Often, the first character a collector thinks of as he peruses Silver Age Marvel comic books for sale is Spider-Man. Besides the blockbuster movies and all the associated Spider-Man merchandise for sale, the comic book character was created a half-century ago when he was first introduced in Amazing Fantasy #15 in 1962. To this day, this issue remains the most sought after collector’s comic of that era. But why has Spider-Man remained so attractive for so long?
Young readers who were brought up on Superman and Batman comics were often uncomfortable when they first read Spider-Man. The character was nowhere near as powerful as Superman, but worse, he was not always honorable, he had definite character flaws. In fact, he first uses his powers to try to win money in order to buy a car. He begins his career as a superhero when a personal act of petty revenge results in the death of his beloved uncle. Many young readers initially put aside these gritty stories in favor of more comfortable superheroes, but as they matured were drawn back to the story of Spider-Man as they realized how much they identified with the character.
Some of the most memorable moments in Silver Age Marvel comic books for sale were in the Spider-Man comics and they didn’t deal with superhuman abilities, but were driven by emotional story-lines. Spider-Man always guarded his secret identity not to secure his own place in the world, but to protect his loved ones, particularly his favorite aunt. In his real identity as Peter Parker, his love life continually suffered as the girl of his dreams dismissed him as a coward because he would always disappear (to become Spider-Man) during times of danger. Spider-Man reflected the pop culture growing at that time as well. In a famous issue, Spider-Man’s best friend must deal with the social and personal problems associated with taking drugs.
Some comic historians feel that the Silver Age of comics ended with Spider-Man, with the death of his long-time love Gwen Stacy. As collectors find Silver Age Marvel comic books for sale, they can get a feeling for that era of our culture, as well as become familiar with Spider-Man, a character that was new then and continues to be popular to our day. Visit Cosmic Comics to find vintage Silver Age Marvel comic books for sale, featuring the Amazing Spider-Man.
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