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Got this idea from a thread on another forum as well as the discussion that took place on the recent '10 Years' episode of the podcast. List 5 comic books you remember as some of your first when you got into comics.

I'm not sure which of these was my first comic book. I remember receiving several reader copies of some of my earliest comic books around ages 5 and 6. Usually of the Harvey Comics variety (Hot Stuff, Richie Rich, Sad Sack). I also remember devouring the original DC Blue Ribbon Digests and Dennis the Menace pcket digests and so on growing up. My first comics I remember acquiring, loving, and re-reading several times were all between the ages of 7-9.

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Conan #71
February 1977
Editor: Archie Goodwin
Cover Artists: Gil Kane & Ernie Chan
Written by Roy Thomas
Art by John Buscema

This was my introduction to the future Cimmerian king. What a creative team! If my mother had known everything that was in this comic, it is doubtful she would've bought it for me. I was hooked! With this issue began my fanboy-ness of Conan and his beloved Bêlit who would be killed 3 years later. I just picked up issues 1-8 of the original Marvel run in F+ condition which helps me almost complete that run. I'm pretty stoked about that.



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House of Secrets #122
August 1974

I had several early issues of Chamber of Chills, Adventure Into Fear and so on in this genre. Always scared the daylights out of me. One story in this issue was called "There He Is Again!" It told the tale of theater ushers who are startled to see a young boy who sneaks into the theater fall backwards into the movie screen and become part of the horror movie after they try to surround him. Unsettling stuff with beautiful art from Luis Dominguez & Alfredo Alcala.



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The Flash #213
March 1972
Written: Gardner Fox
Cover: Carmine Infantino & Dick Giordano
Interiors: Carmine Infantino
Editor: Julius Schwartz

This was another early book I remember, but have no idea where it came from. It featured what was soon to become one of my favorite DC villains, and it began my fondness of the Scarlet Speedster. This was a reprint featuring the JSA I read several times!



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Marvel's Greatest Comics #46
November 1973
Editor: Roy Thomas
Cover Artist: Jack Kirby
Writer: Stan Lee
Penciler: Jack Kirby
Inker: Joe Sinnott

Another reprint on my list, this time of Fantastic Four (Vol 1 #63, June 1967) and featured art by Jack "King" Kirby. This was my introduction Kirby, the "First Family of Marvel," as well as The Inhumans and I've been fond of them all ever since.



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Amazing Spider-Man #166
March 1977
Editor: Archie Goodwin
Cover Artist: John Romita Sr
Writer: Len Wein
Penciler: Ross Andru

This was the first comic I remember buying off the spinner rack with my own money. It featured The Lizard as well as Stegron, the Christmas season, and dinosaurs that came back to life. What more would any 9 year old want? Spidey became my go-to hero and Ross Andru and John Romita Sr were MY Spider-Man artists. From the Electric Company to any comic book I could find, the wallcrawler was my favorite superhero ever.



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Alternates:

Marvel Team Up #59
July 1977
Editor: Archie Goodwin
Cover: Dave Cockrum, Mike Esposito, & Danny Crespi
Writer: Chris Claremont
Interiors: John Byrne

Bought the same year as the Amazing Spider-Man issue above. With a melodramatic Cockrum cover featuring the Wasp and a "dead" Yellowjacket and beautiful interior John Byrne interior art - how could I keep that money in my pocket? Been working on completing my run of the MTU floppies ever since




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Superboy & the Legion of Super-Heroes #198
October 1973
This was a coverless reader-copy that I re-read over and over. No idea where it came from.




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Amazing Adventures featuring Killraven #32
September 1975
Mind-blowing P Craig Russell artwork and a story so far out I had to read it over and over just to make sure I understood it properly. I never quite did understand the tales, but I eventually collected the whole series.



This story also included a great rendition of a virtual reality story featuring a Sherlock Holmes analog (Hodiah Twist) based on the 'Hound of the Baskervilles' tale was also within this story in a social commentary on people wasting their lives on entertainment. Just a fascinating series.



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Adventure into Fear #10
October 1972

This was the Man-Thing's entry into the Marvel universe proper and my first introduction to the mindless muck monster. It boasted a great single page retelling of Ted Sallis's origin. This Gerry Conway story with Howard Chaykin artwork made a serious impact on me. Picked up at a garage sale when I was 9.



Marvel Two-In-One #24
February 1977
Written by Bill Mantlo & Jim Shooter
Interiors: Sal Buscema

This is another series I now can boast having a completed run of, thanks to Wild Pig Comics in Kenilworth, New Jersey.



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And the big one!
Marvel Special Edition Featuring Star Wars 2
December 1977



Reprinting issues 4, 5, & 6 this was a Christmas present from my parents before I even saw the film. I was awestruck. I wore this oversized book out....! I frequently picked up the 3-pack Whitman standard issue comics of this series at the local drug store. There were several issues of Star Wars in the 3 bag deals so I wound up with quite a substantial amount of these books from the Woolworth's comic aisle.



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What were some of your favorite comics from your childhood?

Oh, nice thread. I'm afraid that I'm not going to provide all the awesome images you did, but I'll get the issue numbers with some links. Remembering a specific issues version just a vague series or storyline is a bit more challenging for me - so I think #1 will stand out more to me.

The five I remember most with lots of affection (for whatever reasons) are (in no particular order):

Marvel Team Up Annual #1: The X-Men and Spiderman versions in their prime (IMHO) teamed up - can't say much for the villains but it rocked my young fanboy world at the time.

On the team up trend Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man Vol 1 1 - come it said it was the battle of the Century (not so much) and would they lie to you. Still it was another fun fanboy moment.

No rational reason but OMAC #1 (original run) - Can't explain but somehow I enjoyed it and remembered it. Even if as a kid I gagged a bit over the line "My body is rejecting bullets..." still it was fun.

Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Vol 1 1- I remember being so excited there was a new Spider-Man title and for some reason never forgot the cover since it seemed so great. Especially given I never thought of Tarantula as being a great Spider-Man foe.

Secret Society of Super-Villains Vol 1 1 -- Hey all the best DC villains together - what wasn't to love when I first read it.

That's off the top of my head. There are others but harder to pin down to an issue.

- Michael

These were staples throughout my youth

Richie Rich

Uncle Scrooge

Archie

SGT Rock

No exact issues but for me:

Conan
Punisher
G.I. Combat
Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions
X-men

I'm sorry for not supplying scans, but here's my list:

Childhood:
1. Silver Surfer
2. Spawn
3. X-Men
4. Spider Man
5. Batman

Teenage Years:
1. Mystic (Crossgen)
2. The First (Crossgen)
3. WitchBlade
4. The Darkness
5. Negation (Crossgen)

Early Adulthood:
1. Lucifer
2. Sandman
3. Dawn: Lucifer's Halo
4. Spectre
5. Watchmen

Recent:
1. Thanos
2. Aphrodite IX
3. Thor (Recent and Retro Issues)
4. Retro Crossgen Titles
5. More and more INDIE titles...

I'm literally becoming more attracted to Indie work than the main 3 publishers right now.

I didn't really read many comics as a kid. I know my brother and I shared a small collection of issues we bought or got as gifts. There were the 4 DC vs Marvel crossover issues, some Reign of the Supermen issues, the Death of Superman, and a few Spider-Man issues. I vaguely remember reading some Red and Blue Superman, but I was in elementary school in the 90s, and my parents didn't buy us many comic books. In middle school, I remember either reading or seeing on the news stand that Lex Luthor was president. As a kid, I always was intrigued by the Death of Superman storyline and the fact that a kid (Superboy), a man in armor (Steel), and a guy with cool glasses could take over the job from Superman. We definitely didn't keep many comics around the house - just that dozen issues or so. Most of my exposure to comic books was through going to the LCS for Pogs and Pokemon cards, or by looking through the coolest comics and trade paperbacks at the local mall's bookstore.