posted January 08, 2003 02:37 PM            

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Originally posted by NecessaryImpurity:
STILL topical, so BUMP.

Since I never chimed in with my opinion, I'd recommend "Batman Archives, V1", "Doom Patrol Archives, V1", "Atom Archives, V1", "Hawkman Archives, V1", and "Spirit Archives, V1" for anyone wanting to start at the beginning of a series.

If you don't mind coming in on the middle, then "Green Lantern Archives, V3" and "V4", "Plastic Man Archives, V2", "V3", and "V4", and "Justice League Archives, V3" and "Justice League Archives, V4" are all great reads. I can't recommend the higher volumes of JLA yet, because I don't have them.

Of course, if there's a particular character you are interested in, that's the place to start. ALL the Archives are interesting, if not always entertaining. I have about half of them and don't regret a single one.

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posted January 09, 2003 09:54 AM               

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Originally posted by India Ink:
I would start with Batman v.1 (as so many have said). Even if it weren't cheap, it's still a great intro to the golden age and to the archives.

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That made me think of something. If that is indeed what this thread is looking for -- something less expensive and a great intro to the archives -- then the best bet isn't an archive at all.

Instead, one might track down a copy of Greatest Golden Age Stories Ever Told from a reseller or ebay. It's a really terrific anthology, and every story is a high point from the 40s. If someone has little background with golden age material, a strict chronological archive of one character might not be as satisfying. I recommend this book as an excellent test drive of the greater archive concept.

posted January 09, 2003 11:29 AM            

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Originally posted by India Ink:
The Batman Archives, vol. 1. It's cheap, it's thick, and it contains some of the greatest comics ever written.

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Hey Batman #1 is a good buy for the number of pages in that on,way bigger than the average DC archive

Golden Age GREEN LANTERN #1 and Golden age FLASH #1 is a must

Superman #1 is good too but the archive situation is still a little confusing to me as to which really are the first Superman stories...differences between SUPERMAN DC ARCHIVE volume 1 and SUPERMAN THE DAILIES #1 from Newspaper strips

ALL-STAR 1 is a must too

posted January 09, 2003 11:58 AM            

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Originally posted by RenaudMan:
Golden Age GREEN LANTERN #1 and Golden age FLASH #1 is a must

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He-he! Count me in with that sentiment!!

Gary "Ok DC, let's get that announcement out for GA Flash #2 soon - after all, I know you wouldn't let 2003 go by without putting it out " O.

posted January 09, 2003 02:21 PM               

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Originally posted by vze2:
That's a good point. I think that most people who have never read a Golden Age Story are in for a jolt.

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It's also a pretty good reason to put this book into print. The silver age has some representation with Superman/Batman in the 60s and the Crisis on Multiple Earths books. But I can't think of a good, in-print book that exists for the golden age.

Aside from being a decent seller in its own right, it might serve as a hook for the Archive program (which is much bigger now than it was when the Greatest Stories volume was first published).

posted February 18, 2003 04:09 PM               

As for the "which ones are worth reading" thread I started, you know, I really tried to get into JLA. And whenever I came close to being able to overlook the formulaic writing whih was so devoid of characterization, Sekowsky's art tripped me up. (Why oh WHY couldn't Murphy Anderson do the interiors as well as the covers?) And whenever I was able to get past Sekowsky, Snapper Carr, THE MOST ANNOYING CHARACTER IN THE HISTORY OF COMICS, was able to ruin things for me with a single idiotic line of dialogue.

Having said that, I'm still tempted to actually purchase JLA because there was some fun goofy weirdness in those old issues. Starro, Earth 2, the Crime Syndicate...lots of fun, classic stuff.

As for All Star-- just can't do it. I tried, but I just couldn't handle the crudeness of writing as well as art. There's a real slapdash, thrown-together quality to that stuff that other DC golden age stuff doesn't have. I honestly don't know how Roy Thomas can to this day, still be in love with that series.

I am considering picking up Silver Age Flash though. It has all of the endearing goofiness of JLA with better art and no Snapper (although Iris was just slightly less of an ice queen than Lois Lane of that era. The DC staff in those days sure had an antagonistic view of women.) Gorila Grodd, Captain Cold (whom I've always loved for some damn reason), Reverse Flash, races with Superman...yeah, maybe I'll grab those next...maybe.

posted February 18, 2003 04:29 PM               

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Originally posted by Melkor:
...And whenever I was able to get past Sekowsky, Snapper Carr, THE MOST ANNOYING CHARACTER IN THE HISTORY OF COMICS...Mark

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posted February 18, 2003 05:54 PM               

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Golden Age has to be Superman 1 (back-up Plastic Man 3) Silver Age JLA 1 (back-up Enemy Ace 1)

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Bah! I'll take the Big Red Cheese over boring old Supes any day...