By Jon, Mail Order Library
Our media is dominated by all powerful superheroes, bright costumes and secret identities , so it is difficult to imagine that at one point in time the comic book genre didn’t exist at all. Up until the 1930s comic books were not yet recognized as their own type of media. They began as collections of newspaper comic strips called the Funnies. In fact, even the first superhero comic book was an anthology – a collection of unrelated short comic strips. This comic was called Action Comics #1 and among the many stories told within, Superman was born.
Action Comics #1 is credited with being the catalyst for the Golden Age of comics, where costumed heroes were created and became extremely popular. Superman’s popularity prompted other publishers to write heroes of their own. Soon the genre began to take form as Batman, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel and more began to join the emerging comic book industry. Thanks to rising giants such as Marvel Comics – then Timely Comics – and influential writers like Stan Lee, Superheroes of all types and publishers would dominate the Silver, Bronze and Modern ages.
Comic book heroes have never been more popular than they are today. Marvel and DC blockbusters rank among the most profitable movie releases of all time. Moreover, the genre has expanded and become popular even with people who aren’t into superheroes. Today you can find graphic novels dealing with all kinds of subject matter. One of my favorites is Fables by Bill Willingham, which reimagines classic fairy tales as characters hiding in New York City after a mysterious adversary conquers their home world.
Join our anniversary celebration by picking up a comic book or graphic novel at your local library! We have trade paperback issues selected by a local comic book shop, graphic novels, collected volumes, digital comics, and a huge collection of movies! Please take a look at some top fives from our current collection, spanning over 80 years.
Excelsior!
The Golden Age
Action Comics #1 [you can find this issue in Superman: The Golden Age Vol. 1]
Wonder Woman: The Golden Age Omnibus Vol. 1
English