Share a moment in comic history that struck you like lightning 0

[RockMyAmadeus]

18 hours ago, batman_fan said:

I had been collecting for many years when this book came out but vividly remember when they introduced the Hobgoblin.  I think the character really re-vitalized the title.

One of the best eras of Spidey ever. Spidey had meandered rudderless for a very long time...10 years or so...with nothing particularly exciting going on.

Hobby honored the past, while taking the title and the character in an entirely new direction. Stern's best work.

[batman_fan]

2 minutes ago, RockMyAmadeus said:

One of the best eras of Spidey ever. Spidey had meandered rudderless for a very long time...10 years or so...with nothing particularly exciting going on.

Hobby honored the past, while taking the title and the character in an entirely new direction. Stern's best work.

Spot on !  I remember buying it in Cheyenne Wyoming, taking it home and reading it then immediately getting in the car and driving back to the newsstand and buying every copy.

[The Voord]

23 hours ago, grapeape said:

Incidentally it's been covered before but here is what Russ Burlingame reported on September 6, 2017----an exert  below from Gerry Conway's book Marvel Comics: The Untold Story.

“She was a nonentity, a pretty face. She brought nothing to the mix. It made no sense to me that Peter Parker would end up with a babe like that who had no problems," Conway is quoted as saying in the book.

"Only a damaged person would end up with a damaged guy like Peter Parker. And Gwen Stacy was perfect! It was basically Stan fulfilling Stan’s own fantasy. Stan married a woman who was pretty much a babe," Conway continued. "Joan Lee was a very attractive blond who was obviously Stan’s ideal female. And I think Gwen was simply Stan replicating his wife, just like Sue Storm was a replication of his wife. And that’s where his blind spot was. The amazing thing was that he created a character like Mary Jane Watson, who was probably the most interesting female character in comics, and he never used her to the extent that he could have. Instead of Peter Parker’s girlfriend, he made her Peter Parker’s best friend’s girlfriend. Which is so wrong, and so stupid, and such a waste. So killing Gwen was a totally logical if not inevitable choice.”

 

I always thought Gwen was the much more interesting character over MJ.  Even towards the end of the 1960s, the kind of dialogue MJ would spout frequently sounded dated and silly.  You dig, daddy-o?

[The Voord]

Easy one to answer . . . John Romita's cover to ASM # 39.  Although I'm a Ditko guy, the sight of Peter Parker unmasked and being towed away by the Green Goblin had a major 'Wow!' impact on me.  I absolutely love this cover and the two-part storyline (even if it did kill off a major bad guy that I thought was never really successfully brought back later on).

I saw the comic-book in a window display over here in the UK at time of publication but didn't have the money to buy it.  I spent the next few hours pleading with my mother to give me the required funds but had already exhausted my weekly allowance several times over.  In the end she caved-in and gave me some money . . . by which time the comic had already been sold.  I hunted round all the other local shops but couldn't locate another copy.

Months later, I tracked down a well-read copy in a second-hand book store and raced home to read it.  My dad even took a photo of me . . .

Edited November 16, 2019 by The Voord

[dichotomy]

I think the Elseworlds hit me at the right time - seeing familiar things differently was a great revelation. Gotham by Gaslight, Holy Terror, Red Son etc. 

Certainly The Killing Joke - surely you remember the first time You read it. The shot. And then he starts documenting it. And then it gets worse. Life altering stuff. 

Artistically - Arkham Asylum. I ordered it at great cost overseas sight unseen and that was a book you really had to work at. Each page was an hour long exploration. Also, Sink’s New Mutant run. 

Batman Year One also had some great moments for me - particularly because of how close to happiness Bruce gets.

All of these were a great concert of writer and artist together that really got into my head. 

[Rick2you2]

This one. Who were those people in the costumes?

I do remember Gwen Stacy's death, but I didn't believe it. I had already seen too many deaths to think this one would stick. 

[Unca Ben]

Peter Parker's break-up with Betty Brant, culminated in the Master Planner trilogy, really got me.  Even as a kid - before my interest in girls started - I knew that this was a major change for Pete and Betty.  ASM 31-33 is known for many things, and often this sub-plot is understated.  I really liked Betty, but Ditko had been planting the seeds of the demise of their relationship since ASM 12.  Such drama.

I find myself re-reading those early ASM issues more for the content of Peter's personal life than for the Spider-Man action scenes.  I bet I'm not alone.
ASM 31 & 33

 

And how could i not include this great page from FF 51, a silver-age classic.  Our unknown antagonist has a change of heart and saves the Man he was insanely jealous of.
The morality tale was not lost on me, and carried with me.  Great stuff.

[tth2]

One of the most powerful pages was in Fantastic Four when Ben Grimm, after finally being turned into a normal human again, had to be turned back into the Thing to defeat Dr. Doom.  Enraged, he wades through all of Doom's defenses and then crushes his armor.  I think the OA is owned by a former boardie.

[Unca Ben]

2 hours ago, tth2 said:

One of the most powerful pages was in Fantastic Four when Ben Grimm, after finally being turned into a normal human again, had to be turned back into the Thing to defeat Dr. Doom.  Enraged, he wades through all of Doom's defenses and then crushes his armor.  I think the OA is owned by a former boardie.

FF 40, The Battle of the Baxter Building.  Classic.  

Love those dramatic titles Stan dreamed up for Marvel back then.  It was innovative compared to the average, lackluster, oftentimes silly story-titles of the time.

[Will_K]

The murder of Iris West Allen in The Flash 275.  The death of a recurring character that changed the course of that title in so many ways.  I think DC complicated things later on.  But her death "stuck" throughout the remainder of the time that I was regularly reading comics.

On the art-side, Irv Novick leaving The Flash and Mike Grell leaving Green Lantern / Green Arrow. 

"Discovering" Neal Adams' Batman stories in those tabloid-sized reprints. 

And later... Dynamic Classics #1 that reprinted Detective Comics 395's Secret of the Waiting Graves by O'Neil / Adams / Giordano AND Detective Comics 437's The Himalayan Incident with Goodwin and Simonson's Manhunter.  WOW.  Those reprint books of the 70's don't get enough credit for creating nostalgia.

[delekkerste]

From my first year of reading comics...the death of Guardian in Alpha Flight #12.  "And One Shall Surely Die!"  My friend warned me that Byrne was going to go big and wasn't going to kill off, say, Marrina, but, my young self couldn't conceive of him offing the team leader.  

But, as I turned each page of the book, and then got to the final few pages, I was like, "oh no, he's really going to do it!"  And, by the end of it, James Hudson was a pile of smoldering ash.   

[grapeape]

On 11/16/2019 at 6:57 PM, Unca Ben said:

Peter Parker's break-up with Betty Brant, culminated in the Master Planner trilogy, really got me.  Even as a kid - before my interest in girls started - I knew that this was a major change for Pete and Betty.  ASM 31-33 is known for many things, and often this sub-plot is understated.  I really liked Betty, but Ditko had been planting the seeds of the demise of their relationship since ASM 12.  Such drama.

I find myself re-reading those early ASM issues more for the content of Peter's personal life than for the Spider-Man action scenes.  I bet I'm not alone.
ASM 31 & 33

 

And how could i not include this great page from FF 51, a silver-age classic.  Our unknown antagonist has a change of heart and saves the Man he was insanely jealous of.
The morality tale was not lost on me, and carried with me.  Great stuff.

Wow you shared two great classics. Great memories.

[grapeape]

1 hour ago, delekkerste said:

From my first year of reading comics...the death of Guardian in Alpha Flight #12.  "And One Shall Surely Die!"  My friend warned me that Byrne was going to go big and wasn't going to kill off, say, Marrina, but, my young self couldn't conceive of him offing the team leader.  

But, as I turned each page of the book, and then got to the final few pages, I was like, "oh no, he's really going to do it!"  And, by the end of it, James Hudson was a pile of smoldering ash.   

That’s a legit impact moment in comics. I like how you negotiated those last few pages with trepidation. Thank you this is the type of response I was hoping to read from my fellow comic and art lovers. Would love to see that page here.

[grapeape]

2 hours ago, Will_K said:

The murder of Iris West Allen in The Flash 275.  The death of a recurring character that changed the course of that title in so many ways.  I think DC complicated things later on.  But her death "stuck" throughout the remainder of the time that I was regularly reading comics.

On the art-side, Irv Novick leaving The Flash and Mike Grell leaving Green Lantern / Green Arrow. 

"Discovering" Neal Adams' Batman stories in those tabloid-sized reprints. 

And later... Dynamic Classics #1 that reprinted Detective Comics 395's Secret of the Waiting Graves by O'Neil / Adams / Giordano AND Detective Comics 437's The Himalayan Incident with Goodwin and Simonson's Manhunter.  WOW.  Those reprint books of the 70's don't get enough credit for creating nostalgia.

Nostalgia, sadness and thrills. Great examples Will.

[exitmusicblue]

Basically the entire full first app. of Venom arc, but especially the meat locker fight where Spidey utterly loses it.

Black Cat getting her arse kicked (not a fair fight) was also brutal.

[batman_fan]

For me it would be the 1st 20 issues of Spider-Man. I loved how Peter Parker was relatable. A kid pushed in the shadows bullied but then he gets the powers and everything changes. 
 

 

[jjonahjameson11]

On ‎11‎/‎15‎/‎2019 at 4:48 PM, Blastaar said:

To keep it connected to OA....my first comic I "collected", not just read. 

 

 

 

This!  I bought it for the free tattooz, but returned for the great storyline and wonderful art, and really, you can't have the 238 without the 239

[grapeape]

4 hours ago, batman_fan said:

For me it would be the 1st 20 issues of Spider-Man. I loved how Peter Parker was relatable. A kid pushed in the shadows bullied but then he gets the powers and everything changes. 
 

 

Amazing Spider-Man Issue 18 

In 1986 I decided I was going to collect the first 20 issues of Amazing Spider-Man. Page after Page comics had issue 18 for sale $65.

i marveled at the cover. Why was Spidey hiding? In the previous issue he had run away from Green Goblin and now he’s hiding from Sandman.

Coward? Gutless?

Heck no. He was worrying about aunt May while under tremendous stress to pay bills, fight crime etc.

The cover and the last page art ( not mine) say it all. 

Edited November 19, 2019 by grapeape

[batman_fan]

12 minutes ago, grapeape said:

Amazing Spider-Man Issue 18 

In 1986 I decided I was going to collect the first 20 issues of Amazing Spider-Man. Page after Page comics had issue 18 for sale $65.

i marveled at the cover. Why was Spidey hiding? In the previous issue he had run away from Green Goblin and now he’s hiding from Sandman.

Coward? Gutless?

Heck no. He was worrying about aunt May while under tremendous stress to pay bills, fight crime etc.

The cover and the last page art ( not mine) say it all. 

That was my 1st early Spiderman, purchased from Mile High Comics in Fort Collins, Colorado.  Sadly sold it many years later ...  Still looking for a nice copy to buy.

[MagnusX]

Every time I have a really hard moment on my life
I come back to this pages for inspiration.

Even today they talk to me in difficult times...