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What was the Greatest Single Comic of the Bronze Age?

Started by TupennyConan,

161 posts in this topic

Doctor Svord

Doctor Svord

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Conan 24 - Solid story, great art, and Red Sonja :cloud9:

 

GXM#1 - Yes, that book has had a worldwide impact, and it's a truly great book, but it's gotten to the point were rooting for that thing is on par with being a Yankees fan. Go Cubs.

 

No, rooting for Wolverine alone would be like rooting for the Yankees. That's akin to going to a casino and cheering for the dealer.

 

:D

 

 

 

-slym

 

lol

 

Nice.

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TupennyConan

TupennyConan

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Agree with GSXM #1 and Hulk #181 will continue to gain steam as Wolverine's popularity keeps growing. Wolverine in my mind is second to only Spider-Man when it comes to being the most popular single character since the 1960's.

 

But was H181 any good? Have you read it? What about Herb Trimpe?

 

Is the Greatest Single Comic of the Bronze Age a book that wasn't any good?

 

When you read it did you go:"Holy carp!! Wolverine is a classic character in the making!! & besides that, the art in this comic is eye-popping gorgeous!! This book is THE Greatest book in a decade!!"

 

No, a first appearance of a classic character isn't enough to justify the Greatest for me. I need something more. I need some actual artistry. Some actual content.

 

In fact, I don't even care much for the cover.

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Silver Surfer

Silver Surfer

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I agree that the art sucks and the story is lame but it is as significant as your going to find as it rolls out probably the most popular character (in DC or Marvel) since 1970 on. Major key regardless of whether you dislike the art/story. If we took that approach the value a lot of the GA keys would be down graded because of art/story. Have you read the Action #1 Superman story?

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TupennyConan

TupennyConan

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Yeah, the Action #1 Superman story is semi-poopoo.

 

So is artistic merit overshadowed by FMV & the first appearance factor? That is, should we not consider how great the first appearance was insofar as artistry is concerned but rather should we concern ourselves with how great the first appearance's influence on later works was?

 

Is it the book itself which is great as a standalone work or is it all that followed as a result of the book's existence which is the most persuasive ingredient in the mix when we are evaluating the Greatness of the book? Was Caesar great or do we attribute his greatness to his ancestry or look to his adopted son Augustus?

 

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Sal

Sal

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i don't think anyone who's actually read it will look at Hulk 181 and think immediately upon finishing it it "wow, what a great book that was."

 

is the fact that Wolverine makes his first full appearance in it important? absolutely, yes.

 

 

but i think, personally, when you say "the greatest book of the blank age" that you have to consider all the factors in actually READING the thing. the story should move you, the art should move you, the implications of the story/character development should move you, all in some measure.

 

 

the reason i put ASM 121 in the mixture wasn't because it prompted ridiculous sales, introduced any major character whose popularity exploded half a decade later, or even was the first issue an artist/writer worked on. i chose it because, while not exceptional, the art is very good, the story itself something of a revelation in terms of its impact on the character, and it looks pretty good in a mylar.

 

Gwen Stacy and the Green Goblin dying set the tone for Spidey for the next twenty years. the impact of the book on the character was still being felt thirty years later. i mean, before this, when was there an example of a character's major archenemy and girlfriend dying?

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boomtown

boomtown

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If Wolverine wouldn't have been added to the X-Men roster he probably would've wound up a a character in the league of the Constrictor. Reading Hulk 181, without him getting in a book like X-Men he probably would've wound up another lame character and maybe even an actual villain, or crappy bronze hero like El Águila. X-Men allowed for character development, which would not have occurred had he made sporadic guest appearances in other titles. Before Byrne came onto UXM Cockrum was seriously thinking of removing him from the team all together. :eek:

 

I don't think Wolverine was ever in danger of being dropped from the team. They were pretty clear (on a letters page I believe) that the death of Warpath was done because basically they already had Wolverine on the team & the characters were considered similar personalities. Of course Cockrum had his obvious favorites, but Wolverine was considered a key character for the team from the beginning. He wasn't a superstar character over the first few years but he was many people's most popular character on the team.

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THE_BEYONDER

THE_BEYONDER

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If Wolverine wouldn't have been added to the X-Men roster he probably would've wound up a a character in the league of the Constrictor. Reading Hulk 181, without him getting in a book like X-Men he probably would've wound up another lame character and maybe even an actual villain, or crappy bronze hero like El Águila. X-Men allowed for character development, which would not have occurred had he made sporadic guest appearances in other titles. Before Byrne came onto UXM Cockrum was seriously thinking of removing him from the team all together. :eek:

 

I don't think Wolverine was ever in danger of being dropped from the team. They were pretty clear (on a letters page I believe) that the death of Warpath was done because basically they already had Wolverine on the team & the characters were considered similar personalities. Of course Cockrum had his obvious favorites, but Wolverine was considered a key character for the team from the beginning. He wasn't a superstar character over the first few years but he was many people's most popular character on the team.

 

If not for Byrne....Claremont & Cockrum would have done away with Wolverine.

 

backissueinterior.jpg

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otherworldsj33

otherworldsj33

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Or maybe Detective 395. Or a handful of other Neal Adam's Batman's, #237 comes to mind. B & B 80, the famous "But Bork can hurt you..." I would kill for the splash in the OA. The Conan #'s 23 and 24 come to mind, as well as SW #2, and #7.

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