Gatsby77

This is false. American Entertainment (or the like) did advertise it -- and Predator/Magnus Platinum, among others as an incentive variant direct to customers ("Buy 50, or 100 copies, get 1 special copy"). Example: the ad on the back cover of Spawn # 1 has a solicitation for "buy 100 copies of WildCats # 1, get one gold." This may not have been how they were allocated at the distribution level, but it certainly was how they were marketed to collectors on the wholesale sub-distribution level. So from a practical perspective, there *at least* enough to go around for 1:100.

Long Holiday play period may be irrevelant with Taylor Swift's Cats dropping next week.

Hmm... lots to unpack here. Some thoughts: It makes perfect sense that ASM 298-300 and contemporary X-Men issues have higher print runs than Batman at the time. Batman print runs were largely dead in the 1980s until Batmania hit -- and the first trailer for the Batman film didn't hit until what? June 1989? Still, based on those print runs, it's fair to say Batman 428 had a print run roughly equivalent to that of New Mutants 87, no? And Cap City was what, 40% of the market at the time? Less? That's a fairly large print run relative to a) today's; and b) (more importantly) today's collector base. Two big distinctions, though: 1) The equivalent books you mention are first appearances, with today's values driven largely by media/movie appearances. Bats 428 isn't. It's the temporary death of character in a storyline that has no more relevance today than a fanciful What If? storyline. Because Robin's alive and active in DC comics today and has been for >25 years. And Jason Todd's alive and active in DC comics today, and has been for >15 years. 2) Demographics continue to mitigate against the book. In another thread you mused about the diminished demand for story-based keys (I think re. Silver Surfer 34-35?). That holds true here as well. Bats 428 is now 31 years old. So if you bought it off the stands, and/or participated in the 1-900 campaign, you're (at least!) pushing 40 years old. People under 40 have no emotional attachment to the book the way older folks may. They weren't buying the story off the stands, and likely weren't active a year later, when folks like you and I started collecting and it was an aspirational $35 wall book at <6 months old. *That's* why I loved the book. The first time I entered a comic shop, the wall books of my dreams were Batman 426 ($45), 427 ($35), 438 ($35), and 429 ($12). The generation of comic book collectors below us (those who grew up on Walking Dead 1 as their Batman 428 or Harbinger 1 and the Nolan films rather than the Keaton ones) don't have that attachment. But - putting aside that it's not particularly rare, or a first appearance, or likely to be the basis of a Hollywood movie anytime soon... The book is well along on its journey to mere footnote because both of its key events have been long-since been nullified by retcon. That's huge. It's a good story, with good art, that was a super-key for a brief period of time. But that time's passed, and will continue to diminish.

No. You've been wrong about the long-term potential, rarity, and pricing on this book for ~12 years now. Since our discussions over on Whet's Lyria board, when you said I'd never be able to find a 9.8 for $150 (I've bought three at that price, and will note the last GPA sale notched $180). It was highly collected *at the time* and also skyrocketed instantly, which meant more copies were saved from the jump, tough black cover or not. There are still *far* more copies out there remaining to be slabbed, if people cared to do so. But it also ceased to be relevant the moment Tim Drake became Robin. See also Harbinger 1 in 9.8, where you once went to war with me over my prediction that we'd see a solid 250 9.8s of that book the day the movie was released. There are now more than 400, with any potential film still at least 3 years away.

Hard for me to see Phoenix *not* getting a Best Actor nomination for this. Honestly, what other bravura performances have there been this year? Who's his competition? Maybe: DiCaprio or Pitt for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Taron Edgerton for Rocketman Pacino or DeNiro for The Irishman Bale or Damon for Ford v. Ferrari Taika Waititi for Jojo Rabbit (which was even *more* controversial) Maybe I'm missing something, but this seemed a particularly weak acting year -- and frankly, weak year for movies in general.

Principal filming began three weeks ago. The timeline makes sense, as they'll likely finish filming by Feb. 1, have time for pick-up/reshoots in May, and easily hit the Oct. 2 release date. Now, I think the first Venom film was absolute garbage and this will likely be even worse. But that they're still casting during (likely) the first third of filming isn't outside the norm.

You forgot: 6/26/20 Top Gun: Maverick

I don't see the contradiction. In Endgame, she said she "had nothing" (i.e., no family). In this trailer, they're all (clearly) estranged at the start. Makes perfect sense.

If I'm submitting slabbed books, do I also have to include the desired window bags?

The FTC's required such disclosures on Instagram and Snapchat for 2+ years now. My understanding is they revised the rules to include Twitter and other social networks this past January, and there was a major court case that added clarity to the rules (esp. about Twitter) in September.

Nope. Misses the point entirely. Which was Luke had finally attained mastery over the temptations of the Dark Side. He knew the only way to win was...not to play. Since the beginning, Yoda had taught him that Jedi only react defensively, and here the Emperor was urging him to give in to his basest impulses - "Strike him down, join me, and you shall become more powerful than you can imagine" or what-have-you. Instead, Luke "won" (showed he couldn't be corrupted by the Dark Side) by throwing away his lightsaber. His refusal to glorify his own lightsaber -- or to join the fight -- in the opening of TLJ is, again *entirely consistent* with the Jedi ethos, and what Luke had known for 30 years. In addition -- in walking away and refusing to (initially) train Rey -- Luke reflected exactly what Yoda had done to him initially in Empire. There was a wonderful symmetry there.

wildly_fanciful_statement. Pablo Hidalgo's already refuted that. While it's (allegedly) since been disbanded, the Lucasfilm Story Group approved every aspect of the -script and plot.

RJ didn't write The Last Jedi alone, either. Everything in it was approved by the Lucasfilm Story Group. Although - apparently RJ's outline did lead to Gareth Edwards' departure for Episode 9. And (for the umpteenth time), I don't understand the vitriol of folks who neither expected nor liked that Luke threw away his lightsaber in the opening scene. It's *entirely* consistent with both what we know of Jedi Masters and of Luke himself: 1) When we meet Yoda in Empire, he corrects Luke when he says he's looking for a "great warrior." Yoda replies "Wars not make one great." He then proceeds to teach Luke that Jedi's act defensively, never for offense. He - like Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid -- and, by inference, all true Jedi Masters, is a pacifist. 2) Luke already threw away his lightsaber. In Jedi, during the final battle. So his doing so again when presented to him by a stranger some 30 years later = both in character and with precedent.

Loved Nocturna. And one of those appearances - # 363 - was my first ever double-cover!

That'd be an interesting twist.

Yeah - I've heard One More Day was worse but it was a generation later and I was long out of reading monthly books. I've seen the seriously offensive panel, however. Hard to justify despite how much I otherwise love(d) Bendis. Then again, Kevin Smith came in with his short run on Daredevil & killed Karen Page.

This. ASM # 149-151 (first Ben Reilly / Spider-Man clone storyline) became a big deal back in 1995-96, when Ben Reilly temporarily replaced Peter Parker in all the titles. This storyline was so ridiculous that it led to me -- and many others -- dropping all the Spidey titles.

No - he has a point here. The original --script for Lucy in the Sky made the Black List back in 2014 and was slated to be both a financial success *and* and a serious Oscar contender. Instead, it came and went so fast I had to double-check if it had even been released. Production cost was reported at $27 million and it grossed less than $400,000 worldwide?? Despite his TV track record, it's *amazing* that he's going directly from that unabashed bomb to the next Star Trek movie.

We know definitively that Kylo's a Skywalker. Leia's his mom. It would also fit with Luke's telling Kylo in The Last Jedi that he himself is not the last Jedi (via "everything you just said is wrong"). If Kylo is the last Jedi, rather than Rey, that solidifies Luke's redemption -- in effect justifying both Han's death and Luke's -- both died directly while trying to redeem Kylo. We've also seen Kylo specifically choose not only to kill Snoke but also *not* to kill Leia when she was in space and he had the chance. His redemption's already begun. It also means it wouldn't matter if Rey was indeed a "nobody" - the daughter of trash collectors or whatever. Because this story was never about her; it was about him.

I've always thought she was a Kenobi. But I would stand up & cheer in the theater if she's actually related to Palpatine or Sidious. Plot twist: This trilogy has always been about Kylo's redemption. He's the Skywalker who "rises" by embracing the good and defeating Rey, the true enemy who - unbeknownst to her -- has been working for the Dark Side the whole time. That would make this a classic.

Heist is brilliant. And yes - my introduction to Sam Rockwell was that film. I'll never forget the scene with him and Delroy Lindo in the car: Bobby Blane: Sometimes adrenaline gives people the shakes, some might think it's cowardice, so maybe you'd want to pray about it. Jimmy: I'm not a religious man. Bobby Blane: There's nothing wrong with prayer. We knew this firefighter, this trooper, who always carried a bible next to his heart. We used to mock him, but one day, that Bible stopped a bullet. Jimmy: No mess. Bobby Blane: Hand of God, that Bible stopped a bullet; that bullet would of ruined that man's heart. And if he'd had another bible... in front of his face...that *spoon* would be alive today.

Ahh...glad to know you're the one who beat me to the # 344 earlier this week. I'm impressed. I'm trying to build this run as well. Only have 4 of the 7 shown. And, as you well know, 343-344 are going to take a *long* time.

Well - and the rectcons that made the book irrelevant (i.e., that both Robin and Jason Todd are back).

Except -- it's not a major key.

I also think the "first appearance of a movie villain" thing is one of the biggest scams in comic book speculation. I will never believe Batman 386 is a legit $450 book in 9.8 just because he's slated to appear in the Birds of Prey movie. Luckily, that one seems to already be on the down-swing -- trending around a (still absurd) $300 today. But I'd much rather see classic storylines continue to have value than the seemingly endless carousel of 3rd-tier villain first appearances that pop due to whatever comic book movie is coming out six months from now.