Comixology is having a bundle sale for the "75 Greatest Marvel Comics" and I was wondering what people think of their selections. Do you think all the books chosen are worthy? Are there any glaring items missing? Any hidden gems you'd nominate for your own top 75 list?
Also, if a new reader were to pick up this bundle, would it generally be a satisfying read or would they be forced to pick up a bunch of surrounding issues around the issues in question?
The List
1. Alpha Flight #12
2. Amazing Fantasy #15
3. Amazing Spider-Man #33
4. Amazing Spider-Man #50
5. Amazing Spider-Man #121
6. Amazing Spider-Man #129
7. Amazing Spider-Man #248
8. Amazing Spider-Man #294
9. Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21
10. Amazing Spider-Man (1999) #36
11. Amazing Spider-Man (1999) #700
12. Annihilation #1
13. Astonishing X-Men (2004) #1
14. Avengers #1
15. Avengers #4
16. Avengers #57
17. Avengers #89
18. Avengers #170
19. Avengers #270
20. Avengers (1998) #22
21. Avengers (1998) #41
22. Avengers (1998) #500
23. Avengers vs. X-Men #1
24. Captain America Comics #1
25. Captain America (2004) #8
26. Captain America (2004) #25
27. Civil War #1
28. Daredevil #181
29. Daredevil #227
30. Daredevil: The Man Without Fear (1993) #1
31. Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe
32. Fantastic Four #1
33. Fantastic Four #48
34. Fantastic Four #262
35. Fantastic Four #285
36. Giant-Size X-Men #1
37. Hawkeye #1
38. House of M #1
39. Incredible Hulk #1
40. Incredible Hulk #181
41. Incredible Hulk (1999) #92
42. Infinity Gauntlet #1
43. Iron Man #128
44. Iron Man #225
45. Iron Man (2004) #1
46. Marvel Comics #1
47. Marvel Graphic Novel #1: The Death of Captain Marvel
48. Marvel Graphic Novel #5: X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills
49. Marvel Zombies #1
50. Marvels #1
51. New Mutants #1
52. New Mutants #98
53. Nextwave: Agents of HATE #1
54. Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD #1
55. Runaways #1
56. Secret Invasion #1
57. Secret Wars #1
58. Silver Surfer: Parable #1
59. Spider-Man Blue #1
60. Spider-Man Unlimited #1
61. Thor #337
62. Thor #362
63. Thor: God of Thunder #1
64. Thunderbolts #1
65. Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #160
66. Ultimates #1
67. Uncanny X-Men #137
68. Uncanny X-Men #141
69. Warlock V.1 #9
70. Web of Spider-Man #117
71. Wolverine #1
72. World War Hulk #1
73. X-Factor #87
74. X-Men (1991) #25
75. X-Men Alpha #1
Any industrious person feel like breaking down the significance of each issue?
Replies
...Three words .
STREET . POET . RAY .
Yowza !
I was glad to see Thor #362 - the issue with the death of the Executioner - on the list. It's not really an "event" issue. I think it deserves the nod for the impact of the sequence. On the other hand, I doubt it's one of the 75 most important Marvels.
I've not read Incredible Hulk #181. Technically, it's not the first appearance of Wolverine: from what I understand, he appears at the end of #180.
In a couple of cases issues are included because they were the starts of significant stories: Avengers #89 started the Kree-Skrull War story, #170 the Korvac story.
Some of the issues aren't all that great as stories, but you can't argue with their significance e.g. Amazing Spider-Man #21 (Spidey's marriage).
I've only read some of Stalin's Warlock issues, so I don't know which is the best one. Warlock #9, one of the ones I haven't seen, was the first Starlin issue. If that's the reason the issue is included, I think they should have chosen Strange Tales #178, the start of his run on the feature, instead. The Magus story started with that issue.
Alpha Flight #12 is the issue in which Vindicator/Guardian died. I suppose John Byrne can't have intended to kill him from the start of the series, since he bothered to rename him. I don't recall finding the death all that impactful, but I think I knew how the issue ended (from flicking through it) before reading it, so that might not be a fair basis for an assessment. It was an important development for the series, but perhaps not for Marvel.
I'm not familiar with Avengers #270 and X-Factor #87, and can't tell why they chose those issues. Would anyone know?
I notice Thor's debut in Journey into Mystery #83, Iron Man's in Tales of Suspense #39, and Dr Strange's in Strange Tales #110, and X-Men #1 aren't included. Arguably they should be.
One could make a case for Tales of Suspense #80 (the climax of the first Cosmic Cube story), one of Steranko's Captain America issues (but they gave him a nod in the form of Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD #1), Fantastic Four #5 (introduction of Doctor Doom), Fantastic Four #25 (the start of the Hulk/Avengers story; the issue took the step of showing the Thing as clearly outmatched and had him defeated at the climax), Fantastic Four #49 (start of the Galactus trilogy), Fantastic Four #52 (for the introduction of the Black Panther), Fantastic Four Annual #3 (for the marriage of Reed and Sue and its groundbreaking everyone-in-the-Marvel-U fight), and X-Men #14 (the start of the first Sentinels story, and the first mutant hysteria story).
I mistook X-Men Alpha #1 for X-Men / Alpha Flight #1 (which isn't one of the 75 greatest Marvels, although I did enjoy the mini). I see it was rather one of the Age of Apocalypse issues. I've not read that, but I can buy that it's an important issue.
Possibly Marvel Spotlight #5 should be there, for the introduction of Ghost Rider. His Faustian origin was ground-breaking.
Iron Man #225 was the start of the Armour Wars story. In the issue Tony realises some of his Iron Man technology has been stolen and sets about eliminating armour that uses it. I found this an interesting concept but I don't know it's one of the 75 greatest Marvels. But to be fair I missed much of the story (as it continues, Iron Man comes to be perceived as having gone rogue). I interpreted the premise as a device for getting rid of some of Marvel's armoured men.
I very much doubt Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. #1 deserves a place. The "Healing America by beating people up" tagline on the cover is amusing, and I remember some amusing mockery of Fing Fang Foom's purple pants, but I've read funnier comics, and I don't recall it as an outstanding issue otherwise.
One could argue Fantastic Four #11 deserves a place, for the "A Visit with the Fantastic Four" story. It's not that it's a favourite of mine, but the idea of doing a story about the heroes just hanging out was ground-breaking. One might view it as an ancestor "A Day in the Lives..." in New Teen Titans #8
I think X-Factor's the first Cable and Avengers #270 is the beginning of the return of Jean grey IIRC.
What I don't understand is Avengers #170 - but not #181 and Avenegrs Annual #2 at least
Luke Blanchard said:
X-Factor 87 is the issue where the team members talk to a psychiatrist, revealed at the end of the story to be Doc Samson. Cable debuted in New Mutants 87.
Thanks, Richard, John.
The GCD's capsule description is "Doc Samson shrinks X-Factor". I took this literally.
Oh man, X-Factor #87 is certainly a great issue for sure. I run hot and cold on Peter David, but that is Peter at his best.
What strikes me as odd if the inclusion of the first issues of a few mini series. Some of those are barely a story. I'd love to see them eliminate some of those and include all four issues of Marvels for example.
Avengers #170 not the start of the Korvac story, as I wrote above; that was #167. I don't know why #170 has been singled out.
Some refer to Wolverine's appearance at the end of Hulk #180 as a "cameo." It's just this one panel, which I think was full-page.