Golden Age (1938–1956)
Key marker: Action Comics #1 (1938, Superman).
- Detective Comics #27 (1939, Batman)
- Captain America Comics #1 (1941)
- Wonder Woman (Sensational Comics era)
Comic Book Ages
A concise, neutral guide to the major comic-book ages with year ranges and canonical examples.
Silver Age (1956–1970)
Key marker: Showcase #4 (1956, Barry Allen/Flash).
- Fantastic Four #1 (1961)
- Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962, Spider-Man)
- X-Men #1 (1963)
Bronze Age (1970–1984)
Key marker: Green Lantern/Green Arrow #76 (1970).
- “Demon in a Bottle” (Iron Man 1979)
- “The Death of Gwen Stacy” (ASM 1973)
- “The Dark Phoenix Saga” (X-Men 1980)
- Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975)
Copper Age (1984–1991) (collector term; not universal)
Key markers: indie boom + event comics.
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (1984)
- Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars (1984–85)
- Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985)
- Batman: The Killing Joke (1988)
Modern Age (1992–Present)
Key markers: Image era and creator-owned surge.
- Spawn #1 (1992)
- The Sandman landmark arcs (carry-over popularity)
- Ultimate Spider-Man #1 (2000)
- Saga #1 (2012)
FAQ
Are comic-book age boundaries debated?
Yes. Boundaries are debated; our page uses the ranges above.