Most important comics - not price, not age, not scarcity

[valiantman]

I was looking through the latest Overstreet at the standard lists of Top 100 and Top 10 books by age/genre

and wondering what a list would look like if it was based solely on the importance of the book...

not the price, not the age, not the scarcity/availability.

 

I think the Top 3 would be easy...and the first appearances of the "Big 3" would be the most important.

 

1) Action Comics #1

2) Amazing Fantasy #15

3) Detective Comics #27

 

After those, though... I'm not sure where to go next...

Superman #1?

Captain America #1?

Fantastic Four #1?

 

Obviously age does have something to do with this, since characters that are 70 years old

are usually more important than characters that are much more recent,

but if we ignore the age, value, and scarcity of the books, it seems like we

wouldn't automatically put More Fun #52 above Incredible Hulk #1

just because More Fun is older and more valuable.

 

It's pretty easy to argue that Incredible Hulk #1 is more important

from the standpoint of the character's importance "to the world".

 

So... ignoring price, age, and scarcity... what are the Top 10 Comics?

[mysterio]

Sounds like a good poll topic to me. There was recently a fun poll in the Silver room ranking the top 30 most important SA comics, and it would seem that you could do something similar with this.

[thehumantorch]

First book of each genre; Horror, Romance, War etc...

[valiantman]

Sounds like a good poll topic to me. There was recently a fun poll in the Silver room ranking the top 30 most important SA comics, and it would seem that you could do something similar with this.

I thought about a poll, but I wanted to see some people's lists before I created a poll...

otherwise, I'd most likely miss quite a few of the choices that might be popular.

[mysterio]

Sounds like a good poll topic to me. There was recently a fun poll in the Silver room ranking the top 30 most important SA comics, and it would seem that you could do something similar with this.

I thought about a poll, but I wanted to see some people's lists before I created a poll...

otherwise, I'd most likely miss quite a few of the choices that might be popular.

 

Good idea, so open a period of nominations first and then use the poll to whittle that list down and put them in order. I think it will make for a great discussion.

[valiantman]

I guess it's ok for me to reply to my own topic... just to throw another comic out there...

 

Pep #22

[USArmyParatrooper]

Marvel Comics #1, while expensive, is also a very important comic from a historic perspective. It was the very first book released by Timely, who later became Marvel, and if I'm not mistaken hosted the first appearance of the Human Torch, Sub-Mariner and possibly another character I'm forgetting.

 

Very pricey, but no doubt an important book.

 

I would be really interested to know if any comics of actual importance are affordable. I can't think of any.

[valiantman]

Marvel Comics #1, while expensive, is also a very important comic from a historic perspective. It was the very first book released by Timely, who later became Marvel, and if I'm not mistaken hosted the first appearance of the Human Torch, Sub-Mariner and possibly another character I'm forgetting.

 

Very pricey, but no doubt an important book.

 

I would be really interested to know if any comics of actual importance are affordable. I can't think of any.

 

Ignoring age and scarcity/availability, it could probably be argued that Incredible Hulk #181 is affordable, relatively speaking.

My guess is that Wolverine's popularity is way above many characters that cost 10 or 100 times the price Wolverine's first appearance.

Those books are older and much harder to find... but are they as important?

[This is water]

Watchmen, Miracleman, Saga of the Swamp Thing should be on the list somewhere. Especially Watchmen.

[valiantman]

First book of each genre; Horror, Romance, War etc...

Name them!

 

I don't think the first book of each genre is always listed first in Overstreet Top 10 for those genres.

 

The Overstreet lists:

Crime - Crime Does Not Pay #22

Horror - Vault of Horror #12

Romance - Giant Comics Edition #12

Sci-Fi - Mystery In Space #1

Western - Gene Autry Comics #1

 

What are the firsts?

[warlocke]

Giant-Size X-Men #1

[mysterio]

Marvel Comics #1, while expensive, is also a very important comic from a historic perspective. It was the very first book released by Timely, who later became Marvel, and if I'm not mistaken hosted the first appearance of the Human Torch, Sub-Mariner and possibly another character I'm forgetting.

 

Very pricey, but no doubt an important book.

 

I would be really interested to know if any comics of actual importance are affordable. I can't think of any.

 

It depends on how you define "important" for this context. Important for the history of the medium? Important for influence on pop culture? Popular? Popular outside our small circle of geeks? There are a lot of different ways that a book could be important. I interpreted the OP's question to be important beyond the small world of comic collectors, in which case I don't think Marvel Comics #1 would register. It is an important and expensive comic, but the first appearance of the Torch and Sub-Mariner wouldn't rate a mention outside a comic collecting forum IMHO.

[USArmyParatrooper]

Marvel Comics #1, while expensive, is also a very important comic from a historic perspective. It was the very first book released by Timely, who later became Marvel, and if I'm not mistaken hosted the first appearance of the Human Torch, Sub-Mariner and possibly another character I'm forgetting.

 

Very pricey, but no doubt an important book.

 

I would be really interested to know if any comics of actual importance are affordable. I can't think of any.

 

It depends on how you define "important" for this context. Important for the history of the medium? Important for influence on pop culture? Popular? Popular outside our small circle of geeks? There are a lot of different ways that a book could be important. I interpreted the OP's question to be important beyond the small world of comic collectors, in which case I don't think Marvel Comics #1 would register. It is an important and expensive comic, but the first appearance of the Torch and Sub-Mariner wouldn't rate a mention outside a comic collecting forum IMHO.

 

You do bring up a good point as far as the importance for defining importance. I fully agree with your assessment. From a comic book geek standpoint, IMO the importance of Marvel Comics 1 is second only to Action Comics 1.

 

On that note, Action 1 is in a class all of it's own. Whether you're talking about importance to comic geeks, comic book history, pop culture or by any standard, Action 1 is arguably the most important comic of them all.

[valiantman]

I interpreted the OP's question to be important beyond the small world of comic collectors...

 

That's a good way to put it.

 

If we were going to put comics in the Smithsonian, with a little plaque next to each one with a brief description, which books would have the general public saying "Wow!"?

[USArmyParatrooper]

I interpreted the OP's question to be important beyond the small world of comic collectors...

 

That's a good way to put it.

 

If we were going to put comics in the Smithsonian, with a little plaque next to each one with a brief description, which books would have the general public saying "Wow!"?

 

I think to the general public it will all come down to who is a household name, and who do they remember from way back in their childhood. First appearances of all of the mainstay DC heroes, i.e. Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, etc. would all apply. Worth noting is that the spell check on my browser doesn't dislike the words "Batman" and "Superman."

 

For Marvel the Hulk, Fantastic Four and Spider-man, followed by Wolverine and the X-men (due to the Marvel movies).

[PokerKid]

Defining importance is not easy either. I could argue that Famous Funnies belongs in the top 3. The first monthly comic showed the profit potential leading to the explosion of comics.

 

[Calamerica]

TOS 39 - ist app. Iron Man

 

FF 48 - ist app. Silver Surfer

 

CAL not his 1st app.

[MrBedrock]

I interpreted the OP's question to be important beyond the small world of comic collectors...

 

That's a good way to put it.

 

If we were going to put comics in the Smithsonian, with a little plaque next to each one with a brief description, which books would have the general public saying "Wow!"?

A few oddballs of note...

 

Pep 22 and Archie 1. Every Joe and Jane Doe knows the Riverdale crew. Most folks do not know where they got their start.

 

Animal Comics 1. First Pogo Possum. Started in a comic book. Walt Kelly took him to the heights of the funnypapers and in the process redefined comic strip political commentary.

 

Mad 1 and 24. Influenced the humor of an entire generation.

 

 

 

[comicparadox]

I applaud the nomination of Mad 1. New genre and all...

 

Action 1 without a doubt. Origin of long-running series, 1st true "caped crusader" (Dr. Occult notwithstanding)

 

FF1 vs AF15 - nod goes to AF15, though personally I'd prefer FF1.

 

In terms of genre-changers, I'd (briefly) consider Dazzler 1 - first "direct sales" comic. Was it "Famous Funnies" that was the first non-reprint 4-color comic - I forget which of those early books had new material? I'd also briefly consider the "first computer-generated comic" (Shatter - I think it was from First Comics).

Then I'd think about Crime SuspenStories 22 since it nearly decapitated the comics industry and ushered in the CCA. Maybe Spiegelman's Maus - first Pulitzer winner in comics form.

 

All those pale in comparison though to Action 1, AF15, and Mad 1, though.

[Green]

Marvel Comics #1, while expensive, is also a very important comic from a historic perspective. It was the very first book released by Timely, who later became Marvel, and if I'm not mistaken hosted the first appearance of the Human Torch, Sub-Mariner and possibly another character I'm forgetting.

 

Very pricey, but no doubt an important book.

 

I would be really interested to know if any comics of actual importance are affordable. I can't think of any.

 

It depends on how you define "important" for this context. Important for the history of the medium? Important for influence on pop culture? Popular? Popular outside our small circle of geeks? There are a lot of different ways that a book could be important. I interpreted the OP's question to be important beyond the small world of comic collectors, in which case I don't think Marvel Comics #1 would register. It is an important and expensive comic, but the first appearance of the Torch and Sub-Mariner wouldn't rate a mention outside a comic collecting forum IMHO.

Wasnt first subby in motion picture funnies ?