A typically insightful, well-balanced revew from Miller. (Sorry to be so positive.) Hajdu treats a fascinating period of American history, but may have started too far into it. The first great period of comics, commonly called the Golden Age, occurred in the years just before and during World War II, which also saw the beginning of what the media of the time called "the juvenile delinquency problem." That was the generation that embraced Swing; those who came after turned to R&B and finally Rock 'n Roll. Its heroes were the "long underwear guys" who often fought next to the GIs in Europe and Asia but seldom took orders from the generals and, if given, often defied them.

That period died with the end of the war and, as movies turned to what would be called film noir, whose creators suffered their own persecution at the hands of the McCarthyites, comics also reflected the fear and disillusionment of the era but without the restraints of the Production Code.

And, as Miller points out, they did go too far. The art got progressively better, the main reason they're remembered, but the elegant writing of double threats like Eisner was lost in the truly revolting intestinal stretch of the ball player. Glad Miller mentioned that; my nominee for all-time worst moment in comics, even worse than the severed head cover.

As so often happens, both sides were wrong and, in the long run, the much-maligned Comics Code did some good. There were about five years of pure, truly awful dreck, then the rebirth of the Super Heroes in what become known as the Silver Age, the beginning of the comics and graphic novels we know today.

You bet the story's been told before, several times by Ron Goulart alone, but also by Gerard Jones in "Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters and the Birth of the Comic Book" (one of the all-time great subtitles), just a couple years ago.

I hope this is the book "Positively Fourth Street" was, and look forward to it, but Hajdu's main thesis is flawed; the EC guys and the others weren't heroes, and adolescent rebellion started before and continued after them. They were part of it, but no more important than wars, civil rights, color-line crossing music and "sick" comedians.

Oh yeah, and AC/DC made my brother kill himself.

If comic books corrupted the kids of the fifties, what do you think MTV did to the kids of the nineties? well look around...its fairly obvious.

Come on people, don't blame comic books and mtv for these things. Don't you see these are reflections and expressions of what was, not the cause itself.

Oh woe and sadness unto me: the intelligent American reader.

Comic books (sci-fi, superhero, horror, romance, teen angst, adventure, supernatural, comic-strip, what-have-you) are the backbone of the American printed entertainment medium. Sure there is the occasional graphic image or even the questionable socio-political commentary; but comic books/graphic novels represent the marriage of literary, visual, dramatic and social art forms in Western civilization.

At this point to even question the comic book --- let alone its role in wholesome but affordable entertainment --- should be reserved for the extreme religious right and I am ashamed that Yahoo, my homepage, would further proffer the ludicrous point-of-view that something so delightfully and, ultimately, harmless has caused any permanent damage. Its as if we can cover the blanket of blame on pop culture as the invention of history. Did pop culture invent the A-bomb or do bombs exist in comic books because they exist in history? C’mon. Its like saying that the movie “Titanic” promoted the supremacy of icebergs in the horrific sinking of manmade ships.

What a LOAD ! You must have grown up in a very sheltered gated community, far from any city. Daddy's little girl on a pedestal (or in a plastic bubble). I'm old enough to remember the '50's, but not the silly crap you write about here. If you ever saw the "underground comics" of the early '70's, a la Robert Crumb, you'd probably wet yourself, but at least you'd have something to write about !!

Are you kidding me? I grew up in the 50's and comic books NEVER made me a Bad Person.. Where do people get these ideas??

If "everyone was to blame" in the fifties then who is to blame today? Video games are the new comic books and the argument could be swung both ways as to whether or not they are a bad influence. Remember the "Hot Coffee" hoopla a few years back in the Grand Theft Auto game? Remember the congressional hearings over Mortal Kombat? An outsider looking in could make the same argument today. So what has changed?

Parents always want an easy answer to the problems they have with their kids. 50 years ago a hack psychologist named Wertham gave it to them. Today it's video games or rap or Marilyn Manson or whatever else their pastor tells them put the devil in their kids and is responsible for school shootings. It doesn't help matters that things like comics and video games already have childish stigma attached.

I find the American obsession with finding fault with benign matters amusing.

You are all going on about comic books and such causing youth to become radical.

Try looking at any daily news broadcast or newspaper properly!

We are all, including the young, bombarded with gory and shocking images of bombs, bullets, torn and violated bodies, in the name of politics and Religion!!

Try blaming these for radicalisation of youth.

I have many kids asking me about what they see on the news and in newspapers and asking why these things are happening!

My reply:

Well I tell them that the world is unfortunately controlled by morally weak and basically greedy people. Greedy for Power as well as money!

I tell them that they should feel sorrow for world leaders like George W.Bush since all they are after is Power and Wealth.

We outlaw the most natural thing in the world, which is sex, and make our kids feel guilty for having sexual feelings about themselves or others and yet we bombard them with sexual enticements through advertising and with all of the lurid tales in the newspapers and magazines.

Basically the world is a mess because of all of the self important people who take it upon themselves to impose their own corrupt or twisted view of the world.

How can you expect kids to want to be religious when all they see is the results of expressing religion all over the news! Blood and guts!

Even the religious leaders are not in the business for the religion. Just for their own power trip!

They moralise and instruct people how to behave and yet, what has anyone really learned from the Catholic Priest scandals for example. Basically nothing.

Well, I feel that the world basically has too many people.

We are corrupting our children as we corrupt the environment and the place where we live and try to breath!

Anyone really tasted FRESH AIR lately??

Well that's all I've got to say, except that if all of those people have nothing better to do than pick through comic book contents, then that is a real window to the world we live in.

Have we all forgotten FANSTASY and DREAMS and ESCAPISM!

Peace to ALL.