The starter keys, in order

If you are building a Silver Age key collection from scratch, this is the order experienced collectors recommend — starting with the books that anchor the era and working outward.

1. Showcase 4 (1956) — the first Silver Age Flash, the book that started the era.
2. Fantastic Four 1 (1961) — the start of Marvel as we know it.
3. Amazing Fantasy 15 (1962) — first Spider-Man.
4. Hulk 1 (1962) — the first Hulk, often overlooked relative to other 1962 books.
5. Journey into Mystery 83 (1962) — first Thor.
6. X-Men 1 (1963) — first X-Men team and Magneto.
7. Avengers 1 (1963) — first Avengers team.
8. Daredevil 1 (1964) — first Daredevil.
9. Tales of Suspense 39 (1963) — first Iron Man.
10. Strange Tales 110 (1963) — first Doctor Strange.