• About Jildy Sauce

Jildy Sauce

~ Reviews of film, theatre, music, art and all that

Jildy Sauce

Tag Archives: Gil Kane

The Silver Age of DC Comics

17 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by P.P.O. Kane in Art review, Book review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Batman, Carmine Infantino, Curt Swan, Gil Kane, Jeffrey Jerome Cohen, Jerry Grandenetti, Joe Kubert, Josh Baker, Monster Culture, Neal Adams, Paul Levitz, Steve Ditko, Superman, Taschen, The Silver Age of DC Comics, Wonder Woman

The Silver Age of DC Comics

By Paul Levitz

Art Direction and Design by Josh Baker

Taschen, 2013

ISBN: 9783836535762

The Silver Age of DC Comics By Paul Levitz Taschen, 2013 ISBN: 9783836535786. Copyright: TM & © DC Comics. All rights reserved. (s13)

This Brobdingnagian book measures about 24cm by 33cm across and has 400 or so pages, pretty much all in colour.

At the very start there is an interview with the great Neal Adams, a comic book artist with a cinematic style who graced Batman with a sinister elegance (his Batman was modelled on Christopher Lee’s Dracula, if I remember aright), paving the way for Frank Miller’s later and even more radical reimagining of the Dark Knight.  A short interview but one full of astute comments, and I was especially struck by Adams’ remark that Marvel’s creations (The Fantastic Four, Spiderman, The Hulk, etc.) ‘were essentially monsters turned into superheroes’.  A surprising observation, but on reflection perfectly sound: Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, Marvel’s two main artists, were schooled in all genres, including horror comics.  And significant too, since there has been a growing interest in monsters in recent years – and in what they might mean for we poor mortals – following on from Jeffrey Jerome Cohen’s seminal Monster Culture.  Indeed, one could characterise Adams’ Deadman – a pale, corpse-like revenant whose ontological status is uncertain – as a kind of monster.

Strange Adventures No. 207. Cover art, Neal Adams.  Copyright: TM & © DC Comics. All rights reserved. (s13)

Strange Adventures No. 207. Cover art, Neal Adams. Copyright: TM & © DC Comics. All rights reserved. (s13)

The question driving Deadman, ‘Why was I killed?’, is not unlike ‘Why was I born?’, a question all reflective beings ask at some point.  It also recalls the question the monster addressed to Frankenstein: ‘Why did you make me?’  Adams’ character is a dead man yet conscious, possessing desire and intention, so what else is he if not a hybrid, a freak?  His tormented quest means that peace is a lifetime away.

The second section, ‘The Super Hero in the Space Age’, presents a history of DC Comics from the mid-1950s to the end of the ’60s.  Though rather staid to start with (certainly when compared to EC Comics which came before and Marvel who came after), DC took more risks as the 1960s wore on.  Paul Levitz attributes this change, in the main, to the appointment of artists, notably Carmine Infantino, famous for his work on Flash, to editorial and managerial positions.  They certainly allowed the idiosyncratic Steve Ditko great freedom to develop his characters – The Creeper, The Question and Blue Beetle – when he moved over to DC and Charlton in the latter part of the ‘60s, after a fatal falling out with Stan Lee.  In a way, The Question has always been rather an ironic title for a Ditko character for, like the philosopher Willard van Orman Quine, who removed the question mark character from his typewriter and replaced it with a mathematical symbol, Ditko had little tolerance for uncertainty or ambiguity.

Now we come to the final section of the book, ‘The Silver Age, 1956-1970’, and it’s a feast for the eyes, well worth waiting for.  It is best described as an opulent gallery of comic book art: some interior panels and pages but mainly covers.  There was a widespread belief in the industry that children and teenagers (virtually the sole readership at that time) bought comics on the basis of the cover art, and that it was usually an impulse purchase.  Hence the covers were often spectacular, or perhaps had a gorilla on the cover – since it was discovered that the latter sold especially well.  Anyway, it is clear that one way to read a comic is to treat the cover art as a painting and the interior as a narrative interpretation of it.  A strategy suggested by how they were put together.  Here is a Batman cover from 1968:

Batman No. 205. Cover art, Irv Novick. September 1968.  Copyright: TM & © DC Comics. All rights reserved. (s13)

Batman No. 205. Cover art, Irv Novick. September 1968. Copyright: TM & © DC Comics. All rights reserved. (s13)

Within this section there is a focus on the principal superheroes (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc.) and their artists and writers, but other genres (war, romance, science fiction, espionage, westerns) are given their due too.  Mort Weisinger, a scriptwriter on Superman, had what may well have been the most envious job in the world: ‘I often fantasised what I would do as the Man of Steel.’  He then wrote it down and incorporated it into a story.  It happened.  One might well ask whether Superman is a monster.  For monsters are parasitic on human emotion; they embody our fantasies and dreams as well as our nightmares.

Some of the artists highlighted here are Neal Adams, Carmine Infantino and Steve Ditko, but there is also Gil Kane (Green Lantern), Curt Swan (Superman) and Joe Kubert (Sergeant Rock and other war comics: Kubert is the great comic book war artist): all comic book legends.  What is particularly effective about the way this final section has been put together is that all the text – the exposition, judgement and opinion – is in the captions.  A brilliant format: you can readily immerse yourself in the splendor and excitement of the art work, then return to read at leisure.

Wonder Woman No. 136. Cover art, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito. February 1963.  Copyright: TM & © DC Comics. All rights reserved. (s13)

Wonder Woman No. 136. Cover art, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito. February 1963. Copyright: TM & © DC Comics. All rights reserved. (s13)

The Silver Age was the period when DC Comics deepened and developed its existing stable of superhero characters, as well of course as developing new ones. By doing this, they responded to the challenge posed by Marvel.  Also, the DC Universe (or Multiverse) was made more complex and strange – the notion of parallel worlds was introduced, for example – if not as complex and strange as our own.  This had crucial consequences much later; it led to Infinite Crisis and all that carry-on.

This sumptuous book is visually rich, informative and insightful, brimming with beauty.  It is an ideal companion and guide to the Silver Age for novices and cognoscenti alike.  (The latter might be heard to ask, ‘Why wasn’t I told about Jerry Grandenetti?’)  While more than likely to ignite desire as well as satisfy it, the book can be warmly recommended to all comic book fans.

The publisher’s description of the book can be read here.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Email
  • Reddit
  • Print
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Like this:

Like Loading...

Subscribe

  • Entries (RSS)
  • Comments (RSS)

Archives

  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010

Categories

  • ABC
  • Art Fair
  • Art review
  • Ballet review
  • Blu-ray review
  • Book preview
  • Book review
  • Burlesque review
  • Chocolate review
  • Circus review
  • Comedy review
  • Comic review
  • Comics review
  • Comment
  • Concert review
  • Dance review
  • Diary or Calendar Review
  • DVD review
  • eat curl nod
  • Exhibition review
  • Farce review
  • Festival Preview
  • Film review
  • Interview
  • List Feature
  • Mime Review
  • Museum review
  • Music review
  • Musical review
  • news item
  • Opera review
  • osc poem
  • Photography review
  • Photos
  • Play review
  • Poetry review
  • Preview
  • Product review
  • Quotations
  • Restaurant Review
  • Science review
  • Special Events
  • Theatre review
  • Uncategorized
  • Website review

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
%d bloggers like this: