Golden Age Marvel & Quasar!

[IMJ]

Picked up a book that I've been waiting to find in the right grade for some time now. I'm a Quasar fan second only to being an Iron Man fan, and so the significance of this book to me, as well as to larger Marvel-dom is pretty great. Also, most cosmic fans may not realize that ultimately this is also the second appearance of what would become known as the Quantum Bands, as well as the second appearance of the archetype for Quasar. Quite possibly Marvel's first, truly cosmic character.

Marvel Boy #2 | February, 1951 |VF-, unpressed

[nycjadie]

That's awesome. I've never even seen this book in the flesh.

[hulk181man]

That is one awesome book. Golden age artwork is

Congrats IMJ!

[Cyberstrike]

That is one awesome book. Golden age artwork is

Congrats IMJ!

What he said.

[IMJ]

Some updates to my set of these books.


Marvel Boy #1 (12/1950) | F-/5.5 | Golden Age Marvel, 1st appearance of Marvel Boy (Quasar prototype), 1st appearance of Quantum Bands (Uranian Wrist Bands), 1st appearance of Uranian Eternals. Early Stan Lee work. Sleeved in Mylar2 with halfback and two sheets of mircochamber paper.


Marvel Boy #2 (02/1951) | VF-/7.5. Golden Age Marvel, 2nd appearance of Marvel Boy. 2nd appearance of the Quantum Bands (Quasar). Sleeved in Mylar2 with halfback and two sheets of mircochamber paper.


Astonishing #3 (04/1951) | Good+/2.5 | Gold Age Marvel, 1st Satanians, 3rd Marvel Boy. Sleeved in Mylar2 with halfback and two sheets of mircochamber paper.


Astonishing #4 (06/1951) | VG/G/3.0 | Gold Age Marvel, 1st Madame La Morte. Early Uranian Eternals. Sleeved in Mylar2 with halfback and two sheets of mircochamber paper.


Astonishing #5 (05/1951) | VG-/3.5 |Gold Age Marvel, 1st Orion Rex & Serpent. Early Uranian Eternals and Uranian Criminals. Sleeved in Mylar2 with halfback and two sheets of mircochamber paper.


Astonishing #6 (10/1951) | VG/4.0 |Gold Age Marvel, 1st Pasha Emit Erut & Eve Namada, Vampire, Magic Pen. Final Golden Age Marvel Boy. Sleeved in Mylar2 with halfback and two sheets of mircochamber paper.

[StarBrand]

So cool!

[IMJ]

So cool!

Maybe someday I'll go for upgrades on the Astonishing books, but the time and cost would have to be correct. On one hand these are pricey books, but on the other hand they are still hardcore sleepers (which is crazy because the relevance of Marvel Boy #1 for Marvel comics at large can't be overstated, and is way underrated).

If the MCU keeps moving cosmic, all it's going to take is the appropriate words or on-screen content in the direction of these (e.g., cosmic beings Eon showing up in relation to Captain Marvel, mention of the Quantum Bands at all, a Wendell Vaughn appearance even as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, etc), or even recognition of the "Uranian Eternals" as prototypes for Jack Kirby's "Eternals" and these books could go through the roof.

I was a Quasar fan when those books were on the newsstands, and I remember one year I got that Marvel coffee table hadcover with Spider-Man on the dustjacket. That book had several reprints in the back of it, including Marvel Boy and that's when I discovered the Golden Age connections to Quasar. A Golden Age "Marvel Boy" set (comprised of Marvel Boy #'s 1 & 2, and Astonishing #'s 3-6) is a tough set to build as it is.

It'd be great if these books popped for what they are, but I'd also say that these books were real "love of the hobby and of the particular material" for me.

[StarBrand]

Not to stray off topic, but I assume you recommend the Gruenwald Quasar books? The New Universe appeared in them, btw.

[IMJ]

Not to stray off topic, but I assume you recommend the Gruenwald Quasar books? The New Universe appeared in them, btw.

There is a ton of great New Universe continuity there - Quasar #6 featured the first non-Spider-Man appearance of Venom but also sets up the pieces for the moves that lead Quasar into the New Universe in later books. Once there, the Quantum Bands have limited resources to draw upon for Universe jumping and so Quasar acquires the Starbrand in an issue that gives closure to Ken Connel's story. Once Quasar returns to 616, he later finds that he passed the Starbrand on to Kayla Ballentine, which leads to the Starblast cross-over.

And Starblast is a chore to collect in nice shape because it runs across all of the C-list titles of the time and some truly awful art really brings it down. But either way, the New Universe is tightly woven into several issues of Quasar down the road, but it all begins with issue #6.

These Golden Age books really are the icing on the cake of a Quasar collection though (speaking of Quasar cake, check this out).

[StarBrand]

Dude! I need to get a run of Quasar to read!

[hulk181man]

Superb covers IMJ, incredible! I pick up reasonably priced golden age when I can find it --- which isn't often.
Their stories are often hokey but the artwork throughout is often mesmerizing.

Great run!

[IMJ]

Superb covers IMJ, incredible! I pick up reasonably priced golden age when I can find it --- which isn't often.
Their stories are often hokey but the artwork throughout is often mesmerizing.

Great run!

Thanks man! Ya, Greg and I had this conversation on a recent chat where we were talking about building this set in a desired condition versus "just finding one in the first place". Books like this aren't like New Mutants #98 where you buy 'em because they are a hot book that you'll buy/sell/buy/sell - you buy them for some kind of deeper reason and they tend to reside in collections for a long time, so when you do find copies you don't always have much to choose from...

[nycjadie]

Not as old, but I’ve been colllecting early Teen Titans in mid to high grade when I can. Super fun books. Kids love and are familiar with the tv show.

[IMJ]

Not as old, but I’ve been colllecting early Teen Titans in mid to high grade when I can. Super fun books. Kids love and are familiar with the tv show.