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Marvel 1968 - Best to Worst

Started by sfilosa,

40 posts in this topic

sfilosa

sfilosa

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In 1968, Marvel gave several characters their own title. Rank in your opinion which was the Best to the Worst (or most important character to least important). As a note, Thor got his own title in 1966, so he doesn't count.

 

Here's my order, Best to Worst.

 

Iron Man (one of the best characters)

Captain America (some early classic covers by Kirby and Steranko)

Hulk

Silver Surfer (mostly because the early issues are giant size)

Sub-Mariner

Nick Fury, Agent of Shield (great Steranko covers, but short lived title)

Captain Marvel

Doctor Strange (very short relaunch the first time around)

 

Thoughts?

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That Ron Dude

That Ron Dude

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I remember being entranced by Thor, Fantastic Four and Dr. Strange back then. If you look at Thor by Kirby at that time it is panel after panel of the most imaginative rendering and imagery you will ever see in comics. Colon's storytelling on Dr. Strange fit the Master of the Mystic Arts perfectly and was like nothing else in the history of comics. Stan Lee's stories in Fantastic Four were brilliant flights of imagination. I also remember picking up Sgt. Fury at about that time. Do I have the dates right?

 

Of the new comics Silver Surfer and Nick Fury were dynamite. I still have my originally purchased issues.

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mica

mica

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Hulk

Captain America

Nick Fury

 

Iron Man

Silver Surfer

 

Doctor Strange

Captain Marvel

Sub-Mariner

 

The reason I gave the Hulk top billing is because I recently have re-read the Tales to Astonish run and it became frustrating as I wanted more and more HULK than just a few pages. To answer this survey I tried to put my self into 1968 as I skim through those issues. The Hulk had just got back from Asgard in TTA 101, and his premeire 102 was a great cover. cloud9.gif

Iron man could have done better if the art has been a little better.

Iron Man #2 is not exactly a riveting story. (which is a shame, because he has/had great potentional. Nick Fury , may have had a little thunder stolen away from his own self-competion of Sgt Fury, still being produced alongside his older self. I wonder how Nick Fury would have been received had we not had Sgt Fury to set the stage. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif ( I love Sgt Fury, which made me really like Colonel Fury )

The Sub-Mariner is a great character, but is he on our side Tuesday then angry at us air-breathers on Wednesday....? I just got tired of caring. confused-smiley-013.gif

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namisgr

namisgr

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"And now for something completely different:"

 

Incredible Hulk (the crossover King of the Silver Age, as an indication of his iconic status)

Silver Surfer

Dr. Strange (despite poor sales: not your typical brute-in-tights)

Captain America

Iron Man

Submariner

Nick Fury

Captain Marvel

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ComicBookGuy

ComicBookGuy

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Best to Worst and strictly opinion:

 

Silver Surfer - One of the best comic series ever!

Captain America

Incredible Hulk

Sub-Mariner

Doctor Strange

Iron Man - Not too many great stories of Iron Man in 1968.

Nick Fury, Agent of Shield - Steranko art is great, but I gotta be on acid to follow the storylines...

Captain Marvel - Never got into these stories till Starlin took over.

 

Joe

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sfilosa

sfilosa

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"And now for something completely different:"

 

Incredible Hulk (the crossover King of the Silver Age, as an indication of his iconic status)

Silver Surfer

Dr. Strange (despite poor sales: not your typical brute-in-tights)

Captain America

Iron Man

Submariner

Nick Fury

Captain Marvel

 

Definitely different , but hey that's what makes it interesting.

 

grin.gif

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Moondog

Moondog

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I'm with Comic Book Guy on the Surfer. By the way I was 17 when these books hit...

 

Silver Surfer - absolutely breathtaking

Nick Fury, Agent of Shield - almost had this # 1 because of Steranko

Iron Man - loved Gene Colan's art

Captain America - 100 through 117 were great

Incredible Hulk - didn't care as much for Serverin and Trimpe

Doctor Strange - same here

Captain Marvel - could put this in top 5 because of Colan...

Sub-Mariner - just never liked this character...

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Sharkey

Sharkey

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Here's my list, but rather than rank them by which character is "Most Important" I ranked them as which title was the best COMIC BOOK. It is rife with my own biases. This reflects my opinion of the first 12 issues of each title. I think that nearly all the Marvel titles suffered some letdown come 1969-70 as they struggled to incorporate "social relevance".

 

1. Captain America: 100 - 109 Arguably Kirby's best work outside the FF. Steranko issues are great too.

2. Hulk: Excellent stuff, Severin art underappreciated; stories stand up to the test of time.

3. Iron Man: Stories and art are weak compared to Colan's TOS run but still an entertaining title.

4. Silver Surfer: great title, but if you sit down and read them, too much repetition in the storylines (Surfer is maligned by Earthlings; Surfer saves Earth from great menace; someone learns he is misunderstood; Surfer laments the ignorance of Earthlings but praises their potential, the end.). I love the title and Buscema is at this best, but recent re-readings show the weaknesses in the scripts.

5. Sub-Mariner: First dozen issues have some classic material in them. Thing-Subby battle in #8 is a classic story.

6. Captain Marvel: Interesting ideas but art and stories weaken after a handful of issues.

7. Doc Strange: great concept but weak story and art. And what's with the no-face look? Ugh.

8. Nick Fury: Amazing art, but stories are incomprehensible.

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sfilosa

sfilosa

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Taking everyones order into account, the BEST to WORST is:

 

Captain America (also got the most #1 votes)

Hulk

Silver Surfer (short series but obviously very popular)

Iron Man (a bit of a suprise in my opinion)

Nick Fury

Sub Mariner

Doctor Strange

Captain Marvel

 

 

I definitely agree that the first seventeen (I might even go as far as 20) issues of Captain America have some of the best covers of all. But in general, I think the covers to most of the 1968 -1969 books are the best of any Marvel period.

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Fan4Fan

Fan4Fan

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Taking everyones order into account, the BEST to WORST is:

 

Captain America (also got the most #1 votes)

Hulk

Silver Surfer (short series but obviously very popular)

Iron Man (a bit of a suprise in my opinion)

 

Never - even today - understood the appeal of Iron Man. Growing up on a farm, the last thing I wanted to read (well, maybe not last... wouldn't want to read about some angsty teens whining cuz they're mutants poke2.gif) about was some millionaire industrialist who could afford all of the neat toys and women.... maybe something I wanted, but felt really unattainable.

 

I do like ol' Shellhead on the Avengers, but never dug him as a solo act.

 

Thanks,

Fan4Fan

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Norrin_Radd

Norrin_Radd

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Never - even today - understood the appeal of Iron Man. Growing up on a farm, the last thing I wanted to read (well, maybe not last... wouldn't want to read about some angsty teens whining cuz they're mutants poke2.gif) about was some millionaire industrialist who could afford all of the neat toys and women.... maybe something I wanted, but felt really unattainable.

 

I do like ol' Shellhead on the Avengers, but never dug him as a solo act.

 

Thanks,

Fan4Fan

 

I'm the opposite. After reading the early ASM issues, I really enjoyed reading about an adult superhero. He didn't have all of the silly problems that the teenaged Peter Parker had............. he had all-new silly adult problems tongue.gif.

 

Tony Stark is The Man. He's got it all, but he puts his @ss on the line as Iron Man. He has power, possessions, and influence. But he doesn't abuse them and he doesn't view them as important as doing his job for the government or as fighting crime as Iron Man. He's also a very fragile hero. He's got nothing to lose because at anytime he could die if his shrapnel-filled heart failed.

 

As far as The Avengers, I've only read the first 4 issues. But I should be getting the Masterworks in the mail anyday. smile.gif

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Fan4Fan

Fan4Fan

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Never - even today - understood the appeal of Iron Man. Growing up on a farm, the last thing I wanted to read (well, maybe not last... wouldn't want to read about some angsty teens whining cuz they're mutants poke2.gif) about was some millionaire industrialist who could afford all of the neat toys and women.... maybe something I wanted, but felt really unattainable.

 

I do like ol' Shellhead on the Avengers, but never dug him as a solo act.

 

Thanks,

Fan4Fan

 

I'm the opposite. After reading the early ASM issues, I really enjoyed reading about an adult superhero. He didn't have all of the silly problems that the teenaged Peter Parker had............. he had all-new silly adult problems tongue.gif.

 

Tony Stark is The Man. He's got it all, but he puts his @ss on the line as Iron Man. He has power, possessions, and influence. But he doesn't abuse them and he doesn't view them as important as doing his job for the government or as fighting crime as Iron Man. He's also a very fragile hero. He's got nothing to lose because at anytime he could die if his shrapnel-filled heart failed.

 

As far as The Avengers, I've only read the first 4 issues. But I should be getting the Masterworks in the mail anyday. smile.gif

 

Oh, I should have added that I don't read Spider-Man either... teenagers/kids in comics just never really interest me. Which doesn't explain why I have a whole run of Spider-Girl... 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

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Norrin_Radd

Norrin_Radd

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Oh, I should have added that I don't read Spider-Man either... teenagers/kids in comics just never really interest me. Which doesn't explain why I have a whole run of Spider-Girl... 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

 

So what do you like?! (beside Spider-Girl tongue.gif)

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toro

toro

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Hulk - Tough toss up between old purple pants and Cap, but the Hulk is more important

 

Captain America - Solid

 

Nick Fury, Agent of Shield - This solidified the importance of Shield at Marvel

 

Iron Man - okay, but not anything special

 

Silver Surfer - Those early issues are some of the best, but I guess only to a few of us in 1968

 

Captain Marvel

Sub-Mariner

Doctor Strange

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