Everyone remembers purchasing their first comic and discovering the pleasure of reading about superheroes and their trials and tribulations. But which Marvel comic books stick out as not only memorable but would be a prized addition to any comic book collection? Read on for eight Marvel comic books that are not only rare, but would be seen as an ultimate prize for any serious collector!
First, and possibly the most popular, would be the first appearance of the team we know as the Fantastic Four! The first issue came out in November 1961 and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby – undeniably two of the greatest contributors to Marvel comic books and to comic book history!
Next let’s look at Amazing Fantasy #15 – what, you say? What’s so special about this Marvel comic book? Well, how about the first appearance of a costumed webswinger that would later get his own comic? Yes, Spider-Man debuted in August 1962 from the fertile mind of Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko.
But Spider-Man makes it onto the list of must-have Marvel comic books with another hit in his own title. In The Amazing Spider-Man #121 released in June 1973 the love of his life, Gwen Stacy, is killed by the Green Goblin; a major and controversial turning point for the comic book world. Some fans saw it as the end of what would be known as the Silver Age for comic books. This storyline crossed over two entire issues and was written by Gerry Conway with artwork by Gil Kane, John Romita Sr. and Tony Mortellaro.
The death of major characters changed the Marvel comic book world forever, with others to follow. In 1976-77 the Uncanny X-Men began a storyline that would be known as the Dark Phoenix Saga, ending with the apparent death of Jean Grey, one of the most popular X-Men ever. Written by Chris Claremont with artwork by both John Byrne and Dave Cockrum this proved to be one of the most popular storylines ever in the history of Marvel comic books.
One of the X-Men actually appeared in a Marvel comic book in 1974 before moving onto the team – in the pages of Incredible Hulk #180 and #181 the mysterious Wolverine appears, written by Len Wein and penciled by Herb Trimpe. This shadowy figured then moved onto the X-Men squad, being recruited in our next classic Marvel comic book – Giant Size X-Men #1!
This huge issue was released in 1975, another creation of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and debuted the newest incarnation of the team. Writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum offered up a new team of adults that included Wolverine along with Nightcrawler and Storm, vastly popular characters.
Death is never too far for many characters in Marvel comic books, with our next choice being Daredevil #181 where Elektra, his lover, is killed by Bullseye. She drags herself over to Daredevil’s home and dies in his arms, a tragic and popular love story. Originally created by Frank Miller, she continues to be one of the most popular characters in Marvel comic books.
And last, but certainly not least, let’s look at the origins of one of the most popular characters in Marvel comic books. In Tales of Suspense #39 released in March 1963 Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, with artists Jack Kirby and Don Heck, introduced the world to Iron Man. The story of Tony Stark, initially trapped in a suit of armor in order to save his life and his decision to use his skills to help and protect others has become one of the most popular Marvel comic books to date, with a major movie soon to be released.
But where can you find these Marvel comic books for your collection? Well, your first bet may be to race for the online auction site eBay, but that may not be your best decision. First go and pick up a copy of the Overstreet Comic Book Guide to start finding out exactly how much you can expect to pay for any of these unique and rare issues. Then, armed with the knowledge of what price range you should be looking for you can not only look on eBay but also on such online comic book sites as www.milehighcomics.com and others that can supply you with these Marvel comic books.
It’s hard to pick out the best when it comes to years of Marvel comic books, but these are possibly the most popular and certainly the most interesting that I can think of. Why not see if you can find them to add to your collection of Marvel comic books and make your collection truly super!
