Comic Book Genres

The crime genre features graphic depictions of violence and criminal activity.  

Crime was one of the most popular genres of comics in the late 1940s and early 1950s, initially led by Crime Does Not Pay published by Lev Gleason Publications.

The fantasy genre, sometimes referred to as sword and sorcery, features stories that are set in an other-worldly universe or involving elements outside our reality. 

In the 1970’s, Marvel published the comic Conan the Barbarian, one of the most popular and best-selling fantasy comics of the modern era.

The horror genre consists of comics featuring darker tales of terror and monsters, including ghouls, ghosts, werewolves, and vampires.  

This genre reached its peak of popularity during the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, led by the high-quality comics produced by EC comics, who published Tales From the Crypt and other famous titles. After a backlash against the gruesome images depicted in many of the horror comics, the comic industry implemented the self-censoring Comics Code Authority in 1954. This in turn led to the demise of several titles and publishers as well as the toning down of others, effectively eliminating horror comics until the loosening of the code in the 1970s. 

The movie and TV genre featured comic adaptations of various motion pictures and television programs, sometimes adhering closely to the source material and other times creating all new stories. 

The publisher Dell led the way with comic adaptations, created hundreds of comics based on television programs and movies.

The romance genre depicts dramatic stories about the love lives of teens and adults, often rife with jealousy and heartbreak. 

Joe Simon and Jack Kirby created one of the initial romance comics when they launched the very successful Young Romance in 1947.

The science fiction genre focuses on stories that are often set in the far-flung future, featuring amazing locations, technology, and characters that are not only human, but also alien, android, and even robotic. 

While Superman is often thought of as the beginning of the superhero genre in comics, the character’s origin is steeped in science fiction concepts, including exploding alien planets and space travel.

The superhero genre may be the most well-known and popular of all the comic book genres, featuring characters with extraordinary or superhuman abilities and powers. 

The first superhero comic appeared in 1938 when Action Comics #1 introduced the world to Superman, a character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

The teen humor genre portrays teenagers in light-hearted stories about high school aged kids dealing with dating, teachers, and parents and was particularly popular among young teen girls. 

The undisputed king of the teen humor genre is the character Archie, as he and his group of friends have entertained readers since his first appearance in 1941.

The war genre features dramatic stories about soldiers in battle, fighting to overcome impossible odds in an attempt to defeat their enemies. 

The publisher that produced many of the most beloved comics in the war genre was DC, as their roster included Sgt. Rock, Haunted Tank, Unknown Soldier, and Blackhawk, just to name a few.

The western genre focused on stories taking place in the nineteenth century American frontier. 

While Marvel Comics are often known for their superhero titles, they were once the most prolific publisher of Western comics, including their roster of “Kid” western heroes such as Rawhide Kid, Two-Gun Kid, and Kid Colt.