Favorite Era of DC

[kkhohoho]

So with all of this talk about Marvel supposedly doing a big-arse reboot, (which I don't think they're doing, but that's a story for another day,) it got me thinking about DC's own reboots, of which they have had many, right from the beginning of the Silver Age. (Yeah, they added in the Golden Age continuity back in with Earth 2 later, but that they isolated it on a separate world instead of integrating it into the regular DC Universe at the time should tell you something.) With all of these different eras and takes on the DC Universe, it stands to reason that everyone has their own favorites, and so I thought it'd be interesting to see what's considered the most favored era around these parts.

For me, it would have to be the Post Crisis era. That seems to be the point when the overall writing saw general improvements across the board, and while some books in the early 80's were really good, these were mostly outside of DC's traditional A-list books; stuff like Teen Titans, Swamp Thing, Legion of Superheroes, The Warlord, etc. Post-crisis saw that general level of writing shoot across much of the rest of the verse, and it produced some truly great comics, while still keeping the spirit of many of it's characters. It also fully integrated the Fawcett, Quality, and Charlton characters into the main DC universe, while also transforming Lex Luthor into his now familiar buisnessman self, effectively creating the DC universe as many of us know it today. (Myself included.) So for my money, the Post-Crisis universe is where it's at. (I'm also including the Zero Hour and Infinite Crisis era's as part of that, but I know that some people are a bit more selective, so I've broken things up a bit more in the polls. If you want, you could vote for all three individually, or if you prefer, say, post Zero Hour or post Infinite Crisis, you can just pick one of those. Your choice.)

[Podmark]

So with all of this talk about Marvel supposedly doing a big-arse reboot, (which I don't think they're doing, but that's a story for another day,)

I'll just get this out of the way. No Marvel is not doing a reboot of any kind, they made that crystal clear about a month ago. After Secret Wars we return to the same history, same characters, same story lines, but with some extra characters, such as Miles Morales and Old Man Logan, added to the mix. They did tease a reboot to get people talking and hype Secret Wars, but they aren't doing a reboot.

Back to DC.
My favourite era would be the post Zero Hour into Post Infinite Crisis. That's the era I started reading and where most of my favourite DC characters (Tim Drake, Superboy, Cassandra Cain, Kyle Rayner) started up and some of my favourite books were (Young Justice and Teen Titans notably).
Granted I've read little DC from before the era either, but I've rarely heard anything that made me go "I need to read that!", which is very different from my relationship with Marvel.

[HarryTrotter]

Post Zero hour for me.I started there.And there is so many great stuff.JLA,JSA,Azrael,so many memories.And similar to Marvel,it all came crashing down in mid '00.

[Tomato]

Post Zero Hour. The return of the CSA, some of my favorite JLA stories (Tower of Babel and Divided We Fall specifically), The Titans, and the Teen Titans. I've mentioned how much of a sucker I am for legacy characters, but the 90s were really where that sort of thing shined... Wally had taken over as the Flash, Kyle was Green Lantern, the original Titans had all more or less come into their own, and I was introduced to versions of Robin and the like that would come to define those identities for my generation... Tim Drake, Conner Kent, etc.

[Cyber Burn]

One of my very first DC Books was the "Last Days of the Justice Society" Special (http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Last_Days_of_the_Justice_Society), and near 30 years later, it's still sitting on my Dresser in my Bedroom. It introduced me to my love of the Justice Society, All-Star Squadron, and to the various Legacy Characters. So for me, that's where the DC Universe started, and that is where it will probably always remain.

[Thunder]

I chose the Bronze Age.  This was the "Satellite Era" of the JLA.  this was the team at their most powerful.  This was also the time of the best JLA/JSA team ups.

[kkhohoho]

I chose the Bronze Age.  This was the "Satellite Era" of the JLA.  this was the team at their most powerful.  This was also the time of the best JLA/JSA team ups.

Well, the team was powerful, sure, but I'd wager the Morrison team could give it a run for its' money. On top of that, the Satellite team just had mediocre stories IMO, although the JLA/JSA team-ups were at least kind of fun. (Except for that last one with the new origin of Black Canary. That one was just weird. And creepy.)

[HarryTrotter]

Its a case of horrible retcon,but after Identity Crisis I cant touch the Satellite era.
Worth mentioning in post-ZH,there is also Kingdom Come,a moment where DC gave the middle finger to the Dark age.
And Hitman,lets not forget Hitman.

[BentonGrey]

Ohh Spade, blaming the Bronze Age for the sins (manifold though they are) of the modern age is just not fair. 

I imagine that no one will be surprised that my choice is the Bronze Age, but the DCUG gives evidence to the fact that my feelings about the DCU are more than a little complicated.  The characters as they existed in the Bronze Age are, for my money, the best versions of the best characters in comics, with notable exceptions, like Lex Luthor.  Of course, the DCU took on a more streamlined (though not streamlined enough) shape after the Crisis, and it also expanded to include a range of great characters.  The Post Crisis period also, as Kk argued, brought us some really fantastic stories.  Sadly, while the Bronze Age in Marvel gave us some of the greatest comic stories of all time, the DC Bronze Age was nowhere near as productive.  Their story renaissance really was the Post Crisis era.  Yet, that era is also drastically handicapped by terrible continuity and a lot of awful character moves.  For every great story, there are also things like Batman and the Outsiders or Justice League Detroit. 

I especially love the Justice League of the Bronze Age, but it is true that there are not that many fantastic stories, though there are a few.  The modern era Morrison League stories, on the other hand, are some of the best ever written, at least in terms of ideas.  They are stories of big concepts, great plots, but they are, in turn, handicapped by poor art and the lousy state of the Universe at large.  Re-reading through them I'm also struck by what seems to be a defining characteristic of a Morrison story, namely the feeling that you've missed a page or two.  He moves so quickly that he often doesn't quite manage to tell the story in its entirety. 

As with pretty much everything else, the Timmverse does a wonderful job of taking the best elements of the flawed versions of the DCU and creating something better out of them.

[kkhohoho]

As with pretty much everything else, the Timmverse does a wonderful job of taking the best elements of the flawed versions of the DCU and creating something better out of them.

This is very true, and just about everything the Timmverse has covered, I consider the definite version. Unfortunately, there's just so much the Timmverse hasn't covered, such as: Wonder Woman solo, Flash solo, Green Lantern solo, Captain Marvel solo, the JSA, the Teen Titans, Animal Man, Swamp Thing, etc. Because of that, there's still a lot you have to go to the comics for in order to understand, and while there is some good -- sometimes even great -- stuff, it can be at times like searching for a needle in a haystack to get to that. Just take DC's Silver Age. For every Legion of Superheroes, Doom Patrol, Metal Men, and Metamorpho, there were Superman and Louis being douchebags to each other, the Rainbow Batman&Batbaby, and more Wonder Woman bondage. Honestly, when it comes to most of DC's Silver Age stuff, I can't stand to read most of it unless I want to be unintentionally amused. I read enough to get an idea of what a given series was like in that era, and then I have to put it down because I can't bear to read any more. Whereas with Marvel, they struck silver (see what I did there?) from the get-go, and only went for the bronze from there. (See what I did th-- {Is shot.} (Well, it should really be gold, not bronze, but then I wouldn't have that nice pu-- {Is shot. Again.}

Basically, Marvel had a much better foundation to stand on which they only built off of from there, and it's only more recently that they've started to falter. And they still tend to be better than the competition. I want to like DC, I really do, but they don't always give me much reason to compared to Marvel. (Unless you're the DCAU, in which case you can't fail.)

EDIT: Also, just an FYI, but I thought the Morrision Leagues' art was fantastic. I don't really see how it can be bad, honestly.

[HarryTrotter]

@Benton Actually,I blame Identity Crisis for ruining a different era.Because a "love letter to the Silver age" retcons in defile into the said age.Worst part,its there just for shock value.
Early 90's were also a good time for DC.They actually avoided most of Dark age pitfalls.You had books like Starman,Sandman,Garth Ennis was on Hellblazer...But also EXTREME Justice and Bloodlines.

[Kenn]

Growing up in the Bronze-Age, I still thought it was still the Silver Age.  Deep down I still do.   That said, I grew up reading reprints, so the Golden, Silver, and Bronze ages are all one for me.

Then again, I think of  everything from "Titans/Young Justice Graduation Day" through today as being one era: the Radium Age.   Because ages are named after precious metals, and that particular era has been toxic.   

[HarryTrotter]

 Maybe you meant Identity Crisis?Now that was a start of something toxic.Amazons Attack,Battle for Bludhaven,Cry for Justice,Rise and Fall...

[kkhohoho]

Maybe you meant Identity Crisis?Now that was a start of something toxic.Amazons Attack,Battle for Bludhaven,Cry for Justice,Rise and Fall...

"And together, we can be Justice!"

[HarryTrotter]

And James Robinson is actually a good writer,but that simply wasnt a job for him.Or anyone really.

[Tomato]

Graduation day was certainly awful, but not everything that came out of that was truly bad. I did like the following Teen Titans run, despite some issues, and I didn't mind some of the stories that came out after that... much as I'm loathe to admit it, I agree with Spade... the worst came after Identity Crisis.

[HarryTrotter]

Graduation day was certainly awful, but not everything that came out of that was truly bad. I did like the following Teen Titans run, despite some issues, and I didn't mind some of the stories that came out after that... much as I'm loathe to admit it, I agree with Spade... the worst came after Identity Crisis.

Oh,thanks.Your vote fills me with confidence.
And China Cat,lets not forget the China Cat...or the dead cat.
Its sort of a spiral.A bad story creates bad aftermath and so on.

[kkhohoho]

Graduation day was certainly awful, but not everything that came out of that was truly bad. I did like the following Teen Titans run, despite some issues, and I didn't mind some of the stories that came out after that... much as I'm loathe to admit it, I agree with Spade... the worst came after Identity Crisis.

Oh,thanks.Your vote fills me with confidence.
And China Cat,lets not forget the China Cat...or the dead cat.
Its sort of a spiral.A bad story creates bad aftermath and so on.

I'm not that familiar with a lot of DC's post Identity Crisis stuff, but there had to be some good things after it, right? I heard John's Green Lantern run was good; does that count?

[Kenn]

Maybe you meant Identity Crisis?Now that was a start of something toxic.Amazons Attack,Battle for Bludhaven,Cry for Justice,Rise and Fall...

No.  I meant Graduation Day.  Donna Troy and Lilith killed by a Superman Robot.   Setting up the depressing transformation of Bart Allen from Impulse (who's series ran for 90 issues) into Kid Flash.  Dismantling Young Justice and the Titans just so the Young Justice kids could use the name.  I agree with you about the toxicity that followed, I just recognise an earlier start.

[HarryTrotter]

Graduation day was certainly awful, but not everything that came out of that was truly bad. I did like the following Teen Titans run, despite some issues, and I didn't mind some of the stories that came out after that... much as I'm loathe to admit it, I agree with Spade... the worst came after Identity Crisis.

Oh,thanks.Your vote fills me with confidence.
And China Cat,lets not forget the China Cat...or the dead cat.
Its sort of a spiral.A bad story creates bad aftermath and so on.

I'm not that familiar with a lot of DC's post Identity Crisis stuff, but there had to be some good things after it, right? I heard John's Green Lantern run was good; does that count?

No.It was flipping great.But the more terrestrial events were...bad at best.
I have to say,somebody at DC offices really hated Donna Troy.Every possible bad thing has happend to her.Including being deleted from existence then returning as a villain.Thank you Nu52.

[BentonGrey]

This is the trouble with DC, you've got islands of awesome in almost any period, but then there are abyssal depths that are part and parcel as well.

[HarryTrotter]

There was a number of good titles and stories running around that time.But they werent good because of Identity Crisis,but almost in spite of it.
And I admit,second Firestorm was okay.Thou the death of the first was really,really stupid.

[daglob]

I freely admit to preferring the silver age; after all, the first time I read a comic was in 1962.

You have no idea what it's like to be reading DC comics and suddenly find FF Annual #1. Or be used to looking at really fine artists like Gil Kane, Wally Wood, Nick Cardy, Curt Swan, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and then see Neal Adams and Jim Steranko art.

[WyldFyre]

I freely admit to preferring the silver age; after all, the first time I read a comic was in 1962.

I agree.  But I also give a nod to the Bronze Age.  For me it seemed that there was a general lack of caring by both DC and Marvel after the Crisis and Mutant Massacre storylines.

My preference for the Silver Age is more a matter of writing.  The dialogue was better then. More descriptive and less expletive. And I prefer the characters from that era as well. A hero was a HERO and a villain was a VILLAIN and there was no moral ambiguity about it. That started to change in the Bronze age.

My biggest beef with post Zero-Hour was with my favorite book though, Legion of Super-Heroes. They managed to take them and destroy them. I have tried to read the later incarnations, but it's just not the same.

[kkhohoho]

I freely admit to preferring the silver age; after all, the first time I read a comic was in 1962.

I agree.  But I also give a nod to the Bronze Age.  For me it seemed that there was a general lack of caring by both DC and Marvel after the Crisis and Mutant Massacre storylines.

My preference for the Silver Age is more a matter of writing.  The dialogue was better then. More descriptive and less expletive. And I prefer the characters from that era as well. A hero was a HERO and a villain was a VILLAIN and there was no moral ambiguity about it. That started to change in the Bronze age.

My biggest beef with post Zero-Hour was with my favorite book though, Legion of Super-Heroes. They managed to take them and destroy them. I have tried to read the later incarnations, but it's just not the same.

I can't agree with you on the writing. To me, more often than not, it was just too wooden with little personality, and while Marvel's dialogue was better, it still had it's issues. Also, dialogue shouldn't need to be descriptive. Comics are a visual medium, and so everything that can be shown as opposed to being told or described should be shown so clearly that the the dialogue shouldn't have to compensate for the visuals' failures. To be fair though, this wasn't something unique to the Silver Age, as while the dialogue became less wooden over time, it arguably became even more descriptive later on, with characters seeming to describe what they're doing and how they're doing it for the reader on a regular basis. To make matters worse, if they weren't speaking it, they were thinking it, and if they weren't thinking it, the narration boxes described it. Comics only seemed to largely do away with all of this in the late 80's, and some still used them for a time until the early 90's or so. By now, 'Show, Don't Tell' has finally become the norm in comics, and I honestly don't know how it took that long to get there.

[WyldFyre]

Comics only seemed to largely do away with all of this in the late 80's, and some still used them for a time until the early 90's or so. By now, 'Show, Don't Tell' has finally become the norm in comics, and I honestly don't know how it took that long to get there.

While I agree that comics are more a visual medium, to me dialogue and narration boxes are an addition to, not a distraction from, the story.  I totally understand the minimalist view of text balloons in the comics.  But, only IMHO, the lack of more prosaic stories leaves me a little sad. Yes you can tell a story only in pictures, but why would you? Can you truly know what motivates a villain without words? If all you see is the Joker killing a hospital full of people with laughing gas, you only have a depiction of mass murder.  Now having him spout off in a word balloon or text box about how the Emergency Room doctor failed to save the life of one of his goons brings a purpose to it. I believe  there was an issue of Superman? which was published totally without words. I found it disappointing. I'm not saying that those who prefer the art to the text are wrong.... I'm just expressing my preference in the medium. 

and I honestly don't know how it took that long to get there.

I believe it may be because the title was 'Comic Book'. Book alluding to the written word. Perhaps 'Graphic Magazine' would be more appropriate.

[HarryTrotter]

^How the decompessed comics started?Like pretty much everything in this era,with The Authority.Bryan Hitch adopted the widescreen manga presentation and people just aped him.
And everything now is pretty much writen for a paperback so its not really planed to be read as solo issues.But thats a different problem.