Staff Picks (May14): The American Comic Book Chronicles 1970s

Publisher: Twomorrows Publishing

TwoMorrows Publishing is continuing their series of full-color hardcovers, The American Comic Book Chronicles, that covers the history of comics decade by decade and year by year, no WAYBAC machine or cosmic treadmill required.

This newest volume written by Jason Sacks and Keith Dallas covers the seventies, a time when relevance was the catch word in comics and the Comics Code power was diminished and in some cases outright ignored. The Golden and Silver Ages had their day, now it was the Bronze Age and the industry was in for some changes as a new wave of creators brought in new characters and new methods of distribution were realized.

In a year-by-year accounting of the 70s you will see the emergence of Len Wein and the creation of Wolverine, and with Dave Cockrum on the new X-Men and Swamp Thing with Bernie Wrightson. The coming of Conan by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith, the introduction of Blade, and an epic run by Marv Wolfman on Tomb of Dracula. Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams revival of Batman with the introduction of Ra’s al Ghul and Talia and a truly psychopathic Joker. There was the social relevance of O’Neil and Adams on Green Lantern/Green Arrow. The arrival of Jack Kirby at DC and the scope of his Fourth World shaking up the status quo at DC as does the arrival of Jeanette Kahn.

Revisions to the Comics Code that opens the floodgates for monsters and the supernatural long kept out of comics.

The Direct Market begins with DC Comics and Marvel sold nonreturnable to comic book dealers thanks to Seagate Distribution. This lead to indie publishers like with Aardvark-Vanaheim and Cerebus, Fantasy Quarterly  and Warp Graphics' Elfquest showing the way and helping to diversify the industry.

This new volume of TwoMorrows Publishing’s American Comic Book Chronicles: The Seventies forms a cohesive, linear overview of the entire landscape of comics’ history a valuable resource for any comic book enthusiast particularly to those who lived through it and were part of the growth of the industry!

~ Steve Leaf