20 Top Silver-Age Marvel Books

[sfilosa]

Decided to make a list of what I thought the Top 20 Silver-Age Marvel books were from a Historical point of view. In all cases (except one), they are first appearances of heroes or villians and in general they were those that came in near the beginning of the Marvel Universe.

 

So here's my list:

 

What would you exclude and replace it with.

 

Amazing Fantasy #15 (Spidey)

AMS #1 (only one that doesn't add a new/revivial of a character)

AMS #3 (Doc Ock)

AMS #14 (Green Goblin)

Avengers #1 (Avengers - first comibined team)

Avengers #4 (Captain America revivial)

Daredevil #1 (Daredevil)

FF #1 (FF)

FF #4 (Subby revivial)

FF #5 (Doctor Doom)

FF #48 (Silver Surfer and Galactus... by far the new book on my list)

IH #1 (Hulk)

JIM #83 (Thor)

JIM #85 (Loki)

Strange Tales #110 (Doctor Strange)

TOS #39 (Iron-Man)

TTA #27 (frist Ant-Man)

TTA #35 (first Ant-Man in custome......a hedge since some consider #27 Pre-Hero)

TTA #44 (Wasp......she is an original member of the Avengers)

X-Men #1 (X-Men and Magneto)

 

Thoughts?

[skybolt]

I've got 10 of those issues.

 

I think you meant JIM #85.

[Aman619]

JIM #82 (Loki) should be 85

 

list looks great! maybe squeezt SGT Fury #1 in there...and TTA 110

take out Wasp and Doc Ock

[Aman619]

or Loki..

[uclapeterg]

what about FF 12 (1st Marvel crossover)?

[namisgr]

Decided to make a list of what I thought the Top 20 Silver-Age Marvel books were from a Historical point of view. In all cases (except one), they are first appearances of heroes or villians and in general they were those that came in near the beginning of the Marvel Universe.

 

So here's my list:

 

What would you exclude and replace it with.

 

Amazing Fantasy #15 (Spidey)

AMS #1 (only one that doesn't add a new/revivial of a character)

AMS #3 (Doc Ock)

AMS #14 (Green Goblin)

Avengers #1 (Avengers - first comibined team)

Avengers #4 (Captain America revivial)

Daredevil #1 (Daredevil)

FF #1 (FF)

FF #4 (Subby revivial)

FF #5 (Doctor Doom)

FF #48 (Silver Surfer and Galactus... by far the new book on my list)

IH #1 (Hulk)

JIM #83 (Thor)

JIM #85 (Loki)

Strange Tales #110 (Doctor Strange)

TOS #39 (Iron-Man)

TTA #27 (frist Ant-Man)

TTA #35 (first Ant-Man in custome......a hedge since some consider #27 Pre-Hero)

TTA #44 (Wasp......she is an original member of the Avengers)

X-Men #1 (X-Men and Magneto)

 

Thoughts?

 

Good list, Steve. Personal preferences only, but I don't consider Ant Man and the Wasp to be sufficiently important to merit 3 entries on my top 20 list. My list would drop the TTA 27 (tough call versus the TTA35) and TTA 44, and add Sgt Fury 1 and either Hulk 2 (first greenskin), FF6 (first villain team-up), or FF12 (first superhero cross-over). Unless Conan 1 qualifies in your book as Silver Age, that is.

[sfilosa]

Good list, Steve. Personal preferences only, but I don't consider Ant Man and the Wasp to be sufficiently important to merit 3 entries on my top 20 list. My list would drop the TTA 27 (tough call versus the TTA35) and TTA 44, and add Sgt Fury 1 and either Hulk 2 (first greenskin), FF6 (first villain team-up), or FF12 (first superhero cross-over). Unless Conan 1 qualifies in your book as Silver Age, that is.

 

 

First, I fixed the JIM #85 (first Loki), as I put #82 by accident.

 

I agreed that three TTA's is a lot. Just hard to decide which one #27 or #35 to take out. My main reason for TTA #44 (first Wasp) is that she's in the Avengers from issue #1 and in TTA until #69. So while Ant-Man and Wasp are clearly he least important characters after the SA, they were more important during the 60's.

 

I agree that Sgt. Fury is important, but up until Strange Tales #135, he really isn't part of the Marvel Universe (he's just a WW II hero). Still, I could easily see me putting it on the list.

 

Hulk #2 first greenskin seems to be the same things as FF #3 (first customes), TOS #40 (Iron-Man goes from grey to gold) or DD #7 (first red costume). So I really can't see taking out the first appearance of a character for that. And while FF #6 and #12 are FIRST, those issues don't necessarily have anymore importance to the Marvel Universe then for that issue. In other words a new hero / villian provides multiple stories down the road. That's why I don't like ASM #1 being on the list, but because he's the most popular Marvel Super Hero it's almost impossible to disqualify.

 

More thoughts anyone?

[ComicBookGuy]

Decided to make a list of what I thought the Top 20 Silver-Age Marvel books were from a Historical point of view. In all cases (except one), they are first appearances of heroes or villians and in general they were those that came in near the beginning of the Marvel Universe.

 

So here's my list:

 

What would you exclude and replace it with.

 

Amazing Fantasy #15 (Spidey)

AMS #1 (only one that doesn't add a new/revivial of a character)

AMS #3 (Doc Ock)

AMS #14 (Green Goblin)

Avengers #1 (Avengers - first comibined team)

Avengers #4 (Captain America revivial)

Daredevil #1 (Daredevil)

FF #1 (FF)

FF #4 (Subby revivial)

FF #5 (Doctor Doom)

FF #48 (Silver Surfer and Galactus... by far the new book on my list)

IH #1 (Hulk)

JIM #83 (Thor)

JIM #85 (Loki)

Strange Tales #110 (Doctor Strange)

TOS #39 (Iron-Man)

TTA #27 (frist Ant-Man)

TTA #35 (first Ant-Man in custome......a hedge since some consider #27 Pre-Hero)

TTA #44 (Wasp......she is an original member of the Avengers)

X-Men #1 (X-Men and Magneto)

 

Thoughts?

 

I would cut ASM 3, TTA 35, JIM 85 and replace them with:

Tales of Suspense 58 or 59, Strange Tales 135 or Sgt Fury 1, and Tower of Shadows 1 (1st horror)

 

Hard to say which is more important: TTA 44 or Strange Tales 101...

 

 

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

I would certainly add FF # 3 to the list: the first true Marvel superhero book for more reasons than I can count.

 

Check that, I did count the reasons in this thread a while back.

[sfilosa]

Any more inputs.

 

One other point is if you go up to the Top 30, I would say almost half would be ASM books, as he was one of the only titles to constantly have new villians that became staples of the Marvel Universe.

[uclapeterg]

If you are including TTA 35, you should definitely include FF 3.

[sfilosa]

If you are including TTA 35, you should definitely include FF 3.

 

I probably would drop TTA 35 first, but I don't believe that FF #3 was ever really considered a Key issue.

 

So what do you replace it with? To me it has to be a first appearance of a hero / villian.

[uclapeterg]

Drop TTA 35 and replace it with FF 3. It's the first appearance of a SA Marvel hero in costume.

[iron maniac]

I own 10 of the books on the list as well:

 

AMS #1 (only one that doesn't add a new/revivial of a character)

AMS #3 (Doc Ock)

AMS #14 (Green Goblin)

Avengers #1 (Avengers - first comibined team)

Avengers #4 (Captain America revivial)

FF #1 (FF)

FF #48 (Silver Surfer and Galactus... by far the new book on my list)

JIM #85 (Loki)

TOS #39 (Iron-Man)

X-Men #1 (X-Men and Magneto)

[sfilosa]

Drop TTA 35 and replace it with FF 3. It's the first appearance of a SA Marvel hero in costume.

 

Couldn't do it. Just don't feel like it's enough of a key. Sorry.

 

The only reason I (and I guess collectors in general) consider TTA #35 a key is he actually become Ant-Man (a super hero). The Fantastic Four are already super heroes, just don't have a costume yet.

 

Could I replace TTA#35 with one of these books, maybe:

 

ASM #2 Vulture (blah)

ASM #4 Sandman (hmmmmmm)

ASM #6 Lizard (hmmmm....but he doesn't show up for several more years)

ASM #9 Electro (not bad)

ASM #13 Mysterio (probably not)

ASM #15 Kraven (pretty good choice)

Avengers #57 Vision (just too late in the SA)

FF #13 First Watcher (just not really a hero)

FF #45 Inhumans (too late in SA and just not that popular)

FF #52 Black Panther (I like as first Black Marvel Superhero, mmm)

Strange Tales #135 (hmmm. Sgt. Fury becomes Nick Fury and joins the Marvel Universe)

Tales of Suspense #52 Black Widow (Ok, but not strong enough)

Tales of Suspense #57 Hawkeye (same as #52)

Tales of Suspense #65 Red Skull (actually a real good choice but not early SA)

Tales to Astonish #49 Giant Man (but couldn't replace #35 with this)

X-Men #4 QuickSilver and Scarlet Witch (probably the best replacement choice)

 

More thoughts?

[Aces]

ASM #4 Sandman (hmmmmmm)

 

If the rumors are true and the SM3 movie is another mega hit then you might have to.

[skybolt]

I own 10 of the books on the list as well:

 

AMS #1 (only one that doesn't add a new/revivial of a character)

AMS #3 (Doc Ock)

AMS #14 (Green Goblin)

Avengers #1 (Avengers - first comibined team)

Avengers #4 (Captain America revivial)

FF #1 (FF)

FF #48 (Silver Surfer and Galactus... by far the new book on my list)

JIM #85 (Loki)

TOS #39 (Iron-Man)

X-Men #1 (X-Men and Magneto)

 

Wow, we're almost exactly alike. Instead of FF#1, I have DD #1.

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Top 20 Silver-Age Marvel books were from a Historical point of view

 

FF # 3 has more of a historical importance than half the books on your list.

 

You're looking at a definitive birth of the Marvel super hero era in the form we all recognize. How the first appearance of a Doc Ock or Wasp even comes close is beyond me.

[sfilosa]

Top 20 Silver-Age Marvel books were from a Historical point of view

 

FF # 3 has more of a historical importance than half the books on your list.

 

You're looking at a definitive birth of the Marvel super hero era in the form we all recognize. How the first appearance of a Doc Ock or Wasp even comes close is beyond me.

 

 

Ya know your my buddy.......... but what's so special that they started to wear customes and established a headquarter? It's not like they were the first to every think of this idea.

 

Every book on my Top 20 list (except ASM #1) introduces a character to the Marvel Universt that played a fairly substantial role (at least through the 1960's).

 

Check this out:

I have my old copy of Overstreet Guide #10 (1980), so here are the values of the first five issues of FF then and now.

 

Guide #10 #35 INC.

FF # 1 1000 35000 3500%

FF #2 360 7000 1944%

FF #3 240 4800 2000%

FF #4 180 5300 2944%

FF #5 135 7200 5333%

 

I show this because over the past 25 years this book is actually falling behind other issues (except #2 which is clearly not a key).

 

How do you like them apples.

[uclapeterg]

Top 20 Silver-Age Marvel books were from a Historical point of view

 

FF # 3 has more of a historical importance than half the books on your list.

 

You're looking at a definitive birth of the Marvel super hero era in the form we all recognize. How the first appearance of a Doc Ock or Wasp even comes close is beyond me.

 

 

My top 20:

 

Fantastic Four 1

Amazing Fantasy 15

Avengers 1

X-Men 1

Daredevil 1

Tales of Suspense 39

Tales to Astonish 27

Hulk 1

Daredevil 1

Journey into Mystery 83

 

Second tier:

Fantastic Four 3

Fantastic Four 4

Fantastic Four 5

Fantastic Four 12

Daredevil 7

Spider-Man 14

Tales of Suspense 57? (the one where Cap gets part of the title)

Tales to Astonish 59? (the one where Hulk gets part of the title)

X-Men 4

Avengers 4

 

Of course, my top 10 was the first appearance of all the major characters in the Marvel Universe. I didn't include Spider-Man 1 because that wasn't his first appearance.

 

Onto my second tier:

 

Fantastic Four 3 - first appearance of a SA Marvel hero in costume; 1st headquarters established (Baxter Building)

 

Fantastic Four 4 - first appearance of Marvel GA character (hero/villan?) in SA ; I would compare this to Showcase 4

 

Fantastic Four 5 - first appearance of Doctor Doom (look, we can debate first appearances, but you have to include him)

 

Fantastic Four 12 - 1st Marvel crossover (Hulk) and they have been doing them ever since

 

Daredevil 7 - 1st major change in superhero's costume and it stuck!

 

Spider-Man 14 - first appearance of Green Goblin (Doc Ock? please. He's still a 2nd tier villian despite him being in SM 2)

 

TOS 57/ TTA 59 - heroes get part of a title that they would eventually take over for themselves.

 

Avengers 4 - first appearance of Capt. America

 

X-Men 4 - if I remember, this is the first appearance of a villian "team" (I may be wrong)

 

I, of course, am partial to Fantastic Four. But how can a list of the best not include the most FF's. I didn't include FF 48. It was a tough decision, but I think a correct one.