 |
|
    |
|
|
The Silver Era... 1956 to 1969
Showcase #4, the 1st appearance of Barry Allen Flash
|
In October 1956, Showcase No. 4 rolled off the presses and so offically began
the Silver Age. It featured the "Whirlwind Adventures of the
Flash #105, the first Silver Age issue
|
Fastest Man Alive
-- the Flash!" Julius Schwartz, who had worked on the Golden Age Flash,
thought about bringing him back, but instead opted to create a new character
with the same powers, same name, and little else in common. ...and so Barry
Allen was born. Robert Kanigher was assigned to write it, with Carmine
Infantino drawing it and Joe Kubert inking. The Flash was the first Silver Age
superhero and he was an incredible success. Barry Allen went on to also
appear in Nos. 8, 13 and 14 but now with Gardner Fox and John Broome doing the
story and Joe Giella the inks as Kanigher and Kubert had moved on. Depsite his
success, it was not until February 1959 that DC gave him his own title with The
Flash No. 105, picking up the numbering of the Golden Age series.
Since the Comics Code had been created Timely(Marvel)
had been having a hard time. In Summer 1957 these problems, combined with
dropping sales and distribution problems, caused Editor Stan Lee to have to
cancel 55 titles in a three month period. Gone was Atlas, and, along with it,
it's distribution, leaving Lee with Strange Tales, Journey Into Mystery, a
handful of other titles, no distribution and no company logo. Publisher Martin
Goodman worked out a deal with American News to distribute, however American
suddenly also went under. A publisher with no way to get it's products to
market doesn't survive for along, and Goodman was forced to salvage what he
could, negotiating a deal with rival DC Comics to distribute Timely comics
through DC's newsstand system. Under this restrictive system the now
nameless Timely stumbled along, filling the next two years of it's releases
with leftover material from the 55 cancelled titles and generally
producing little of note. Others weren't so lucky. Lev Gleason, Ace Magazines,
Superior Comics and Quality among others, with Quality having been able to sell
off it's existing titles to DC COmics before ceasing publication. The
publication of the final issue of Plastic Man, No. 64 in November 1956, saw the
end of the last non-DC Golden Age superhero.
me@dereksantos.com - Derek Santos - webmaster
Last modified:
|
|
|