The Bronze Age
DC's Post-Silver Age, The Bronze Age, from 1970 to 1985
Batman
Detective Comics
Batman in 1970 was returned to his dark and mysterious roots thanks Neal Adams and writer Denny O'Neal, who also revamped Green Lantern. Gone forever was the campy Batman of the 50s and 60s. This version included an expanded role for playboy Bruce Banner, and an emphasis on other serious bat-chars, such as Batgirl. A new Robin was also later featured in the 80s, as the old Robin joined a new team, the Titans.
Green Lantern
In the post-Silver Age version, Green Lantern was often used as a team-up tool and device to express social issues, especially with Green Arrow. Denny O'Neal addressed many social issues in the 70s, however the superhero had been on the decline entering into the 70s, and Green Lantern sales did not improve with this version. There was a black Green Lantern, Jon Stewart, introduced for the first time and an issue that covered drugs, although without Comics Code approval. This eventually influenced the loosening of Comics Code approved stories and re-introduced the horror genre.
New Gods/Forever People/Mister Miracle
Jack Kirby returned to DC Comics and in 1971 produced these series, which he had total creative control over while at DC. These were called the "Forth World" titles and are important to the era because the characters introduced are still an influence today. These characters are forgotten by the 80s, but revamped in the new Legion of Superheroes series in 1982.
Swamp Thing
The re-introduction of the horror genre can be seen in The Swamp Thing series and others that DC rolled out, such as The Demon and Dark Mansion. However, the Swamp Thing is the most well-known and critically acclaimed of the post-silver age horror comics. It debuted in May, 1972. This series became Saga of the Swamp thing in 1984, making a name out of Alan Moore.
Shazam
Marvel captured most of the market during this period and DC was even forced to re-introduce Fawcett's Captain Marvel under a different title, so as not to confuse it with Marvel's own Captain Marvel. The DC Captain Marvel did very poorly in his own series, which debuted in 1973, and it was cancelled.
Warlord
Warlord was an important comic to DC in 1976 as it followed on the heels of Marvel's venture into the Conan genre. Warlord was basically another version of Conan and Kull-like tales.
Legion of Superheroes
This is one of the few books in the 70s that was started up again to play off of the teen-book popularity. It did not include Superboy and was fairly poorly written, however was underappreciated in the 80s.
Superman/Action Comics/Superboy
Superman also survived the Great Implosion of DC's titles, although many superman family members did not. The first mini-series in comics was Superman oriented, named World of Krypton and published in 1979. Superboy does get his own series however, in the 80s, totally unrelated to the Legion. There were many reprints of the 60s stories in the Superman book. The Superman movies debut during the 80s, and were fairly successful. Supergirl got her own book as well, and displaced members of the superman family got backup stories. Superman was not revamped or given a new look because of his status as a DC icon.
New Teen Titans
One of the more critically acclaimed books in the 80s, which also played off of the teen-craze and appealed to a teenage audience. It began publishing in 1982 an all-new lineup, not just the sidekicks from Teen Titans.
Wonder Woman
This book plodded along out of the 70s and needed a Crisis badly. Wonder Woman had evolved over 300 issues, including getting married to long-time love interest, Steve Trevor.
Justice League of America
In the late 1970s, JLA was experiencing something of a renaissance at the time, largely due to the writing of Len Wein. After several directionless years, Wein went back to square one, crafting a series of entertaining stories in the original Gardner Fox tradition--this one featuring the return of 60s hero/villain Eclipso. The artwork was handled by the underrated Dick Dillin, who died years ago with a page of JLA still on his table, after completing issues #64-183. Steve Englehart later joined on as writer in 1977 and the personalities of the League members became more edgy. The 80s League featured a lot of turmoil.
Famous First Editions
DC Comics reprinted giant-size versions of many of the first appearances of their big characters, such as Superman and Batman.
The Flash
Now a mainstay of the DC books, the Flash enters its 300 issue. However, its downfall would come in some fairly shoddy writing and lengthy, convoluted storylines that dragged on until the very last issue. The Flash stories of 1971-1973 were very good however, and were editted by Julie Schwartz.
Camelot 3000
Important to DC's Post Silver Age because it is the first maxi-series. This is also important because it featured British art and the influence of the Judge Dredd series can be felt. This is the beginning of a British invasion in comics.
All-Star Squadron
Although an 80s title, the Golden Age heroes returned with all-new "untold" tales, thanks to writer, Roy Thomas. However, all the history, continuity and stories Thomas had developed up until 1985 became void because of the Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Infinity Inc. (1984)
Launched in 1984, the Roy Thomas Infinity Inc. is important to the DC Bronze Age because it featured the continuing tales of the second generation of superheroes, such as the daughter of the Golden Age Green Lantern, Jade. Others had links to Golden Age heroes. The Huntress I, who was the daughter of the Earth-2 Batman, was even a member. However, many of their histories were altered by Crisis and the book was soon cancelled.
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American Soldiers Accused of Murdering Entire Town of Vietnamese Civilians
Aswan High Dam Completed
Beatles Break Up
Computer Floppy Disks Introduced
Palestinian Group Hijacks Five Planes
Protesting Students at Kent State Shot
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London Bridge Brought to the U.S.
United Kingdom Changes to Decimal System for Currency
VCRs Introduced
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M*A*S*H T.V. Show Premiers
Mark Spitz Wins Seven Gold Medals
Pocket Calculators Introduced
Terrorists Attack at the Olympic Games in Munich
Watergate Scandal Begins
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Abortion Legalized in U.S.
Paul Getty Kidnapped
Sears Tower Built
U.S. Pulls Out of Vietnam
U.S. Vice President Resigns
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Halie Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia, Deposed
Mikhail Baryshnikov Defects
Patty Hearst Kidnapped
Terracotta Army Discovered in China
U.S. President Nixon Resigns
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Arthur Ashe First Black Man to Win Wimbledon
Civil War in Lebanon
Microsoft Founded
Pol Pot Becomes the Communist Dictator of Cambodia
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Nadia Comaneci Given Seven Perfect Tens
North and South Vietnam Join to Form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Tangshan Earthquake Kills Over 240,000
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Elvis Found Dead
Miniseries Roots Airs
South African Anti-Apartheid Leader Steve Biko Tortured to Death
Star Wars Movie Released
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First Test-Tube Baby Born
John Paul II Becomes Pope
Jonestown Massacre
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Ayatollah Khomeini Returns as Leader of Iran
Iran Takes American Hostages in Tehran
Margaret Thatcher First Woman Prime Minister of Great Britain
Mother Theresa Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
Nuclear Accident at Three Mile Island
Sony Introduces the Walkman
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Failed U.S. Rescue Attempt to Save Hostages in Tehran
John Lennon Assassinated
Mount St. Helens Erupts
Rubik's Cube Popular
Ted Turner Establishes CNN
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Assassination Attempt on the Pope
Assassination Attempt on U.S. President Reagan
First Woman Appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court
Millions Watch Royal Wedding on T.V.
New Plague Identified as AIDS
Pac-Man is Extremely Popular
Personal Computers (PC) Introduced by IBM
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E.T. Movie Released
Falkland Islands Invaded by Argentina
King Henry VIII's Ship the Mary Rose Raised After 437 Years
Michael Jackson Releases Thriller
Reverend Sun Myung Moon Marries 2,075 Couples at Madison Square Garden
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Cabbage Patch Kids are Popular
Reagan Announces Defense Plan Called Star Wars
Sally Ride Becomes the First American Woman in Space
Soviets Shoot Down a Korean Airliner
U.S. Embassy in Beirut Bombed
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Huge Poison Gas Leak in Bhopal, India
Indira Gandhi, India's Prime Minister, Killed by Two Bodyguards
PG-13 Movie Rating Created
Vietnam War Memorial Opened in Washington,DC
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Famine in Ethiopia
Hole in the Ozone Layer Discovered
Mikhail Gorbachev Calls for Glasnost and Perestroika
New Coke Hits the Market
Wreck of the Titanic Found
When Superheroes came into the 1970s on a decline, DC revamped several of their major superheroes, except for Superman. However, most of the revamping did not improve sales and DC remained underdog to Marvel Comics. Read on about several underappreciated Bronze Age comics by DC and then view our all-time list.