A term describing the comic books of the 1930s and 1940s. The highest-priced and most sought-after comics come from this time period, because they are the earliest examples of comic book art -- and because of their rarity, as many comic books were donated to paper drives during World War II. According to most comics historians, the Golden Age covered the period beginning with the publication of Action Comics #1 in June 1938 and ended in the early 1950s, when concerns about the morality of comic books lead to a steep drop in their popularity.

Many of the most popular comic book characters have their roots in the Golden Age, including Superman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman, Captain America, and Captain Marvel.