The Evolution of Comics

There are a whole bunch of ways to define eras of comic books. We have the traditional Gold, Silver, Bronze, Copper, and Modern Ages. Some also delineate comic book eras by decade, by editor-in-chief (e.g., Marvel under Jim Shooter or DC under Jim Lee), or based on coinciding historical events (e.g., pre-War or pre-Code era). These are all relevant and helpful lenses to apply.

No matter how you slice your pie, one of the cool aspects of comics is the evolution in the look and mood of the storytelling and art. Todd McFarlane tells stories way, way differently than Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They’re both valid and valuable artistic approaches, and people are utterly justified in picking any era as their favorite.

For me, in terms of storytelling, you can’t beat the Silver Age genius of Marvel. The incredible run of new characters from Stan and Jack that graced pages in the early ‘60s to withstand the test of time feels like it will never be duplicated. That said, when I conjure images in my head of what constitutes a “comic” stylistically, my mind visualizes ‘90s books. I love the look of the Toddfather’s Spidey and the art of that era.

Jesse Switters recently introduced me to the work of a little known ‘90s comic artist named Patrick Rolo. Just check out the credits and his covers here! Incredibly ‘90s in the best way. One of the attributes making this medium so cool is the meld of visual and narrative story-telling, but even more than that, it’s just a fun way to consume a story. I like to think a lot of artists had fun in the ‘90s, and I love being transported into their minds when I page through the comics from that time.