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Solstice
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Throughout history, we have communicated views and themes throughout books, such as the republic by plato, movies such as metropolis in the 1920s, art and song and poetry and as many forms of art as you can think of
However one that always stood out to me tonally and with how unique and nuanced it is, of course is comic books
Now look, there is some bias, I have always loved superheroes since I was a small child, green lantern, Batman, superman, man I loved (and still do) all of them to this day
But upon getting older and reading a direct range of characters and storylines throughout the over 100 years of creation I can undoubtably say that comics are truly the best medium to convey messages, so here we go
*DNR THE GOLDEN SILVER AND BRONZE AGE SECTIONS UNLESS YOU WANT A BROADER CONTEXTUAL SCOPE*
The Golden age of comics
Let me begin with the golden age of comic books, there had just been a big war, throughout Europe which was shocking as it followed directly after the “age of innocence” where there was relative standstill economically and societally, with that came a huge class divide and many old fashioned views.
After the war people viewed eachother somewhat differently, prejudices and grudges between unions and religious sectors had been greatly nullified along with a class consciousness forming
Now if you are wondering how this fits into comic books, then understand that contextually this paved the way towards the mediums early ways of conveying views. For example in the late 30s, during the Great Depression, superman was depicted fighting slave owners and fascists and exploitative business men, granted this isn’t a lot but really at the time the market was very marginalised as the whole demographic basically was kids
These were the early days, which as ww2 progressed the shift from criminals to political enemys began. Very famously captain America’s first cover was him punching hitler in the face, just before ww2 was entered by the usa
Societally a sense of patriotism, support for the little guy and moral strength over institutionalised power was demonstrated
The silver age of comics- the beginning really of the mediums excellence
racism was a big issue in America at the time, we all know that right?
So it would make sense that at the time racism was tackled along with social justice in general
Green arrow said once to green lantern “You work for the blue skins, and on a planet somewhere you helped out the orange skins… but down here on Earth, you’ve done nothing for the black skins”
Yes now that sounds “woke” and lame but at the time they were groundbreaking themes which led to future generations of Americans being so inclusive compared the the past
All in all the silver and golden age were influential but really do not convey what makes this medium so good as these themes were very much so present in other medias
Bronze Age (1970-1985)
This is brief but this truly marked the beginning of real world issues being tackled, topics like drug addiction, mental illness and political distrust were very common at that time. Famously with speedy’s addiction to heroin
The modern age
Micro section 1, 1985-1995
This era exploded with the carefully planned well executed tales I enjoy to read
A few standouts are, Watchmen (1986), The dark knight returns (1986) and Maus (1991)
These deconstructed the superhero mythos using art and repeated images and phrases to make the reader question their own actions and morality while reading
Micro section 2, Twin towers and it’s effects
9/11 was a collapse of the stability of the usa. The World Trade Center represented Western economic might, rationalism, and globalized modernity. Its destruction created a hyperreal moment. the reality of the event was so catastrophic that it outpaced the culture itself.
In that void, superheroes were exposed. They no longer mapped cleanly onto the world.
This was clearly a collapse of the narrative ontology that the superhero once inhabited. 9/11 created a disjunction between the mythic and the real, between American exceptionalism and its own existentialism.
Traditionally, the superhero has served as an apollonian figure, a manifestation of order, law, balance, and light (Superman as the solar god, the Christ analogue-which is also in man of steel lol). His world may fall into chaos, but he restores it.
To put it another way,
Post 9/11 comics saw a reversal of this structure
The Joker in The Dark Knight becomes a metaphysical force, embodying what Nietzsche called Dionysian energy, irrationality, destruction, freedom, entropy.
Batman, trying to reimpose control through surveillance (The Dark Knight, 2008), mirrors the state’s post 9/11 impulse, safety through authoritarian control. His moral ambiguity reflects the Patriot Act.
This in turn reflects a broader cultural anxiety, that in order to resist terror, we must become “monstrous” ourselves.
As you have seen by the early 2000s, comics had already begun unmasking their own darker corners. In DC’s Identity Crisis, the sexual assault of Sue Dibny, a Silver Age supporting character marked a shocking, controversial pivot. While the story received backlash for exploiting trauma, it also signaled a broader shift.
The superhero genre was no longer immune to moral collapse from within.
This narrative act as a violation of the genre’s nostalgic innocence was not just about plot, but about the loss of certitude that had defined the Golden and Silver Ages.
Finally, comic up to the 2010s and 20s (editing note- thanks for reading this far lol)
I don’t really have a lot to say about this era as I hate it, but I can TRY to explain the vision,
You see, the 2010s were about comics remembering the “little guy” really, sure it may seem “woke”, I kind of have an issue with it, but with a diversifying audience they dealt with the cards (and strain) they had. Such as making Mexican green lanterns and a gay robin. I liked a few but not really, animal man stood out to me and I am reading absolute Martian manhunter as it is releasing
thanks for reading if you did, any questions about comics feel free to pm me also or reply to this lol
However one that always stood out to me tonally and with how unique and nuanced it is, of course is comic books
Now look, there is some bias, I have always loved superheroes since I was a small child, green lantern, Batman, superman, man I loved (and still do) all of them to this day
But upon getting older and reading a direct range of characters and storylines throughout the over 100 years of creation I can undoubtably say that comics are truly the best medium to convey messages, so here we go
*DNR THE GOLDEN SILVER AND BRONZE AGE SECTIONS UNLESS YOU WANT A BROADER CONTEXTUAL SCOPE*
The Golden age of comics
Let me begin with the golden age of comic books, there had just been a big war, throughout Europe which was shocking as it followed directly after the “age of innocence” where there was relative standstill economically and societally, with that came a huge class divide and many old fashioned views.
After the war people viewed eachother somewhat differently, prejudices and grudges between unions and religious sectors had been greatly nullified along with a class consciousness forming
Now if you are wondering how this fits into comic books, then understand that contextually this paved the way towards the mediums early ways of conveying views. For example in the late 30s, during the Great Depression, superman was depicted fighting slave owners and fascists and exploitative business men, granted this isn’t a lot but really at the time the market was very marginalised as the whole demographic basically was kids
These were the early days, which as ww2 progressed the shift from criminals to political enemys began. Very famously captain America’s first cover was him punching hitler in the face, just before ww2 was entered by the usa
Societally a sense of patriotism, support for the little guy and moral strength over institutionalised power was demonstrated
The silver age of comics- the beginning really of the mediums excellence
racism was a big issue in America at the time, we all know that right?
So it would make sense that at the time racism was tackled along with social justice in general
Green arrow said once to green lantern “You work for the blue skins, and on a planet somewhere you helped out the orange skins… but down here on Earth, you’ve done nothing for the black skins”
Yes now that sounds “woke” and lame but at the time they were groundbreaking themes which led to future generations of Americans being so inclusive compared the the past
All in all the silver and golden age were influential but really do not convey what makes this medium so good as these themes were very much so present in other medias
Bronze Age (1970-1985)
This is brief but this truly marked the beginning of real world issues being tackled, topics like drug addiction, mental illness and political distrust were very common at that time. Famously with speedy’s addiction to heroin
The modern age
Micro section 1, 1985-1995
This era exploded with the carefully planned well executed tales I enjoy to read
A few standouts are, Watchmen (1986), The dark knight returns (1986) and Maus (1991)
These deconstructed the superhero mythos using art and repeated images and phrases to make the reader question their own actions and morality while reading
Micro section 2, Twin towers and it’s effects
9/11 was a collapse of the stability of the usa. The World Trade Center represented Western economic might, rationalism, and globalized modernity. Its destruction created a hyperreal moment. the reality of the event was so catastrophic that it outpaced the culture itself.
In that void, superheroes were exposed. They no longer mapped cleanly onto the world.
This was clearly a collapse of the narrative ontology that the superhero once inhabited. 9/11 created a disjunction between the mythic and the real, between American exceptionalism and its own existentialism.
Traditionally, the superhero has served as an apollonian figure, a manifestation of order, law, balance, and light (Superman as the solar god, the Christ analogue-which is also in man of steel lol). His world may fall into chaos, but he restores it.
To put it another way,
Post 9/11 comics saw a reversal of this structure
The Joker in The Dark Knight becomes a metaphysical force, embodying what Nietzsche called Dionysian energy, irrationality, destruction, freedom, entropy.
Batman, trying to reimpose control through surveillance (The Dark Knight, 2008), mirrors the state’s post 9/11 impulse, safety through authoritarian control. His moral ambiguity reflects the Patriot Act.
This in turn reflects a broader cultural anxiety, that in order to resist terror, we must become “monstrous” ourselves.
As you have seen by the early 2000s, comics had already begun unmasking their own darker corners. In DC’s Identity Crisis, the sexual assault of Sue Dibny, a Silver Age supporting character marked a shocking, controversial pivot. While the story received backlash for exploiting trauma, it also signaled a broader shift.
The superhero genre was no longer immune to moral collapse from within.
This narrative act as a violation of the genre’s nostalgic innocence was not just about plot, but about the loss of certitude that had defined the Golden and Silver Ages.
Finally, comic up to the 2010s and 20s (editing note- thanks for reading this far lol)
I don’t really have a lot to say about this era as I hate it, but I can TRY to explain the vision,
You see, the 2010s were about comics remembering the “little guy” really, sure it may seem “woke”, I kind of have an issue with it, but with a diversifying audience they dealt with the cards (and strain) they had. Such as making Mexican green lanterns and a gay robin. I liked a few but not really, animal man stood out to me and I am reading absolute Martian manhunter as it is releasing
thanks for reading if you did, any questions about comics feel free to pm me also or reply to this lol
