Superhero Evolution: How Comic Books Reflect Changing Times
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The first modern comic book, Action Comics #1, was published in 1938 when WWII was raging. Comic books were seen as children’s entertainment. Comic books were strictly censored by government entities for decades.
However, there has been a superhero evolution in the way people view comic books. Comic book films are billion-dollar successes. People buzz online for weeks or months about actors cast in superhero TV shows and films. A lot has changed relative to comic book culture, some for good and bad. Here are 10 ways comic books reflect changing times.
1. Comic Books Are Expensive
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The cover price of Action Comics #1 from 1938 is 10 cents, which is $2.22 in today’s money. The cover price of Amazing Spider-Man #300 from 1988 is $1.50, or the equivalent of $3.96 today. The average price of a modern comic book is about $4 and usually more depending on the publisher. The superhero evolution of comic book prices means that they won’t become cheap anytime soon.
2. Comic Books Are Now Read on Digital Devices
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Comic books used to be an art medium that demanded to be held, touched, and viewed up close. The superhero evolution of modern comics has made this pastime obsolete. Many people now read scanned and digitized comic books on laptops, tablets, and smart devices.
3. Comic Books No Longer Need to be Held
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An important part of comic book culture used to involve collecting, admiring, and holding them. Many modern readers who now read comic books on digital devices have never turned a comic book page or smelled comic book paper or ink. Nothing can stop progress. Still, something is being lost in terms of art appreciation as comics become more digitized.
4. Long Issue Runs Are Out, Relauches Are In
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The most current issue of Action Comics as of this blog posting is #1062. Comic book series running into the hundreds or thousands in issue number counts used to be common. However, old-school comic book fan demographics are getting older. Comic book companies now relaunch comic books with a new “#1,” issue every few months. It’s intimidating for new readers to pick up Action Comics #1062 instead of #1, for example. Publishers hope publishing new #1 issues often will draw in new readers.
5. Ongoing Series May Be a Thing of the Past
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When comic book series were launched publishers hoped they would last several years. Modern superhero evolution has shown publishers that this ideal is not viable anymore. Most publishers are lucky if a new comic series lasts 12 issues. In May 2024, Marvel Comics revealed that any new comic book series would only be greenlit for 10-issues initially. More issues would be published as dictated by sales.
6. New Comic Book Fans Don’t Read Comics
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Pre-2000s comic book fans would debate their favorite comic book publishers and characters. Modern comic book fans debate Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, RDJ’s Iron Man, Henry Cavill’s Superman, and so on, not necessarily the comic book characters. Superhero evolution in media adaptations like cartoons, video games, TV, and films means that some of the most rabid comic book fans of today have never read a comic book.
7. Comic Readers Collect Trades, Not Issues
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Comic books are a serialized art form. Collectors need to collect one issue per month to read a serialized, multi-issue storyline. The fun of reading comic books used to be collecting separate issues to store in plastic sleeves and long boxes. Modern comic book fans can now wait for six-issue or 12-issue stories to be collected in a trade paperback. Modern fans are now collecting trades, not comic books.
8. Comic Book Stores Are Closing
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In the 20th century, the only way to buy a comic book was from either a newsstand or a comic book store. The superhero evolution of popular culture has now caused the rise of scanned comic books, digital devices to read them, and legions of comic book fans who don’t read comic books. Many fans of scanned digitized copies are reading free pirated comics online as well. This and many other factors have caused the closures of historic, small, and large comic book stores across the country.
9. Superheroes Are More Diverse
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The Jim Crow laws existed from the 1870s to 1965. They were considered, “Slavery by another name,” since they were designed to circumvent legal protections granted to freed slaves and nonwhite people of the era. No major comic book featured a lead nonwhite character until 1965. Jim Crow was abolished in 1965. The first major black character, Black Panther, debuted in 1966’s Fantastic Four #52. These events are not a coincidence.
It’s no happy accident that most comic book superheroes were depicted as caucasian males or females. As of 2015 over 86% of comic book characters still fit that criteria. Whether this is a good or bad thing is for you to decide. However, the superhero evolution of pop culture means that modern superheroes are more diverse.
10. Comic Books Advertise Potential Films
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The billion-dollar films of the past 16 years were all inspired by decades-old comic book stories. Your favorite MCU, DCEU, and soon-to-be DCU films were all inspired by iconic and fan-favorite stories. Comics told stories for their own sake; it was a great coincidence that they would fuel billion-dollar films. Modern comic books are now designed to specifically inspire and market new films and characters, not tell compelling stories for their own sake.
Superhero Evolution: The Times Are Changing
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No one knows how the superhero evolution of comic book culture will change in the future. Comic books will get more expensive. Comic book stores will keep closing. The comic book fans of 50 years from now may find it inconvenient to read paper comic books when scanned comics are even more convenient. Comic book culture will keep evolving, for better or worse, depending on how fans continue to interact with it.
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Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including saving and investing in your own small business.
