GeeksAreMyPeeps

In OPG, maybe, but there never appeared to be more demand for Excalibur than the other books where I grew up.

You don't have to see the word "trending"; you just have to be familiar with the English language. "Heating" and "Selling" suggest a continuous tense – that is "a trend" – if there are *repeated* sales. The title doesn't say "Sold Well"

The end of Volume 1 is a good end point. I know that's well past the end of what people consider Copper, but I think the end of all the long-running Marvel series (except Uncanny X-Men) is a good finish for the Copper Age

More recently people say that, but there's plenty of stuff that is more Copper before that. The reason I pointed out the DC implosion is not because I think that's the beginning of the age, but it was a catalyst for the age. The implosion resulted in the departure of Larry Hama and Archie Goodwin (and others) from DC, and landed them at Marvel, Without them, we might not have had Epic Comics or G.I. Joe, which I think are Copper rather than Bronze. Marvel's first mini-series, Contest of Champions, might be a better point of reference than Secret Wars. Pretty much all minis are Copper. Before that, a 4-issue series just meant it was a failure. New Teen Titans? Copper. Marvel Graphic Novels? Copper. I would say that the Bronze Age lasted at DC longer, although some books for sure (such as NTT) were certainly Copper. Claremont/Byrne X-Men after the Dark Phoenix storyline might be more of a transition between Bronze and Copper.

We just need to understand that there's a cusp for every age.

Would this be your copy of New Mutants 98?

Comic ages are pretty much defined after the fact. Arguably, the only two points that pretty much everyone would agree with is that Action Comics #1 started the Golden Age, and Showcase 4 started the Silver Age. That said, there were still plenty of comics post-Action 1 that are more characteristic of the Platinum Age, and plenty of comics post-Showcase 4 that are more characteristic of the Golden Age than the Silver Age. The beginnings and ends of other ages are more a fade than an abrupt transition, characterized by a number of changes in the industry and in the content of comics. I think that one of the catalysts for the Copper Age is in the '70s (the DC implosion), as it got the ball rolling on a number of things that were definitively Copper Age. And it lasts, I think, until Marvel rebooted a lot of its long-running titles in the late '90s.

I look at the period generally considered "Copper" as the first half of Copper. The second half is characterized by the rise and fall of new superhero universes (Valiant, Image, Comic's Greatest World, Milestone, Ultraverse, etc.) and probably ends around the time that those new superhero univreses disappeared and Marvel relaunched some of their oldest titles (Avengers, FF, ASM, etc.). I'd say that the age that followed that runs from about that time to around the launch of New 52, Marvel Now, Valiant Entertainment, etc. Time works well for the span of an age.

One of my shipments back from CGC (sent registered mail) was left near the mailboxes in my apartment building. Several thousands of dollars of books, just waiting for someone to walk off with them.

a 9.6 is pretty remarkable for a newsstand of this book

Something to keep an eye on, perhaps.

But I'm of the opinion that "Appearance" in comic collecting vernacular has historically had a pretty consistent meaning; the inclusion in a comic story. Anyone that says otherwise is trying to sell you something.

And then in Captain Marvel 18, She lost the "e." The loss of the electron in her name gave her a positive charge, which is where her powers come from. Or something. I don't know. It's been a while since I read that book.

Yes, there was a reason that stores did it, but they didn't *have to* do it. I think that's the point being made.

By next year Eternal Warrior 4 should be up there as well.

Supporting Actor was the first thing I thought of when you mentioned other awards. I'd say that, and probably some of the visual awards.

Box office success is rarely a huge factor in getting a best picture nomination. It's doubtful that Avatar was nominated because of financial success, but likely because of the innovations required by the filmmaker to make the movie. You may find that most Best Picture nominations are mediocre, but I think that's more a sign that your particular tastes are not aligned with the Academy rather than an indication of the films' quality. (Not that there's anything wrong with that; plenty of people prefer entertainment first, and a work of art somewhere down the list of importance, when it comes to movies)

Prediction: Black Panther is going to be the first superhero movie to get a best picture nom.

What artist claimed JL as an influence?

JL 1 came out within a few months of when I started collecting. I remember loving that series, but I'm not sure how much it would hold up now, and how much collectible value is in that run outside of nostalgia for people of my age who got into comics then. I'd say Lord's first appearance might be more relevant to a majority of collectors than any other single aspect. But I do think those early Lobo appearances are undervalued.

The actor who played Oberyn Martell on Game of Thrones has been cast for the Wonder Woman sequel, and it's being speculated that he's playing Maxwell Lord. Based on the photo I saw, I'd say it's a very good guess.

I'm of the opinion that it doesn't matter how old a book is or what common actions newsstands or stores took with books. Damage is damage. If that means that best existing copy of a book is a 9.2 (or whatever) because they were all defaced at the point of sale, so be it. That makes a pristine copy that wasn't marked up that much more remarkable

It's an informed analysis based on the facts and employing common sense.

You're being a pedant. The percentage of people that slab books or buy slabs that will crack them to read is insignificant. Nickpicking "impossible" is arguing just to argue.

Yes, but if it's the goal to read a comic story, there are far more cost-effective ways to do so, considering most things that are slab-worthy are popular enough to have been made available digitally by now. I doubt that many, is any, people are buying slabs for the purpose of reading the physical copy of the book they are purchasing. And I'm sure you're aware of that, so you're intentionally being difficult.