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Post by Rob Allen on Oct 14, 2015 17:03:32 GMT -5
This came in on a mailing list and I thought it would fit as well or better here.
Bob Buethe wrote:
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The latest issue of Hogan's Alley magazine (#20) has a column by Craig (Mr. Silver Age) Shutt, listing his picks for the top 20 issues (not stories, but single issues) of the Silver Age. They are, in Craig's words, "the first 20 comics I'd pick to convince someone of the Silver Age's coolness."
If you haven't seen Craig's column yet, I'd like to know what your picks for 20 coolest comics of the Silver Age are, and find out how many of them coincide with Craig's. Remember that you're picking 20 issues, not story arcs, and they have to have been published between Barry Allen's debut (Showcase #4, Sept-Oct 1956) and Jack Kirby's last Fantastic Four issue (#102, Sept 1970).
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Notes:
I haven't seen Craig Shutt's article so I don't know which issues he picked.
The exact delineation of the beginning and end of the Silver Age can be debated endlessly but for this thread just go with the endpoints given.
I barely have time to post this and am unlikely to come up with my own list (but "This Man, This Monster" would be on it).
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Post by pinkfloydsound17 on Oct 14, 2015 18:11:27 GMT -5
I think ASM #33 would have to be on my personal list.
Great cover? Check. Great interior artwork? Check. Great story that shows a character pushed to their limits and prevailing? Check.
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Post by Rob Allen on Oct 14, 2015 18:38:58 GMT -5
Maybe it would be easiest to nominate issues one at a time, as pinkfloydsound and I have already done.
Of course, if you feel like coming up with a list of 20 (or 10, or 5), feel free.
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Oct 14, 2015 18:46:44 GMT -5
Off the top of my head - American color pamphlet comics published between 1956 and 1970. (I can't really see counting R. Crumb as Silver Age.) Single issue stories only. Keep in mind that I'm not really an expert on this stuff.
1. Amazing Spider-Man # 50 - Spider-Man No More. Romita's best. (Marvel)
2. Brave and the Bold # 34 - The Joe Kubert Hawkman is the strongest of the Silver Age DC superhero titles, IMO. And I'm not sure it was ever better than the first issue. (DC)
3. Brave and the Bold # 93 - Because Neal Adams and the Joe Orlando House of Mystery both deserve a mention, and I like team-up books. (DC)
4. Captain America # 112 - Steranko! (Marvel)
5. Charlton Premiere # 2 - Children of Doom. Denny O' Neil and Pay Boyette. The beginning of "relevance" in comics and the peak of late SA Science Fiction. (Charlton_
6. Fantastic Four # 51 - This Man, This Monster (Marvel)
7. Four Color # 882 - Alex Toth's Zorro, with a back-up by Russ Manning. (Dell)
8. Ghost Stories # 1 - John freaking Stanley. Probably the best post-code horror comic. (Dell?)
9. Gunsmoke Western # 53 - The last published Joe Maneely story. And he just kept getting better throughout his career! (Atlas)
10. Hot Wheels # 3 - I can't leave Alex Toth out, and he's the best car chase artist in comics. (DC)
11. Kona: Monarch of Monster Isle # 5 - The giant cat issue. This is just a great, heartbreaking piece of writing, maybe the best "giant monster" comic ever put to paper. Also the best cover of any issue on my list! (Gold Key)
12. Magnus Robot Fighter # 3 - I just read this one for the first time! (And there might be better issues later in the run.) But this has a great cover and introduces Magnus' greatest early opponent dr. Xyrkl, and his huge-ass moustache. (Gold Key)
13. Secret Six # 1 - The strongest high concept Silver Age comic, perfectly executed. (DC)
14. ShockSuspenseStores # 118 - Just making the Silver Age cut-off, this is some of Krigstein's finest work. (EC) Nope, I read that wrong. It was 1955.
15. Silver Surfer # 4 - Classic Buscema Surfer/Thor brou-ha-ha. (Marvel)
16. Star Spangled War Stories # 148 - Enemy Ace! The darkest issues of the darkest of the DC War Comics. Let's convince people that the Silver Age wasn't all goofy. (DC)
17. Strange Tales 138 - Severin Nick Fury and Ditko's Doctor Strange meets Eternity. (Marvel)
18. Sugar and Spike # 49 - The most consistently great DC or Marvel series of the Silver Age. Note that I did not say "humor series" or "children's comic." (DC)
19. Superman # 141 - Supes' creator Jerry Seigel took the idea of superheroes a lot more seriously than his contemporaries, and offered up less sit-com/pratfall type humor and more heartbreaking pathos. This is one saaaaad comic book. (DC)
20. Uncle Scrooge # 418 - The Flying Dutchman. Carl Barks. Just making sure I have my bases covered, greatest-artists-of-all-time-wise. (Dell)
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Oct 14, 2015 18:52:41 GMT -5
And there's one issue of AGC's Unknown World's written and drawn almost entirely by the "Herbie" creative team, but I can't figure out which one. It said "1001 Thrills! on the cover. That will be my # 20.
Or else Reptisaurus. Can't go wrong with Reptisaurus.
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Post by Hoosier X on Oct 14, 2015 22:38:56 GMT -5
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Post by The Captain on Oct 15, 2015 5:57:01 GMT -5
Off the top of my head - American color pamphlet comics published between 1956 and 1970. (I can't really see counting R. Crumb as Silver Age.) Single issue stories only. Keep in mind that I'm not really an expert on this stuff. 1. Amazing Spider-Man # 50 - Spider-Man No More. Romita's best. (Marvel) 2. Brave and the Bold # 34 - The Joe Kubert Hawkman is the strongest of the Silver Age DC superhero titles, IMO. And I'm not sure it was ever better than the first issue. (DC) 3. Brave and the Bold # 93 - Because Neal Adams and the Joe Orlando House of Mystery both deserve a mention, and I like team-up books. (DC) 4. Captain America # 112 - Steranko! (Marvel) 5. Charlton Premiere # 2 - Children of Doom. Denny O' Neil and Pay Boyette. The beginning of "relevance" in comics and the peak of late SA Science Fiction. (Charlton_ 6. Fantastic Four # 51 - This Man, This Monster (Marvel) 7. Four Color # 882 - Alex Toth's Zorro, with a back-up by Russ Manning. (Dell) 8. Ghost Stories # 1 - John freaking Stanley. Probably the best post-code horror comic. (Dell?) 9. Gunsmoke Western # 53 - The last published Joe Maneely story. And he just kept getting better throughout his career! (Atlas) 10. Hot Wheels # 3 - I can't leave Alex Toth out, and he's the best car chase artist in comics. (DC) 11. Kona: Monarch of Monster Isle # 5 - The giant cat issue. This is just a great, heartbreaking piece of writing, maybe the best "giant monster" comic ever put to paper. Also the best cover of any issue on my list! (Gold Key) 12. Magnus Robot Fighter # 3 - I just read this one for the first time! (And there might be better issues later in the run.) But this has a great cover and introduces Magnus' greatest early opponent dr. Xyrkl, and his huge-ass moustache. (Gold Key) 13. Secret Six # 1 - The strongest high concept Silver Age comic, perfectly executed. (DC) 14. ShockSuspenseStores # 118 - Just making the Silver Age cut-off, this is some of Krigstein's finest work. (EC) Nope, I read that wrong. It was 1955. 15. Silver Surfer # 4 - Classic Buscema Surfer/Thor brou-ha-ha. (Marvel) 16. Star Spangled War Stories # 148 - Enemy Ace! The darkest issues of the darkest of the DC War Comics. Let's convince people that the Silver Age wasn't all goofy. (DC) 17. Strange Tales 138 - Severin Nick Fury and Ditko's Doctor Strange meets Eternity. (Marvel) 18. Sugar and Spike # 49 - The most consistently great DC or Marvel series of the Silver Age. Note that I did not say "humor series" or "children's comic." (DC) 19. Superman # 141 - Supes' creator Jerry Seigel took the idea of superheroes a lot more seriously than his contemporaries, and offered up less sit-com/pratfall type humor and more heartbreaking pathos. This is one saaaaad comic book. (DC) 20. Uncle Scrooge # 418 - The Flying Dutchman. Carl Barks. Just making sure I have my bases covered, greatest-artists-of-all-time-wise. (Dell) Just a quick note, but Captain America #112 wasn't Steranko. He did #110 and #111, but fell behind (big shock there), so they did a fill-in "Album Issue" as #112, with Steranko's story arc being finished in issue #113. |
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Post by Icctrombone on Oct 15, 2015 8:35:31 GMT -5
How can you pick just 20 ?
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Post by Farrar on Oct 15, 2015 12:50:22 GMT -5
Just read it, mandatory reading for CCF Silver Ageophiles (and others). You present a very solid case there--excellent argument! |
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Post by Farrar on Oct 15, 2015 12:57:18 GMT -5
...Just a quick note, but Captain America #112 wasn't Steranko. He did #110 and #111, but fell behind (big shock there), so they did a fill-in "Album Issue" as #112, with Steranko's story arc being finished in issue #113. Heh, I recently posted a panel from that very issue in the "Guess Which Issue This Splash or Panel is From..." I was thinking people would get tripped up because that issue was a fill-in as RB said, but Roquefort Raider knew it right away! classiccomics.boards.net/post/104686/thread |
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Post by Hoosier X on Oct 15, 2015 13:23:31 GMT -5
Just read it, mandatory reading for CCF Silver Ageophiles (and others). You present a very solid case there--excellent argument! Thanks, Farrar! |
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Oct 15, 2015 15:32:49 GMT -5
Off the top of my head - American color pamphlet comics published between 1956 and 1970. (I can't really see counting R. Crumb as Silver Age.) Single issue stories only. Keep in mind that I'm not really an expert on this stuff. 1. Amazing Spider-Man # 50 - Spider-Man No More. Romita's best. (Marvel) 2. Brave and the Bold # 34 - The Joe Kubert Hawkman is the strongest of the Silver Age DC superhero titles, IMO. And I'm not sure it was ever better than the first issue. (DC) 3. Brave and the Bold # 93 - Because Neal Adams and the Joe Orlando House of Mystery both deserve a mention, and I like team-up books. (DC) 4. Captain America # 112 - Steranko! (Marvel) 5. Charlton Premiere # 2 - Children of Doom. Denny O' Neil and Pay Boyette. The beginning of "relevance" in comics and the peak of late SA Science Fiction. (Charlton_ 6. Fantastic Four # 51 - This Man, This Monster (Marvel) 7. Four Color # 882 - Alex Toth's Zorro, with a back-up by Russ Manning. (Dell) 8. Ghost Stories # 1 - John freaking Stanley. Probably the best post-code horror comic. (Dell?) 9. Gunsmoke Western # 53 - The last published Joe Maneely story. And he just kept getting better throughout his career! (Atlas) 10. Hot Wheels # 3 - I can't leave Alex Toth out, and he's the best car chase artist in comics. (DC) 11. Kona: Monarch of Monster Isle # 5 - The giant cat issue. This is just a great, heartbreaking piece of writing, maybe the best "giant monster" comic ever put to paper. Also the best cover of any issue on my list! (Gold Key) 12. Magnus Robot Fighter # 3 - I just read this one for the first time! (And there might be better issues later in the run.) But this has a great cover and introduces Magnus' greatest early opponent dr. Xyrkl, and his huge-ass moustache. (Gold Key) 13. Secret Six # 1 - The strongest high concept Silver Age comic, perfectly executed. (DC) 14. ShockSuspenseStores # 118 - Just making the Silver Age cut-off, this is some of Krigstein's finest work. (EC) Nope, I read that wrong. It was 1955. 15. Silver Surfer # 4 - Classic Buscema Surfer/Thor brou-ha-ha. (Marvel) 16. Star Spangled War Stories # 148 - Enemy Ace! The darkest issues of the darkest of the DC War Comics. Let's convince people that the Silver Age wasn't all goofy. (DC) 17. Strange Tales 138 - Severin Nick Fury and Ditko's Doctor Strange meets Eternity. (Marvel) 18. Sugar and Spike # 49 - The most consistently great DC or Marvel series of the Silver Age. Note that I did not say "humor series" or "children's comic." (DC) 19. Superman # 141 - Supes' creator Jerry Seigel took the idea of superheroes a lot more seriously than his contemporaries, and offered up less sit-com/pratfall type humor and more heartbreaking pathos. This is one saaaaad comic book. (DC) 20. Uncle Scrooge # 418 - The Flying Dutchman. Carl Barks. Just making sure I have my bases covered, greatest-artists-of-all-time-wise. (Dell) Just a quick note, but Captain America #112 wasn't Steranko. He did #110 and #111, but fell behind (big shock there), so they did a fill-in "Album Issue" as #112, with Steranko's story arc being finished in issue #113. Ah crap thanks. I meant 113. It's entirely possible I'm off by an issue or too on the rest of these as well. |
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Post by Reptisaurus! on Oct 15, 2015 16:50:06 GMT -5
How can you pick just 20 ? It's harder than you'd think. One would be amazed by how many of one's choices are released in 1954 or 1955. (And by "one" I mean me: Basically everything EC, quite a few of the best known Carl Barks comics, all the great Simon and Kirby stuff, A BUNCH of Marvel stuff - Maneely's Black Knight, Everett's Sub-Mariner revival. I'm with Hoosier. Anything we can do to move the beginning of the Silver Age back a little is awesome.) |
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Oct 15, 2015 17:01:53 GMT -5
How can you pick just 20 ? quite a few of the best known Carl Barks comics, The Second-Richest Duck, The Secret of Atlantis, Island in the Sky and North of the Yukon all come to mind. |
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shaxper
CCF Site Custodian
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Post by shaxper on Oct 18, 2015 20:47:26 GMT -5
quite a few of the best known Carl Barks comics, The Second-Richest Duck, The Secret of Atlantis, Island in the Sky and North of the Yukon all come to mind. But, as Reptisaurus notes, Barks' strongest output landed squarely in the Atom Age. He had a few greats in the Silver Age, but even many of those were just retreads of earlier stories he'd done. |
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