Silver Age Hierarchy: Poll 8: 7th - 9th

[HighStakesComics]

What he said +1

[Jaydogrules]

I think Thor has made it far enough. He's not even an original Lee/Kirby creation and Iron Man is just plain cooler (especially now).

 

-J.

[Crimebuster]

I think Thor has made it far enough. He's not even an original Lee/Kirby creation and Iron Man is just plain cooler

 

Because Iron Man was so much more original than Thor?

 

 

[HighStakesComics]

I think Thor has made it far enough. He's not even an original Lee/Kirby creation and Iron Man is just plain cooler (especially now).

 

-J.

 

You don't think the 2 1/2 hours of Downey Jr babble commonly referred to as Captain America:Civil War killed the "Iron Man is cooler" argument, Jaydog?

[Jaydogrules]

I think Thor has made it far enough. He's not even an original Lee/Kirby creation and Iron Man is just plain cooler (especially now).

 

-J.

 

You don't think the 2 1/2 hours of Downey Jr babble commonly referred to as Captain America:Civil War killed the "Iron Man is cooler" argument, Jaydog?

 

I'm not talking about the movie, I'm talking about the comics. Iron Man has been the oftentimes leader of the Avengers, and speaking of the movies , is Spider-man's mentor in the next one.

 

"Thor" is just ripped off from Norse mythology (not even another comic book character) and is a chick now.

 

-J.

[oakman29]

B&B 28

Only

[zosocane]

 

"Thor" is just ripped off from Norse mythology (not even another comic book character) and is a chick now.

 

-J.

 

Neither Iron Man nor that two-bit copy-cat War Machine are worthy enough to lift Moljnir. There.

[burntboy]

Pretty easy for me this round:

 

JIM #83

TOS #39

FF #1

 

The FF was no longer relevant when I started reading comics as a kid and nothing has happened since the mid-80s to change that. I have actually never owned a copy of FF #1 as a result of this, and will likely not ever either.

 

Actually I'm pretty disappointed that anyone couldn't see the absolute value that FF 1 gave to the Silver Age of comics as well as to the Marvel age of comics. Having said that, I respect your opinion no matter how crazy I think it is...

 

The comment that nothing has happened since the mid 80's isn't really relative as that's beyond the SA...IMHO!!

[burntboy]

I voted

B&B 28

Showcase 4

Showcase 22

 

None of the above are more important than the remaining Marvel books.

 

Talk about Marvel bias...BUT, I respect your opinion however strange I may find it. To think that SC 4 is not one of the most important books of the SA, seems uninformed to me...but what do I know...

[burntboy]

I think Thor has made it far enough. He's not even an original Lee/Kirby creation and Iron Man is just plain cooler (especially now).

 

-J.

 

You don't think the 2 1/2 hours of Downey Jr babble commonly referred to as Captain America:Civil War killed the "Iron Man is cooler" argument, Jaydog?

 

I'm not talking about the movie, I'm talking about the comics. Iron Man has been the oftentimes leader of the Avengers, and speaking of the movies , is Spider-man's mentor in the next one.

 

"Thor" is just ripped off from Norse mythology (not even another comic book character) and is a chick now.

 

-J.

 

What Thor is now has nothing to do with this poll (think Silver Age)...try and concentrate on the Poll's purpose and not whatever else drives you...

[burntboy]

Pretty easy for me this round:

 

JIM #83

TOS #39

FF #1

 

The FF was no longer relevant when I started reading comics as a kid and nothing has happened since the mid-80s to change that. I have actually never owned a copy of FF #1 as a result of this, and will likely not ever either.

 

From a historical-significance standpoint, you could make a strong argument for Fantastic Four #1 being No. 1 of the Silver Age, possibly No. 2 all-time behind Action Comics #1.

 

Well said...

[jjonahjameson1]

I voted

B&B 28

Showcase 4

Showcase 22

 

None of the above are more important than the remaining Marvel books.

 

Talk about Marvel bias...BUT, I respect your opinion however strange I may find it. To think that SC 4 is not one of the most important books of the SA, seems uninformed to me...but what do I know...

 

I would consider it historically significant IF I thought it marked the beginning of the Silver Age, but I would still deduct marks for the Flash being such a lame, dry character.

[drbanner]

I voted

B&B 28

Showcase 4

Showcase 22

 

None of the above are more important than the remaining Marvel books.

 

Talk about Marvel bias...BUT, I respect your opinion however strange I may find it. To think that SC 4 is not one of the most important books of the SA, seems uninformed to me...but what do I know...

 

I would consider it historically significant IF I thought it marked the beginning of the Silver Age, but I would still deduct marks for the Flash being such a lame, dry character.

I never understood the appeal of SC 4 either, weren't Action/Superman/Detective/Batman all in continuous production at the time? Flash had been around for over 10 years by then anyway.

[zosocane]

try and concentrate on the Poll's purpose and not whatever else drives you...

 

As challenging as it is to keep personal preferences in check, this poll should be a reflection of our collective wisdom of historical importance and market appeal over the top SA keys. Personal fancy dilutes the effectiveness of the poll.

[HighStakesComics]

I voted

B&B 28

Showcase 4

Showcase 22

 

None of the above are more important than the remaining Marvel books.

 

Talk about Marvel bias...BUT, I respect your opinion however strange I may find it. To think that SC 4 is not one of the most important books of the SA, seems uninformed to me...but what do I know...

 

I would consider it historically significant IF I thought it marked the beginning of the Silver Age, but I would still deduct marks for the Flash being such a lame, dry character.

I never understood the appeal of SC 4 either, weren't Action/Superman/Detective/Batman all in continuous production at the time? Flash had been around for over 10 years by then anyway.

 

Was Stan Lee not unsuccessful when he tried to revitalize Human Torch and Cap several years prior in Young Men 24-26? Did Showcase 4 not only validate that the introduction of a new version of a hero could sell on the newsstands but also resurrect the Flash title into continuity starting with 105? Did this not mark the dawn of the Silver Age as we know it?

 

 

[jjonahjameson1]

I voted

B&B 28

Showcase 4

Showcase 22

 

None of the above are more important than the remaining Marvel books.

 

Talk about Marvel bias...BUT, I respect your opinion however strange I may find it. To think that SC 4 is not one of the most important books of the SA, seems uninformed to me...but what do I know...

 

I would consider it historically significant IF I thought it marked the beginning of the Silver Age, but I would still deduct marks for the Flash being such a lame, dry character.

I never understood the appeal of SC 4 either, weren't Action/Superman/Detective/Batman all in continuous production at the time? Flash had been around for over 10 years by then anyway.

 

Was Stan Lee not unsuccessful when he tried to revitalize Human Torch and Cap several years prior in Young Men 24-26? Did Showcase 4 not only validate that the introduction of a new version of a hero could sell on the newsstands but also resurrect the Flash title into continuity starting with 105? Did this not mark the dawn of the Silver Age as we know it?

 

Not to me. Action, superman, batman, detective, Wonder Woman and worlds finest were in continuos publication through the 1950's.

[JAM_NYC]

FF 1

BB 28

SC 22

 

I appreciate the historical significance of FF 1, but at the same time it's a derivative book featuring unlikable characters (except Thing, love me some Thing) that haven't been relevant for decades. If we're going to reward books for being popular many years back, then Adv 247 should've finished higher. And that's coming from someone that's never read a legion book in his life.

[Wayne-Tec]

Showcase #4 should rank high, but for as much as it should be credited for revamping the DC hero genre, introducing science fiction revamps of previous characters and giving DC a serious, much-needed boost -- we have to acknowledge that Superman and Batman were still being published. What came from Showcase #4 and the trajectory it set, was a new Flash, later a new Green Lantern and a new Justice "League." That's big-time stuff and I believe Showcase #4 should be valued highly for it.

 

But Fantastic Four #1 was different. True, it wouldn't be until issue #3 that the team got their "costumes", but it was the beginning of the most creatively-fertile period in the history of comics. Just my opinion, but the early Lee/Kirby FF fun was one of the most enjoyable runs I've ever read. You could argue that the FF were at the center of the early, true, "Marvel Universe." While their popularity has waned in recent decades, they were big, BIG-time in the early-mid 1960s. I don't think comparing them to Superboy + Cosmic Boy, Lightening Boy and Saturn Girl is analogous.

 

I'm 27 and when I grew up in the 1990s, the Fantastic Four were both important and likable. Not to the same extent as Spider-Man and the X-Men, but they were very much relevant.

 

Showcase #4 introduced and opened the door for Silver Age Flash, Green Lantern and the Justice League.

 

Fantastic Four #1 introduced and opened the door for the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, The Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, The Avengers, The X-Men, Daredevil, the return of Captain America, the Silver Surfer and so much more.

[trmoore54]

I think we should be talking about 2 things, with most importance weighted on the first (a) what the book/characters/stories/art meant in the actual period 1956 (1959 for some) to 1969 (1970 for some)...and (b) how did the books fare in terms of a cultural foothold in the ensuring generations...

 

Thus FF 1 (1961) is the epitome of the Silver Age seeking out new ground and a distinct and daring departure from some of the more escapist and at times farcical characters and stories that DC and other publishers would be putting out in the period (don't get me wrong...we loved all the books for what they were and read EVERYTHING! ( we didn't have a thousand TV and internet shows to keep us occupied... ).

 

The distinct and daring departure...flawed (and at times fragile) humans with super powers with real human problems and drama...oftentimes mixed in with real world political and cultural events (though this wasn't new). Couple the Stan stories with the Jack King Kirby artwork and the evolution of the stories from 1961 to 1969 it's hard to argue the overall excellence and find another comparitive title (except of course Spidey perhaps...with a lot of the same attributes).

 

After all...it is the self-proclaimed "WORLD'S GREATEST COMIC BOOK MAGAZINE!"

[Crimebuster]

I think some people are underselling the importance of both FF #1 and Showcase #4.

 

I think the key thing about Showcase #4, and the reason I consider it to be the start of the Silver Age, isn't just because it revitalized the superhero genre, but why, how, and when it revitalized it. The fact that Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman were still being published is mostly irrelevant to me.

 

After the introduction of the comics code in 1955, the industry was in a tailspin, with entire genres eliminated overnight. The future of the comic book industry and artform in America was in question.

 

Showcase #4 is the book that showed publishers how to fill the void created by the collapse of the industry. The popularity of superheroes I think is due as much to the absence of alternatives as anything else. Without Showcase #4, though, it could have been funny animals or who knows what that filled that gap instead of superheroes.

 

I think there's a very good reason why Showcase #4 succeeded while other attempts at superhero revivials that took place just a year or two earlier - like the Cap revival in 1954 - failed. It's because Showcase #4 was post-code. It was seen as something new in a time when something new was needed, as opposed to something old in a time when superheroes were passe.

 

Without Showcase #4, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman might have continued along just fine forever. But they wouldn't have been joined by all the other superhero books from both Marvel and DC that followed.

 

Anyway. Top 3 book for me personally, along with AF #15 and FF #1.