What book started the Bronze Age of Comics???? 2 2

[vic6string]

You do realize that the Flash started in the 1950s, was simply a revamp of an earlier Golden Age hero with the same name, didn't go monthly for years after, and never ever became the best-selling title, don't you?

 

Why do sales keep coming into this equation. We are talking about books that changed the way the comic world works. I think that is always the main issue when people talk about GSX1 being the first bronze age book. They look at xmen sales later and say that since the book is so popular it's first issue had to be a trend setter. We are talking not about popularity (what sales measure) but significance (what history measures). Take music for instance. The song "Rapper's Delight" was the first rap song to make it on the radio. It is significant in that it showed that rap could be a viable form of entertainment, and after it, other rap songs followed. The song itself was only a minor hit, and album sales never came close to anything like the Beastie Boys or RUN DMC later on. But without that song making it on the radio, there likely would not have been a Beastie Boys or RUN DMC album (or 2 pac, or Snoop, or Eminem or anyone else). Was "Rapper's delight" the best rap song ever? Probably not. Most Popular? Nope. Biggest Seller? Not by a long shot. But it started a trend. GSX1 didn't start a trend, it revived a book that was near death. What that book eventually turned into became a popular template for other books, but that books itself merely revived a title, it didn't change an industry.

 

 

P.S. Don't take this post as a sign of my love for rap music... I am more of a Led Zep man myself, but I know my music history.

[drbanner]

(to steal a post)

 

Hmmm, I believe intellectual property belongs to the originator of the idea, so technically, in this case it's not stealing. Flattering yourself would be a better description...

[joe_collector]

>>Why do sales keep coming into this equation.

 

Because that's the only thing that supports the narrow view that the Bronze Age started in late-'75 and was inherent on GS X-Men to even be started upon.

 

I've seen this opinion many times before, and is based upon the flawed premise that what is popular today "just had to be" a trend-setter when it first arrived on the scene. In reality, this is hardly ever the truth, as trends come and go, and rarely is anything popular and Age-defining upon release and then maintains that top-line status for 25-30 years.

 

The X-Phenomenon was a 1990's affair, which is currently dying out and will be (has been?) replaced by another (the Ultimates?).

[Mister_Comics]

No single book started any age. All the ages are seperate by a chain of events.

[joe_collector]

The wind in the willows swirled, loosening a piece of tree bark.

[dblanchard-migration]

Vic6string wrote:

 

>> Why do sales keep coming into this equation. We are talking about books that changed the way the comic world works. I think that is always the main issue when people talk about GSX1 being the first bronze age book. They look at xmen sales later and say that since the book is so popular it's first issue had to be a trend setter. We are talking not about popularity (what sales measure) but significance (what history measures). <<

 

 

Joe Collector was mentioning sales, but my position all along is that GIANT-SIZE X-MEN *led to something bigger* just as SHOWCASE # 4 led to something bigger.

 

Much of the history of the Silver Age centers on the creation of FANTASTIC FOUR # 1, which was Marvel's response to DC's JLA, which was a linear descendent of SHOWCASE # 4. Similarly, DC's NEW TEEN TITANS was DC's response to the growing fanbase centered on X-MEN, which dates back to that GIANT-SIZE X-MEN comic published in the summer of 1975. Just about all of DC's major output in the 1980s followed in the wake of NTT, which followed in the X-MEN's wake.

 

Dave Blanchard

[dblanchard-migration]

Joe Collector wrote:

 

>> you evade the question of what post-1975, pre-Modern Age Marvel comics and new characters did GS X-Men #1 force into being?

 

I have the list, and it's none too impressive, including gems such as Ms. Marvel, Nova, Devil Dinosaur, and Rom, among others.

 

If that's your Bronze Age, then go back in your corner and collect them, while the rest of us concentrate on our Bronze Age (your Weird Age) and collect the 1970-80 Marvel characters and comics that Conan #1 and GL/GA #76 brought into being. <<

 

 

Well, at the risk of contradicting your premise of asking and answering your own questions, maybe I could ask you what key 1957 superhero comics you collect?

 

You see, I can collect SWAMP THING and WEIRD WESTERN TALES and the O'Neil/Adams GREEN LANTERNs and be perfectly happy with them, whether somebody calls them "weird age" or "bronze age" or just plain ol' "1970s comics."

 

My idea of great Bronze Age comics would come several years *after* the Bronze Age started, just as all the really cool Silver Age comics came quite a few years after SHOWCASE # 4. I mean, you could certainly collect stuff like PAT BOONE and NEW ADVENTURES OF CHARLIE CHAN if you wanted to limit your Silver Age collection solely to new DC titles published immediately following SHOWCASE # 4. However, just as I enjoy reading Silver Age stuff that came a decade or more after SHOWCASE # 4, like the Romita Spider-Man stuff and the Shooter & Swan Legion stuff in ADVENTURE, I similarly prefer the prime Bronze Age stuff that came several years after GIANT-SIZE X-MEN.

 

Maybe you stopped following comics after DEVIL DINOSAUR was cancelled, but had you stayed current with the great Bronze Age comics of the 1980s, you might've enjoyed stuff like SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING, DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, NEW TEEN TITANS, AMERICAN FLAGG, Simonson's THOR, Miller's DAREDEVIL, WATCHMEN, NEXUS, ELEKTRA: ASSASSIN, THE ROCKETEER, LOVE & ROCKETS, MAUS. Those are some examples I would cite of good Bronze Age comics.

 

But rest assured, I would never attempt to talk you out of preferring MS MARVEL, if that's your idea of the cream of the Bronze Age

 

Dave Blanchard

[joe_collector]

! That is hilarious.

 

So, New X-Men directly led to Love and Rockets, Miller's ground-breaking Daredevil and Bill S.'s revolutionary work on Elektra Assassin? I'm sure the creators of the above comics wouldn't be too enthused to hear that.

 

Thanks for the laugh!! I'm not sure if you're just pullig my leg since it's April 1st, but due to some of your previous bizarro posts, I'm not betting on it.

[drbanner]

SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING, DARK KNIGHT RETURNS, NEW TEEN TITANS, AMERICAN FLAGG, Simonson's THOR, Miller's DAREDEVIL, WATCHMEN, NEXUS, ELEKTRA: ASSASSIN, THE ROCKETEER, LOVE & ROCKETS, MAUS. Those are some examples I would cite of good Bronze Age comics.

 

C'mon Dave, gimme a break!

 

When shown the list above and the following list:

 

Conan, Marvel Team-Up, Marvel Two-in-One, Defenders, Tomb of Dracula, Ghost Rider, and Iron Fist

 

and asked which list constitutes Bronze Age Comics, 99 out of 100 comic book collectors and dealers in the United States would pick the latter. With the one picking the former being you...

[joe_collector]

Don't get involved banner, it's not good for the stress level... and we know what you're like when you're angry,

 

This whole conversation is moving into the Twilight Zone, where arguments for GS X-Men 1 being the start of the Bronze Age (sales, popularity, new comics, new characters) are trotted out and summarily shot down with incontrovertible evidence...

 

Until we get to the point where some of the key Modern comics are being listed now. What's next, Ultimate Spider-man?

[supapimp]

*BUMP* for the newbies

[Theagenes]

*BUMP* for the newbies

 

OK, I'm a newbie here and this is a topic I'm very much interested in so I thought I would throw in my two cents. I apologize in advance for the length of this post, but I've been doing a lot thinking about this subject and I'd like to get all of my thoughts out there.

 

First a brief intro: I've been reading and collecting comics since I was a kid in the mid-70s (i.e. the Bronze Age). I'm also an archaeologist, so I really get into these arbitrary and somewhat artificial classifications of time periods. If you think arguing over whether or not GL/GA no. 76 is Silver or Bronze is problematic, imagine arguing over whether a pottery shard is Late Minoan IIIB or Late Minoan IIIC.

 

Anyway, I think that ComicInvester has best represented my own opinions on what constitutes a "Bronze Age comic." If you pick up a random comic from the 60's and a random comic from the 70's, there is clearly a difference. The artwork is different, the story is different, and there is good chance that the genre will be completely different.

 

The evolution that took place in comics during the late 60's and early 70's reflected in many ways the changes that had taken place in American society during the 60's.The turmoil of the 1960’s and early 1970’s changed American society forever. The struggle for civil rights, the Vietnam War, the assassinations of JFK, MLK and RFK, Watergate – all of these events forced Americans to reassess how we view authority, government, or society and our place in the world. Good vs. evil no longer seemed satisfactory as explanations for the way the world worked. Who are the good guys and who are the bad guys? Dudley Do-Right superheroes and Snidley Whiplash villains just wouldn't cut it anymore. America had come of age and lost its innocence forever, and comics quickly followed suit.

 

The super-hero genre did not fade in popularity with the transition from the Silver Age to the Bronze Age as it had at the end of the Golden Age, but rather the super-hero comic book grew and adapted with its audience. That audience was more cynical now and the stories were forced to become more sophisticated; they were forced to have more depth. Gone were the episodic one or two issue stories of the Silver Age, replaced by larger story arcs and continuous narratives, giving us a chance to see characters grow and develop. Stories dealt with more serious issues such as drugs, sex, racism and death. African-American characters began to appear finally, even one with the politically charged name of Black Panther.

 

So unlike the transition from the Golden Age to the Atom Age, super-hero comics in the early Bronze Age were not replaced by other genres, but rather they were joined by them. Atom Age staples such as science fiction and horror returned to American pop culture in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. The resurgence of science fiction was partially a result of the space program and the Apollo program, as well as the emergence of Star Trek reruns as an surprise hit in syndication. Horror was made popular again by Hollywood, from the Christopher Lee Dracula movies of the late 60’s to the heyday of the slasher flick in the late 70’s. But they were also joined by a new genre that reached its height of popularity in the 1970’s – fantasy.

 

The rediscovery of the works of Tolkein during this period help to clearly define fantasy as a genre of its own (as distinct from science fiction, with which it has often been lumped together), and riding on Tolkein’s rather large coat-tails were other authors like R. E. Howard and Michael Moorcock. Dungeons and Dragons appeared for the first time in the 1970’s; the lyrics of bands like Led Zeppelin and The Blue Oyster Cult were immersed in Tolkein and Moorcock references. It seemed as though every heavy metal album had a cover painting by Boris Vallejo. When Star Wars appeared in 1977, it revolutionized science fiction, but many of its elements are pure fantasy in a science fiction setting, and that was certainly no accident given the influence of Joseph Campbell on Lucas’ storytelling.

 

Many of the young people (myself included) who were listening to that music, playing D & D, and reading Tolkein, Howard and Moorcock were also reading comic books, and comic books were quick to take up this burgeoning new genre. From Conan to Elric to Kull to Cerebus to Elf Quest, the Bronze Age is unique for being the period in which fantasy found its place in the industry.

 

Another new genre of the Bronze Age, less important than fantasy, but still worthy of note, is that of martial arts, which first appeared in the mid-seventies with the sudden popularity of Bruce Lee’s movies and reached its high-water mark with the ninja fad of the early 1980’s.

 

As mentioned above, African-American characters finally began appearing with greater frequency in the Bronze Age. As “Blaxploitation” movies such as Shaft and Dolemite began appearing in theaters, what could be called “Blaxploitation” comics began appearing on newsstands, with characters such as Black Panther, Black Lightning, Black Goliath, and Luke Cage.

 

Another characteristic of the Bronze Age that cannot be overlooked is the variety of formats that begin to appear – comic magazines, giant size editions (of various page lengths), digests, treasury editions, and graphic novels. The black and white magazine format, including Vampirella, Savage Tales, Savage Sword of Conan, Rampaging Hulk, Deadly Hands of Kung Fu and Dracula Lives, and later color magazines such as Heavy Metal and Epic Illustrated are notable because they were intentionally aimed at an older, more mature audience and contained more graphic content, such as hardcore violence, sexual material and nudity. This is something that would have been unthinkable in earlier periods. Savage Tales no.1, in particular, should be considered a very significant early Bronze Age book. Not only does it contain the first appearance of Man-Thing, but it also contains stories from most of the non-super-hero genres that were popular in the Bronze Age: fantasy (Conan, Kazar), horror (Man-Thing), science fiction (Femizons), and African-American interest (Black Brother). As such, it is a fascinating early example of the trends that would dominate the Bronze Age.

 

Once we have a general idea of the characteristics and trends of the Bronze Age, we should look at the significant events of the period, by which we can attempt to define an absolute chronological framework. In comic book terms, “significant event” usually means the first appearance of a major character, so it is there that we should start. It should be no surprise that most of the major characters that make their debut (or received their own series) in the Bronze Age are not traditional super-heroes, but fit better into the other genres we have discussed, such horror (Swamp Thing, Dracula, Ghost Rider, Werewolf by Night, Man-Thing, The Cat/Tigra, Man-Bat), fantasy (Conan, Kazar, Kull, Red Sonja, Cerebus, Elric, Shanna the She-Devil, Elfquest), African-American (see above), or martial arts (Iron Fist, Shang-Chi the Master of Kung Fu, Elektra, TMNT). In fact the only major characters making their first appearance in the Bronze Age that fit the traditional super-hero model are the new X-Men, Punisher, Moon Knight, Huntress and Spider-Woman (there are others no doubt, but these are the once that come to mind right away).

 

But first appearances are not the only events in comic book history that can be called significant. Dramatic events in story telling are also very important and with respect to the Bronze Age, this means looking for the point at which the stories become more mature and sophisticated. Obviously the Green Lantern/Green Arrow run (nos.76-89) by O'Neill and Adams is one of the first examples of this new trend in story telling. For Marvel it has been suggested that the death of Gwen Stacy in Amazing Spider-Man no. 121 represents a similar turning point and indeed, this was a major moment in comic history. But I would submit that the change to a more mature story content actually took place earlier in the same title, ASM, with the non-Code approved “drug issues” in issues 96-98. If the creation of the Comics Code Authority brought an end to the elements that were unique to the Atom Age, then surely the first time a major publisher rebelled against the Code, opened the doorway to many of the elements that would make the Bronze Age unique.

 

Choosing one book to mark the beginning of the Bronze Age is a daunting task, given the number of factors that must be taken into account. Ideally the book should contain the first appearance of a major character; that character should be a type that epitomizes the unique qualities of the Bronze Age; it should mark a change in artistic style that exemplifies the evolution of comic book art into the more modern style; and finally, its storyline should reflect the more mature writing style of the Bronze Age.

 

There are three candidates, which I believe best fit some or all of these criteria (listed in chronological order): Vampirella no. 1 (first appearance of Vampirella; art by Adams), GL/GA no. 76 (beginning of more mature storytelling), and Conan the Barbarian no. 1 (first comic book appearance of Conan and Kull; art by Windsor-Smith).

 

Vampirella no. 1 is the earliest of these three, published in September 1969, but although it is the first comic work to fit the label of Bronze Age, it was in a B&W magazine format, and not a traditional comic book. One poster mentioned this book, but it was quickly dismissed because of the magazine format. It could be argued, however, that this fact works in its favor, since unusal formats are one of the characteristics of the Bronze Age. The earliest work then, chronologically, in the traditional comic book format, is GL/GA no.76, published in April 1970, but is it a landmark enough book to truly mark the beginning of the Bronze Age? It represents the Bronze Age in terms of story and art, but it doesn't introduce a new character and doesn't represent any the new genres that exemplify the uniqueness of the period. Conan the Barbarian no.1, published in October 1970, however, fits all of these criteria as several posters have elaborated in great detail, and for this reason I believe it is the best choice for a single book that truly represents the beginning of the Bronze Age.

 

Conan the Barbarian no.1 is my preferred choice for another reason – the artwork of Barry Smith (by no means am I discounting Adams, who was more influential over-all). The Smith Conan run, from no. 1 to no. 24 (sans 17 and 18 which were drawn by Gil Kane), has been somewhat overlooked among comic book art historians. Within this run, one can see, in a sense, a microcosm of the artistic revolution that was taking place in comic book art at this time. In the early Conan issues, Smith’s style is very reminiscent of his mentor, Jack Kirby, but as the issues go by, you can see his own unique style begin to form and emerge. By the later issues (19-24), his pre-Raphaelite influence is readily apparent and his line work is so detailed it borders on crowded, until his work reaches a crescendo with the stunningly elaborate cover for no. 24, in which you can see the precursor of the later work of artists such as Byrne and Perez. You can see within this short run the evolution from Silver Age art to Modern Age art.

 

The safest course, I suppose, would be to consider GL/GA no.76 the first DC Bronze Age book and Conan no. 1 the first Marvel Bronze Age book. But if you put a gun to my head and forced me choose one book then I would have to go with Conan no.1.

 

If Conan the Barbarian no.1 marks the beginning of the Bronze Age, then where does it end? For DC, this question is easily answered. In the 1950’s, when DC created new updated versions of their traditional heroes, beginning with the Flash in Showcase no. 4, they ushered in the Silver Age. In order to explain the problems of character aging and continuity, they soon came up with the concept of alternate earths. The Golden Age versions of their heroes were on Earth-2 and the new Silver Age versions were on Earth-1. Whenever any sort of continuity problem cropped up or when DC acquired the rights to characters from other companies, such as Captain Marvel, new earths were created to fix the problem. With the Crises on Infinite Earths mini-series, published in 1985-86, DC quite consciously brought an end to this cosmic framework that was a product of the Silver and Bronze Ages, and essentially started over from scratch. For a historian like myself, that is as clear an epochal dividing line as World War II.

 

The dividing line for Marvel is not so clear-cut, but I would suggest that the Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars mini series (1984-85) marked an important nexus for the Marvel Universe, and many of the major books took a new direction as a result of that series. Spider-Man received his new black costume (later Venom), the membership of the Fantastic Four changed for the first time with She-Hulk replacing the Thing, and the relationship between the X-Men, Magneto and the other Marvel superheroes was changed forever. Secret Wars was clearly a watershed moment in the Marvel universe, if a bit more subtle than Crisis on Infinite Earths.

 

Now, what to do with GS X-Men no.1? Clearly it was a turning point, though its influence wasn't felt until several years after it came out. I can understand the idea put forth that the periods of 70-75 and 75-84/85 might represent two Ages or two sub-periods of one larger Age, but to say that the Bronze Age begins with GS X-Men and the period from 70-75 is a different interegnum period is non-sensical (though I kind of like 'Weird Age'). What we are talking about here is simply an arguement of nomenclature rather than substance and since most people already associate the books of the early 70's with the term "Bronze Age" it is too late to change it now. If you want to recognize a dividing line with GS X-Men no. 1 then perhaps it would be better to recognize an Early Bronze Age and Late Bronze Age. But it is important to remember that interest in the non-superhero genres did not disappear in 1975. The kids that were reading Conan and Dracula comics in the early 70's were the teenagers that were playing D&D and watching horror movies in the late 70's.

 

Thanks for the opportunity to present my opinions on this topic and I apoligize again for the length of the post but I was on a roll and rambling a bit there.

 

[Kevin Boyd]

Cut and print. A logical, well-written and thoroughly engrossing post.

 

No disagreements here. Follows pretty much my own points.

 

Thanks Theagenes,

 

Kevin

[Zonker]

Is there an award for Best First Post?

 

Welcome to the boards Theagenes!

 

I'm much more comfortable debating against a post-1970 book as the start of the Bronze Age than I am arguing against Conan #1, but since the post-1970 contingent seems to have left the field, it remains for us to split the final hairs. (Maybe we can settle this before the 2004 Overstreet guide makes a bigger mess out of it!)

 

The earliest work then, chronologically, in the traditional comic book format, is GL/GA no.76, published in April 1970, but is it a landmark enough book to truly mark the beginning of the Bronze Age? It represents the Bronze Age in terms of story and art, but it doesn't introduce a new character and doesn't represent any the new genres that exemplify the uniqueness of the period. Conan the Barbarian no.1, published in October 1970, however, fits all of these criteria as several posters have elaborated in great detail, and for this reason I believe it is the best choice for a single book that truly represents the beginning of the Bronze Age.

 

Only disagree to the extent that this was the first appearance of Conan as a new comic character (as you did clarify earlier in your post). Conan was of course well established in the pulps and the 1960s paperbacks with the Frazetta covers. Adaptation of other works-- while it did occur-- was not really something I thought of as a particularly Bronze Age characteristic, at least up until Star Wars and Micronauts. Of the moderately successful early 1970s ones, there was the Shadow and King Kull, and then a few less-successful attempts like Doc Savage and the Avenger from Justice Inc. (Not counting Beowulf here!) So I'm not sure how "new" Conan really was.

 

My only real complaint against Conan #1 as the start of the Bronze Age in October 1970 is it excludes a number of earlier books with more in common with what followed (Bronze Age) than what preceeded (Silver)--

- Detective 395, 397, 400, 402 (Adams books)

- Batman 219 (Adams)

- Green Lantern / Green Arrow 76-79 (O'Neil/Adams)

- Teen Titans 25-29 (disillusioned TT give up costumes, take on new members)

- JLA 78-83 (JLA leave Earth)

 

People have argued that the O'Neil/Adams stuff was just a continuation of the earlier Haney/Adams Brave & Bold. But I put the Adams B&B, Deadman and Spectre in with other experimental late-late Silver Age work such as the Marvel split books of 1968, Bat Lash, the mod Sekowsky Wonder Woman, Joe Orlando's House of Mystery, and Steranko's ground-breaking Nick Fury. The arrival of the O'Neil/Adams "New Old Look" for the Batman was a self-conscious break with the past, as was the GL-GA series by the same team. The Bronze Age Batman and Green Arrow were as different from their Silver Age predecessors as was the Barry Allen Flash from the Jay Garrick Flash (though admittedly without the hiatus in publication).

 

"That's my story, and I'm etc. etc. etc....."

 

Cheers,

Z.

 

 

 

[joe_collector]

My opinion on this whole debate is that the main trends I see as comprising the Bronze Age, such as anti-heroes, increased violence, heroes killing villains, villains killing heroes/bystanders, minority representation (as both heroes and villains) and an influx of brand-new characters exhibiting these characteristics....

 

Had little or nothing to do with DC comics.

 

Sure, DC did produce some exceptional Bronze Age trend-setting stories like Manhunter and Spectre (both of which might have been better than the Marvel counterparts) but in 1970-72, it was Marvel really taking the ball and driving it to a new and different territory.

 

Just my opinion.

[Zonker]

Sure, DC did produce some exceptional Bronze Age trend-setting stories like Manhunter and Spectre (both of which might have been better than the Marvel counterparts) but in 1970-72, it was Marvel really taking the ball and driving it to a new and different territory.

 

Just my opinion.

 

Might want to add at least Wein & Wrightson's Swamp Thing and Kaluta's Shadow to the short list above. I recall you didn't think much of Kirby's Fourth World stuff at DC-- any opinion on the Adams books such as GL/GA?

[joe_collector]

I loved the GL/GA books, but I just don't see any DC book providing the impetus to create/launch all of the Bronze Age trends I identify with.

 

Plus, all the Key Bronze Age first appearances are Marvel.

[Kevin Boyd]

I agree with JC that most people equate Bronze with Marvel, but I have no problem classifying Swamp Thing, The Shadow and Kirby's Fourth World titles as Bronze. Most fit the bronze age "mold" of violent or supernatural/monster anti-heroes, inspiration from pulps, tolkein-esque fantasy elements, etc.

 

I do have a problem classifying Adams' Avengers, X-Men, Spectre, Deadman and Batman comics as bronze. They are definitely grounded in the silver age. Ditto for Steranko's Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD and Captain America.

 

Kev

[Zonker]

So we have a couple of different ways of thinking about this one.

 

One way is to lump together all the books we 'normally' think of as Bronze, look for the earliest instance, and call that the beginning. I would think the early O'Neil/Adams Batman and GL/GA books equally would belong in that category for the following reasons--

- stories pitched to older age readers than Silver Age books

- moral ambiguity in super-heroes: this is obvious in GL/GA, but these are also the first indications the Batman might be much more of an obsessed individual, using more physical violence and intimidation, operating more outside the law, than seen previously.

- supernatural themes (ghosts in Detective 395, 404; a demon in Batman 221)

- introduction of Man-Bat as a prototypical 1970s comics monster (Detective 400, 402)

 

The other way is to look for a clean break with the past, one not grounded as you say in the Silver Age. This approach does take you to Conan #1 for the obvious reasons (it was a #1, a first comics appearance, etc.) Most any other choice can find Silver Age antecedents (Deadman, Adams X-Men and B&B, Orlando's House of Mystery, Steranko's books, Ditko's Hawk & Dove, etc.) There's a lot to be said for starting the Bronze Age with books cover-dated October 1970: first Conan, first non-Kirby F.F., first Kirby DC Fourth World. My only problem is it leaves out what happened from January to September of 1970.

 

Cheers,

Z.

 

[Kevin Boyd]

October 1970 seems the likely choice because of all the reasons you mentioned before (Conan 1, et al.), but perhaps it might be easier to say January 1970 was the start date because it was such a clean break.

 

In pop culture in general and social history in particular December 1969/January 1970 is a significant date simply because it is seen as the end of an era of significant social change and the start of what's become known as the "me" decade of indulgence. It is still seen as one of the most particularly innovative period in rock music, television and motion pictures.

 

We've discussed those Batman stories before, and I agree that they are extremely significant. Adams calls them experimental and unique in Les Daniels' Batman the Complete History book. And I would definitely classify Man-Bat as being more of a Bronze age character (akin to Morbius the Living Vampire in ASM) than a silver one. So in that regards I could see the intro of Man-Bat in Detective 400 (June 1970) as a bronze age event (preceding GL/GA and Conan by a few months). Ra's Al Ghul is definitely a bronze age character.

 

Also, cover dates at the time were well in advance of publication dates to indicate how long the retailer should keep the book on display until before the distributor would accept returns. (I think it was three months difference). So June 1970 books would have been on the racks early in 1970 - probably in March 1970. January 1970 books would have been on the racks in October 1969. October 1970 books would have been on the racks in July 1970.

 

Kev