Comic Book History Analysis

"When the Stone-Men from Saturn invade Earth, only Dr. Donald Blake can stop them -- but he stands no chance, not until he strikes a wooden stick on the ground and finds himself transformed into Thor, God of Thunder! Watch as Thor learns how to wield his hammer in battle!" A silver age comic book from 1962. This book tells the tale of Donald Blake who discovers the power to become the Norse God, Thor. It features the character's first appearance, written by Stan Lee and Larry Lieber with illustrations from Jack Kirby. I actually didn't know much about Thor's origin outside of the Marvel films, so this idea of Donald Blake becoming Thor was an interesting take for me. I was aware of the alias (also referred to in Thor's film from 2011) but didn't understand how the character worked. I enjoyed the story very much, I thought the aliens were an interesting threat and it was nice to see how Thor was able to step in to help. It was also great to see ...

"As the ruthless war-mongers of Europe focus their eyes on a peace-loving America...the youth of our country heed the call to arm for defense...but great as the danger of the foreign attack...is the threat of invasion from within...the dreaded fifth column..." A golden age comic book, featuring the first appearances of Captain America and Bucky Barnes. The book was released in March of 1941, just two years in to World War 2 and created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. From the offset, I can see why this book may have caused controversy amongst readers, it was obviously very current and likely affected a lot of people whilst the country was at war. It reads very well in retrospect, it has a strong sense of history to it and in many ways feels less like a superhero story and more like an action comic book. Like most books of that age, I felt like there wasn't much time to get to know the titular character before they take up their respective mantle. Steve Rogers doesnt ...

"In a closely guarded lab, Anthony 'Tony' Stark shows off a new invention to US military defense officials. He has developed micro-transistors capable of powering up things such as magnets; turning them into powerful weapons strong enough to pull open a thick metal door from a distance." A silver age comic book. The first appearance of the Invincible Iron Man from all the way back in 1963. It's crazy to believe where this character started with his origin and how he's depicted in the more modern comic books. This Jack Kirby cover shows us a very literal iron suit that was heavy and clunky but still considered an absolute Marvel for readers at the time. I thought this was a very good read, it's a litte dated with it's dialogue and what was considered an "innovative invention" at the time (magnets) but it still tells a good story. Tony Stark has come a long way since this book, despite him still being depicted as the philanthropic l...

"When high school wallflower Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider, his life is transformed – first for the better, then for the worse! With his new array of arachnid abilities – including speed, strength, agility and, thanks to his scientific know-how, spinning webs – Peter seeks fame as the costumed celebrity called Spider-Man! But his cavalier attitude soon comes back to haunt him, and shatter the lives of his beloved Uncle Ben and Aunt May! Peter Parker is about to learn a powerful lesson, one that has never been taught better than by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko: With great power there must also come great responsibility!" A silver age comic book. A story of a boy, bitten by a radioactive spider that would give him the abilities to do "what ever a spider can". Not only a classic, but a fan favourite for over 60 years. Spawning several live action movies, series, animated series and video games, Spider-Man would go on to be one of Marvel's b...

"As a distant planet is destroyed by old age, a scientist places his infant son in a space capsule and launches it toward Earth. The capsule is found by a passing motorist, who brings the baby to an orphanage, where the child astounds the attendants with his superhuman powers. The child, who is named Clark Kent, can jump over buildings, lift enormous weights, and run faster than a freight train. Furthermore, his skin is impenetrable. Realizing that he has powers far beyond normal humans, Clark dedicates himself to serve humanity as Superman, the champion of the oppressed." A golden age comic book. The first appearance of an iconic, legendary superhero. Action comics issue number 1 was released in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. It features the first appearance of the man of steel himself: Superman. I was quite surprised reading this book, firstly by how long it was. Unlike Amazing Fantasy 15 (first appearance of Spider-Man), which holds 32 pages, Action Comi...