joe_collector

>>Another way of looking at that question might be: How many superhero comics were launched in the five years between CONAN # 1 and GS X-MEN # 1, how long did they last, and what similar titles were spun off from them? Now, ask the same question: How many superhero comics were launched in the years following GS X-MEN, how long did they last, and how many spin-offs resulted? I'll easily take that bet if you're interested in reality, and using the same timeframe. 1970-75 for COnan #1, and 1975-80 for GS X-Men. Using 5 years for Conan and 28 years (to present) for X-Men is unrealistic and illogical. Personally, I can't think of too many new Bronze Age characters that were a direct result of GS X-Men, and it reaks of historical perspective and not what was happening in the comic's industry in the 1970's. The X-Men were not Marve';s best-selling comic until into the 1980's. To use today's sales figures to project into 1975-speak creates a world that quite simply never existed.

>>I wasn't discussing contemporary back issue prices, though -- I was talking about what comics got people into the shops month after month after month (after year after year...) to buy the next issue. Well I feel quite safe in saying that it was Spider-man. His Amazing book was the best-seller during the 70's, and the guy headlined 4-5 different comics through the 70's and early-80's (ASM, PPSSM, MT, MTU, Web). This phenomenon switched the to X-Men for the Modern Age, which heralded the growth and proliferance of X-based titles.

>> love the X-men too, but at that time, they weren't even the hottest comic around. Spidey was still the king at the time, and X-men weren't nearly as hot as Star Wars or ROM. Take a look at any price guide or back issue catalog from around 1980 or so and compare back issue prices if you don't believe me. Thanks for the post, and I honestly don't understand where this "X-Men are popular now, so they must have been ultra-hot since 1975" mentality comes from. Must be something in the water.

Not again, I thought all you guys were locked up in the psych ward. A new Comic Age is easily identifiable by an event that lauches new ideas and characters. The Golden Age is self-apparent, but let's take the Silver. The re-intro of The Flash led to more DC superheroes being re-introduced, which led to the Justice League, which led to the Fantastic Four, which led to Hulk, Spider-man, Avengers, etc. The most important Silver Age books? Probably Spider-man (AF 15) and The Justice League (B&B 28), but it all started with Flash. Now try the same thing with GS X-Men #1; what new and innovative characters sprung from that fountainhead? It's an important Bronze Age comic (al la Spider-man) but not even close to the first. Be a chum and list your favorite Bronze Age characters and then consult the year they were introduced. Betcha a donut the vast majority pre-dated GS X-Men #1.