Re: Four Color, Silver Age, etc. Defined somewhere?
The beginning of the Iron Age can typically be traced to the one-two punch of The Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns. Ironic, really, when you consider that neither story is in continuity. These were the stories that showed how a "grown-up" version of classic heroes could possibly work. Problem is, writers missed the point (surprise). The stories weren't about body count and ultra violence, but that's what invaded the comics storylines generally for the next decade and a half.