Westy Steve

I will buy that if you can name another character with a first appearance and origin this inexpensive with one movie made, at least two more promised (because the October release is Part One), a video game, action figures and cartoon appearances. He’s popular.

Because it’s a modern book, I’m gonna give it a 7.5 because I think it’s really an 8.5. Just grade it like you grade a Bronze Age book and then subtract a point.

I think if you pressed it, it would guarantee a 2.0 and have a slim chance of a 2.5

2.0. On the one hand holes through the book are terrible, on the other hand the book otherwise looks better than a 2.0. It’s a tug-of-war between a bad defect and an otherwise nice appearance. So I’ll sit in the middle with a 2.0

Same as above. Likely 7.0 though

Focus on quality, not quantity. Purchase one amazing book every couple of weeks. Then buy some cheap stuff to read

I can see UF4 outpacing TWD1 under the right circumstances (which is why I’m gobbling this stuff up). I have a friend who knows almost nothing about Comics. But I was surprised to hear he knows who Miles Morales is because his nephews own a PlayStation and it’s their favorite game. There is a giant company that makes money off of the character and has a vested interest in consumers not forgetting who Miles Morales is. They will promote whichever Spiderman makes them money and you’ll see him in the toy aisle at Walmart. Rattling on, I’m kind of surprised the first issue of his first series isn’t more expensive. Nobody is saying it, but it could be described as “origin, first full appearance“ even if UF4 (apparently) isn’t considered a cameo. Again…I own UF4, but his story was one of multiple story lines. Anyway, my feeling is MM Is obviously not a flash in the pan, and given the value relative to the short amount of time he’s been around, he’ll be a star of the modern age and will be compared to TWD.

My first thought was, “interesting”. My second thought was, “dude, it’s all nerdy quibble here”.

Interesting you say that about Bendis. I was reading Uncanny X-men 94 - 100 in a TPB and I kept thinking, “man, these guys can’t catch a break!” It was just a series of constant ambushes and fights that probably made a lot of sense when you had to wait 30 days between each issue but when you read them back to back it seems ridiculous. I read issue one through five of ultimate comic ms Spiderman in a trade paper back and it read well. I can imagine it might’ve been a little grueling waiting 30 days between issues. Still a good read though.

After about 20 years of sticking to older comics, I’ve started buying some moderns. After watching into the multiverse again, I started reading and collecting the first Miles Morales books, I found I really like them, even though they are 11 years old. And that lead me to hunt them down , which I found somewhat challenging unless I just wanted to pay EBay prices. In my quest to find more Miles books, I picked up Little Monsters and the New Dr Strange book at the LCS. Both good reads. It’s occurred to me that I can read the reviews on books before I buy them so the odds of enjoying them and maybe even getting my money back out of them is pretty good. My mantra used to be that I could always buy a Bronze Age book from a series that I know I would enjoy (if I could find the time) and that money would be refunded to me later…but I can do that with Moderns too Today I went to my LCS and said, “hey it’s Wednesday, is the new Clea Strange book in? “. I was gently told that I still need to wait a month…books come out weekly which I knew, but they are different books. (Probably should’ve known that). I haven’t waited on the next issue for decades. Really…decades. So here we are. I’m enjoying the thrill of the hunt with modern books, I don’t feel like I’m wasting my money, and I’m enjoying reading comics again. Oh, and it helps that when I drive to the LCS I can deduct my mileage to offset my eBay sales (seriously, it’s a big “paper loss”). Bottom line is that rigidly not buying modern cut me off somewhat. Feels kind of weird to wait for the next issue.

OK guys so I’ve been on a buying spree, picking up early Miles Morales issues right and left. I figure he’s not going away, and the early stories are great…haven’t read the newer stuff yet. So now there is a strong rumor going around that Will Smith’s kid may actually have landed of the role of Miles in a live action role. Reviews are mixed. Some people don’t think that a kid raised in Belair can do the job. On the other hand twilight vampires can be Batman and do a good job. Is this going to kill the value of my latest purchases or help them? I mean, live action is good, right? Timing has never been my strong suit. Second unrelated question: I ran across a issue #6 of Ultimate Comics Spider-Man still in the poly bag. Were all the direct editions like that?

I read it. Really enjoyed it. Going to put it on my pull list.

Tarzan #9. Four color pre-photo cover. $100

I clearly have a problem. Money has been hemorrhaging from my bank account add an alarming rate. I have been gobbling up early and late issues of UC Spider-Man (finally found the stash at my LCS and bought them out), a second print UF4, made deal on a 1st print UF4, bought the TPB and watched Into the Spiderverse a couple more times. The thing is, I knew about this when it came out, I’ve seen these issues at shows, and watched the movie a few years ago. Oddly, I started this before I found out the trailer for the Oct 2022 sequel movie dropped three months ago. I was trying to figure out where this obsession started, but I can’t put my finger on it. I think I just saw an ad for the book and the more I investigated it the more intrigued I was in the story is amazing. I figured I needed to grab some of this stuff before it got ridiculously expensive. Miles Morales is not just a flash in the pan…he’s a permanent fixture, and there are a lot of people like me who aren’t paying attention to it. Glad I figured it out..my collecting and reading has been enriched.

You guys need to go to a coin show, and see the age of the people at the shows and the prices they are paying. You will stop worrying. Just like them, most of us here will collect until the day we die, propping prices up. When your kids are middle-aged, maybe they’ll start to see prices dropping.

Flash 129. I think it’s a Fine. It could use dry cleaning and it has chipping on the top and right side of the cover factored into my grade estimate. These should be worth much more than they actually are. As soon as I sell this I can almost guarantee you this will be the plot of the next DC movie. $125 shipped.

This ugly strange tales lot is $45 shipped or $35 with the purchase of any other book. Note the discoloration on the back corner of one of the books. These are not key issues to my knowledge.

Reluctantly selling this Tales of Suspense 8 to purchase a modern grail. Pound for pound, Monstro may be the largest pre-hero monster in this series. Not the highest grade, but maybe you can find a better one on eBay. Oh wait…. $100

Marvel Premiere 10. Has a tear and a fold on the back cover that I am not going to unfold. I will leave it to you book doctors. The design gives it the appearance that there might be a subscription crease or abrasions in the top right corner, but that’s the artwork. LOL. Some light spider webbing around the top front cover. I would guess this is a 4.0? $125 shipped.

Taking the UF4 per PM. Thank you!

Bump

Interesting. Now I can sleep at night. It’s not just that book though, modern comics grade differently IMHO.

Hey guys, Hand me any book Golden age through bronze and I can grade it as well as CGC. I even know how much “golden age bump” to add. I’m not bragging because I know there are a bunch of you can do the same. But modern books are something else entirely. I feel I can grade the high end of the scale pretty well because it’s mostly about corners and near imperceptible bends. But when a modern book has actual significant wear like people were (gasp) reading their books, the grading scale seems to go all wonky. What’s up with that? Why does a 8.0 modern look like almost like a 9.2 bronze book? The only way I can approach it is just grade like always and subtract a point.

Watching

Well this was telling. Went to my local comic shop intent on buying a TPB or to pick up ANY back issues of Ultimate Spider-Man. With the exception of a facsimile of UF4, not one shred of that storyline was available. The owner looked up Marvel Tales and nothing there either.