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Silver Surfer #34-35 are the most important Thanos apps of all after IM #55

Started by RockMyAmadeus,

218 posts in this topic

vaillant

vaillant

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I quite liked when Starlin reintroduced Thanos in the second Silver Surfer series: the series was not bad since the beginning, but I liked the Starlin work in the early stages.

 

But, do not take it as an offense, that Lim cover (#34) is particularly amateurishly drawn… :(

 

This one is really better composed (and has a greater sense of proportions), although I still insist in saying he never understood Silver Surfer's metallicity of skin:

 

Ptme7Tih.jpg

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SKYNET-migration

SKYNET-migration

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For the dismissers...

 

When I started this thread, there were multiple BINs on eBay for this book in the range of $1.00 to $5.00.

 

Now, there are not.

 

Draw whatever conclusions you wish.

 

what's the average selling rate right now for raw books 34 and 35 at conventions and comicbook stores in the U.S.?

 

i have no idea because i'm located in a different country (shrug)

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

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For the dismissers...

 

When I started this thread, there were multiple BINs on eBay for this book in the range of $1.00 to $5.00.

 

Now, there are not.

 

Draw whatever conclusions you wish.

 

what's the average selling rate right now for raw books 34 and 35 at conventions and comicbook stores in the U.S.?

 

i have no idea because i'm located in a different country (shrug)

 

I suspect less than 5% of comic book stores even have this book in their inventory, much less on the sales floor.

 

Stores don't stock back issues anymore, and those that do mostly stock what was just new when they opened, and they've accumulated since...and the majority of stores that existed when these books came out in late 1989/early 1990 are long gone.

 

I see #34 and #35, when they're at cons, for around $5-$10 each, but those are mostly the usual VF con stock.

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the blob

the blob

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now that I realize I have about 10 copies of these i agree with everything RMA has said, indeed, I think he has understated things, these are perhaps the most important books published between 1985 and 1995, other than maybe daredevil 181, which I own a bunch of too and Thor 339, which I own half a short box of (don't ask me why). ;-)

 

all kidding aside, this is good stuff.

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RockMyAmadeus

RockMyAmadeus

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Obviously the reason the books are important is because Starlin himself got to bring back the character seemingly on his own terms after 10 years of staying dead. (Which at marvel is hard to do)

 

 

It's that, but it's more than that....

 

In a nutshell (yeah, right):

 

The Thanos of the early sagas was, like most Marvel villains, two-dimensional, lacking depth. No one cared about him, because no one had any reason to. He was a standard Marvel foil for the 70's. Cool looking, but that's about it. Even when Starlin wrote him, which was most of the time, he was just a typical villain with power. There are hints of greater things in the Warlock saga, but only hints.

 

Then, Thanos "dies" in Two In One Annual #2, and the character, except for brief cameo flashbacks, essentially disappears from the Marvel U for 13 years (1977-1990)

 

And Marvel, for one reason or another, respected this, and didn't try to use the character (remembering, again, that villains wouldn't really have their heyday of popularity until the 90's.)

 

Along comes Surfer #34...and Starlin brings back his greatest creation, although his greatness wasn't really appreciated at this point. But what he begins in #34 revolutionizes the character, giving him a depth and personality heretofore undeveloped. Even though the Thanos Quest is a retread of an idea that Starlin initially had in the 70's, this time it connects with an audience in a way that it hadn't before. The things that Starlin puts the Surfer through, via Thanos, not only brings Thanos back as a major player, but rescues the Surfer from boring obscurity (which threatened his series in the late 80's.)

 

And then came Infinity Gauntlet.

 

Again, though this idea was a retread, it is fleshed out and expanded in a way that made it the smash summer crossover hit of 1991...and launched multiple new series, and a new cosmic bent in the Marvel U that had been lacking since the late 70's. Throughout the 80's, the Marvel U had been decidedly earth-centric, with not very many cosmic, star spanning sagas...again, until Infinity Gauntlet, which spawned Inifnity War, Crusade, and a host of related titles.

 

It was THIS incarnation of Thanos that the audience connected with, likely due to the rise of both the heroic villain and the anti-hero of the late 80's. It certainly helped that Starlin now had the help of two decades in the business behind him, giving him ideas he hadn't had before, and the talent and skill to develop these characters in ways that were very well received.

 

What's more, the character wasn't retired after Starlin left the titles, but continued to be a presence, however small, in the Marvel U to the present day.

 

And now, in the midst of the 2010's, Thanos has re-emerged as a potent figure in the Marvel U, and has made such an impact that he is certain to be the main villain of a major Marvel motion picture.

 

It wouldn't have happened if not for Infinity Gauntlet. And Infinity Gauntlet wouldn't have happened without the Thanos Quest. And the Thanos Quest wouldn't have happened without Silver Surfer #34.

 

For good or for ill, Thanos' emergence as a major villain in the Marvel U can be traced all the way back to that little mag that hardly anyone noticed, Silver Surfer #34.

 

Don't misunderstand...his early appearances are fun. They're not awful. Warlock #10 is especially fun. But, clearly, the focus for Starlin in those days was NOT Thanos....it was his "flawed hero" concept, whether it was Captain Marvel, or Warlock, or even Spidey and the Avengers. That's where his focus was, then. Thanos was only the foil (and a ripoff of Darkseid!)

 

But when Surfer #34 came around, and after....it was all about Thanos.

 

And that's why, after IM #55, SS #34-35, which brings the character back after a long hiatus, and begins Thanos' trek to Marvel U superstardom, are the most important Thanos appearances of all.

 

Had Thanos NOT appeared in the 70's, I have little doubt that Thanos would be hailed as one of the single greatest creations of the Copper Age, and those books would be worth more than NM #87, 98, X-Men #266, or any of the other Copper Age first appearances.

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the blob

the blob

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Posted
Obviously the reason the books are important is because Starlin himself got to bring back the character seemingly on his own terms after 10 years of staying dead. (Which at marvel is hard to do)

 

 

It's that, but it's more than that....

 

In a nutshell (yeah, right):

 

The Thanos of the early sagas was, like most Marvel villains, two-dimensional, lacking depth. No one cared about him, because no one had any reason to. He was a standard Marvel foil for the 70's. Cool looking, but that's about it. Even when Starlin wrote him, which was most of the time, he was just a typical villain with power. There are hints of greater things in the Warlock saga, but only hints.

 

Then, Thanos "dies" in Two In One Annual #2, and the character, except for brief cameo flashbacks, essentially disappears from the Marvel U for 13 years (1977-1990)

 

And Marvel, for one reason or another, respected this, and didn't try to use the character (remembering, again, that villains wouldn't really have their heyday of popularity until the 90's.)

 

Along comes Surfer #34...and Starlin brings back his greatest creation, although his greatness wasn't really appreciated at this point. But what he begins in #34 revolutionizes the character, giving him a depth and personality heretofore undeveloped. Even though the Thanos Quest is a retread of an idea that Starlin initially had in the 70's, this time it connects with an audience in a way that it hadn't before. The things that Starlin puts the Surfer through, via Thanos, not only brings Thanos back as a major player, but rescues the Surfer from boring obscurity (which threatened his series in the late 80's.)

 

And then came Infinity Gauntlet.

 

Again, though this idea was a retread, it is fleshed out and expanded in a way that made it the smash summer crossover hit of 1991...and launched multiple new series, and a new cosmic bent in the Marvel U that had been lacking since the late 70's. Throughout the 80's, the Marvel U had been decidedly earth-centric, with not very many cosmic, star spanning sagas...again, until Infinity Gauntlet, which spawned Inifnity War, Crusade, and a host of related titles.

 

It was THIS incarnation of Thanos that the audience connected with, likely due to the rise of both the heroic villain and the anti-hero of the late 80's. It certainly helped that Starlin now had the help of two decades in the business behind him, giving him ideas he hadn't had before, and the talent and skill to develop these characters in ways that were very well received.

 

What's more, the character wasn't retired after Starlin left the titles, but continued to be a presence, however small, in the Marvel U to the present day.

 

And now, in the midst of the 2010's, Thanos has re-emerged as a potent figure in the Marvel U, and has made such an impact that he is certain to be the main villain of a major Marvel motion picture.

 

It wouldn't have happened if not for Infinity Gauntlet. And Infinity Gauntlet wouldn't have happened without the Thanos Quest. And the Thanos Quest wouldn't have happened without Silver Surfer #34.

 

For good or for ill, Thanos' emergence as a major villain in the Marvel U can be traced all the way back to that little mag that hardly anyone noticed, Silver Surfer #34.

 

Don't misunderstand...his early appearances are fun. They're not awful. Warlock #10 is especially fun. But, clearly, the focus for Starlin in those days was NOT Thanos....it was his "flawed hero" concept, whether it was Captain Marvel, or Warlock, or even Spidey and the Avengers. That's where his focus was, then. Thanos was only the foil (and a ripoff of Darkseid!)

 

But when Surfer #34 came around, and after....it was all about Thanos.

 

And that's why, after IM #55, SS #34-35, which brings the character back after a long hiatus, and begins Thanos' trek to Marvel U superstardom, are the most important Thanos appearances of all.

 

Had Thanos NOT appeared in the 70's, I have little doubt that Thanos would be hailed as one of the single greatest creations of the Copper Age, and those books would be worth more than NM #87, 98, X-Men #266, or any of the other Copper Age first appearances.

 

Who wrote the Logan's Run Thanos backup story? (I don't feel like digging it up.) Obviously not critical to plot development, but it shows you more depth (of evil) than just wanting to rule the universe or whatever. Plus the inner frailty of Drax.

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seanfingh

seanfingh

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Obviously the reason the books are important is because Starlin himself got to bring back the character seemingly on his own terms after 10 years of staying dead. (Which at marvel is hard to do)

 

 

It's that, but it's more than that....

 

In a nutshell (yeah, right):

 

The Thanos of the early sagas was, like most Marvel villains, two-dimensional, lacking depth. No one cared about him, because no one had any reason to. He was a standard Marvel foil for the 70's. Cool looking, but that's about it. Even when Starlin wrote him, which was most of the time, he was just a typical villain with power. There are hints of greater things in the Warlock saga, but only hints.

 

Then, Thanos "dies" in Two In One Annual #2, and the character, except for brief cameo flashbacks, essentially disappears from the Marvel U for 13 years (1977-1990)

 

And Marvel, for one reason or another, respected this, and didn't try to use the character (remembering, again, that villains wouldn't really have their heyday of popularity until the 90's.)

 

Along comes Surfer #34...and Starlin brings back his greatest creation, although his greatness wasn't really appreciated at this point. But what he begins in #34 revolutionizes the character, giving him a depth and personality heretofore undeveloped. Even though the Thanos Quest is a retread of an idea that Starlin initially had in the 70's, this time it connects with an audience in a way that it hadn't before. The things that Starlin puts the Surfer through, via Thanos, not only brings Thanos back as a major player, but rescues the Surfer from boring obscurity (which threatened his series in the late 80's.)

 

And then came Infinity Gauntlet.

 

Again, though this idea was a retread, it is fleshed out and expanded in a way that made it the smash summer crossover hit of 1991...and launched multiple new series, and a new cosmic bent in the Marvel U that had been lacking since the late 70's. Throughout the 80's, the Marvel U had been decidedly earth-centric, with not very many cosmic, star spanning sagas...again, until Infinity Gauntlet, which spawned Inifnity War, Crusade, and a host of related titles.

 

It was THIS incarnation of Thanos that the audience connected with, likely due to the rise of both the heroic villain and the anti-hero of the late 80's. It certainly helped that Starlin now had the help of two decades in the business behind him, giving him ideas he hadn't had before, and the talent and skill to develop these characters in ways that were very well received.

 

What's more, the character wasn't retired after Starlin left the titles, but continued to be a presence, however small, in the Marvel U to the present day.

 

And now, in the midst of the 2010's, Thanos has re-emerged as a potent figure in the Marvel U, and has made such an impact that he is certain to be the main villain of a major Marvel motion picture.

 

It wouldn't have happened if not for Infinity Gauntlet. And Infinity Gauntlet wouldn't have happened without the Thanos Quest. And the Thanos Quest wouldn't have happened without Silver Surfer #34.

 

For good or for ill, Thanos' emergence as a major villain in the Marvel U can be traced all the way back to that little mag that hardly anyone noticed, Silver Surfer #34.

 

Don't misunderstand...his early appearances are fun. They're not awful. Warlock #10 is especially fun. But, clearly, the focus for Starlin in those days was NOT Thanos....it was his "flawed hero" concept, whether it was Captain Marvel, or Warlock, or even Spidey and the Avengers. That's where his focus was, then. Thanos was only the foil (and a ripoff of Darkseid!)

 

But when Surfer #34 came around, and after....it was all about Thanos.

 

And that's why, after IM #55, SS #34-35, which brings the character back after a long hiatus, and begins Thanos' trek to Marvel U superstardom, are the most important Thanos appearances of all.

 

Had Thanos NOT appeared in the 70's, I have little doubt that Thanos would be hailed as one of the single greatest creations of the Copper Age, and those books would be worth more than NM #87, 98, X-Men #266, or any of the other Copper Age first appearances.

 

Who wrote the Logan's Run Thanos backup story? (I don't feel like digging it up.) Obviously not critical to plot development, but it shows you more depth (of evil) than just wanting to rule the universe or whatever. Plus the inner frailty of Drax.

 

Scott Edelman. He mostly wrote horror anthology stories. And the Hawkeye backup in Marvel Tales 100

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the blob

the blob

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Posted

 

Who wrote the Logan's Run Thanos backup story? (I don't feel like digging it up.) Obviously not critical to plot development, but it shows you more depth (of evil) than just wanting to rule the universe or whatever. Plus the inner frailty of Drax.

 

Scott Edelman. He mostly wrote horror anthology stories. And the Hawkeye backup in Marvel Tales 100

 

a lot of comic stories get mushy in my brain after a while but for whatever reason that one stands out. probably because i have about an 8 page attention span, but whatever.

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vaillant

vaillant

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Scott Edelman. He mostly wrote horror anthology stories. And the Hawkeye backup in Marvel Tales 100

 

Now I have to have that issue. I don’t care about having each and ever Thanos story, but I love Scott Edelman’s work.

 

FYI, he created the Scarecrow character (which lasted just a few apperances and was reintroduced by Roy Thomas in "The Great Fear" Dr. Strange storyline in the early 1990s) and wrote several Captain Marvel stories after Starlin left the title.

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