The Silver Age of DC Comics Paul Levitz Sometimes, one simply needs to treat oneself, right? And if you’re an aficionado of the Silver Age of comics, DC-style (the late 1950s to the early 1970s) — as well as an admirer such formidable talents as Jack Kirby, Julius Schwartz and Gil Kane — you should do yourself a favour and invest in this handsome and strikingly designed book. In fact, the design is very much at the service of the material showcased here; unlike the eye-catching comics volumes put together by the designer Chip Kidd, Paul Levitz and his editors and designers have opted for handsome, oversized reproductions of some of the most stunning artwork that appeared in the years 1956 to 1970 (superhero and otherwise), with many dazzling covers such as the iconic first Silver Age appearances of Green Lantern, the Justice League of America and The Flash, reproduced at larger size here than the original books, allowing the viewer to see all of the delicious detail that the gifted artists incorporated.
Of course, the DC Silver Age revolution grew out of the science fiction books of the era, notably the two signature titles in the field, full of ingenuity and imagination, Mystery in Space and Strange Adventures which showcased the talents that subsequently produced the superhero revival, notably the doyen of comics editors, Julius Schwartz, his key writers Gardner Fox and John Broome, and his star artists Gil Kane and Carmine Infantino. This team’s astonishingly inventive work on these SF books (which often feature the Earth in some massively menacing scenario) are comprehensively represented here. Paul Levitz’s text throughout is economical, but is always informed and lively.
Needless to say, the King of Comics, Jack Kirby, is represented here in his brief, unhappy but influential pre-Marvel period with DC, with a striking cover from House of Mystery (‘The Stone Sentinels of Giant Island’), his transformative stint on Green Arrow and, most memorably, his immensely influential launch of the Challengers of the Unknown, with some of the very best work he did represented here by the cover of the fourth (and best) issue in the series (‘The Wizard of Time’), which is treated to a four-stage demonstration of colour separations alongside a large reproduction of the cover. The whole Taschen DC series, (excerpted from Paul Levitz’s massive one-volume history) will be catnip to any admirer of the genre, but personally if I had to choose just one volume, it would be this one. Sheer pleasure.
The Silver Age of DC Comics by Paul Levitz is published by Taschen Books
