Hierarchy of Golden Age Comics (2017 Edition) 1 1

[jabats]

3 minutes ago, ComicConnoisseur said:

 I mean Cap and Batman are actually considered cool,modern and hip with today's audience while Superman is like the Lone Ranger/Tarzan/ Flash Gordon as in they were the kings of yesterday.

Eventually both Captain America #1 and Batman #1 will pass Superman #1, as so will Detective #27 pass Action #1 as the king of hill.

Every 5 year old on the planet knows who Superman is. I'm in my mid 30s and am only vaguely aware of the Lone Ranger and slightly more aware of Tarzan. No idea who Flash Gordon is except "heard" the name on this board and elsewhere.

I get it, Superman is the "Boy Scout" and the "bad boys" like Wolverine, Batman etc may always be "cooler".

That said, go to Old Navy, Target, any mass market retailer with pop culture stuff for sale, and you see a ton of Superman merchandise (along with Batman, Spider-Man, and of course Avengers including Cap). So Superman is inarguably relevant today, and including among the young generation (toddlers). In that way I don't think Superman is similar to characters like Lone Ranger, Flash Gordon (whoever that is) etc who in another few decades will be little more than a footnote in pop culture history.

Supes may never again be a "top 3 most popular superhero" but I doubt he will ever slide out of the top 10, either.

[sfcityduck]

A lot of well argued opinions being tossed out on this thread.  Thanks for starting the discussion Wayne-Tec.

[Wayne-Tec]

16 minutes ago, sfcityduck said:

A lot of well argued opinions being tossed out on this thread.  Thanks for starting the discussion Wayne-Tec.

And thanks to you, and others, for sharing their thoughts. I've said this before, but it's as true today as it's ever been. Discussions like these, regardless of whether we agree or disagree, are a testament to our passion as collectors, which is a testament to how special these books are.

Any chance Siegel, Shuster, Simon and Kirby thought 75+ years ago that readers would be arguing about which of their comic books are the more historic comic books through their television-electronic-keyboard-communication-devices?

[atomised]

glad to see More Fun Comics #52 make this list and while I don't have a copy that seems a book with incredible upside as the Spectre is a superhero very much a part of the DCEU going forward.

[Knightsofold]

If you every tried collecting 1939 or 1940 superman action covers, you'd see just how in demand superman still is.  They've risen in price and demand just as much as other key GA.  

As far as Captain America Comics #1 not being historically significant, ...  well that just boggles my mind. 

[ComicConnoisseur]

2 hours ago, Knightsofold said:

If you every tried collecting 1939 or 1940 superman action covers, you'd see just how in demand superman still is.  They've risen in price and demand just as much as other key GA.  

As far as Captain America Comics #1 not being historically significant, ...  well that just boggles my mind. 

No doubt Superman is still popular I just see 

Captain America Comics #1 and Batman #1 both passing Superman #1

and Detective Comics #27 passing Action Comics #1 within the decade.

Superman is cool I just think Batman and Captain America are trending to pass by him within the next 10 years.

[Gotham Kid]

9 minutes ago, ComicConnoisseur said:

Superman is cool I just think Batman and Captain America are trending to pass by him within the next 10 years.

Sorry but disagree. Supes started it all. AC1 will always be king and Supes 1 will always outpace Bats 1.

Cap will watch the battle from a distance.

Edited July 8, 2017 by Gotham Kid

[Wayne-Tec]

14 minutes ago, Gotham Kid said:

Sorry but disagree. Supes started it all. AC1 will always be king and Supes 1 will always outpace Bats 1.

Cap will watch the battle from a distance.

Doesn't Cap #1 now out-sell Batman #1, grade for grade?

[Gotham Kid]

2 minutes ago, Wayne-Tec said:

Doesn't Cap #1 now out-sell Batman #1, grade for grade?

Don't follow Cap1 sales all that closely but I'd say no. Paging GAtor.

[Chicago Boy]

23 minutes ago, Gotham Kid said:

Don't follow Cap1 sales all that closely but I'd say no. Paging GAtor.

I wud think that it's extremly close 

[ComicConnoisseur]

42 minutes ago, Gotham Kid said:

Sorry but disagree. Supes started it all. AC1 will always be king and Supes 1 will always outpace Bats 1.

Cap will watch the battle from a distance.

Supes did start it all for DC, but he is losing it in popularity to Batman, similar to how Fantastic Four started it all for Marvel,but now Spider-Man has eclipsed them in popularity.

Rememember folks my argument is eventually in the future 

Captain America Comics #1 and Batman #1 will both be passing Superman #1

Detective Comics #27 passing Action Comics #1 within the decade.

I am not saying it is happening now. Just want to clarify that. 

 

[Chicago Boy]

9 minutes ago, ComicConnoisseur said:

Supes did start it all for DC, but he is losing it in popularity to Batman, similar to how Fantastic Four started it all for Marvel,but now Spider-Man has eclipsed them in popularity.

Rememember folks my argument is eventually in the future 

Captain America Comics #1 and Batman #1 will both be passing Superman #1

Detective Comics #27 passing Action Comics #1 within the decade.

I am not saying it is happening now. Just want to clarify that. 

 

I don't think you can compare Supes to the FF.  Supes has and is very much part of popular culture world wide.  I just don't see Bats 1 or Cap 1 passing Supes 1 secondary to rarity of the book.  The Tec 27 debate is different but action 1 continues to win every head to head battle with not a loss that I am aware of. You'd think it wud have happened by now let alone a decade from now as Supes is rebooted alongside grumpy Bats.   

[Wayne-Tec]

Outside of tiers, I've ranked the Top-6 books individually. In my opinion, not only are these the Top-6 GA books today, but they may remain the Top-6 for a very, very long time.

Action Comics #7 and Detective Comics #31 have rarity and incredibly desirable early cover appearances to their credit. Whiz Comics #2, All-American Comics #16 and Flash Comics #1 mark first appearances of early GA superheroes. The GA has some truly great books to offer, but the Top-6 are in a league of their own.

The combination of the Top-6 feature all of the following: the birth of the DC and Marvel superhero universes, the 1st appearances of Superman, Batman, Captain America, The Joker, The Red Skull, Catwoman, Jim Gordon, Bucky Barnes (the eventual Winter Soldier), The Kents (Clark's parents), The Sub-Mariner and The Human Torch, all with classic covers of the highest order.

There are the Top-6, and then, there's everything else.

 

1. Action Comics #1

2. Detective Comics #27

3. Captain America Comics #1

4. Batman #1

5. Marvel Comics #1

6. Superman #1

Edited July 9, 2017 by Wayne-Tec

[G.A.tor]

4 hours ago, Gotham Kid said:

Don't follow Cap1 sales all that closely but I'd say no. Paging GAtor.

They are close. Edge still to bats

[Jaydogrules]

34 minutes ago, G.A.tor said:

They are close. Edge still to bats

They are close.  Bats 1 has been coming up for sale publicly way more often then Cap 1 last couple/few years though.  Looking at GPA, recent sales in very similar grades has them in a virtual dead heat.  If anything, the recent sale of the 1.0 Cap 1 would put it slightly ahead of Bats now, but again there are so few public like for like sales it's a literally toss up for the time being IMO, but I do believe Cap 1 will eventually pull away for good.  

-J.

Edited July 9, 2017 by Jaydogrules

[Wayne-Tec]

17 hours ago, ComicConnoisseur said:

Supes did start it all for DC, but he is losing it in popularity to Batman, similar to how Fantastic Four started it all for Marvel,but now Spider-Man has eclipsed them in popularity.

Rememember folks my argument is eventually in the future 

Captain America Comics #1 and Batman #1 will both be passing Superman #1

Detective Comics #27 passing Action Comics #1 within the decade.

I am not saying it is happening now. Just want to clarify that. 

 

Many years ago, I argued that Tec #27 would eventually surpass Action #1, due to amongst other factors, my generation (I'm 28) rising to greater spending power and dictating the market.

It's been about 7-8 years and Action #1/Tec #27 are still in about the same place, with Action #1 in the lead. Give my generation another 10-15 years, when our spending power rises, then we'll see if it makes a dent.

I grew up loving both Superman and Batman, but the latter was my preference. More action figures, more Halloween costumes, preference for his animated series, definitely better video games (see: Arkham series). But even considering all of that, I find myself in the minority amongst my generation in that my preference as an adult is Superman.

I'd take an Action #1 over a Tec #27, a Superman #1 over a Batman #1. I think older generations have rubbed off on me. I read old price guides, magazines, books...I talk to collectors who collected in the 1960s-1980s and I care about the grails of yesteryear: Detective #1, Adventure #40, More Fun #52, etc.

I don't think I am a very good representation of what my generation will come to prefer. In 20 years, I could see Tec #27 surpassing Action #1, but due to reasons of scarcity alone, I think Superman #1 will be difficult to budge from 3rd place.

Edited July 9, 2017 by Wayne-Tec

[lou_fine]

19 hours ago, Gotham Kid said:

19 hours ago, ComicConnoisseur said:

Superman is cool I just think Batman and Captain America are trending to pass by him within the next 10 years.

Sorry but disagree. Supes started it all. AC1 will always be king and Supes 1 will always outpace Bats 1.

Cap will watch the battle from a distance.

Well, maybe a closer than expected distance, but I will always place Bat 1 over Cap 1 since it also has both the Joker and "Catwoman's" first appearances. 

From a pure content point of view, I feel that Batman 1 is the most comprehensive and all-encompassing GA book out there and that will always count for something. 

Edited July 9, 2017 by lou_fine

[Chicago Boy]

51 minutes ago, lou_fine said:

Well, maybe a closer than expected distance, but I will always place Bat 1 over Cap 1 since it also has both the Joker and "Catwoman's" first appearances. 

From a pure content point of view, I feel that Batman 1 is the most comprehensive and all-encompassing GA book out there and that will always count for something. 

 Can't put villian over hero pound for pound 

[Jaydogrules]

55 minutes ago, lou_fine said:

Well, maybe a closer than expected distance, but I will always place Bat 1 over Cap 1 since it also has both the Joker and "Catwoman's" first appearances. 

From a pure content point of view, I feel that Batman 1 is the most comprehensive and all-encompassing GA book out there and that will always count for something. 

The first appearance of the Joker, and to a much lesser extent, Catwoman, is exactly what Bats 1 does have going for it. 

The big glaring knock is that it isn't the first appearance of the titular hero, or even Robin.  

Ergo it is not the "most comprehensive GA book out there" by a longshot and is being passed by Cap 1 (which, as previously eloquently explained by Wayne-Tec, makes a far better case for being a "comprehensive GA book" than Bats 1 ever will).  

-J.

Edited July 9, 2017 by Jaydogrules

[Chicago Boy]

2 minutes ago, Jaydogrules said:

The first appearance of the Joker, and to a much lesser extent, Catwoman, is exactly what Bats 1 does have going for it. 

The big glaring knock is that it isn't the first appearance of the titular hero, or even Robin.  

Ergo it is not the "most comprehensive GA book out there" by a longshot and is being passed by Cap 1 (which, as previously eloquently explained by Wayne-Tec, makes a far better case for being a "comprehensive GA book" than Bats 1 ever will).  

-J.

I've said it before and I'll say it again ( cuz I like sayin it   Bats 1 is the 4th most impt Bats book IMO after 27,38, & 33.  Cover helps it a lot though I think.