Finding that jumping on point in collecting comics.....so many choices!

Okay, I am the first to admit, its hard to choose a point to jump onto an established comic book. I collect mostly bronze and silver age books, so I am naturally biased; the point being I will not promote a book I  have not read, and I have read a lot more comics than I currently own. So I am gonna stick to what I know is good.

Avengers 16 : a great silver age turning point for the book and the characters as its the first time the group brought in new characters to fill its ranks. In this case, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch. The angle? A group of upstart heroes led by Captain America and a radical change in the power structure. The original Avengers team was over powered, both with and without the Hulk, so now any one of their old villains could pose a greater threat.

Fantastic Four 44 : With the addition of Joe Sinnott's inking Jack Kirby, the book sustains a new, polished look starting with this issue, the introduction of the Inhumans. The issues that follow are incredible, as the art is crisp and storylines great. Following the Inhumans is the added attraction of the first Galactus-Silver Surfer saga, and the introduction of The Black Panther.

Spider-man 39 : The new artistry of John Romita ushers in a new, more streamlined look to Spidey, taking the book in different, if not better, direction from the Steve Ditko era.
This issue also begins the long awaited reveal of The Green Goblin as the father of Peter Parker's friend, Harry Osborn.

Thor 130: The beginning of a truly cosmic saga for the thunder god. It introduces the Colonizers of Rigel , followed by Ego, the Living Planet, and The High Evolutionary. The art is by Jack Kirby, this time inked by Vince Colletta, in a bold, mythic style.

There are more jumping on points to catalog, but I will stop here today, and follow up with more posts later.

One of the true failings of modern comic writers is the ability to use the art form to explain exactly what kind of person the average hero is.  The best example of a true, breakout moment in comics is The Amazing Spider-man 33.

Let me break it down for you: Peter Parker once gave a blood transfusion to his Aunt May, and now she is sick with radioactive toxicity. The only cure has been stolen by the Master Planner's gang, and has been taken to their underground/under water lair. During the previous two issues,  Spider-man has been franticly chasing and beating tail, only to end up crushed under a giant machine.

You don't have to read the captions, but if you do, you see that its Peter Parker who digs deep to overcome his obstacles. Peter was never more focused on his goal than he was in this story, which spans three issues. 

This story elevates Spider-man to legendary status. I would encourage any fan to read these three issues if you want to understand what the Lee-Ditko era was all about. Steve Ditko's run on Spider-man has been reprinted in several ways, including the Marvel Masterworks editions. Steve is one of the architechs of the original Marvel Age of Comics.