Official Chromium/Foil age thread. (1990's) Show us your books.

[joe_collector]

i remember having to get all the xforce 1's cause they had different cards in the polybags.......EXACT SAME BOOK bought what was it? 5 times? i think there were 5 cards.

 

And didn't X-Force #1 hit the stands before X-Men #1?

[joe_collector]

I agree that Spidey 1 IS the cause and defining comic of the modern age.

 

Definitely, but for a more positive spin on 1990 as the beginning of the Modern Age, don't forget that Valiant also started up that year, and their early books were pretty good.

[B-Smooth]

i remember having to get all the xforce 1's cause they had different cards in the polybags.......EXACT SAME BOOK bought what was it? 5 times? i think there were 5 cards.

 

I loved the poly bagged comics with the cracka jack surprise (cards) inside.

[spideysenses78]

Raise your hands if you bought all 4 covers of X-Men #1 as well as the version with the gate-fold cover.

[DiceX]

 

 

[Anfield Fox]

X-Men 1 had 5 different covers. Spider-Man 1 had the same cover in green and silver. Spider-Man 1 might have started it but X-Men 1 "perfected it" if you can call it that.

 

LCS the day before Spider-man #1 was released:

 

 

LCS the day when Spider-man 1 (and its myriad variants) was released:

 

 

 

Wow that LCS had a Cap movie poster from 2011 hung up on their wall in 1990

 

[aggr1103]

To me, that's when the Copper Age ended. I love CA comics because they focused on stories, not gimmicks and variants. That practice is still in play today, just substitute gold foil for a blank cover. So to me they are moderns.

 

In your opinion when do you think the copper age started? Watchmen 1? TMNT 1?

 

I personally would be fine with defining another age between copper and modern that started with Spider-Man 1 and ended around the time Jim Lee took Wildstorm to DC around 98.

[whetteon]

There are several of the enhanced books that I just love, but the champ of them all is Silver Surfer 50. I loved the Thanos run from 34 - up and was completely caught up in the late 80's early 90's love affair with reviving Bronze 3rd tier characters. That book will always be awesome to me.

 

 

I've been looking high and low for a CGC 9.8 copy of this book. But to have a 9.8 copy and SS, well you sir take the cake!

[seanfingh]

 

That is one of my OO copies as well, so it is very special to me. Many of my OO copies are NOT 9.8 so it is great to track a couple that are.

[Ken Aldred]

i remember having to get all the xforce 1's cause they had different cards in the polybags.......EXACT SAME BOOK bought what was it? 5 times? i think there were 5 cards.

 

I loved the poly bagged comics with the cracka jack surprise (cards) inside.

 

When X-Force 1 appeared, the proprietor held out a six copy 'set' of the bagged issues in front of me, with one of each trading card and a copy to open and read.

 

The only time I've used the F-word on a comic shop owner.  Probably the reading copy that triggered the response.

 

I did buy just one. With the Cable trading card.

[kdoginohio]

 

.

In the right light this thing will cause seizures.

[dupont2005]

To me, that's when the Copper Age ended. I love CA comics because they focused on stories, not gimmicks and variants. That practice is still in play today, just substitute gold foil for a blank cover. So to me they are moderns.

 

In your opinion when do you think the copper age started? Watchmen 1? TMNT 1?

 

I personally would be fine with defining another age between copper and modern that started with Spider-Man 1 and ended around the time Jim Lee took Wildstorm to DC around 98.

I wouldn't argue with TMNT #1 but I consider RAW a Copper Age comic since it was an art comic/alternative. I don't think some things sweep the entire industry overnight like that though. Some comics keep the spirit of a previous age longer than others to me. But I definitely do not consider anything with a chromium cover a Copper Age comic

[RockMyAmadeus]

And BTW, Spider-man #1 had at least as many covers as X-Men 1: Green, Silver, Platinum, Gold, Gold UPC,

 

 

Chromium,

 

 

along with multiple second prints

 

 

and those specifically released as bagged/unbagged versions. The sheer number of different "versions" is staggering for a single issue.

 

 

 

I realize a lot of you guys weren't buying comics from 1985-89, but I used to hit the LCS at least every weekend (more if they got some new back issues in), and the whole industry changed the day Spider-man #1 was released.

 

Night and Day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RockMyAmadeus]

X-Men 1 had 5 different covers. Spider-Man 1 had the same cover in green and silver. Spider-Man 1 might have started it but X-Men 1 "perfected it" if you can call it that.

 

LCS the day before Spider-man #1 was released:

 

 

LCS the day when Spider-man 1 (and its myriad variants) was released:

 

 

 

Wow that LCS had a Cap movie poster from 2011 hung up on their wall in 1990

 

 

[Prince Namor]

There are several of the enhanced books that I just love, but the champ of them all is Silver Surfer 50. I loved the Thanos run from 34 - up and was completely caught up in the late 80's early 90's love affair with reviving Bronze 3rd tier characters. That book will always be awesome to me.

 

 

That run is still an enjoyable read today. Great stuff.

[dupont2005]

That Batman might have been the first time it was done, but it in no way was a sign of the times after it's release. The Spiderman and X-Men definitely were.

[joe_collector]

In your opinion when do you think the copper age started? Watchmen 1? TMNT 1?

 

Take your pick for End of Bronze/Start of Copper:

 

May 1979: Daredevil 158- First Miller art

Nov 1979: Iron Man #128 "Demon in a Bottle"

Feb 1980: She-Hulk #1

Mar 1980: King Conan 1

Apr 1980: Star Trek 1

Spring 1980: Epic Illustrated 1

Sep 1980: X-Men 137- Death of Dark Phoenix

Oct 1980: DC Presents 26- first New Teen Titans

Nov 1980: New Teen Titans 1

Nov 1980: Moon Knight gets his own series

1980 : Superboy Spectacular- Direct Sales only 1-shot

Jan 1981: Daredevil 168- First Miller -script; Intro Elektra

Jan 1981: X-Men 141- Days of Future Past launches alternate time line that would form the basis for lots of uber-fandom-based X-continuity over the next several years

Jan 1981: Capital Comics launches and publishes Nexus 1

Mar 1981: X-Men 143- Final Claremont/Byrne

Mar 1981: Dazzler 1- First direct-sales-only for an ongoing series

Mar 1981: Bizarre Adventures starts

Mar 1981: Captain Canuck is cancelled

May 1981: Eclipse Magazine starts

June 1981: The Hulk magazine ends

Jul 1981: Fantastic Four 232 - Byrne takes over FF writing/art duties.

Aug 1981: Rogue debuts

Aug 1981: Marvel Premiere ends

Nov 1981: Captain Victory 1- First Pacific Comics issue, direct-only publisher

1981: Marvel cancels many of its reprint titles, including MGC, AA, TTA, MSA, etc.

1981: Stan Lee moves to California to head Marvel TV/movie properties, leaving Jim Shooter in charge

March 1982: Warrior Magazine #1 (Marvelman, V for Vendetta)

May 1982: Saga of the Swamp Thing #1

June 1982: G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #1

June 1982: Marvel Super-Hero Contest of Champions #1 (first Marvel mini-series, precursor to Secret Wars)

Sept 1982: Love and Rockets debuts

Sept 1982: Wolverine Mini #1

1982: Harvey Comics, Warren Publishing and Spire Comics cease operations

1982: DC cancels remaining Horror titles

1982: Start of creator royalties at Marvel and DC

1982: Steve Geppi founds Diamond

1982: Marvel introduces Graphic Novel series, including Death of Captain Marvel and X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills

 

[joe_collector]

I see RocksInHisHead still doesn't read post before spouting off. The more things change...

 

Come on, Spider-man #1 obviously started the trend, while Legends of the Dark Knight and Robin were kind of the precursors that got the ball rolling.

 

BTW, you missed the Platinum and Walmart Gold editions.

[joe_collector]

That Batman might have been the first time it was done, but it in no way was a sign of the times after it's release.

 

That's why I made sure to mention it, as this "dip your toe in the water" experiment was just that, and didn't really cause a quantum shift.

 

I've said this before and I'll say it again, but anyone saying that Spider-man #1 didn't create this foil/variant mania in the 1990's was not hitting the LCS regularly between 1985-89. It was like someone opened the speculator floodgates.

[Silent Master]

I love these debates!!!

 

Although there will never be one right answer... a change in the industry (any industry) is more than just a single item or event.

 

But I do love the talk - it is always very educational on all the event occuring at that time in comic history, continue on!