Strange Tales 135 - key issue?

[vaillant]

This issue is the first appearance of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury as a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent (of course, not his actual first appearance), Hydra, and the Helicarrier. A lot of firsts there. Do you consider this to be a Silver age key? Major, minor, don't care, undervalued?

 

S.H.I.E.L.D. has a TV show and appears in the Avengers movies, and wasn't Hydra in the first Captain America movie?

 

Why do you think of a "key" in terms of movies? These movies have little to do with the original works – is is just because they "influence" the market?

If so, it‘s understandable, but it’s quite a loop as the more people consider them "important", the more comics will gain in value for the wrong reasons.

[vaillant]

Thanks everyone! I've been going back and forth about whether to pick one up. I think we're all in agreement about it not being a mega key (I didn't think so either). But from there it sounds like it goes from a minor to just a good old standard key, with a couple posters who aren't really interested in it. I think I may get one if the price and condition is right...

 

BTW, strictly speaking the first Nick Fury (as a spy, and not simply a war hero/veteran) is Fantastic Four #21.

[HeroX]

Major or minor, mine is at CGC as we speak!

 

 

This is beautiful! Let us know what it grades!

[HeroX]

This issue is the first appearance of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury as a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent (of course, not his actual first appearance), Hydra, and the Helicarrier. A lot of firsts there. Do you consider this to be a Silver age key? Major, minor, don't care, undervalued?

 

S.H.I.E.L.D. has a TV show and appears in the Avengers movies, and wasn't Hydra in the first Captain America movie?

 

Why do you think of a "key" in terms of movies? These movies have little to do with the original works – is is just because they "influence" the market?

If so, it‘s understandable, but it’s quite a loop as the more people consider them "important", the more comics will gain in value for the wrong reasons.

 

Honestly? I've been an X-Men fan for a long time. I've not ever followed the other parts of the Marvel universe until more recently, really since the movies. It's been the movies that have caused me to start reading these other comics that are relevant to these characters. So, the movies wound up being the examples I used for the importance of the issue. Of course, I agree the comic appearances are more important, I'm just not nearly as familiar with them. I'm not trying to offend anyone by referring to the movies!

[HeroX]

Thanks everyone! I've been going back and forth about whether to pick one up. I think we're all in agreement about it not being a mega key (I didn't think so either). But from there it sounds like it goes from a minor to just a good old standard key, with a couple posters who aren't really interested in it. I think I may get one if the price and condition is right...

 

BTW, strictly speaking the first Nick Fury (as a spy, and not simply a war hero/veteran) is Fantastic Four #21.

 

Good intel there, thanks for that!

[vaillant]

Honestly? I've been an X-Men fan for a long time. I've not ever followed the other parts of the Marvel universe until more recently, really since the movies. It's been the movies that have caused me to start reading these other comics that are relevant to these characters. So, the movies wound up being the examples I used for the importance of the issue. Of course, I agree the comic appearances are more important, I'm just not nearly as familiar with it.

 

That‘s interesting, I’d never have thought of that. I did not mean to sound corny, but I have read Marvels since I was nine (1979), and the whole conception of the Marvel "universe" is what made the Marvel Age so unique.

Of course, everyone has his/her favorite characters or series, but as a kid and even more as I grew up and got back cyclically to my favorite books, the Marvel characters made sense as part of a larger whole, ripe with meaning, so I’d have not thought to read – say – the X-Men alone or Daredevil alone.

 

I have been criticizing Marvel’s m.o. (in comics) since the early 1990s (DeFalco/Quesada tenure and afterwards): it’s quite a deep kind of criticism, and as far as the movies go… they are mostly action movies and thus they are necessarily something deeply different, which may be enjoyable but can’t represent the original conception with its historical weight.

 

Besides all the filological aspects, I’ve always found movies taken from comics which had a long history not suitable for the wide screen: you have to select a single story which may be represented in such a short time, especially for characters which have had a long serialization history this necessarily alters their essence. Heck, it‘s problematic when you have got to adapt a long novel: it’s not arbitrary that Hitchock used to choose short novels and had his screenwriters adapt them to the short time available to a movie in the best possible way.

 

FF #21 is a great book – I still have to pick a copy myself.

[vaillant]

Also, relevant issues for Nick Fury are Capt. Savage #2-4, which feature the origin of Hydra.

[HeroX]

I follow you, vaillant. Thanks for your post! My oldest FF is #28 (X-Men crossover, of course). I'm reading the FF Masterworks right now and am quickly approaching #21, so I'm looking forward to it. I'll have to check out Capt. Savage now too...

[vaillant]

The Capt. Savage stories are cool – early Baron Strucker. The Hate Monger is a favorite of mine, especially because it represents the evil incidentally embodied as Hitler, which endlessly "clones" itself.

Kirby did an awesome work with reflections on nazism, as he actually went to war, and was injured in Europe (hospitalized in France, and then sent back to USA).

 

When he got back to Marvel in 1977 he produced some great Captain America stories between historical memory and hyper-modern science fiction, which are not easy to categorize and which I have seen recent writers like Brubaker and Remender are building upon. I don’t like what Marvel does, but I appreciate that.

 

I still miss FF #28 as well. Dang, in my next spending spree (hopefully a bit far in the future) I must concentrate on the FF, which are my favorite series as the X-Men for you. I am a big fan of the New Mutants, X-Factor and Power Pack, especially the Louise Simonson work, which I followed as they came out.

[HeroX]

Thanks for the Kirby backstory. I really should read up on the history of these guys and ladies.

 

Good luck on the FF run!!!

[zosocane]

ST135 is a great read. I first read it in Son of Origins, which as someone above commented, Lee found it significant enough to have included it there. Terrific artwork and story.

 

I would call it a semi-key. "Minor key" doesn't describe 135 appropriately. When you see Agent Coulson's flying car in MAOS on television, think ST135.

[TheMightyMidget]

Major or Minor??? Obviously we all know Howling Commandos gets 1st nod to Nick Fury. And yes, I would say movies/network television has helped this book as 1st S.H.I.E.L.D. and a major springboard for the character!

In today's market, "most" associate Fury with S.H.I.E.L.D. so this book has long legs to stand on.

Bottom line, super cool book and a key in the eyes of most including myself. Major or Minor.....is there a middle ground??

 

[HeroX]

I think there is a middle ground between major and minor and this is a good example of a book that belongs there. Your 7.5 is gorgeous!

[jpd-migration]

Serious key (not major)and belongs in any SA collector's collection? repetitive? even English? best, jp

[Cosmic Boy]

It's easily one of the 100 Greatest Silver & Bronze Marvel Comics.

 

I'd put it in the top 25, honestly. Major reworking of a character and the debut of two organizations that would go on to influence the course of the entire Marvel universe.

 

Not to mention their importance in the MCU.

[Cosmic Boy]

Major or Minor??? Obviously we all know Howling Commandos gets 1st nod to Nick Fury. And yes, I would say movies/network television has helped this book as 1st S.H.I.E.L.D. and a major springboard for the character!

In today's market, "most" associate Fury with S.H.I.E.L.D. so this book has long legs to stand on.

Bottom line, super cool book and a key in the eyes of most including myself. Major or Minor.....is there a middle ground??

 

 

Can we get a bigger shot of your display wall, please!

[Ebel 1911]

Yeah, teaser look at your wall makes me want to see more...

[bb8]

This issue is the first appearance of S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury as a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent (of course, not his actual first appearance), Hydra, and the Helicarrier. A lot of firsts there. Do you consider this to be a Silver age key? Major, minor, don't care, undervalued?

 

S.H.I.E.L.D. has a TV show and appears in the Avengers movies, and wasn't Hydra in the first Captain America movie?

Great key book,not a mega key.Not a minor one either.

 

What is your minor key threshold? I've got a pretty good idea of what you'd call mega-key, but where would you draw the line on a minor?

[TheMightyMidget]

Thanks guys. As a collector I always enjoy showing others who share in the same interests what I got! I've only been going at it for a year or so, so don't judge too hard. I gave up the hobby years ago and have fallen hard again! I'll have to send an updated pic in a month or so. I have some super nice books at CGC right now!! on the grades.....Now I need to find a new section of wall for all of my other books dying to get there chance on the wall!

 

 

and here's another wall with figures and commissioned art....Sorry for the crappy camera phone pic!

 

 

 

 

 

[AlexanderM]

To me it is in between minor and major. Sort of like FF5.