The Golden Age is also, surprisingly, often more grounded than the wildly crazy Silver Age.

[Nomads1]

I really love the golden age characters, however, I can't say the same for the storytelling sensibilities. I prefer the more modern take on these great characters (not so modern, since I also don't care much for the strongly identitary based storytelling of the post-2000/2010 years. IMHO, cannon and consistency are hallmarks of good mainstream comicbook storytelling, and etnicity, gender and sexual orientation changes are not groundbreaking character development, as most writer nowadays seem to think. However, I digress). So, while I love the characters, and think they're great source of material for new stories, I don't try to find the books from the golden age, and it's not as pleasureable for me to read them.

Peace

[theboychild]

The Golden Age versions may seem "timeless", but sometimes the problems between what was acceptable then vs. present-day can be a bit jarring, and there's the whole bondage-issue as well with Golden Age Wonder Woman. (Losing her powers when tied up by a man?)

Thank you for your response! It definitely has the bondage aspect into it. I appreciate the recommendation! Very helpful.

[theboychild]

I wish DC would reprint more Golden Age. We're just about to get (hopefully!) Golden Age Superman omnibus vol. 7 which will finish off the 1940s and get into 1950, and Golden Age Wonder Woman omnibus vol. 5. Batman has 9 volumes running through 1954, so for those three characters, DC has reprinted a massive amount of material, and I'm glad to see it. But for just about anyone else, we get a few stories in anniversary volumes, and if you can find them for a good price, the Archives at least got the early years of a lot of characters before they ended.

Oh wow! Thank you so much for taking the time to provide this info thoroughly! So disappointed I missed out on WW GA omni vol. 1. Now it's a whale. I didn't know Seven Soldiers began in the 40s, as I only saw them appear in JLA Bronze Age era. I also do LOVE Jay Garrick! I wish DC would publish a Flash GA omni from #1-104. That'd be super swell!

I do agree that the GA stories can be quite superficial but some of the art are done quite well (especially the ones that were really creepy and horrifying) and entertaining. Silver Age is filled with wacky science and dialogue-heavy!

[theboychild]

I really love the golden age characters, however, I can't say the same for the storytelling sensibilities. I prefer the more modern take on these great characters (not so modern, since I also don't care much for the strongly identitary based storytelling of the post-2000/2010 years. IMHO, cannon and consistency are hallmarks of good mainstream comicbook storytelling, and etnicity, gender and sexual orientation changes are not groundbreaking character development, as most writer nowadays seem to think. However, I digress). So, while I love the characters, and think they're great source of material for new stories, I don't try to find the books from the golden age, and it's not as pleasureable for me to read them.

Peace

Thank you for your response! I agree with your sentiment. I think with a different generation, it would be challenging to relate with its time. Reading modern arcs also makes it easier for me to read. I remember reading the Fourth World by Jack Kirby and it took me months to get through! Cheers!

[Johnny Thunders!]

Old comics are tough to read and I am an old guy, my exposure is mainly through reprints from the 70s where unlike an omnibus, it’s just one or two stories here and there. My favorites seem to be the origin stories, Hawkman, Captain Marvel and The Flash still hold up for me. I also think the original origin of Two Face hits all the enduring themes about the character.

[kcekada]

I loved the Golden Age stories reprinted in the 70s. Some of my favorites appeared in 'Wanted' and 'Secret Origins'. The rest were back ups in DC's 100-Page Spectaculars. My favorites were Green Lantern, Black Canary, and Starman. I'd love to see a Black Canary movie or comic book set in the 40s as it suited the character so well.

[MajorHoy]

I loved the Golden Age stories reprinted in the 70s. Some of my favorites appeared in 'Wanted' and 'Secret Origins'. The rest were back ups in DC's 100-Page Spectaculars. My favorites were Green Lantern, Black Canary, and Starman. I'd love to see a Black Canary movie or comic book set in the 40s as it suited the character so well.

I would enjoy that as well, but since WB just pushed a new "Black Canary" on us in the recent Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey movie that's nothing like Golden Age Black Canary, I doubt a movie based on Golden Age Black Canary would be likely (even though a noir-ish B&W 1940's-set Black Canary movie could be fantastic).

[CaptCleghorn]

I would enjoy that as well, but since WB just pushed a new "Black Canary" on us in the recent Harley Quinn and the Birds of Prey movie that's nothing like Golden Age Black Canary, I doubt a movie based on Golden Age Black Canary would be likely (even though a noir-ish B&W 1940's-set Black Canary movie could be fantastic).

I am with you 100% on this. The noir atmosphere and the sex appeal of the character can certainly carry a movie or even a short run television series.