In April 1966, Marvel published Issue #2 of its Marvel Collectors’ Item Classics. This issue contained:
- Fantastic Four #3, The Menace of The Miracle Man
- Spider-Man #4, Nothing Can Stop The Sandman
- Tales to Astonish #37, The Astonishing Ant-Man “Trapped by the Protector”
Even in the mid 60s, Marvel was already talking about classics and these have stood the test of time with films such as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse set to be released in 2023 and 2024 respectively.
Another part of comic book history is present on the top right cover: Approved by the Comics Code Authority. The CCA was a voluntary code of ethics that publishers adhered to in response to public concerns of depictions of violence in comic books. The 1954 code criteria can be read here, and included the preamble: “The comic-book medium, having come of age on the American cultural scene, must measure up to its responsibilities.” As Spider-Man once said, “With great power comes great responsibility.“
Another blast from the past is the method by which comic book fans expressed their interest in the Collectors’ Item Classics to Marvel i.e. “through phone calls, letters, and telegrams.” Today it’d be messages, tweets and emails; though some people feel even email is becoming an outdated form of communication.
