GeeksAreMyPeeps

On 4/20/2023 at 4:44 PM, Lazyboy said:

Well, Michelinie created the character, but Todd contributed to Venom's look.

Then you would think Todd would know that Venom was in ASM 298.

Venom's still in 298, without even getting into the Web appearances.

Since Venom properly is Eddie and the symbiote bonded, arguably 298 is just a cameo of Eddie, not Venom. Mostly the last page is Eddie talking, and only at the very end do we see the symbiote slide over him, but we can't say for sure if they're fully bonded. Still a must-have for a Venom collector, I think, but questionable whether you can consider it a first for Venom.

On 4/19/2023 at 7:22 PM, captainzombie said:

I am surprised they don't have it on their slabs either. Out of all the #6's I have bought over the last 2 years, I could never score one that would get a 9.8. Every single time they'd come back a 9.6 or there was enough defects not worth sending in. I finally gave up months ago and bought one off of eBay. Out of all the New 52 Batman run where I have the first 8 books in a 9.8 from me pressing, cleaning, and submitting to CGC this book always alluded me. I have the same issues with Venom vs. Carnage #2, for the life of me I can never get above a 9.4 since these books always have some color breaking tics or way too much color rub in the back.

Back to the topic at hand, too bad that we do not have a definitive answer on which is the first full appearance of the COO's. It does almost seem like the market has moved towards #6.

It is like ASM #299 and #300, where Todd McFarlane says that 299 is Venom's first appearance while the market says its 300. Don't get me wrong, but if the creator of the character comes out and says its 299 why is that not taken as gospel since he created the character and in his view it is.

Much like Hulk 180/181, Venom's first appearance is 299, but it's a teaser; 300 is first full appearance.

On 4/19/2023 at 10:03 AM, D2 said:

I’m actually shocked they haven’t yet since the debate on the 1st appearance has been happening for easily 7 years already. 
They do need to take a stand on which is the final appearance (I believe 6 is the first full). 

Issue 2 is the 1st Talon, also awesome, but for whatever reason, The Court of Owls seems to be more intriguing for collectors and fans, and Talon seems to be just an arm (or talon) of them. 2 does have the first cameo for COW.

I think true COW fans should have 1, 2, 3, and 6. 1 being William Cobb, the 1st Talon, 3 being the first cover of Talon… 

Sorry for the long response, I’m actually a huge fan of this topic and debate so you really got me going

I really wish CGC wouldn't take a stand at all, when it's not clearcut. Let collectors decide what issue is important to them.

On 4/15/2023 at 5:14 PM, jdandns said:

Maybe with the marquee teamup of BWS and Arthur Adams on that cover, it was decided to not block out any of the art on the direct edition, since it wasn't actually necessary to do so. 

A lot of Liefeld covers from this era, on the other hand, could've benefited from the placement of multiple UPC boxes, I'm thinking, like, 7-8 per cover .

That seems unlikely to me, as I imagine that the editorial team would not have much input regarding the production budget. Also, as mentioned, it did happen on issues of X-Factor where the regular artist was doing the cover.

On 4/15/2023 at 4:55 PM, JollyComics said:

Thanks for clarification. I was little confused for little bit but thanks for showing two books with the code and without.

Just for further clarification, what I wrote about the Spideys is clearly *not* what's going on with the issue of X-Men that prompted the thread.

On 4/15/2023 at 4:15 PM, JollyComics said:

I believe Marvel didn't want returned comic books at some points.

Yeah, I think that was the idea behind dropping Newsstand Editions eventually for everything.

On 4/15/2023 at 4:15 PM, JollyComics said:

I checked both 290 and 295 to find the hidden barcodes.  Nothing is found.  #358 has a wraparound the direct edition box is on BC.  425 & 427 have the direct edition on BC.

Not exactly sure what you're getting at, but here is an example of the Newsstand 290:

Since the artwork looks to be black-only in the area where the UPC box is, they don't have to run the box with the spidey head on the Direct edition (which, as mentioned, they do so that they only have to run a different plate for the black, rather than all 4 colors). Instead, they can run the full cover art in that area:

Same situation with 295:

On 4/15/2023 at 2:05 PM, JollyComics said:

While I did my inventory on Nam 1-84, I noticed no direct or newsstand edition bar code from #18 to 24 (May 1988 to November 1988).

Checked on ASM....the barcode (Newsstand edition) started on ASM #157 until #431.  Skipped on #258, 288, 290, 295, 347, 358, 425 and 427 (some variant, die cut and 2nd print copies do not have the bar codes).

At some point, I think the Nam went Direct-only. That may be why the box dropped off of those issues.

I can't be bothered to do the work right now, but I do wonder how many of the books no longer qualify.

On 4/15/2023 at 2:05 PM, JollyComics said:

While I did my inventory on Nam 1-84, I noticed no direct or newsstand edition bar code from #18 to 24 (May 1988 to November 1988).

Checked on ASM....the barcode (Newsstand edition) started on ASM #157 until #431.  Skipped on #258, 288, 290, 295, 347, 358, 425 and 427 (some variant, die cut and 2nd print copies do not have the bar codes).

290 & 295 would be additional examples of where the Direct Edition only has black in the area where the barcode is on the Newsstand Edition. 358, 425 & 427 have the box on the back cover (none of those have ads on the back cover).

On 4/15/2023 at 1:34 PM, Jesse-Lee said:

ASM 258 is like this too - no box on the direct edition, normal barcode on the newsstand.

It looks like the art is probably only black ink in that area though, which would be a case where they're still using common CMY plates.

Just wanted to note that typically, the reason for the box on the Direct version is so that you can print all of the Direct and Newsstand editions using the same cyan, magenta, and yellow printing plates. Then you just need to create different black plates for the 2 versions. If there was some other difference between the 2 covers (different back cover advertisements, for example – which is not the case here) that meant the cyan, magenta, and yellow plates were going to be different anyway, then that would be a good reason to drop the box on the Direct, since you couldn't use common plates for any of the separations. But that doesn't appear to be the case for either of the books.

On 4/15/2023 at 8:51 AM, BrooksR said:

Sorry if this has been asked before, but after years of reading x-men I somehow just now realized that 214 direct edition doesn’t have the spiderman corner box. What is the reason for this? Did other issues do this too?

No idea why, but I know of at least one other similar book in this time period: X-factor 11.

On 4/14/2023 at 12:41 PM, D2 said:

There’s no way. That is illogical. 
This book is dead, along with Y the Last Man. 
 

The person that bought that should have invested the $10 for the month to get GPAnalysis, then they would have realized they paid $350 too much. 
 

Last CGC 9.8 sales: $50 $60 $60 $33 (lol) $47 $41 $42 $42 $57 $47 $26 (omfg) $31… painful. 

 

Or just looked at eBay for the much cheaper BINs.

On 4/13/2023 at 7:49 PM, jdandns said:

Vintage (contemporary to when the comics were originally published) pinback buttons from Alan Moore written series.

"Watchmen" was a promotional comic shop register freebee. 

"Miracleman" is one in a various subject line, all the same shape and size sold by Eclipse Comics.

"ABC" (somewhat newer) is from the DC booth at SD Comic Con.

 

I had the same Watchmen pin. Might still be in a box somewhere.

On 4/13/2023 at 7:56 PM, jdandns said:

I'd love to see that thread get going again. I just posted in it, and I've got more to add once can get some more scanned.  (Is Copper basically 1980 to the early 90s?)

 

Honestly I don't see the need to limit to those specific dates. Anything you picked up at a comic shop will do.

On 4/13/2023 at 12:38 AM, jdandns said:

Wow, all of the names on that list are instantly recognizable to me with the exception of Joanne Spaldo. Time to google...

Apparently a Marvel staffer, with this issue being her only writing credit. I'm guessing she had to step in and write one of the pages.

While I think these are all distinct from ads (as, unlike the issue with Darkhawk, it's not as if the content used is direct excerpts of the comics to be published), they're not exactly stories, as there aren't any story arcs involved. They're more recaps of where the protagonists of each series stands. But the art is the art, created specifically for this issue for the recap. Whether that's important enough to be collectible is up to the discretion of the individual collector.

On 4/11/2023 at 1:50 PM, CGC Mike said:

It's obvious that you two are not going to come to any kind of agreement.  I recommending you both agree to disagree.  Otherwise, I will have to step in and make this stop.

This board needs a steel chair emoji, where someone can interfere from outside the fight, with neither combatant getting a clear victory.

Golden Apple comics, which is big/popular enough to offer their own store variants, indicates CGC offerings ship in 60 days. That suggests they're in the same queue with everyone else. 

On 4/7/2023 at 8:31 AM, JBrady said:

I have a membership and actually submitted some this week. But, I’ve had HORRIFIC luck buying raw exclusive variants online and have only received about 10% of them as 9.8 candidates and so, doing the math, I’ve determined it’s better for me to buy the guaranteed 9.8 directly from the shop. 
 

As but an example, the last shipment of store exclusives arrived in such awful shape that the shop refunded the entire $150 order after I provided pictures of the books. Two were quantity limited (600) and they didn’t even ask me to send pictures of me ripping the cover to pieces because it was already so bad that it didn’t matter. The shipping box was pristine, the shop sent them that way.
 

And for some reason, this isn’t unusual for me. The irony of that shipment is that I had posted about my luck receiving store exclusives damaged and the shop owner contacted me personally and invited me to order from them because they don’t ship books like that, so I ordered from them and they absolutely shipped books like that. 

I agree with others suggesting they may be allowing additional time for potentially increasing TATa and/or ME fixes, but the timeline still seems long for that. I imagine that they're also going through the print run and picking out the best copies to submit (which takes time) so they're not getting hit with charges for prescreen rejects. That would also explain why the copies you're ordering ungraded aren't in the best condition; you're getting the ones that they feel aren't worthy to submit for a 9.8 prescreen.

Since Advanced Dungeons & Dragons had a moment in the sun, and now Dragonlance is getting hot, any thoughts on the other DC TSR comics?

On 4/8/2023 at 10:59 PM, the authority said:

Spider-man #7 spoiler cover is as hot as anything I can remember in a long time. Has busted $50 many times today on eBay. It’s only 3 days. Crazy.Some stuff might fade but this one has a few things going for it. Those would be Miles, Spider-Gwen, Silk, Venom which led to Knull, Carnage, and the list goes on and on. Personally like the Spider-boy costume and while the appearance in inside is somewhat limited, he’s on the cover which locks this up as a solid first appearance. 
 

The idea of his history, which both exists and doesn’t could lead to some cool tales. 
 

What could ruin it ? A bad story or characterization that sits poorly with collectors. Hoping they have a good story to tell…. 🤞🏻

It doesn't hurt that Dan Slott teased it on Twitter, basically indicating that he's the real deal. Next one to watch will be his first solo story in the Edge of Spider-verse mini (issue 3). Since pre-orders are still open for that, I expect that will be this generation's Turok #1.

On 4/7/2023 at 11:37 PM, jdandns said:

If they can get issue #2 and those other two titles they're about to announce out sometime this year, that would go a long way to establishing credibility as an actual comic company. The single issue prices need to come way, way, way down, in any event. 

I think if they want to establish credibility, they need to release on a regular schedule. Otherwise only the most ardent supporters of the philosophy of the publisher are going to care, and not about the comics, but because they agree with the agenda.