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Key issue classification naming criteria

Started by koollectablz,

34 posts in this topic

koollectablz

koollectablz

Posted
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Okay, we have major keys, we have minor keys, we have minor major keys that get hotter and become major keys.

 

I reckon we need a naming system to put them into.

 

I'm thinking of going cosmic and use the star scale, so we would have keys in levels...

 

Hypergiant - eg Action #1, Tec #27

Supergiant - AF #15,

Brightgiant - ASM #1, FF #1

Subgiant - Action #252, IH #181

Dwarf - NM #98, WD #1

Subdwarf - MP #4, BA #12

White Dwarf - NM #87

 

So while you can have a very minor key like NM #87 which has huge numbers of extant issues in high grade, as its desirability increases, it gets 'hotter', it could go up a level.

 

It could be that only a set number of issues can ever attain Hypergiant status, due to rarity and value. With each lower star level having more available slots.

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Doktor

Doktor

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Or you could use just star shapes. From 5 star down to 1 star. Seems like a few too many levels & too complicated to use actual star classifications. 5 star down to 1 star keys would be probably much easier to use or swallow.

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Tivo32

Tivo32

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Or you could use just star shapes. From 5 star down to 1 star. Seems like a few too many levels & too complicated to use actual star classifications. 5 star down to 1 star keys would be probably much easier to use or swallow.

 

I like this idea! I could see this working really well.

 

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koollectablz

koollectablz

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Hmmmmm, just having number of stars sounds more like the argument for having the 'ages' of comics put into decades rather than 'golden' 'silver' 'bronze' etc.

 

So what sounds better?

 

I have a 'Golden Age Hypergiant' key my grandad kept in his attic for 50 years, compared to.

 

I have a '1930s 5 Star' key.

 

Everyone likes a bit of showmanship!

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chrisco37

chrisco37

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Or you could use just star shapes. From 5 star down to 1 star. Seems like a few too many levels & too complicated to use actual star classifications. 5 star down to 1 star keys would be probably much easier to use or swallow.

 

I like this idea! I could see this working really well.

 

Stars are a bad idea. Trademark infringement and all..... ;)

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Jeffro.

Jeffro.

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hm ...and a black hole would slowly swallow up all the other ones.

 

It swallows your soul just like happens when you lose on the CPR game or you bought a Showcase 22 after the GL movie announcement :P

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AnthonyTheAbyss

AnthonyTheAbyss

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Hypergiant - eg Action #1, Tec #27

Supergiant - AF #15,

Brightgiant - ASM #1, FF #1

Subgiant - Action #252, IH #181

Dwarf - NM #98, WD #1

Subdwarf - MP #4, BA #12

White Dwarf - NM #87

 

A white dwarf is below a dwarf? Can't we just go with a ranking system I'm already versed in...like "A, B, C" or the Scoville Scale?

 

***I already have problems knowing the difference between "Fine" and "Good" lol

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koollectablz

koollectablz

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A, B, C etc is super boring though.

 

Anyways, how many levels of keys do people think there should be?

 

If we have five I can dump the 'sub' ones, they sound a bit craptacular anyway.

 

Hypergiant is awesome though, and so is white dwarf. I'm keeping them.

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Doktor

Doktor

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I'm sticking with 5 levels of key. Characters that stick around but never become super-star characters would be at lowest level, while household name characters would end up in the top and everyone else would fit in one of the other 3 middle levels.

 

I would also argue against the necessity of scarcity factoring into the rating system as well. Like Action 1, Tec 27 are obviously more scarce than AF15, but AF15 should be on the same level because Spidey is on the same level in household name recognition & importance to the publisher as Supes & Bats. It's just a more attainable 5-star key. It holds equal importance IMO.

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koollectablz

koollectablz

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Actually I was thinking that as I typed it up. Should I put AF15 in as a hypergiant...

 

There's obviously thousands of copies extant but yeah it's still one of the biggest keys in the hobby.

 

Then I was thinking, ok, what about Cap #1? Is that a hyper or a supergiant key?

 

Hmmmmmmm....

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Doktor

Doktor

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I would go with Cap as a 4-star (whatever that is). Because while ultra-scarce, Cap hasn't been nearly as universally influential to Marvel for his whole existence the way Supes, Bats or Spidey have been. And prior to the movies, the general public might have known the name Captain America (mostly in jokes), but if you presented them with virtually any of the patriotic characters & told them "it's Captain America", they would have believed you, while the same wouldn't necessarily be true of Spidey, Batman or Superman. Honestly, I think those would be the only true 5-stars.

 

Cap, Wolverine, FF, Hulk, Iron Man, etc would be 4-stars.

 

Wonder Woman might be a little questionable. I could see her as 4 or 5 star.

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rjpb

rjpb

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Bigass Keys - books everyone agrees are major keys - the kind of books you could show a non-comic fan, tell them it's the first ____ and they would be impressed.

 

Kickass Keys - books that fandom thinks are major keys, though you'll always get a few naysayers.

 

Tightass Keys - books that everyone agrees is a key, but there may be some argument as to how important.

 

Hotass Keys - books that few really thought about until recently, but for one reason or another are now in strong demand.

 

Lameass Keys - books where most comic readers ( except fans of the series/character) have no clue who you're talking about when you say it's their first appearance.

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koollectablz

koollectablz

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Where does 'Venus #1' lie on that scale?

 

I don't really think Venus #1 is a key issue at all, apart from being a first issue. While the two aren't mutually exclusive in that there are plenty of keys that are first issues as well, I don't think this one would really fit into the Cosmic Key (CK) structure unless we have a banding for just first issues that are only noteworthy for that and that alone, maybe the term 'singularity'.

 

So where Action #1 would be a Golden Age CK Hypergiant.

 

Venus #1 would be a Golden Age CK Singularity.

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