Admittedly I'm WAY late on this thread but have read it through and find it very interesting. 15-20 years ago, it was generally accepted that the bronze Age began when Marvel stopped TTA, TOS, and Strange Tales and gave Iron Man,Subby, Cap, and dr dtrange their own books. Silver surfer #1 also appeared and had his origin. This took place over a few months in 1968. Of course, two years earlier, JIMwas stopped and Thor took over with issue #126. I really didn't give this much thought but didn't really like this arbitrary beginning. I see on this thread a great deal of interest in subscribing the start to a specific book, so here's my two cents worth. I didn't buy Showcase #4 on the stands but did get a Flash 105 in my Easter Basket when I was 7 or 8.I was immediately enthralled. Up until then, I was only reading funny animals and Archie publications, and superman/Batman books. The Flash was new and different. The reason the Silver Age starts with Showcase #4 and not Detective 225 or Ff1, was it was the first book that shook up the industry. It was new, exciting and headed comics in a new direction. What Marvel did in 1968 was just continue their old characters in new titles. I didn't find any of them particularly interesting and had already tired of DC. The only thing I still read was an occasional Barks Scrooge. Comics for me and others I grew up with had become boring. One of you probably has better numbers but I believe sales were off then also. Then one day while sitting in a bus station in 1970 waiting to go back to college, I saw a book on the spinning shelf I had never heard of, It was Conan #1 and after reading it I was back, and it seemed a lot of others were too. To me, it's the seminal Bronze book and set the stage for the deluge that followed. Kirby's Fourth World, Spidey Drug Issues,Hulk 181, New X-Men all are important Bronxe books but IMHO Conan kick started it. I'd also remind people that the new X-Men didn't take off until issue 108. I had already started doing comic shows in the mid to late 70's and remember not being able to move any new X-Men even mint copies of 94. After Byrne took over all hell broke loose and the rest is history. I also don't mean to diss the Adams Green Lanterns. As a run, they're still among my favorites and 76 is all but impossible to find in high grade but I think Conan started it all/
keith contarino