ROGER’S COMIC RAMBLINGS: WHEN WERE COMICS THE BEST?

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Roger Ash

by Roger Ash

Who’s the “real” green Lantern?

A dispute I see being fought online and in comic shops daily revolves around the question “when were the best comics produced?” Older readers complain that they don’t like modern storytelling and that they don’t care for the current interpretations of characters they grew up with. This is countered by younger readers who love what’s being done now and find the old stories hokey. This often devolves into discussions (well, a lot more like fights) over who is the real version of a character. I can’t recall how lots of times I’ve heard people arguing about who is the real green Lantern, Hal Jordan or Kyle Rayner (or John Stewart or person Gardner)? When people would answer that Hal is because he was first, I would point out that no, Alan Scott came first. That would normally cause the person I said that to to glare at me with savage intensity. It may be controversial, but I have an answer as to when the best comics were produced. but before I reveal my answer, let’s take a brief look back at comics history.

Fantastic four #49, a Stan Lee & Jack Kirby classic.

Before superheroes dominated the comic book landscape, there were a variety of comics on the stands every month from romance to horror to crime to humor to funny animals to superheroes. To many, this variety makes this era stick out above the rest. For superhero fans, it would be hard to argue against the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby era at marvel as the most fertile and amazing era of superhero comics ever. between those two and creators like Steve Ditko, Wally Wood, Dick Ayers, and others, the foundation for the marvel universe was firmly set in place. That, to many, is the best era of comics. I’ve had people tell me that the image era of comics was the best, as top creators Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane, Rob Liefeld, Erik Larsen, Jim Valentino, Marc Silvestri, and Whilce Portacio set out to forge their own path. I’ve seen people make arguments for these, as well as other, eras for producing the best comics. Yet, none of these are when I think the best comics were produced. Here, at last, is my answer:

The era when the best comics were produced was when comics had their greatest impact on you.

While favorite comics may not necessarily equal the best comics in terms of literary or artistic achievement, if you pay attention, that’s what’s at the root of a lot of of these arguments. people want comics to be like they were when comics indicated the most to them. They want that same impact, that same thrill, they felt when they first discovered the magic of comics. That, in my experience, will never happen as not only have comics changed, but so have you. If a lot more than one person has worn a heroes’ costume – such as green Lantern, the Flash, or Marvel’s Captain marvel – the person who wore the costume when you started reading is, of course, the “real” hero. (Credit where credit scores is due, that concept of who the “real” hero is was introduced to me by Mike Carlin.)

Howard the Duck #25, the issue that hooked me on Howard.

So, for me, no era of comics will ever come close to having the impact that comics in the mid-70s to mid-80s did. I certainly take pleasure in older comics (for example, Carl Barks’ work with Disney’s Ducks is outstanding) and current books as well (like wonderful Four, Rachel Rising, and Popeye), but nothing will ever get to me the way books from that era did. Steve Gerber & gene Colan on Howard the Duck, Jim Starlin’s Warlock, Marv Wolfman & George Perez’s new teen Titans, Chris Claremont & John Byrne on X-Men, Steve Englehart & Marshall Rogers’ Batman in Detective, Byrne’s run on wonderful Four, Englehart & Frank Brunner on doctor Strange, Howard Chaykin’s American Flagg, Matt Wagner’s Mage, Roger Stern & John Romita Jr. on amazing Spider-Man, and Walter Simonson’s Thor; these books, and more, left an indelible mark on my brain and are the conventional I judge all comics by.

Cerebus #21, one of the first issues I read.

On top of that, the 80s featured the black and white explosion which brought such classics as Dave Sim’s Cerebus, Los Bros. Hernandez’s love and Rockets, and Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo to my attention. There were also gems that lots of people aren’t familiar with today like Jim Rohn’s Holo brothers and Mike Kazaleh’s The Adventures of Captain Jack. just typing this list makes me feel nostalgic and happy.

Amazing Spider-Man #353, early Spider-Man work by mark Bagley.

A younger pal once told me that, to her, mark Bagley was the classic Spider-Man artist. This stunned me. Not Steve Ditko, John Romita, Gil Kane, Todd McFarlane, or my personal favorite, John Romita Jr.? then I realized this was true for her. Bagley was the artist drawing the book when it had the greatest impact on her. So this idea about the best era of comics isn’t just related to the comics and the characters, but the creators as well.

So what do you think? Is the best era of comics the one that had the greatest impact on you or am I blowing hot air? What is your favorite era of comics? comments below and share your thoughts!

Now, go read a comic!

Classic comic covers from the Grand Comics Database.

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