Chew The Fat: The Golden Age through Bronze Age Glasses!

Martinex1: Are we the last generation to appreciate Golden Age comics?

When I started collecting comics around the mid 1970s, the world was barely 30 years removed from the end of World War II.   At the time many of the comic creators were still from a group raised from the Great Depression era through the post-war 1950's.   There was a certain perspective around heroism and honor that I believe is specific to that age and was reflected in many Silver and Bronze Age works. 

The Golden Age of comics was in the rear view mirror but there were so many remnants in key Marvel issues that I enjoy even today.  Roy Thomas played a big part in that as he brought many of the characters forward in time or in unique or altered ways.   Take a look at these Marvel offerings with hints of the Golden Age sprinkled in (or bluntly apparent). 

Sometimes a name was just put back into play.  In other cases a character was resurrected.   And in yet others the stories were framed in a WWII milieu.

In addition we were exposed to reprints that collected some of the old great stories.  This was particularly apparent in the Fantasy Masterpieces collections from the late 1960s.   These particular issues were floating around in a cousin's collection.

Of course the original Invaders were key (though they weren't called that at the time).  Captain America, the Human Torch, and the Sub-Mariner leapt off the pages but they weren't necessarily the characters I adored.   It confused me as a youngster - these doppelgangers were sometimes violent, odd, and brutal.   There were times that I was shocked and even frightened by the murders, suicides, and vengeful retribution that filled the books.  Later it clicked that they were created at a different time and that they were essentially prototypes of what I had come to know and admire.  

As I grew older and started visiting the local comic shops, I was exposed more to those original early comics.  I remember first learning of the "Golden Age" moniker through labeling on special poly bags, boards, and boxes designed for the larger size of the issues.

I have to admit though that I did not collect the issues.  Somehow - through osmosis I guess - I absorbed a fairly good understanding of the early heroes, their powers, and general attributes.  Here are a handful that caught my eye.  Yellowjacket and the Vision were of particular interest because of their modern link to the Avengers.   The Black Terror reminded me of the Grim Reaper.   And Daredevil, despite his namesake looked like 3-D Man to me. 

And of course DC characters made the leap from the  Golden Age to the Silver Age, often with limited changes.

Don't get me wrong - I am no expert on the era.   I like to look at the work with a slight nostalgic twinge.  And that makes me come full circle - are we the last generation to have any exposure to these comics and have an appreciation for how they led to more accessible stories, the refined art, and even the modern movies that entertain us today?   Did you collect Golden Age work?  What do you know and what do you recommend?   Who are the creators that we should seek out if we explore the works of the time?  We talk about the selling market for Bronze Age works, but what is the market for Golden Age comics?   Are they worth exploring for their historical perspective - both honorable and horrific?  Let's chew the fat today!  Cheers all!