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Introduction

Introduction to "Comic Book Numbering"

Comic book numbering used to be a very simple issue - each issue was incremented one number from the preceding issue in a simple natural number sequence starting at issue #1 until infinity.

Occasionally there would be some complications when a series was re-named (often when a key character in an ongoing anthology becomes popular enough for their own title), such as "The Incredible Hulk (1968)" taking over the numbering from "Tales to Astonish (1959)" or "Captain America (1968)" taking over the numbering of "Tales of Suspense (1959)".

However, DC Comics started an inadvertent trend when John Byrne re-structured the Man of Steel in the mid-1980's. All Superman comics (Action Comics and Superman) were taken offline for a few months, and a re-launch re-started Superman (1987) with a new #1, and continued the pre-existing Superman (1939) numbering with "Adventures of Superman (1987)". Superman (2006) re-merged Superman (1987) and Adventures of Superman (1987) to a single title.

Both DC and Marvel comics insisted on the occassional oddly numbered comic (0, -1 for Marvel, 1,000,000 for DC) which made continuity of numbering strange.

Marvel had a mathematical psychotic break and sold off key characters (e.g. Hulk, Avengers, Iron Man, Captain America and the Fantastic Four) to a group of artist/writers in the ill-fated "Heroes Reborn" period of about a year in the mid-1990's, each series being re-started as a new #1. This experiment lasted about a year from 1996 to 1997, where the characters were re-introduced into the "real" (616) universe of Marvel in "Heroes Return".

Marvel's marketing department, realizing that "#1" issues had extra purchase value, began randomly re-starting series to generate new #1's. Later, someone woke up and realized that they were missing the chance to capitalize on significant milestone issues (500, 600 etc.) and began to re-number the ongoing series, with mixed success. Some re-numbering was simply the inclusion of series X and series Y of the same character, with the new numbering being the sum. However, with other series, the effect was somewhat confusing (see Hulk).

This site is an attempt to make sense of the numbering issues.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Captain America to #600

Captain America has had many starts, re-starts.  To get an anniversary issue, Marvel seems to have done the following:




Series
Issues
Total Issues
"Full Cap" Numbering
Tales of Suspense (1959)
1-99
99
1-99
Captain America (1968)
100-454
355
100-454
Captain America (1996)
1-13
13
455-467
Captain America (1998)
1-50
50
468-517
Captain America (2002)
1-32
32
518-549
Captain America (2005)
1-50
50
550-599
Captain America (2010)
600-619 + 615.121600-620 
Captain America (2012)
1+
n/a
621+
Note: Captain America began featuring in Tales of Suspense (1959) #59

1996 and 1998 bookmark the ill-fated "Heroes Reborn" initiative where Marvel sold off key assets to a team of artists to create a new start.  Lasted about 13 issues until they "came home".

Cap (2012) is the Marvel Now initiative.

Tales of Suspense (1959) #1
Tales of Suspense (1959) #58 - Cap Apperance
Tales of Suspense (1959) #59 - First Cap starring role
Captain America (1968) #100 (continues Tales of Suspense numbering)
Captain America (1996) #1 - Heroes Reborn
Captain America (1998) #1 - Heroes Return
Captain America (2002) #1, Marvel Knights
Captain America (2005) #1
Captain America (2010) #600


Captain America (2012) #1 - Marvel NOW
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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Thor and Journey Into Mystery - Mysterious Counting

As near as I can figure, Marvel played the counting game, as with Iron Man, where they counted the anthology series in which they started, in total, even though the main character didn't appear until much of the run was over.

Thor starts in issue #83 of Journey Into Mystery (1952), and continues in several of his own series.  Starting in Thor (1998), the issues double-number, to make the transition easier.  Thor (2007) fills out the pre-600 issues, and Thor (2008) begins with issue #600.

Journey Into Mystery is a more complex story, as there is a volume 2 in 1972 that appears orphaned, and the 1996 series also seems orphaned, as Journey Into Mystery (2011) takes on the Thor (2008) numbering, leaving the 1996 (503+) numbering duplicated with the Thor issues.

Journey Into Mystery (1952) #1
Journey Into Mystery (1952) #83 - First Thor
Thor (1966)  #126 - Re-named Journey Into Mystery (1952)
Journey Into Mystery (1972) #1
Journey into Mystery Vol 1 503
Journey Into Mystery (1996) #503
Thor (1998) #1
Thor (2007) #1
Thor (2008) #600 
Journey Into Mystery (2011)
The Mighty Thor (2011) #1
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Thor: God of Thunder (2012) #1





Series
Issues
Total Issues
"Full Thor" Numbering
Journey Into Mystery (1952)
1-125
125
1-125
Thor (1966)
126-502
377
126-502
Journey Into Mystery (1972)
1-19
19
n/a
Journey Into Mystery (1996)
503-521
20
n/a
Thor (1998)
1-85
85
503-587
Thor (2007)
1-12
12
588-599
Thor (2008)
600-621
22
600-621
Journey Into Mystery (2011)
622-655
34
622-655
The Mighty Thor (2011)
1-22, 12.1
23
656-678
Thor: God of Thunder (2012)
1-25
25
679-703

Note: Journey Into Mystery (1996) had and issue (-1) between #510 and #511.  Thor in Journey Into Mystery (1952) starting at issue #83.  Thor (2008) has an issue 620.1.

Thanks to Mark71517 for his eagle eye'd corrections.
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