Brock

Yes, the yellow text box in the lower left of the DCCP 51 cover contains different text than the standard version. The standard edition references the MOTU insert, while this one pushes the « classic » angle.

I’m certainly open to this possibility. I’m interested in hearing, though, how you have solved this longstanding question that has prompted debate among comics historians for a number of years now. Can you share your evidence?

I’m with you, but I might amend this slightly to say that there exists ample evidence that SOME comics such as these were distributed by Whitman. I’m not sure we can confidently say that ALL issues with a Diamond variant were distributed by Whitman. By this, I mean we might find an ad or an existing three-pack showing that Star Wars #13 (to choose a random example) was distributed by Whitman. This does not serve as evidence, however, that a Diamond version of Star Wars #14 was ALSO distributed by Whitman. The suspicion of the second (non-Whitman) camp is that Diamond variants were prepared for several (all?) non-returnable distribution channels, but that the actual distribution of individual issues by channel may have varied from month to month.

Here’s the TL;DR version. DC Whitmans have a Whitman logo on the cover. Gold Key/Western Whitmans have a Whitman logo on the cover. Marvel Whitmans in that sense do exist, with a Whitman logo on the cover, but only for a handful of treasury editions. The debate is about the Diamond variants you are showing. One camp (including Mile High) say they are Whitman variants, because they were only distributed by Whitman. There is no firm evidence for this assertion. The other camp says they are not Whitman variants, because they were distributed by multiple companies, possibly including but not limited to Whitman. There is no firm evidence for this assertion. Hope that helps...

Are you poking me? Yes, as some Boardies know, I sold my last startup two years ago, and am biding my time until I launch the next one. I just always worked on the assumption that unless we were talking comic prices, money was an ungentlemanly topic...

Art is always subjective, so I’m Not going to dispute your opinion, but since Conan was his first regular series, coming early in his career, and before his own style really developed, it’s an odd rationale to use. It would be like saying you don’t like Todd McFarlane... Even his Infinity Inc. run is hit and miss. For me (and again, I know this is subjective opinion), Windsor-Smith revolutionized comic art by mixing the bombast of Kirby with a formal pre-Raphaelite styling that had not previously been seen in comics, and he later added the light and colour of Gustav Klimt. It was a kind of sophistication that few have been able to match in the comics field. By the time we get to his Storyteller series, he’s truly breaking new ground... his abandonment of comics due to his disappointment with the industry in the early 1990s is such a loss to the hobby.

Me three.

Does your post mean this book is especially hot in South Africa?

Here's one of mine... a triple cover of Secret Wars #9. The outer cover is about 9.4 and the inner ones are better.

Here's one I found in my boxes recently...

I was a big First fan, collecting American Flagg, Dreadstar, Lone Wolf and Cub, and Mars. I haven’t read any of them in years, though... do any of the titles still hold up?

I’m a little more nuanced... I sold my Marvel Previews 95 for $500 because I have a hard time imagining a catalogue holding that price long term. However, I have a UF 4 and UF 4 variant that I’ll be hanging onto. A comparison to Batman Adventures 12 a few pages back seemed very apt to me, and I think these books still have room to grow.

Are those Whitmans all price variants? Those are soooo hard to find - six at once is amazing!

I pulled this one from the boxes today, and thought it looked pretty groovy...

I thought this one might be of interest to a few folks here... Western Winners ended with #7 in the US, but (much to my surprise) continued in Canada. And (though most of you likely know this already) that's actually a cover photo Stan Lee hiding under that mask.

Keep in mind that it's a two-parter with #129.

One of my absolute favourite stories as a kid.

Yes, I just sold a Starslayer 9 & 10 (with #10 being a lower grade copy) along with a Grimjack #26 (early colour TMNT). It wasn’t exactly a record price, but they’re moving.

I just sold a set of the original Fallen Angels miniseries (X-Fcator spin-off - and yes, sorry, it’s Copper), which seems to me like some kind of violation of the universe’s natural order. Not a lot of Boom-Boom fans out there...

This is great info... thanks for sharing. My suspicion is though, that in the absence of other visible signifiers (like gold ink, DC universe logos, or Roman numerals) these may be just too obscure to catch on...

Kid Eternity. This character seems custom-designed for episodic television, like Highway to Heaven or Quantum Leap. If they'd stop trying to make the revivals grim and gritty, there's a lot of potential here.

Great thread - gamblers never talk about their losses! About 15 years ago, I listed a Mickey Mouse Story Book (1931) for auction. It went for $20, and probably should have gone closer to $1,000. Buy it Now has been my friend ever since. The good news was that I picked up the book at a used bookstore for $3.

In the 2001-2003 period I used to scour ebay looking for bronze and copper lots in NM. I picked up many multiples of books like Ms. Marvel 1, She-Hulk 1, Eternals 1, etc. for $1-$2. I got a Sandman #8 editorial variant for 99 cents, and a 10-pack of NM Godzilla #1 for $9.99. The good old days!

Tongue twisters must be different in your part of the world...

Thor, Vision, Falcon, War Machine and Scarlet Witch with $5 left to buy some X-Men.