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Key issues from the 90's?

Started by Dr. Balls,

141 posts in this topic

rjrjr

rjrjr

Posted
Posted
There are at least 20 Valiant books I'd consider "key" for any series 90s collector.

 

Some are expensive, others not. Remember "key" means important, not just valuable, so I'd include nearly all the pre-Unity # 1s--what started as a sci fi line quickly crossed over into a superhero mythos that--as RMA said--was poised to be the first legit new superhero player since Marvel in the 1960s.

 

Image could have gotten there but sputtered starting out. How many Image titles hit 50 issues in less than seven years? Two? (Spawn and Savage Dragon, maybe). Valiant had four. Any other post-1970 publisher manage to produce four titles that hit 50 issues each in the first seven years?

 

Dark Horse could have gotten there had they focused on ongoing titles rather than minis.

 

But keys?

 

Adventures of Super Mario 1 (first Valiant comic for sale)

 

Magnus 0 (first modern really popular send-away giveaway)--started trend of # 0 origin or special issues

 

Magnus 1 (first Valiant hero comic)

 

Harbinger 1 (first original Valiant hero comic, peaked at $125 within 18 months of release)

 

Solar 10 (iconic all black cover, later aped by FF # 371)

 

Archer Armstrong 0 gold (first gold incentive)

 

Unity 0 (free promotional comic, started arguably greatest company crossover ever, at least most significant since Secret Wars)

 

X-O # 1--Conan meets Iron Man, by iconic Iron Man artist Bob Layton and iconic Conan artist BWS.

 

Rai 0 - "origin" of the Valiant Universe with future history told of many characters.

 

Deathmate Prelude: FIrst issue of massively distributed Image/Valiant crossover with art by BWS and Jim Lee. More importantly, this is the crossover that precipitated the comic book crash, as many comic book stores went out of business directly due to the high cover prices and delays associated with this crossover.

 

Turok 1 - At 1.7 million copies, also contributed to the comic market crash and losses by speculators on this issue contributed to tanking the Valiant speculator market and (eventually) the line as a whole. It was the "Ishtar" or "Zabriskie Point" of '90s comics.

 

I think many of these titles are key for Valiant collectors, but when you look at the 1990s as a whole, they are not really that key. For example, I don't see any desire for most collectors to buy Super Mario. Magnus Robot Fighter is a key comic in the 1960s, not the 1990s. RAI 0, while a cool book for a Valiant collector, has no real significance as a 90s title.

 

Just so its clear. I think all of these are key titles for a Valiant collector, but I don't think they'd rank high on an overall 90s list.

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rjrjr

rjrjr

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Comics I'd add to key issues for the 90s include:

 

Star Wars Dark Empire 1 (Star Wars comic revival)

Next Men 21 (1st Hellboy) or Hellboy The Seeds of Destruction 1 (1st Hellboy mini-series)

Creatures of the Id (1st Madman)

Terminator: The Burning Earth 1 (1st Alex Ross)

Evil Ernie 1 (1st Lady Death)

Daredevil 1 (Marvel Knights imprint)

Spider-Man 2099 (Marvel 2099 line)

Ghost Rider 1 (Danny Ketch version - Midnight Sons line)

Robin 1 (Tim Drake - mini - 1st Robin series)

Superman 75 ("death" of Superman)

Vengeance of Bane 1 (1st Bane)

 

I can see any of the Marvel 1st series last issues (Daredevil 381, Hulk 467, etc.) that ended in the 90s as possibly being key. The more I think about it, quite a lot happened in the 90s, so I think a key issues list would be a hard thing to nail down.

 

 

 

 

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Bosco685

Bosco685

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Next Men 21 (1st Hellboy) or Hellboy The Seeds of Destruction 1 (1st Hellboy mini-series)

 

Although I like where you are going here ( (worship) ), the 1st Hellboy appearance is in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2. Next Men #21 is his 1st color appearance.

 

:foryou:

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kdoginohio

kdoginohio

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Next Men 21 (1st Hellboy) or Hellboy The Seeds of Destruction 1 (1st Hellboy mini-series)

 

Although I like where you are going here ( (worship) ), the 1st Hellboy appearance is in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2. Next Men #21 is his 1st color appearance.

 

:foryou:

Nit-Picker :baiting:

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Bosco685

Bosco685

Posted
Posted
Next Men 21 (1st Hellboy) or Hellboy The Seeds of Destruction 1 (1st Hellboy mini-series)

 

Although I like where you are going here ( (worship) ), the 1st Hellboy appearance is in San Diego Comic-Con Comics #2. Next Men #21 is his 1st color appearance.

 

:foryou:

Nit-Picker :baiting:

lol

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sakaridis

sakaridis

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There are at least 20 Valiant books I'd consider "key" for any series 90s collector.

 

Some are expensive, others not. Remember "key" means important, not just valuable, so I'd include nearly all the pre-Unity # 1s--what started as a sci fi line quickly crossed over into a superhero mythos that--as RMA said--was poised to be the first legit new superhero player since Marvel in the 1960s.

 

Image could have gotten there but sputtered starting out. How many Image titles hit 50 issues in less than seven years? Two? (Spawn and Savage Dragon, maybe). Valiant had four. Any other post-1970 publisher manage to produce four titles that hit 50 issues each in the first seven years?

 

Dark Horse could have gotten there had they focused on ongoing titles rather than minis.

 

But keys?

 

Adventures of Super Mario 1 (first Valiant comic for sale)

 

Magnus 0 (first modern really popular send-away giveaway)--started trend of # 0 origin or special issues

 

Magnus 1 (first Valiant hero comic)

 

Harbinger 1 (first original Valiant hero comic, peaked at $125 within 18 months of release)

 

Solar 10 (iconic all black cover, later aped by FF # 371)

 

Archer Armstrong 0 gold (first gold incentive)

 

Unity 0 (free promotional comic, started arguably greatest company crossover ever, at least most significant since Secret Wars)

 

X-O # 1--Conan meets Iron Man, by iconic Iron Man artist Bob Layton and iconic Conan artist BWS.

 

Rai 0 - "origin" of the Valiant Universe with future history told of many characters.

 

Deathmate Prelude: FIrst issue of massively distributed Image/Valiant crossover with art by BWS and Jim Lee. More importantly, this is the crossover that precipitated the comic book crash, as many comic book stores went out of business directly due to the high cover prices and delays associated with this crossover.

 

Turok 1 - At 1.7 million copies, also contributed to the comic market crash and losses by speculators on this issue contributed to tanking the Valiant speculator market and (eventually) the line as a whole. It was the "Ishtar" or "Zabriskie Point" of '90s comics.

 

I think many of these titles are key for Valiant collectors, but when you look at the 1990s as a whole, they are not really that key. For example, I don't see any desire for most collectors to buy Super Mario. Magnus Robot Fighter is a key comic in the 1960s, not the 1990s. RAI 0, while a cool book for a Valiant collector, has no real significance as a 90s title.

 

Just so its clear. I think all of these are key titles for a Valiant collector, but I don't think they'd rank high on an overall 90s list.

 

One could easily argue that the Gold Key Magnus is way more "out-keyed" in the 60s than Valiant Magnus is in the 90s. hm

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Gatsby77

Gatsby77

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Seriously. I only count two key Gold Key Magnus issues out of the 21 original issues and an additional 25 reprint issues: # 1 (first app. of Magnus) and # 10 (first Walt Simonson published art).

 

And I think Valiant's Magnus # 0 and 1 are far more significant than either of those, particularly to the modern collector. Issue 1, because it was the first Valiant hero comic, that eventually grew to over 1,000 different issues over three publishers (and counting).

 

And # 0, because it started the trend of original # 0 origin or special issues that DC later aped for its entire line, and because it was the first really popular modern sendaway-only comic that laid the groundwork for the whole Image 0 coupon thing and today's RRP's.

 

Yeah--the RRP thing started with Platinum Spider-Man 1, but the coupon giveaway incentive was innovative and "cool" back in 1991-92.

 

I don't count other Valiant Magnus keys like # 5 (1st David Lapham art, 1st Rai) or even # 12 (1st new Turok since the 1970s) because I agree--those are Valiant fan-specific, but the other books I listed influenced comics above and beyond Valiant, and--like Youngblood 1 and Spawn 1, should be a part of any serious "1990's" collection.

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Ogami

Ogami

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But Image followed Dark Horse's template. Find talented creators and let em loose.

I agree with the comparison (Valiant/Marvel, Image/Dark Horse). But I don't think it was due to planning on the part of the Image founders. It came from the creators wanting to support their own studio content, and control their creations.

 

Todd McFarlane Productions - Todd McFarlane

Highbrow Entertainment - Erik Larsen

Wildstorm Productions - Jim Lee

Extreme Studios - Rob Liefeld

ShadowLine - Jim Valentino

Top Cow Productions - Marc Silvestri

 

And over time, this definitely worked for Image.

 

Yup, I believe Image BECAME more like DH, so agree with you. Agree with your understanding of their inception as well.

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Ogami

Ogami

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I still don't understand Image's power structure. Look at a current book- Robert is in charge. How do they agree to these shifts in power? Is it based on cred, sales, or do they just take turns?

 

I find the dynamic interesting. I would read a book about Image's Publishing history. Would also read one about DH. Would ALSO read one about all the great independent publishers of the copper age, First, Blackthorne, Capitol, etc. etc. (Yes, I said Blackthorne. lol )

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whetteon

whetteon

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I love Darkhawk...bought it off the rack in walmart.

 

I submitted one (DH 1) and it came back 9.4 so I finally bought one at 9.8

 

I now have my favorite New Warriors first appearances in 9.8, Darkhawk and Nova.

 

^^ How can you not talk about awesome books in the 90's without touching on New Warriors and Darkhawk? Just saying... (shrug)

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Bosco685

Bosco685

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I love Darkhawk...bought it off the rack in walmart.

 

I submitted one (DH 1) and it came back 9.4 so I finally bought one at 9.8

 

I now have my favorite New Warriors first appearances in 9.8, Darkhawk and Nova.

 

^^ How can you not talk about awesome books in the 90's without touching on New Warriors and Darkhawk? Just saying... (shrug)

 

I really like how a few of you are so dedicated to these titles and characters consistently. It's clear you are hardcore fans versus fly-by-night speculators.

 

:applause::cloud9:

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Rodey

Rodey

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I love Darkhawk...bought it off the rack in walmart.

 

I submitted one (DH 1) and it came back 9.4 so I finally bought one at 9.8

 

I now have my favorite New Warriors first appearances in 9.8, Darkhawk and Nova.

 

^^ How can you not talk about awesome books in the 90's without touching on New Warriors and Darkhawk? Just saying... (shrug)

 

I really like how a few of you are so dedicated to these titles and characters consistently. It's clear you are hardcore fans versus fly-by-night speculators.

 

:applause::cloud9:

 

Whet and I grew up reading The New Warriors. Well, Bagley's run anyways. I think the New Warriors was outselling some other big name comics at the time too.

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graffix13

graffix13

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I had a hard time picking my favorite cover from the first 10 issues of New Warriors, but if I had to whittle it down to one it would be this:

 

300px-New_Warriors_Vol_1_7.jpg

 

Honorable Mentions:

 

New_Warriors_Vol_1_4.jpg

300px-New_Warriors_Vol_1_5.jpg

 

 

Man, that brings back memories!! LOVED The New Warriors (Nova was my favorite). I really like that cover to Issue #4. I think my favorite on that villain team was the guy with the spikes on his wristband....Impulse was his name I believe?

 

Thanks for posting those!

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