Marvel comics in the 1960s! See who the Comic Book Herald reading club voted for hero, villain, and comic issue of the year throughout the 1960’s below. Check out my 1960’s series power rankings, or click any year to see more about the winners, and to find all the comics we read for each individual year.
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1961/1962
Hero of the year: The Fantastic Four
Villain of the year: Doctor Doom
Issue of the year: Fantastic Four #5
1963
Hero of the year: Spider-Man
Villain of the year: Doctor Octopus
Issue of the year: Uncanny X-Men #1
1964
Hero of the year: Spider-Man
Villain of the year: Doctor Doom
Issue of the year: Amazing Spider-Man Annual #1
1965
Hero of the year: The Fantastic Four
Villain of the year: Juggernaut
Issue of the year: Uncanny X-Men #12
1966
Hero of the year: Spider-Man
Villain of the year: Galactus
Issue of the year: Amazing Spider-Man #33
1967
Hero of the year: Spider-Man
Villain of the year: Doctor Doom
Issue of the year: Amazing Spider-Man #50
1968
Hero of the year: Silver Surfer
Villain of the year: Ultron
Issue of the year: Avengers #58
1969
Hero of the year: Captain America
Villain of the year: Red Skull
Issue of the year: Captain America #113
1960’s Decade Recap
Hero of the Decade:
Gold: Spider-Man
Silver: Fantastic Four
Bronze: Silver Surfer
Villain of the Decade:
Gold: Doctor Doom
Silver: Galactus
Bronze: Magneto
Series of the Decade:
Gold: Amazing Spider-Man
Silver: Fantastic Four
Bronze: Avengers
Writer of the Decade:
Stanly the Manly
Artist(s) of the Decade:
Jack “King” Kirby, Steve Ditko
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Hey Dave!
I just finished reading the ENTIRE 1960s run of Marvel Comics (it took almost a year) and have to say – your podcast made the ride a zillion percent more fun.
I was stunned how boring some of the stuff was – Ant Man, Hulk (I really wanted it to be better) and Sub-Mariner (which seemed like a wasted opportunity.)
And, likewise, how brilliant some of it was Spiderman, Jim Steranko, FF’s 1966 run, Odin’s headgear, and the out-of-the-blue greatness of the first appearance of Juggernaut.
But, perhaps most of all I was bewildered by the entire WTF run of Daredevil – Mike Murdock! Submariner suing the human race! Stilt-man! Granted, the series improved greatly in 1969, but that DD got off to an interesting start.
Anyway – thanks for the perspective, the insights and laughs.
See you in 1970!
That’s awesome! Glad the podcast provided some entertainment 🙂
Good ol’ Mike Murdock, don’t worry we haven’t seen the last of him!
Look forward to your thoughts on the comics and podcast of the 70’s – thanks for taking the time to leave a note!
So since there doesn’t seem to be a place to further expound on the Vote Of The Decades [1960] (doesn’t that sound better in caps?), here’s my thoughts:
Series: Uh oh. A write-in category. Good luck! My votes:
Fantastic Four – Not for nothing were they called “The World’s Greatest Comic”!
Amazing Spider-Man – First (that I know of) of its kind. A superhero with superhangups.
The Incredible Hulk – Mainly for the original six-issue series. Yeah, nostalgia, but also the second series from the new 5…I mean, Marvel! It ain’t easy being green! Especially when you start out grey.
Hero(es):
Spider-Man – For reasons mentioned above. Also for Romita. I’ll admit Ditko is classic but he wasn’t one of my favorites.
Silver Surfer – He was so noble. Noble I tells ya! And nobody since has told him the way Stan did. Not even Stan.
Iron Man – A different kind of hero. No super powers per se. And no, I won’t argue Batman. Nor Doc Savage, although I don’t think I discovered him until the 70’s or 80’s.
Villain(s): Although it almost seems like I should give my reasons for NOT voting for some of these…
Magneto – A victim of prejudice, he reacted evilly. And pretty much fully formed right outta da box.
Doctor Octopus – Also pretty much fully formed. A warped mind fused with a warped body (see what I did there?).
Green Goblin – So many delicious twists. And in a book already filled with them. Why do I feel like I’m reviewing donuts?
To me, many of the villains listed didn’t seem like they hit their peaks yet like Doc Doom or the Mandarin. If Mandy hadn’t been pointed in a different direction (sorry) he might not have made the list. I don’t think of Galactus as a villain; neither does he. He’s just…Galactus. And the Red Skull…it just seems like everybody eventually survived from Cap’s days and not everybody was the better for it.
Good picks! I had a very small heart palpitation when I didn’t see Doctor Doom on your villains list, but I’ll get over it. You’re really not going to like my Marvel 1960s series power rankings based on that Hulk pick, though…
Also, the write-ins are coming in surprisingly neatly and legible! Pretty excited for the final tally.
Eh, I’m sure I can live with it. That original Hulk series – hey, it WAS pretty different, and how many characters can say that they predated Spidey – obviously wasn’t that popular. Don’t remember if it was monthly or bimonthly, but it only lasted from six months to a year.
I was reading through some of this weeks issues last night and reflecting on what was going on (and looking forward to things I know are coming) and wonder if it would be worthwhile to add in categories for best penciler or writer?
I wonder if we might be moving beyond simply looking at the hero of the year and more into an era where the talent outshines the character…
I mean, throughout the first few years it was basically the Stan, Jack and Steve show…but as the years progress we will be seeing more and more important artists and writers (like Romita and Thomas in ’66 and Steranko in ’67) who will have a major impact on both the Marvel universe and comics as a whole .
Soon we will see the likes of Gil Kane, Neil Adams, Denny O’neil, Marv Wolfman, and Barry Windsor-Smth.
Thoughts?
That’s a great call – it’s becoming increasingly relevant as the roster expands.
We could retroactively vote for the 60’s, but I’m not sure my heart could take the Jack vs. Steve quarterback controversy.
Yeah, I don’t see much point in voting for early sixties stuff…I think we can call it a tie for best penciler. But I think that these more recent years (’66-67) have some new contenders. I am absolutely seeing Romita Sr. in a new light. I’ve read the first 100 issues of ASM at least a couple of times, with specific issues in the area of a dozen reads, and maybe it is due to approaching it with a mature eye, but I am really impressed by Romita.
Side note: I don’t know how it displays for you, but due to time zone differences it appears that you answered my post about an hour before I posted.
In re: to the side note – this is one technical quirk I will happily embrace. First answering comments before they’re sent, then… Kang!
Or is that Doctor Doom?
Hello everyone, Im kind of new in this all comic universe, and I found this amazing page, but i think is a little to much to read all of that for a beginner like me. So, i will try my best to follow the Marvellous Year Reading Club, but I will also like some tips on what to read first and not get lost in the stories and in this universe that seem amazing. Thank you very much to all of you in advance.
Welcome! If you want to start from the very beginning, I recommend you check out 1962’s reading list. This will give you a look at Marvel’s very first year of comics.
Enjoy the comics, and just let me know if you have questions!
Thank you very much! I will start soon and I will try to keep it up with you guys.
Will the readings for 1963 be available Thursday or Monday? Or some other day? I’m looking forward to it. Thanks Dave!
Will there be a vote for hero and villain of the decade? Could be fun…
I was planning on just tallying the winners from each year, but I like that idea, let’s throw it to a vote!