What comic book is Aquaman's 1st silver age appearance? 0

[zosocane]

So the verdict is Showcase #30 is the key book to have?

 

No, More Fun 73 is the key to have.

[Aman619]

This is perhaps the toughest first appearance debate we have ever had. People are just going to have to buy all three... And wait for wallets to decide the winner down the road.

 

I'm leaning toward Showcase 30 because it fits the SA DC pattern of the time that led to standalone titles, since 260 feels incremental, and BB28 has enough going for it as a key, and it featured same old same old Aquaman.

 

But, you can't deny 260s actual changes to the origin, which has always been a key determinator, like WW 98 has enjoyed of late.

Edited December 17, 2016 by aman619

[Chillax23]

I would choose Showcase 30 - because it is a great cover, first solo book/story, and most importantly the Showcase title is amazing (IMO)

[zosocane]

I thought it would be useful to excerpt what the OSPG has to say re Adv 260 and SC 30:

 

Adv 260 -- "1st Silver Age origin Aquaman (5/59)"

SC 30 -- "Origin Silver Age Aquaman (1-2/61) (see Adventure #260 for 1st S.A. origin)"

 

If you flip to page 1,182 (toward the end) of the current (46th edition) OSPG, there is a nifty two-page feature titled, "Aquaman at 75." In relevant part, Carrie Wood writes, "in the Silver Age, like many of DC's heroes, Aquaman's backstory [i.e., origin] changed (though this would later be attributed to the DC multiverse's existence). As of Adventure Comics #260 in May of '59, he now was the son of Tom Curry, a lighthouse keeper, and Atlanna, an outcast from Atlantis. Due to his heritage, Arthur possesses superhuman swimming abilities and the power to communicate with sea life."

[bronze johnny]

I would choose Showcase 30 - because it is a great cover, first solo book/story, and most importantly the Showcase title is amazing (IMO)

 

SC 30 is the Aquaman SA book.

 

What some are missing is the place that the Showcase run had in Silver Age DC history- introducing, reintroducing, and trying out hero and superhero characters beyond the traditional Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman related titles. The introduction of the Challengers of the Unknown, Adam Strange, Space Ranger, Rip Hunter, Sea Devils, and Metal Men were the new characters added to the existing Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman menu for readers. More importantly, these new titles were the supporting cast for the major reintroduction of the Flash and Green Lantern. And then there's the Showcase Tryout issues that gave Lois Lane and Aquaman their own books. The Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter (first cover appearance for Aquaman and Martian Manhunter who like the King of the Sea's place in the back pages of the Superman-family Adventure Comics, showed up from time to time in Batman's Detective Comics) would also join Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman in BB 28 - a Batman-Superman-Wonder Woman or Continuity + Showcase reintroduced superheroes. Of important note here is that the top selling DC books were the Superman and Batman family books. The only other DC title to come anywhere near the "continuity" titles was Showcase and later on after the publication of Flash 105 in 1959 led the way to the SC reintroduced superheroes getting their own books.

 

There was one superhero who would also get a book, and it was that book that introduced him to the readers of the Showcase title - the flagship title of the SA which was the alternative to the continuity titles and all things Batman and Superman. Aquaman was that superhero- and it was the success of Showcase 30 that brought him to a place in the sea he had never yet ventured... to a kingdom where he would never have to share a book with any other.

 

Aquaman would rule in his own book.

 

Because of the Showcase run and issue #30...

 

Best,

John

 

[Lazyboy]

What some are missing is the place that the Showcase run had in Silver Age DC history

 

That's nice, but we're not talking about an entire series. We're only talking about a single issue which, while significant, isn't that important.

[MusterMark]

What some are missing is the place that the Showcase run had in Silver Age DC history

 

That's nice, but we're not talking about an entire series. We're only talking about a single issue which, while significant, isn't that important.

 

Agree with bronzejonny

 

 

[Robo99]

I love all the well thought out arguments on this thread - I own two lower grade copies of SC30 and now want to buy AC260 - I think the comparison between WW98 and AC260 is the winner for me - I would guess that down the road AC260 will overtake SC30 in value - right now the market is going for the awesome cover (and I do love that yellow cover) plus it does have the showcase pedigree and first solo book going for it - however if first silver age origins have been the benchmark for first silver age appearances for characters that span golden to silver age (as long as that origin is a reimagining and not just a retelling) then 260 has to be the more important a book. Just my take on things - here's one of my SC30's (still my favorite cover between the two).

[bronze johnny]

11 hours ago, Robo99 said:

I love all the well thought out arguments on this thread - I own two lower grade copies of SC30 and now want to buy AC260 - I think the comparison between WW98 and AC260 is the winner for me - I would guess that down the road AC260 will overtake SC30 in value - right now the market is going for the awesome cover (and I do love that yellow cover) plus it does have the showcase pedigree and first solo book going for it - however if first silver age origins have been the benchmark for first silver age appearances for characters that span golden to silver age (as long as that origin is a reimagining and not just a retelling) then 260 has to be the more important a book. Just my take on things - here's one of my SC30's (still my favorite cover between the two).

Welcome to the boards

What are the well thought out arguments in favor of Adventure 260? If an origin for one character's book is the first SA book then it follows that this hypothesis must be made applicable to another? Comparing Wonder Woman, the major DC female superhero character who was awarded her own book during the Golden Age year of 1942 to Aquaman- a character who didn't get his own book until the Silver Age year of 1962? I've read threads and posts about how great the GA is over in the forum dedicated to that era, and it is, but the best of the SA matches its predecessor and one reason why has to do with Silver having the two greatest runs in the history of comic books - DC's Showcase and Marvel's Fantastic Four by Lee & Kirby. Look carefully at the Showcase mosaic- there's a reason why this series is the greatest DC had to offer during the SA and the entire history of DC Comics. The DC SA was born in the Showcase series- first SA appearances, the first original DC SA concept, the first successful SA tryout issues, and the first appearances of original DC SA creations all started in the Showcase mosaic- and the level of creativity DC provided by a collection of fantastic firsts in the Showcase series supersedes the idea that an origin issue published in a Superman family book where the King of DC's Seas subsequently remained ruling the depths of those back pages must be the start of something more than it is, fails to consider where Aquaman came into his own - Showcase 30- the success of which, like those characters introduced in the Showcase issues that preceded and followed this first Aquaman tryout issue, led to the first original Aquaman series that started with issue 1.  

It can also be said that among other things, the DC Showcase was about Silver Age firsts.

Best,

John

Edited June 2, 2017 by bronze johnny

[kimik]

I agree re: significance and purpose of the Showcase run, but Aquaman is a bit different since the character was already in print in Adventure comics for several Silver Age years before it. My approach is simple - buy both and don't worry about it.

[bronze johnny]

6 hours ago, kimik said:

I agree re: significance and purpose of the Showcase run, but Aquaman is a bit different since the character was already in print in Adventure comics for several Silver Age years before it. My approach is simple - buy both and don't worry about it.

That's my point. Aquaman is different. Took his Showcase tryout book to demonstrate this. A tryout book in a series that tested or tried out DC's newest and in Aquaman's case, continuing characters- the essence of the Showcase series. Will never argue against having both in a collection.

Edited June 2, 2017 by bronze johnny

[ProcessedMeatMan]

On 6/2/2017 at 4:43 AM, bronze johnny said:

Will never argue against having both in a collection.

Pretty much where I fall. It shouldn't be AC260 vs SC30, but AC260 + SC30.

[Hepcat]

On 6/2/2017 at 7:43 AM, bronze johnny said:

 Will never argue against having both in a collection.

 

That's barely a start! I'd argue that a real fan's goal should be to get them all.

I started by pecking away at all the issues with Aquaman as the title character including the four Showcase comics. I have all the World's Finest Comics in which Aquaman appears as well. I'm now pecking away (albeit very slowly) at the Adventure Comics in which the Aquaman stories are drawn by Ramona Fradon which I believe start with issue #167.

 

[OtherEric]

Does it make any difference that both Aquaman Archives and and Showcase Presents: Aquaman start with Adventure 260?

I think it's entirely possible for the 1st appearance and most key appearance to be different books, particularly when trying to figure out when one of the characters that survived straight through made their first Silver age appearance. 

[bronze johnny]

2 hours ago, Hepcat said:

 

That's barely a start! I'd argue that a real fan's goal should be to get them all.

I started by pecking away at all the issues with Aquaman as the title character including the four Showcase comics. I have all the World's Finest Comics in which Aquaman appears as well. I'm now pecking away (albeit very slowly) at the Adventure Comics in which the Aquaman stories are drawn by Ramona Fradon which I believe start with issue #167.

 

Agree with that too

[Robo99]

Got my Adventure Comics 260 to go with SC30

 

[zosocane]

On 6/12/2017 at 4:54 PM, OtherEric said:

Does it make any difference that both Aquaman Archives and and Showcase Presents: Aquaman start with Adventure 260?

 

Of course it does!   Because Adventure 260 is where Silver Age Aquaman begins, making it the more important of the two books (Adv 260 and SC 30).

[Robo99]

55 minutes ago, zosocane said:

Of course it does!   Because Adventure 260 is where Silver Age Aquaman begins, making it the more important of the two books (Adv 260 and SC 30).

Agreed! Also though I'd have to say I'm interested in adventure comics 229 - I know it's only the first appearance of Topo but it's the same year and month as Showcase 4 (first silver age comic) and topo is a recurring silver age character - in many ways this could and perhaps should mark the first silver age appearance Aquaman - however 260 has a stronger case as it's his first silver age origin which provides many new details about the character - that being said I still bought a 229 recently - covering all bases

[bronze johnny]

On 6/12/2017 at 4:54 PM, OtherEric said:

Does it make any difference that both Aquaman Archives and and Showcase Presents: Aquaman start with Adventure 260?

I think it's entirely possible for the 1st appearance and most key appearance to be different books, particularly when trying to figure out when one of the characters that survived straight through made their first Silver age appearance. 

I wouldn't put too much into Aquaman Archives and Showcase Presents as a basis for drawing any historical conclusions. DC after all, has been notorious for misinterpreting its own history. One example is demonstrated by DC Archives failing to identify OAAW 83 as Sgt. Rock's 1st appearance. Don't you think it also makes sense for any good selection of reprinted stories to start with an origin? If you want Aquaman's first SA origin, then add Adventure 260 to your collection. However, the quintessential SA Aquaman key is SC 30 - with or without any attempt to read more into a subsequent DC publication reprinting a selection of stories. 

[OtherEric]

1 hour ago, bronze johnny said:

I wouldn't put too much into Aquaman Archives and Showcase Presents as a basis for drawing any historical conclusions. DC after all, has been notorious for misinterpreting its own history. One example is demonstrated by DC Archives failing to identify OAAW 83 as Sgt. Rock's 1st appearance. Don't you think it also makes sense for any good selection of reprinted stories to start with an origin? If you want Aquaman's first SA origin, then add Adventure 260 to your collection. However, the quintessential SA Aquaman key is SC 30 - with or without any attempt to read more into a subsequent DC publication reprinting a selection of stories. 

That's why I asked if it made any difference; it was not a rhetorical question.   I think it's a useful but limited data point, because as you say DC hasn't always been the best judge of its own history.

I do think Adventure 260 is definitively a Silver Age Aquaman story, rather than a holdover of the Golden age version of the character.  And because of the details of the origin, it's the earliest story that you can definitively say that.

I also feel that Showcase 30 is, and should be, the most important Silver Age Aquaman key.  It just, due to the unusual circumstances of defining when a character shifts from Silver Age to Golden Age, we have one of those situations where the first appearance isn't actually the most key.

Note to self:  Finish putting together my run of Adventure 247-260, because it really is just an amazing batch of comics where the Silver Age really gets rolling.