Marvel Comic Books: Escape To Fantasy & Fun

These days, surrounded as we are by a vast array of media channels such as movies, television and the Internet, it's hard to imagine how important the first comic books were to teenagers. Comic books were a mirror of the current concerns of society and the often tumultuous events of the world. Superheroes were often the characters in these books that fascinated teenagers the most, drawing them into the fantastic world within. Marvel comic books were there at the very beginning, and they have remained at the forefront of comic publishing ever since. In fact, Marvel is by far largest publisher of comic books.

Marvel's history goes as far back as October 1939 when Martin Goodman commissioned Lloyd Jacquet's company to publish the first comic book for Marvel. Incidentally, the book was entitled Marvel Comics #1. Marvel sold more than 80,000 copies of its inaugural issue. Seeing the success of its experiment with comics, especially the popularity of its first superhero Human Torch, Marvel introduced its second superhero-Captain America-in 1941.

As World War II ended, so did the Golden Age of Comic Books. Superhero comic books like Wheezer, Angel, Captain America, and Miss America saw their popularity decline a great deal. This caused comic power house Marvel to come up with new, humorous comics, featuring characters like Powerhouse Pepper and Super Rabbit.

The beginning of the war in Vietnam spurred a renewal of interest in comic book heroes. The Marvel publishing company came up with a group of new superheroes who formed a team called The Fantastic Four. More Marvel comic books (http://www.old-comic-books.net/By-Publisher/Marvel) were also created, starring such unforgettable characters as The X-Men, Iron Man, The Hulk, and the very popular Spiderman. Young people love these superheroes and flock to the hugely successful Hollywood films which portray their exploits.

Marvel comics were more than just for entertainment. For those who look closely enough, you can tell how Marvel comic books have incorporate relevant social issues like drug use into their pages. Because of this, many in education were encouraging people to read these comic books.

Collectors pay a huge price for old comic books (http://www.old-comic-books.net/Old-Comic-Books/Rare-Comic-Books), even millions of dollars for the rare issues in pristine condition. Ask your grandparents and parents if they have a fortune tucked in a drawer that contains the nostalgic stuff from their childhood. Even the government recognizes the immense influence of superhero comics (http://www.old-comic-books.net/Silver-Age-1956-69/Superhero) on pop culture. In 2007, commemorative stamps featuring superhero comic characters were released.

The Old Comic Books (http://www.old-comic-books.net/) Shoppe is a one-stop resource for comic book collectors. Shop a huge selection of Marvel comic books (http://www.old-comic-books.net/By-Publisher/Marvel) and superhero comics (http://www.old-comic-books.net/Silver-Age-1956-69/Superhero). Be sure to check out our latest finds on our blog and enjoy our videos covering all aspects of comic book collecting!

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