The comic industry has long categorized its history into distinct "ages," each defined by shifts in storytelling, art, or market trends.  While most of these eras tend to last 15 to 20 years, our current ‘Modern Age’ is now in its 25th.  You thinking what I’m thinking?

THE IDEA

I recently read a great X (Twitter) post by comic collector and artist @SLIDER2333 where he asked his followers a similar question, suggesting the term ‘Digital Era’ be considered, which makes absolutely perfect sense considering the growth rate of digital assets and their impact on the industry.  It’s also a term EVERYONE knows across the planet, making it pretty easy to adopt…

This had me suddenly thinking about it a lot more, so I offered some additional thoughts since the ‘digital age’ really began back on January 1st 1983 and shows no signs of stopping for at least the next 50-100 years.  Might that then be too long for a comic era?  Of course, this led me to this blog, to share these thoughts and ask our seasoned comic collecting community your thoughts!

QUICK RECAP ON COMIC ERAS:

For those newer to comic collecting, these "ages" began with the Golden Age, marked by the debut of Superman in 1938, which sparked the superhero boom.

This was followed by the Silver Age in the 1950s and 60s, when superheroes returned with a fresh creative direction, notably through Marvel's resurgence (think Fantastic Four #1 in 1961 or X-Men #1 / Amazing Spider-Man in 1963, etc.). The Bronze, Copper and now Modern Ages further evolved the industry, reflecting changing societal issues, darker storylines, and more complex characters.

IS MODERN AGE...NOT KEEPING PACE?

The Modern Age, now spanning roughly 25 years, continues on today, but some believe maybe it’s time for a new designation?  After all, most comic eras trend in the 15-20 year range, so we’re already becoming a little late for a new name!

Further, today’s comic book landscape is dramatically different, thanks to digital advancements.

Digital comics, NFTs, and blockchain technology have revolutionized how comics are distributed, sold, and collected. The rise of massive new comic buying, collecting and trading platforms like VeVe & DCNFT (on Candy Digital) that bring the integration benefits of blockchain offer fans new ways to engage with comics, from owning unique digital collectibles to participating in global fandoms and market accessibility, without the need of shipping, storage, insurance, etc.

In this digital age, the idea of the "Modern Age" may no longer fully encapsulate the industry's current direction.  Yet, who should ultimately make the decision to add our terminology dictionaries????

A FEW IDEAS TO KICKSTART THE CONVERSATION

The "Borderless Age”

  • Highlighting today’s new global accessibility of comics, where digital releases are no longer limited by geography.  Anyone with access to the Web can now download the VeVe or DC (Candy Digital) apps or visit their websites, where our outdated system has significant challenges moving assets around or even being available in some markets in the first place?  Those issues are GONE via digital assets…

The "Trustless Age"

  • GONE are the days trying to figure out how many physical editions really do exist outside of those graded & tracked.  Sure a publisher can disclose how many are printed, but there’s no way to track how many remain…or who actually owns them!  Since these digital assets are minted onto blockchains like Ethereum, you know the EXACT amount ever produced and who owns them, or even what they paid to acquire them / how often they were transacted and more.

The "Blockchain Age”

  • Hmmm…could we just consider reflecting the influence blockchain technology has in ensuring authenticity and ownership in digital comic assets.  It’s an ENORMOUS media narrative and one that sparked some of the most expensive art sales in history - an $11 BILLION industry actually, back in 2021

The “Digital Age”

  • Or what about Slider’s suggestion - I mean after all, we could break up Modern to Digital, starting say in 2021 / 2022 when this really started to take off?

The “Digitalization Age”

  • Who wants to keep it more ubiquitous…maybe something akin to the “Technological” advancements, or the digitalization of our beloved comic assets?

As the collectibles industry continues to evolve, should this not at least raise the question, what terminology best represents the era we’re in now?  Has the ‘Modern Era’ title outgrown its usefulness?

Digital advancements are transforming both fan engagement and ownership, complementing and enhancing what has been an incredibly fun industry to be a part of for almost 100 years. 

If you had the chance to coin the next era of comic collecting, what would you like to see used to describe this new era?

Thanks for Reading!