Next year is the 50th birthday of marvels first trade paperback/ graphic novel!

[Iron Maiden]

Of that group of images you just posted, Son of Origins wouldn't belong IMO because they are a group of unrelated origin stories. It's like comparing a book of collected short stories to a novel.


The first wave of Marvel graphic novels were started when Jim Shooter was EIC . The first one produced was the Death of Captain Marvel (1982) by Jim Starlin. The total number produced were 75 with the last one being Daredevil/Black Widow Abbatoir written by Jim Starlin in 1993

You can find the entire list on the Marvel Graphic Novel Wiki page here They were all original stories and not a collection of reprints.

[Gaastra]

Graphic novels, trades, all count here.

[CaptainUniverse]

I think my first trade paperback was Amazing Spider-Man: Coming Home by JMS. I remember flipping through it and thinking that this new Spider-Man villain, a guy by the name of Morlun, was pretty cool.

[CaptCleghorn]

Of that group of images you just posted, Son of Origins wouldn't belong IMO because they are a group of unrelated origin stories. It's like comparing a book of collected short stories to a novel.


The first wave of Marvel graphic novels were started when Jim Shooter was EIC . The first one produced was the Death of Captain Marvel (1982) by Jim Starlin. The total number produced were 75 with the last one being Daredevil/Black Widow Abbatoir written by Jim Starlin in 1993

You can find the entire list on the Marvel Graphic Novel Wiki page here They were all original stories and not a collection of reprints.

The 1978 Lee/Kirby Silver Surfer story was pretty much anyone's definition of a Graphic Novel. All new, one story, trade paperback binding except it wasn't called that at the time. There is no set definition for the term "Graphic Novel". Whether it's a purist/traditionalist not wanting to include reprinted material from individual issues, or by someone who wouldn't read "floppies" but is fine with a "Graphic Novel", the boundaries of what is called what differ for all too many people.

[Iron Maiden]

The boundaries are quite simple and there should be no head scratching. If anything, the catalog entries when you order online will tell you by putting a TP after the title of the work. Bascially anything that contains a collection of related issues of the the same arc like the sample below will be a TPB. Graphic novels are a completely original work. It's that simple.

[Gaastra]

A few more covers--

[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]

[Iron Maiden]

This one one of the first graphic novels I got



These are more recent purchases

[kcekada]

Those original trades narrated by Stan were constantly showing up in Waldenbooks (a national chain of book stores set in shopping malls). They were all intriguing, but I didn't ask for one (too expensive to get on my allowance) until my birthday -- maybe 13th. It was 'The Superhero Women' which was originally titled 'The Super Woman', but changed maybe to not be confused with Superman family of characters.

The stories were all pretty good -- the Thor story featuring Hela and Sif probably could have been excluded, but not because of quality. The Shanna story was so-so explaining why that title never took off.

I was amazed, however, by the Cat entry. I was aware of the Cat because she was referenced in the origin of Hellcat in Avengers #144 -- first Avengers issue I bought). But the art was amazing -- Marie Severin/Wally Wood -- and the story was solid -- Linda Fite with Roy Thomas co-plotting. I couldn't understand why that title failed under such quality until years later when I was able to gets issues 2-4 of Beware...the Claws of the Cat, to see that the following issues weren't as good. Wood left after issue 1. Severin left after issue 2. Thomas only co-plotted the first issues, and Fite's plots were mundane. Issue 4 wasn't even a full issue story -- and even the art by Starlin and Weiss was some of their worst.

The other standout was the Medusa vs. Spider-Man issue -- with Medusa really giving Spidey a run for his money. And, of course, great John Romita, Sr. art. I think the Black Widow story had already been reprinted in Marvel Tales -- or soon would be -- so it's inclusion was probably not the greatest of timing -- but still a good look at the 'new' Black Widow.

[kcekada]

Regarding the graphic novel program -- started with a bang that went into the pooper rather quickly. I mean -- Death of Captain Marvel by Jim Starlin versus that crappy Jim Shooter Aladdin Effect or the disappointing Dazzler graphic novel (despite a gorgeous cover -- had the interior looked as good - it would have been worth the cover price). Other highlights were the X-Men GN by Claremont and Brent Anderson, She-Hulk by Jim Byrne, Futurians by Dave Cockrum and the Dr. Strange/Dr. Doom volume.

[kcekada]

The 1978 Lee/Kirby Silver Surfer story was pretty much anyone's definition of a Graphic Novel. All new, one story, trade paperback binding except it wasn't called that at the time. There is no set definition for the term "Graphic Novel". Whether it's a purist/traditionalist not wanting to include reprinted material from individual issues, or by someone who wouldn't read "floppies" but is fine with a "Graphic Novel", the boundaries of what is called what differ for all too many people.

Yes, but in the early 80s -- Marvel was the first to coin the phrase 'graphic novel' with the Death of Captain Marvel. Later it was used to include pretty much any collection or even floppy -- but some of use still think of a graphic novel as the oversized, original stories published back then.

[Iron Maiden]

Regarding the graphic novel program -- started with a bang that went into the pooper rather quickly. I mean -- Death of Captain Marvel by Jim Starlin versus that crappy Jim Shooter Aladdin Effect or the disappointing Dazzler graphic novel (despite a gorgeous cover -- had the interior looked as good - it would have been worth the cover price). Other highlights were the X-Men GN by Claremont and Brent Anderson, She-Hulk by Jim Byrne, Futurians by Dave Cockrum and the Dr. Strange/Dr. Doom volume.

The Doctor Strange/Doctor Doom: Triumph and Torment GN took me a while to find. I do have the original printing but it has been re-issued at least once. Mine is the hardcover.


I was lucky enough to meet artist Mike Mignola at a C2E2 convention in Chicago and he autographed my copy.

[Tulku]

My first was the "first" listed in the Wikipedia article linked earlier: "The Death of Captain Marvel." Still have it, still enjoy it. I also got "The New Mutants" also published in 1982. I think "Emperor Doom" (1987) was next (Doctor Strange: Into Shamballa was published first, but I did not pick that up until a few years later. I remember being shocked when I found it in a comic book shop while on a date with a very patient young woman)(why were we even in a comic book shop while on a date---even I don't recall the answer to that one!). Then there was "Dr. Strange & Dr. Doom: Triumph and Torment" (1989). Absolutely brilliant. I was not a fan of the artwork, but the writing was astounding.

That is pretty much it, assuming that we are not including Marvel Masterworks editions.

[Iron Maiden]

My first was the "first" listed in the Wikipedia article linked earlier: "The Death of Captain Marvel." Still have it, still enjoy it. I also got "The New Mutants" also published in 1982. I think "Emperor Doom" (1987) was next (Doctor Strange: Into Shamballa was published first, but I did not pick that up until a few years later. I remember being shocked when I found it in a comic book shop while on a date with a very patient young woman)(why were we even in a comic book shop while on a date---even I don't recall the answer to that one!). Then there was "Dr. Strange & Dr. Doom: Triumph and Torment" (1989). Absolutely brilliant. I was not a fan of the artwork, but the writing was astounding.

That is pretty much it, assuming that we are not including Marvel Masterworks editions.

I think those can be included. With the Masterworks, they were like a deluxe version of TPBs in that they were all done in hardcover format. I have 13 of the Fantastic Four Masterworks and 3 or 4 of the Sub-Mariner.

Also there are the Omnibus versions, which are quite large.

[Gaastra]

Masterworks, epics, classic collection, digest, all of them.

[Iron Maiden]

2 of my omnibus editions