Golden Age Bibliography

The following books have all been useful to me over the years. Many are out of print; I would suggest either registering with Amazon.Com's search service (click on one of the linked titles to order), or checking out your local library.

AC Comics has a page dedicated to their Golden Age reprint books.
The Ace Comics Collection reflects on a shortlived company which reprinted many Golden Age stories.
A more detailed Eisner bibliography than I list below can he found at The Spirit Bookshop.
Also of interest to serious researchers are the Comics Scholarship Annotated Bibliographies and the Comics Research Bibliography pages.
Jack Bohn has compiled fairly complete listings of comic appearences of The Squadron Supreme and The Squadron Sinister.
Peter Karpas' Comic Book Annotations and Bibliographies has useful references to more modern comics.

Michael Barrier - The Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Comics - wonderful collection of complete Golden Age stories, including tales of Superman, Batman, Little Lulu, Pogo, Donald Duck, the Spirit, Plastic Man, Scribbly, Captain Marvel, Jingle Jangle Comics, the E.C. line, and more. Some of them have been oft-reprinted but there is no better single volume to use an an overview.

C.C. Beck - Shazam! From the 40's to the 70's

C.C. Beck - Shazam Archives Volume I (Thrill Comics Ashcan and Whiz Comics 1-15)

C.C. Beck, Joe Simon & Jack Kirby, others - Shazam Archives Volume 2

Mike Benton - The Illustrated History of Superhero Comics of the Golden Age - part of a series which includes The Illustrated History of Crime Comics and The Illustrated History of Science Fiction Comics. Slight on analysis but with lots of color pictures. Provides good general overview which seems fairly accurate, with acknowledgement of non-DC and Marvel characters (although they do dominate the book).

Mike Benton - Masters of Imagination - The Comic Book Artists Hall of Fame - well-illustrated with articles on Eisner, Schuster, Kirby, Beck, Cole, and others, from the beginnings of their careers to the 60's. Not very in-depth but accurate and informative.

Bill Black - Golden Age Hero & Heroine Directory - a brief but illustrated tour of some apparently randomly-selected early heroes.

Jack Burnley - Starman Archives Volume 1 (Adventure Comics 61-76)

J. Cassone - The Black Angel (Air Fighters 2-on)

Jack Cole - Plastic Man Archives Volume 1 (Police Comics 1-20)

Jack Cole - Plastic Man Archives Volume 2 (Police Comics 21-30 and Plastic Man 1)

Charles Cuidera, Will Eisner, Bob Powell - Blackhawk Archives Volume 1 (Military Comics 1-17)

Hubert Crawford - Crawford's Encyclopedia of Comic Books - more historical inaccuracies than any other volume I have ever come across (refers to cartoonist "Ralph Johns" as "Ralph Jones" and doesn't appear to even realise that it was a pseudonym for Jack Cole, and its description of the JLA/JSA connection and the JSA revival has to be read to be believed). On the other hand, the book provides information I have seen nowhere else, and a fair number of (partial) reprints. Chapters run company-by-company and provides equal space for publishers other than DC and Timely; has lots of full-page reprints and a small number of complete stories.

Les Daniels - Comix: A History of Comic Books in America - a wonderful find, incongruous with the hagiographies below. Very brief histories, notable for the attention paid to the 50's E.C. era and how it led to the 60's undergrounds. Includes some reprints of full stories rarely seen elsewhere, as well as scathing and intelligent analyses of some of the series.

Les Daniels - DC Comics: Sixty Years of the World's Favorite Super Heroes and Marvel: Five Fabulous Decades of the World's Greatest Comics - these are both coffee-table books with lots of color pictures, which cover their respective companies histories ... my interest in each tends to wane as they progress historically however. Historical analysis is very slight, although there are some rare pics and info bits that I haven't come across in other places.

Les Daniels - Batman: Complete History, Superman: Complete History, Wonder Woman: Complete History

Will Eisner - The Spirit Archives Volume 1 (Spirit Section 6/2/40-12/40)

Will Eisner - The Spirit Archives Volume 2

Will Eisner - The Spirit Archives Volume 3

Will Eisner - The Spirit Archives Volume 4

Will Eisner - The Spirit Archives Volume 5

Jules Feiffer - The Great Comic Book Heroes - this was the book that introduced many of us to the Golden Age. Good selection of complete stories reprinted with gorgeous color, including origins of Superman, Captain Marvel, Batman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Captain America, Plastic Man, and other tales of the Human Torch, the Spectre, Hawkman, Wonder Woman, the Sub-Mariner, and the Spirit. Feiffer's essay is opinionated and rather slight, but a reasonable subjective history. Thanks to Wes Tumulka for my new copy of this text.

Gardner Fox - All Star Comics Archives Volume 1 (All Star Comics 3-6)

Gardner Fox - All Star Comics Archives Volume 2 (All Star Comics 7-10)

Gardner Fox - All Star Comics Archives Volume 3 (All Star Comics 11-14)

Gardner Fox - All Star Comics Archives Volume 4 (All Star Comics 15-18)

Gardner Fox - All Star Comics Archives Volume 5 (All Star Comics 19-22)

Gardner Fox - All Star Comics Archives Volume 6 (All Star Comics 23-28)

Gardner Fox - All Star Comics Archives Volume 7 (All Star Comics 29-33)

Gardner Fox, Harry Lampert, & E.E. Hibbard - The Golden Age Flash Archives Volume 1

Gardner Fox & Jack Burnley - Starman Archives Volume 1

Ron Goulart - The Comic Book Reader's Companion - entertaining mini-encyclopedia with a wide range of entries and information. Lots of b&w single panel pics. Includes info from a variety of publishes with accent on the Golden Age. Occasional historical errors (for example: "... in 1967 Charlton introduced a brand-new Blue Beetle in the person of Ted Kord, who also turned into a crimebuster by using a magic scarab")

Ron Goulart - Encyclopedia of American Comics - Hardly encyclopediac but some detailed information on comics characters and creators, and newspaper characters, from the 30's to the present day. Occasional historical errors.

Ron Goulart - Focus on Jack Cole - Well-written bio of the great cartoonist and creator of Plastic Man, Midnight, the Death Patrol, and definer of Daredevil and the Silver Streak. Badly reproduced b&w illos and not necessarily the ones I would have picked, but an important work nevertheless.

Bob Kane & Bill Finger - Batman Archives Volume 1 (Detective Comics 27-50)

Bob Kane & Bill Finger - Batman Archives Volume 2 (Detective Comics 51-70)

Bob Kane & Bill Finger - Batman Archives Volume 3 (Detective Comics 71-86)

Bob Kane & Bill Finger - Batman Archives Volume 4 (Detective Comics 87-102)

Bob Kane & Bill Finger - Batman Archives Volume 5

Bob Kane & Bill Finger - The Dark Knight Archives Volume 1 (Batman 1-4)

Bob Kane & Bill Finger - The Dark Knight Archives Volume 2 (Batman 5-8)

Bob Kane & Bill Finger - The Dark Knight Archives Volume 3 (Batman 9-12)

Robert Kaniger et al - The Black Canary Archives

Fred Kida - Valkyrie & the Air Fighters

George R. Lowther & Joe Schuster - The Adventures of Superman - the first novel written about the Man of Steel back in the 30's, which initiated many elements of the legend. Nicely illustrated by the original Superman artist, and including an edifying introduction by Roger Stern.

Dick Lupoff & Don Thompson - All In Color For A Dime - another book which first introduced many of us to the comics of the Golden Age. First published in 1970, some of it bears revising but it is a classic historical document in itself. Lively writing on a variety of topics.

Dick Lupoff & Don Thompson - The Comic-Book Book - sequal to the previous volume, with articles on Plastic Man, Frankenstein's Monster, the Spirit, magicians and aviation heroes, and much more.

William Moulton Marston - Wonder Woman Archives (All Star Comics 8, Sensation Comics 1-12, and Wonder Woman 1)

Trina Robbins - The Great Woman Superheroes - I have heard doubts about its accuracy but the book is an entertaining read and provides information on a variety of characters that have been ill-covered anywhere else. The definitive book on the subject.

Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster - Superman Archives : Volume 1 (Superman 1-4)

Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster - Superman Archives : Volume 2 (Superman 5-8)

Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster - Superman Archives : Volume 3 (Superman 9-12)

Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster - Superman Archives : Volume 4 (Superman 13-16)

Jerry Siegel & Joe Schuster -Superman Archives : Volume 5 (Superman 17-20)

Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster - Superman: Action Comics Archives : Volume 1 (Action Comics 1 and 7-20)

Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster - Superman: Action Comics Archives : Volume 2 (Action Comics 21-36)

Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster - Superman: Action Comics Archives : Volume 3

Jerry Siegel & Joe Shuster - Superman From the 30's to the 80's

Joe Simon & Jack Kirby - Blue Bolt

Joe Simon & Jack Kirby - Captain America, Vol. 1: The Classic Years (Captain America Comics 1 - 5)

Joe Simon & Jack Kirby - Captain America, Vol.2: The Classic Years (Captain America Comics 6-10)

Art Speigelman - Jack Cole And Plastic Man - informative biography and artistic analysis of Cole's work, rendered almost unreadable by obsessive art director. Includes three reprinted stories.

Jim Steranko - History of Comics - the seminal history on Marvel and DC comics in the Golden Age, with chapters on the pulps and the newspaper strip heroes. Not without its flaws but unparalleled in its detail and research overall. An essential text.

Roy Thomas & Tom Brevoort - Golden Age of Marvel Comics Volume 1 and Golden Age of Marvel Comics Volume 2 - reprint anthologies with Captain America, Human Torch, Sub-Mariner, the Angel, the Destroyer, the Vision, Yellow Claw, Marvel Boy and others. Some of the material has appeared elsewhere but it's good fun.

Greg Theakston - The Complete Jack Kirby, Volume 1 and The Complete Jack Kirby, Volume 2 - a series which should have appeared years ago, this offers informative text and high-quality b&w reprints. An important guide for anyone interested in probably the single most influential American comic book creator.

World's Finest Archives - reprints the series from #71, the first Superman/Batman crossover.

The following comics satisfy four criteria: they must be actually set in the Golden Age (I am not interested in listing every current comics appearence of Jay Garrick or Captain America), they must be relatively easy to find and inexpensive, they must contribute something to the reader's knowledge of the Golden Age characters, and they must provide (with one exception) a rollicking good read. Consequently, entry into this list is completely subjective and while open to suggestion, not open to negotiation.

Action Comics #1 (Millennium Edition)

Adventure Comics #61 (Millennium Edition)

All-Star Comics V1#3, #8 (Millennium Editions)

All-Star Comics V2#1-2 - James Robinson and David Goyer pen an exciting Justice Society tale set in 1945, pitting the team against an obscure 70's fantasy character, the Stalker. The background details and the characterisation are done with great care (although lacking in some cases, as in Johnny Thunder and the Atom). Essentially a nine-part miniseries, the structure of the tale echoes the Justice Society tales of the time, with the heroes all together in the opening and closing chapters and pairing off into smaller groups in the intervening chapters, each a whole issue: Adventure Comics (Starman and Atom), Smash Comics (Hourman and Dr. Mid-Nite), Sensation Comics (Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl), Thrilling Comics (Hawkman and Wildcat), National Comics (Flash and Mr. Terrific), All-American Comics (Green Lantern and Johnny Thunder), and Star-Spangled Comics (Sandman & Sandy and the Star-Spangled Kid & Stripesy). Other guest-stars in the epic tale include Dr. Occult, Speed Saunders, Manhunter, Tigress, Americommando, and the King.

Timely Presents: All Winners - Marvel's first ever super-team, the All-Winners Squad, in a 48-page reprint of All Winners #19 from 1946. Captain America and Bucky, the Human Torch and Toro, the Whizzer, Miss America and the Sub-Mariner gather to combat Isbisa, the criminal mastermind of the ages.

Alter Ego - Roy Thomas's reverential series featuring a number of Golden Age heroes in supporting roles ... including Airboy (as "Skyboy"), Black Terror (as "Holy Terror"), Captain Battle (as "Captain Combat"), Daredevil (as "Double Dare"), the Heap, Major Victory, Silver Streak (as "Scarlet Streak"), Fighting Yank (as "Yankee Doodle"), Catman (as "Cat's Eye") & Kitten as well as villains like the Claw (as "the Crimson Claw") and Iron Jaw (as "Rockjaw") ... is now serialised on the web!

Batman #1 (Millenium Edition)

Batman/Captain America - obviously non-canonical, but Byrne has done his homework in capturing the look and feel of the Golden Age versions of both characters.

Boy Commandoes #1-2 - reprints of the one of the seminal 40's kid gang strip.

Captain America #1-4 - retells the origin of Cap and his wartime career through his freezing in the North Atlantic, done with some care from Roger Stern and John Byrne.

DC Special #15 - reprints several Golden Age Plastic Man stories. Too strong an accent on humorous tales for my taste -- I would have preferred a more action-adventure slant or a super-villain or two, particularly Amorpho -- but it gives a sample of Cole's style.

Detective Comics #1, 27, 38 (Millennium Editions)

Flash Comics #1 (Millennium Edition)

Human Torch miniseries written by Roy Thomas retells the origin of Jim Hammond. I don't have access to these for reference, but recall them as essentially accurate and competantly told.

Human Torch #5 reprint volume - Carl Burgos and Bill Everett from 1941 present an epic battle between the Torch and the Sub-Mariner, driven mad by the Atlantean sorceress Rathia. One of the few multi-character crossovers wartime Timely had to offer, the conflict also involved the original Ka-Zar, the Angel, and the Patriot.

Invaders #1-41 - Roy Thomas' labor of love, as he wove plots around the Timely characters. Frank Robbins was artist until #29, and while I am usually no fan of his he was perfectly suited to create the right look for the series, and his departure saw the book go into a period of decline, culminating in Thomas doing yet another take on a villainous Justice League. The series also includes some fine reprints, including the first Human Torch/Sub-Mariner battle. Ignore the terrible 90's miniseries revival unless you are desperate for references on the Blazing Skull and the Vision.

Justice Society of America Super-Spectacular #1 - reprints the last Golden Age JSA story from All-Star #57, the team's first Silver Age appearance from Flash #137, a 1948 Dr. Mid-Nite tale which was unpublished until 1970, and a Starman/Black Canary story from B&B #62.

The Golden Age - an Elseworlds, hence non-canonical, but an exciting story beautifully drawn in a style reminiscent of some of the great 40's craftsmen su h as Lou Fine; features some gross distortions of character (Johnny Thunder), but also features some characterisation which is spot-on (Hawkman).

Manhunter - Archie Goodwin's and Walt Simonson's classic 70's revival of the Simon & Kirby character. Minimal Golden Age content (only one half-page of a flashback) but a famous series and one of the hallmarks of the era.

Marvel Preview #20 - two stories by Archie Goodwin and Howard Chaykin featuring their Dominic Fortune character set in the 30's. The b&w magazine also features two rather banal sci-fi stories.

Marvel Mystery Comics - this new edition of the original ongoing title reprints tales of the Human Torch, the Sub-Mariner, the Vision, Silver Scorpion, the Angel, Captain America and more.

Marvels #1 - well-crafted re-interpretation of many classic Golden Age Marvel stories, done before the superhero-worship which pervaded the series became overbearing.

Military Comics #1 (Millennium Edition)

Miss Fury #1, 2 - reprints adventures of the first comic book heroine, Tarpe Mills' stylish cat-suited adventuress. The stories are known for their complex plots and foreign intrigue, and were immensily popular in their day.

More Fun Comics #73, 101 (Millennium Editions)

Phantom Lady - reprints of Matt Baker's interpretation of the character for Fox Comics; probably the ultimate "good girl" strip, the series also featured well-written and suspenseful stories, and a genuine flair for illustrating the clothing styles of the time.

Police Comics #1 (Millennium Edition)

Sandman Mystery Theatre #1-4 - trade paperback collection of the first arc, in which he battles a foe known as the Tarantula. Story bears some slight resemblance to the villain battled in Adventure #40; however, it completely misrepresents the original encounter with Dian Belmont (when she first shows up in Adventure #47, she's a safe cracker known as "The Lady in Evening Clothes"; she turns away from crime to help the Sandman out on many cases).

Sandman Mystery Theatre #5-8 - retelling of the Sandman tale in which he encounters a criminal notorious for disguise known only as The Face. This arc has received criticism for racism, due in part to a certain stylishness on the part of the artist, and an error of judgement on the part of the colorist which resulted in the Asian characters having skin tones which can best be described as "Yellow Peril" in the first issue of the arc. Story roughly based on the character's appearance in Adventure #44.

Sandman Mystery Theatre #29-32 - retelling of the Hourman origin from Adventure #48, in which he crosses paths with the Sandman while he pursues a case of his own. One of the better arcs of the series, and without question the most popular. Great perspective on Rex Tyler.

Sandman Mystery Theatre #37-40 - Wagner and Seagle introduce the idea that a Starman foe, the Mist, encountered the Sandman first. Good use of continuity, tightly coordinated with Robinson's Starman series. Ted (Starman) Knight is a supporting character in the arc, which takes place prior to his adoption of a costume. References include the Sandman story from Adventure #61.

Secret Origins #1-50 - DC's series from the 80's retelling the origins of their characters. The Golden Age issues were mainly written by Roy Thomas, which guarantees extensive research if not necessarily accuracy, most issues have a Golden Age tale. The literary quality of the stories varies.

Sensation Comics #1 (Millennium Edition)

Shazam! #3,4,8,12,13,14,16,17,23 - The Beck/Costanza Studios produced the Marvel Family stories for Fawcett Comics in the 40's and 50's, and represented the best of their line. Many issues of the Shazam! series from the 70's include reprints from that era.

The Spirit (Quality) #1 (Millennium Edition)

The Spirit (Kitchen Sink) #1-72 - Will Eisner's "Spirit" was, from its inception, the best superhero comic strip of the Golden Age. Some of the stories appear silly or dated, but at the best ones rival anything being produced today. The issues of the series produced after #72 reprint the post-Eisner period of the strip, and while not unenjoyable, they are mediocre until Eisner returns with Wally Wood for the Outer Space Spirit stories. There is another Spirit series extant which reprints the pre-War Eisner issues in which he was still refining his craft, and yet another series representing current creators' interpretations of the character; both pale in comparison though the former has more to offer than the latter.

Starman #20-23 - the "Sand and Stars" sequence, in which Jack Knight teams up with Wesley Dodds, the Golden Age Sandman. Worth noting for #22, a sort of mini-Times Past in which we see a flashback pairing the younger Dodds with Ted Knight in the 40's as they bet against the Gambler. Drawn by Guy Davis, I tend to think of the issue as "Sandman Mystery Theatre Lite".

Starman #37 - I usually avoid the "Talking with David" issues, but this one features a dinner party hosted by a number of Golden Age heroes, including the Atom, Dr. Mid-Nite, Zatara, Black Canary, Hourman, Mr. Terrific, and the Red Bee. With the exception of the contemptible treatment of the last, some good characterisation and nifty pinups.

Starman #44 - essentially a Phantom Lady issue, a superlative account of the Quality Comics interpretation of the character as she opposes the Prairie Witch, a Golden Age Starman foe introduced by Robinson in Starman Annual #1 (also recommended).

Starman #46 - a post-War Times Past in which Ted Knight encounters another Quality hero, the Jester. Marred by half the issue being devoted to a subplot involving Bobo Benetti and Robinson's version of the Shade (which I know would be considered in advantage in some readers' eyes, but I simply find the Shade endlessly irritating).

Starman #69 - recaps the story of the female Justice Society from All-Star Comics #15. It sports some annoying retcons (the lack of the female Dr. Mid-Nite and Atom, the attribution of Shiera Sanders' Hawkgirl identity to this story) but the Paul Smith art and costume redesigns are lovely.

Starman Secret Files #1 - presenting Ted Knight's origin as Starman. Beautifully done, essential for an understanding in the character.

Superman V1#1 (Millennium Edition)

Tales from the Marvel Universe #1-3 - Invaders story with Captain America, Human Torch, Sub-Mariner and the Whizzer battling a creature from Captain America Comics #5. Has some modern-style retconned material that bored me, but Roger Stern produces an exciting, masterfully told tale.

Tales from the Marvel Universe #4-6 - Monster Hunters story with Doctor Druid, Ulysses Bloodstone, Hurricane, and retconned-in character Zawadi battling creatures from Monster Island. Features my all-time single favorite retcon, the revelation that all of Jack Kirby's heroic speedsters (Hurricane, Mercury, Adam Clayton, and Makkari) are the same character, a nice save as the former pair's origins are untenable in the current Marvel Universe. The character has also appeared (which I think is stretching him a bit too thin) as "Major Mercury" in Stern and Byrne's Lost Generation.

Titanic Tales - All-new pulp stories and articles. The book's centerpiece is a new Spider comic story, "Burning Lead for the Walking Dead," illustrated by Mark Wheatley. New characters include Doc Cyborg and the Reality Knight. The interview article is with legendary artist Al Williamson, who discusses "The Heroes of Edgar Rice Burroughs".

What If #4, #9 - doubt is expressed by the narrator whether the stories told take place in alternate realities or merely reflect hitherto unknown aspects of Marvel mainstream history. Issue 4, "What If the Invaders Had Stayed Together After the War" portrays the origin of the All-Winner Squad and is essentially a closing issue for the Invaders series by the original creative team; well-done aside from some annoying and inexplicable Captain America retcons. Issue 9, "What If the Avengers Had Fought Evil During the 1950's" presents a grouping of most of the original and retconned 50's-era Marvel characters by Don Glut, and is also a good read. It is assumed that unless any contradictions crop up, the narratives of these two issues are indeed chronicles of Marvel history.

Whiz Comics #2 (Millennium Edition)

Wonder Woman V1#1 (Millennium Edition)

World's Finest #71, #76 (Millennium Edition)

World's Finest #271 - the anniversary of the first Superman/Batman crossover adventure in the series, way back when in WF #71. Roy Thomas recaps every single "first meeting" story between the characters (and, inexplicably, an unrelated story from WF #94). I found this comic nearly unreadable, and a compendium of Roy Thomas' worst stylistic excesses. However, it is a very useful reference text.