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Silver Age Shenanigans!

Comic books are a dangerous world these days, with all the cross-overs and deaths and crises that fill our favorite inked pages. Not to mention the constant catch-up we have to play with popular storylines and characters. If you skip an issue or forget to buy a tie-in, you can feel hopelessly overwhelmed. There are few good examples of great comics these days; comics that don’t deal with the latest craze or character being shoved down our throats *cough* Deadpool! *cough*. So sometimes it’s best to take your mind off of these events and return to a simpler age with your favorite hero. And while no company makes comics like they used to in the 50’s, you can easily find access to classic silver age stuff from DC Comics.

For years, DC Comics has been putting out very fancy classic comic collections called “Archive Editions”, which are printed on nice paper and housed between two hard covers. The series tackles most heroes: from classic Justice League stories to weird third-favorites like The Doom Patrol, showcasing all of their stories in numerical order. The only problem with them: 50 bucks a pop…for four issues. If you have the cash to sink into a project like this, then I say “Good on ya…you rich S.O.B.!” (I only own one, because I got it as a part of a super comic book sale).

Another, much cheaper option would be DC’s “Showcase Presents”, which is more of the same collective comic books reprints. Unlike the Archive Editions, the Showcase books can house entire runs of a comic series. My Ambush Bug Showcase book has not only every one of his original appearances (including in Supergirl and Action Comics), but both of his mini-series AND holiday specials! That’s right: 478 pages for the low, low price of….are you ready for this….$16.99! And they encompass everyone from Green Lantern to the Metal Men, and as I mentioned before…Ambush Bug! And NO ONE cares about Ambush Bug! Cheap, complete, simple…I bet you’re trying to figure out what the catch is. Well, let me tell you. The pages are printed on very simple paper, almost newspaper style…and it’s all in black in white. A shame really, since the panels of the silver age were so vibrant and colorful. I don’t mind it too much, but it takes a while to get used to.

Fret not-there is a good middle ground, though. DC has begun to put out collections that are a perfect mix of these two extremes, called “Chronicles”. These books collect old comics for a certain character and place them in chronological order, so you can make sure you won’t miss anything. The pages are full color, and maybe more dazzling than they originally appeared. You get about 6-7 issues of comic for about 15 bucks. Not too shabby. The books are starting off slow, focusing on their heavy hitters: Superman, Batman, Flash… but they should begin to target fan favorites in due time.

So if you’re like me and want to read about classic Barry Allen, being picked on by his girlfriend for being so slow, while secretly saving the day as the Flash, check out these collections. Most of you may scoff at these silver age titles for being simple, or useless, or boring. But believe me: there’s a LOT more humor and fun in these books than you’d remember or think of. And they’re definitely a nice breather from the harsh worlds that comics can delve into these days.

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