Top 25 BA Marvel Keys (No DC) 2 2

[piper]

I scoured the Bronze Forum and didn't see anything recent, so I thought I would start a new thread.

I'm looking to put together a nice, higher grade grouping of Bronze Marvel first appearances and wondered what I should include.

Here's my list so far in no particular order:

 

1. Hulk 181 (have it)

2. GS X 1 (have it)

3. MS 5 (have it)

4. MP 15

5. HFH 1

6. Marvel Preview 4 (have it, should this be on the list?)

7. TOD 10

8. SME 15 (have it)

Maybe Nova, She Hulk, Rocket Racoon?

 

Thanks,

John,

 

 

 

Edited June 14, 2020 by piper

[ADAMANTIUM]

I'm sure someone would mention but 

Werewolf By Night 32

Perhaps Iron Man #55

2 that immediately pop in mind....  

I own neither  

[piper]

13 minutes ago, ADAMANTIUM said:

I'm sure someone would mention but 

Werewolf By Night 32

Perhaps Iron Man #55

2 that immediately pop in mind....  

I own neither  

LOL (that will teach me to do this at lunchtime)

I sold my IM55 way too early, when it was like a $25 - 50 book.  I made good money on WWBN 32 CGC 9.2, but could have held it about 6 months longer.

[Gatsby77]

You're kidding, right?

Your original list absolutely needs to include books like:

- Iron Man 55

- ASM 129

- Werewolf 32 (3rd-tier character but stupid expensive based mostly on Netflix hype)

- Star Wars 1 (Yes - it may not be the most expensive -- barring the $.35 variant), but it's absolutely more key than *any* appearance of Luke Cage, Master of Kung Fu, Nova, Iron Fist, etc.

- Conan 1 (mad common, but a must-have key, and while the last movie bombed, he'll be back on TV/film eventually)

- Likewise, it's not a first appearance, but for "key" and "expensive" X-men 94 smokes most of the books on the list ($1,900 in 9.4).

[steveinthecity]

That was a quick list.  Maybe we should stretch it out to top 25 BA Marvel with first appearances. 

[piper]

51 minutes ago, steveinthecity said:

That was a quick list.  Maybe we should stretch it out to top 25 BA Marvel with first appearances. 

Yes please

[steveinthecity]

I was wondering about X-Men #130.  Maybe if the character was freshened up to make her more relevant to the Modern era?  
 

ASM #101 would make my list as well.

Is there a consensus as to the first appearance of The Defenders?

Edited June 13, 2020 by steveinthecity
Add thought.

[Myowncollector]

Here is what overstreet 2019 says as far as top minus the non marvel. Personally I can care less about 35 cent unless I am selling it. She hulk would never make my top 10 or 25 list. Star wars is a movie. And my silver age list wouldn't have thor and modern wouldn't have bat 12. I like wolverine and ghost rider and moon knight. Generally hate another guy with a gun but punisher is pretty cool. More karate guys, vampires and strong men don't excite me much as original exciting characters but they have some awesome covers. Iron 55 cover is so awful I don't care who appears inside it.

1. Star Wars 1 35 cent variant

2. Incredible Hulk 181

3. Iron Fist 14 35 cent variant

8. Marvel Spotlight 5

9. Giant Size X-Men 1

10. Amazing Spider-Man 129

11. Star Wars 2 35 cent variant

11. Star Wars 3 35 cent variant

11. Star Wars 4 35 cent variant

14. Iron Man 55

15. X-Men 94

16. Hero for Hire 1

21. Amazing Spider-Man 101

21. Tomb of Dracula 10

Edited June 13, 2020 by Myowncollector
Add more

[Gatsby77]

It's odd to me how folks consistently discount Star Wars 1, when it's arguably had more impact than most of the superhero books of the '70s.

• Print run of ~900k (through all printings)
• Came out months *before* the movie when no one knew how influential the film would prove to be
• First appearance of characters like Luke, Leia and Darth Vader
• Lasted 110+ issues all-told -- longer than titles like Tomb of Dracula, Ghost Rider, and Captain Marvel -- and more appearances (full stop) than Thanos, Blade, Morbius or Punisher had from 1970-1986 (when the title ended).
• Literally saved Marvel with its popularity, month over month.
• Only reason it's not on the Overstreets list above is because that's *most valuable,* not *most key* -- two totally different things.
• Why isn't it on the most-valuable list? Print run. It's print run dwarfs most books of the '70s, and yet it's still worth $200+ in CGC 9.4

It's not on the Overstreet's list above because that's list of "most valuable" books, not most key.

But oh - wait, the $.35 variant issue is literally the most valuable comic of the decade, with the variant versions of 2-4 also making the top 20 list.

Just saying...I get that people now talk about 3rd-tier characters as "top keys" because of movie or netflix speculation hype. (Looking at you, ASM 101, Hero for Hire 1, Marvel Premiere 15, Special Marvel Edition 15, Nova 1, even She-Hulk 1, Tomb of Dracula 10).

But Star Wars 1 started as a movie adaptation that far transcended that -- and is still being published (and popular) to this day, more than 40 years later.

[piper]

1 minute ago, Gatsby77 said:

It's odd to me how folks consistently discount Star Wars 1, when it's arguably had more impact than most of the superhero books of the '70s.

• Print run of ~900k (through all printings)
• Came out months *before* the movie when no one knew how influential the film would prove to be
• First appearance of characters like Luke, Leia and Darth Vader
• Lasted 110+ issues all-told -- longer than titles like Tomb of Dracula, Ghost Rider, and Captain Marvel -- and more appearances (full stop) than Thanos, Blade, Morbius or Punisher had from 1970-1986 (when the title ended).
• Literally saved Marvel with its popularity, month over month.
• Only reason it's not on the Overstreets list above is because that's *most valuable,* not *most key* -- two totally different things.
• Why isn't it on the most-valuable list? Print run. It's print run dwarfs most books of the '70s, and yet it's still worth $200+ in CGC 9.4

It's not on the Overstreet's list above because that's list of "most valuable" books, not most key.

But oh - wait, the $.35 variant issue is literally the most valuable comic of the decade, with the variant versions of 2-4 also making the top 20 list.

Just saying...I get that people now talk about 3rd-tier characters as "top keys" because of movie or netflix speculation hype. (Looking at you, ASM 101, Hero for Hire 1, Marvel Premiere 15, Special Marvel Edition 15, Nova 1, even She-Hulk 1, Tomb of Dracula 10).

But Star Wars 1 started as a movie adaptation that far transcended that -- and is still being published (and popular) to this day, more than 40 years later.

I think the issue is that so many high grade copies exist. Heck, I have a 9.4 copy sitting in my collection.

[steveinthecity]

I think one thing that might work against Star Wars(for some) is it not being any part of the larger Marvel Universe.  Conan doesn’t seem affected the same way, even though he’s on his own outside of Red Sonja and What If?.

[Lazyboy]

22 hours ago, Gatsby77 said:

Star Wars 1 (Yes - it may not be the most expensive -- barring the $.35 variant), but it's absolutely more key than *any* appearance of Luke Cage, Master of Kung Fu, Nova, Iron Fist, etc.

No adapted from another medium will ever be more important than an original character.

[Number 6]

7 hours ago, Gatsby77 said:

It's odd to me how folks consistently discount Star Wars 1, when it's arguably had more impact than most of the superhero books of the '70s.

• Print run of ~900k (through all printings)
• Came out months *before* the movie when no one knew how influential the film would prove to be
• First appearance of characters like Luke, Leia and Darth Vader
• Lasted 110+ issues all-told -- longer than titles like Tomb of Dracula, Ghost Rider, and Captain Marvel -- and more appearances (full stop) than Thanos, Blade, Morbius or Punisher had from 1970-1986 (when the title ended).
• Literally saved Marvel with its popularity, month over month.
• Only reason it's not on the Overstreets list above is because that's *most valuable,* not *most key* -- two totally different things.
• Why isn't it on the most-valuable list? Print run. It's print run dwarfs most books of the '70s, and yet it's still worth $200+ in CGC 9.4

It's not on the Overstreet's list above because that's list of "most valuable" books, not most key.

But oh - wait, the $.35 variant issue is literally the most valuable comic of the decade, with the variant versions of 2-4 also making the top 20 list.

Just saying...I get that people now talk about 3rd-tier characters as "top keys" because of movie or netflix speculation hype. (Looking at you, ASM 101, Hero for Hire 1, Marvel Premiere 15, Special Marvel Edition 15, Nova 1, even She-Hulk 1, Tomb of Dracula 10).

But Star Wars 1 started as a movie adaptation that far transcended that -- and is still being published (and popular) to this day, more than 40 years later.

When you say “First appearance of characters like Luke, Leia, Vader and Death Star” are you saying that the comic is the public’a first exposure to these characters?

Because the Ballantine novel ghost written by Alan Dean Foster was published December 1976 almost six months before the movie was released.  That would probably be the “first appearance” in terms of general public exposure.  
 

I agree that Star Wars #1 is a key but I think that aspect of it’s importance might be an overstatement. 

Edited June 13, 2020 by Number 6

[Ceito]

How about,

Avengers #195

Amazing Spider-Man #194

[Gatsby77]

6 hours ago, Lazyboy said:

No adapted from another medium will ever be more important than an original character.

Why not?

Star Trek # 1 (Gold Key) is arguably a Silver Age key, and Single Series # 20 (early Tarzan) was once one of the top 20 most-valuable Golden Age books.

Even for the Bronze Age, as of at least 2018, Scooby Doo # 1 (Gold Key) was # 4 on the list of Overstreet's most valuable Bronze books, well ahead of Marvel Spotlight # 5, Giant-Size X-Men 1, or ASM 129.

Don't know how it ranks this year, but GPA lists a CGC 9.2 copy selling for $6,000 in March.

Keep in mind, too, that's for the 1970 Scooby Doo issue.The $.35 variant of the 1977 Marvel Scooby Doo # 1 is also one of the most valuable books of the decade, and so rare it has no recorded sales on GPA.

Note: I'm not saying the $.35 variant of the 1977 issue is *key* (Marvel or not) but you can't discuss "Key Bronze Age books" and leave out the 1970 Scooby Doo # 1. Full stop.

[Myowncollector]

1 hour ago, Gatsby77 said:

you can't discuss "Key Bronze Age books" and leave out the 1970 Scooby Doo # 1

Even if it's in a thread that clearly states marvel only?

[Lazyboy]

1 hour ago, Gatsby77 said:

Star Trek # 1 (Gold Key) is arguably a Silver Age key, and Single Series # 20 (early Tarzan) was once one of the top 20 most-valuable Golden Age books.

Even for the Bronze Age, as of at least 2018, Scooby Doo # 1 (Gold Key) was # 4 on the list of Overstreet's most valuable Bronze books, well ahead of Marvel Spotlight # 5, Giant-Size X-Men 1, or ASM 129.

They can be more popular/valuable, but never more important as comics.

1 hour ago, Gatsby77 said:

Note: I'm not saying the $.35 variant of the 1977 issue is *key* (Marvel or not) but you can't discuss "Key Bronze Age books" and leave out the 1970 Scooby Doo # 1. Full stop.

Of course you can, if you're not focused on price.

[piper]

On 6/12/2020 at 7:18 PM, steveinthecity said:

That was a quick list.  Maybe we should stretch it out to top 25 BA Marvel with first appearances. 

What if we take out the price variants as well?

[scooter99]

I'm highly offended that no DC is included. 

[piper]

1 hour ago, scooter99 said:

I'm highly offended that no DC is included. 

I’m not an Adam’s Batman or GL76 fan. I do have a HOS92 though.