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tomo

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Journal Entries posted by tomo

  1. tomo
    Yesterday I went through the narrative for my greatest estate sale find.  So for the rest of this week we're going to take a look at what else I was able to find, in addition to the Famous 1st Editions that I've already I shown off.
    After a little more digging I managed to find another sought after treasury sized book, since these were not with the majority of the others.  These three books were tucked away in a box with some newspapers, underneath a nearby table.

    Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man from 1976.
    Two low grade copies, and a nice looking mid-grade.  Not bad for a buck fifty.  I ended up selling off my copper and modern Spider-Man collection about two years ago, so this remains the sole Spider-Man book in my collection.
  2. tomo
    Yesterday we looked at a rather curious cover appearance by a super-villain wannabe.  Let's keep the theme going and take a look at another, this time from Superman Annual #2 from 1960/1961.

    This collection of reprints celebrates some the greatest super-villains ever featured!  Naturally, we see Brainiac, Bizarro, and Titano.  All three of these villains had been in about a half-dozen stories each, up until this book came out.  They've also gone on to more than stake their claim as iconic Superman adversaries.  Titano less so, but this was DC in the 60's, so of course a gorilla gets top corner billing!
    More curious, however, is the inclusion of Metallo, The Invulnerable Enemy, and The Thing From 40,000 A.D.
    In retrospect, the inclusion of Metallo seems like a no-brainer, but at this point his first (and only) appearance was overshadowed by Supergirl's first, as they shared the same debut issue with Action Comics #252 from May 1959.

    That's my newest holy grail book that I bought off the boards earlier in the year.  But that's not really what we are here to talk about.  Back to the nobodies...
    Metallo would have no other appearances until his brother picked up the Metallo moniker in 1977 and proceeded to turn him into one of Superman's A-List villains.  Or at least a B+, if not an A.  In retrospect, they got lucky here with Metallo as he would go on to become a player.
    So what happened to The Invulnerable Enemy and The Thing From 40,000 A.D.?
    The Invulnerable Enemy had one, and only one, in-continuity appearance back in 1957 from Action Comics #226.  I don't have a copy of that issue yet, but it does sport a great looking cover if you get the chance to look it up.
    The Thing From 40,000 A.D. had one more shot at notoriety, but alas he never caught on.  His first appearance was from farther back in Superman #87 from 1954.  That story was reprinted in Superman #196 from May 1967, with a new cover by Curt Swan.

    I love the Superman vs. Superman covers, and while this one is fun, it doesn't hold a candle to the original cover by Wayne Boring.  It's on my short list of books that I'm focusing on currently, so hopefully I'll find the right copy to add to my collection soon.
    And that was the last we saw of The Thing From 40,000 A.D. for another two decades until he was featured in DC Comics Presents #89 from January 1986.

    He even gets a cover appearance, beating up the Omega Men!  Alas, he gets caught in a disintegrator beam before the issue's end, and winds up as some sort of repentant, sentient thought cloud...never to be seen again.
    In retrospect, I guess you can never discount anyone.  While TTF40000AD (that acronym really didn't save me much time, did it?  Especially since I've now typed more letters in this parenthesis than I would've if I just typed out his full name to begin with.) would never capitalize on his second chance like Metallo, maybe there's hope for The Invulnerable Enemy yet....it's only been 60 years, there's still time...
  3. tomo

    Behold...Electro!?

    By tomo,

    When it comes to comic book storage, I don't really have a man-cave full of items on display.  I did build custom shelves fit to hold long-boxes that currently take up one wall in my office.

    I work out of my home, so my office is shared between my work and my hobby.  It's not the greatest of solutions, but I'll do the whole comic book room when I retire and move out to the country!
    In the meantime, however, I did pick up a couple of picture frame shelves from Ikea that I use to display about a dozen books at one time.  I like to pick a theme and swap out the books on display every couple of weeks or so.  This is this week's selection...

    The picture is not the greatest, as this room doesn't get a whole lot of natural light, but you get the idea.  I decided to go with a Superman on trial theme, after realizing how many of those covers there were after looking for books for a previous journal entry.
    My son doesn't really have the comic book collecting passion just yet, but he does enjoy trying to guess the theme every time I change it up.  This theme was relatively easy, but he did notice something that I didn't (aside from the shame of only having a reprint of Adventure Comics #247 so far).
    Who the heck is Electro, the glowing frog skeleton?

    He must be pretty important, right?  He is, after all, a member of the Jury of Super-Enemies.  It turns out I haven't read this story yet from Action Comics #286 from March 1962.  I did, however, remember this guy from an earlier cover...

    This story from Action Comics #271 from December 1960 I do remember quite well, as it features a great Lex Luthor scheme.  Spoilers for anyone hoping to read this themselves one day, but there is no light ray creature from Dimension X.  In reality, it's one of Luthor's goons projecting an image of a man made from neon-tubes! It was all a ploy to get Superman trapped inside the fake "spaceship."  Thinking he was getting transported to Dimension X, he was instead trapped on Earth inside a lead sphere while Luthor attempted to swindle the world's governments out of their stockpile of nuclear weapons.
    Superman eventually breaks free of his lead cage and reveals Luthor's scheme to the world.  So all this time, there never was a dimension X, nor were there any light ray creatures.  If that's the case, how did a figment of Luthor's imagination end up on the Jury of Super-Enemies?
    It turns out that the cover for #286 was part of dream sequence caused by Red Kryptonite induced nightmares!  Makes sense.  Electro never speaks, nor is he ever addressed by name in the issue.  He does get to put a Superman doll in a bowl labeled "DOOM" (why not?) and he leads a shackled Supergirl to the arena where she will fight Superman.  If it wasn't for the cover of this issue, we would never be able to associate the name Electro to this type of rampant villainy!
    It does beg the question, where were all the other actual super-enemies when they commissioned this cover?  It did get me to reread a classic Superman story from earlier in the run, so mission accomplished...I guess.
  4. tomo
    Finally, for this week, we're delving into the Justice Society of America!
    I've always had a fondness for time travel and alternative universe storylines, so naturally the JLA/JSA stories from the 60's and 70's caught my attention when I started to collect DC back-issues.  I started out big, right out of the gate, with this one...

    ...Justice League of America #21 from August 1963.
    Aside from having one of the best covers from the Silver Age, this issue is the proper introduction of the JSA from Earth-2 into the modern day DC continuity.  This issue I picked up from the Motor City Comic-Con back in 2013 of $30, and it's a pretty sharp looking low grade book.
    I don't really collect the Justice League of America title per se, but do pick up issues from time to time.  With that said, I'm not a stickler for condition on these, and would rather just be able to read the stories.

    These three I picked up just recently at my LCS' monthly auctions.  A great collection of covers all around, although that #46 is extra cool with the Batman '66-esque sound effects!  That issue itself is from the summer of '66...coincidence?
    Naturally, I followed the JSA into the Bronze Age as well, with the relaunch of All Star Comics.

    Not only were the Justice Society back in their original title with All Star Comics #58 from February 1976, but it also features the 1st appearance of the Earth-2 Supergirl...Power Girl!  I picked up this issue about 10 years ago on eBay for a whole fourteen bucks.
    Up until recently, the big hole in my collection of Bronze Age JSA were the Huntress issues.  Within the last year, I was able to rectify that, but I did have to pay up for them.  These were issues that I always said I'd get around to sooner or later, as they were more Batman issues than Superman.  Oops.  Oh well, they are mine now...

    The All-Star Comics #69 I got off of eBay, while the DC Super-Stars #17 I got from my LCS's monthly auctions.  I kinda felt bad on that last one, as I had to out-bid a father-son collecting team, but it's war out in the auction room...you do what you gotta do!
    My favorite run of JSA bronze books are the short run of issues in Adventure Comics from #461-466 from 1979.  Such great stories in those.  In fact, the whole 1970's run of Adventure Comics features some great gems.

    Finally, we get the long awaited first appearance of one of my CGC slabs.  I was waiting for a time when I could get proper pics and scans of these, as they are a pain, but this will have to do.  But first, I must set the narrative...
    About 5 or 6 years ago, a lady walked in to my local comic shop with a box full of books that her aunt was going to sell at their garage sale.  Lucky for he Aunt, she snagged them before the garage sale started and brought them to my LCS to see if they were worth anything.  Her uncle had passed some years prior, and these were his original owner book from the early 1940's.  Needless to say, it was a wise decision on her part, as they did a lot better with their books in an auction than they would've gotten at the garage sale.  I think they ended up getting close to $10k for her box of books that were underneath the basement staircase for decades.
    Unfortunately for me, there were no Superman books in the bunch, so I had to set my sights elsewhere if I wanted a piece of this collection.  Included in the batch were some great early Batman and Detective Comics with the 1st Alfred and early Penguin issues.  There was also a Green Lantern #1 in sharp VG condition.  But what caught my eye was the collection of All-Star Comics that he had.  My memories a little hazy, and I seem to have misplaced my auction catalog from that event, but he had at least 5 different issues from #5-12.  There was no #8, or at least it was never made available in the sale if it was there...who knows, maybe my LCS owner is sitting on that one still?
    For my money, I decided to go for All Star Comics #12 from August 1942, as it had a great cover.

    Seriously, look at that cover!  Great patriotic stuff, with Wonder Woman front and center, and the rest of the Justice League fanned out behind her.  I ended up subbing this one to CGC last year, and it came back a universal 4.0 grade.  The auction was packed and the bidding was fierce, so in the end I paid close to $400 for this one.  I probably overpaid at the time, but you know how auction fever goes.
    I think in the end I'm going to come out ahead, as this is the issue where Wonder Woman is elected as the secretary of the Justice Society.  Word on the street is that Gal Gadot will be assuming the secretary post in the new Justice League movie...fingers crossed!
  5. tomo
    For the first two days of this week, we've had a look at the two Marvel titles that I still maintain a collection on, so let's take a look at a DC one now.
    I've mentioned previously how I was a big fan of The Sandman back in the early-to-mid 90's as it was coming out.  Naturally, I sampled some of the other titles and quickly fell in love with the Grant Morrison and Richard Case run of Doom Patrol.  It's a helluva 40+ issue run, and definitely rewards repeat reading.  When I started reading this, I had no prior experience with either the Doom Patrol or Grant Morrison, so it was a bit of a baptism by fire.
    Needless to say, they hooked me deep and I've been following every iteration of them since.  The back half of that volume with Rachel Pollack writing sorta peters out, but it was all right.  I was probably one of the only few who enjoyed the John Arcudi/Tan Eng Huat run, as I appreciated the unique visual look of the art.  The John Byrne run is typical past-his-prime Byrne.  I also rather liked the Keith Giffen/Matthew Clark run as I really enjoyed that post Infinite Crisis/pre-Flaspoint era of the DCU.  I think the DCU is just now getting back to the same cohesive universe feeling that made the books from that era a lot of fun, but that's a post for another day.
    It wasn't until the last 4 or 5 years that I started to seriously address finishing out the Doom Patrol collection with the original run.

    I finally was able to secure a copy of My Greatest Adventure #80 from June 1963.  I picked this one up at a recent auction a few months ago at my LCS, and probably paid full retail for this nice-lookiing VG copy.  I've picked up enough bargains at their auctions over the years, however, that I don't mind occasionally paying up for the books I really want.
    The majority of my DP collection also came from an auction at my LCS in 2015, as they were auctioning off a 30 issue lot.  I ended up paying about $200 for that lot, and did all right considering these two were in it...
     
    A nice looking copy of their first self-title issue with Doom Patrol #86 from March 1964...

    ...and the first appearance of Beast Boy in Doom Patrol #99 from November 1965!
    I'm down to missing only six issues at this point, and it's getting to the point that I just need to pony up and pay full retail to finish this run out, rather than waiting to stumble across some more bargains.  This title has been under-appreciated at large for too long, so I need to lock this one down while it's still relatively cheap.
    Besides, this title has some of the greatest covers from this era.



    Great stuff all around!
  6. tomo
    Aside from The Avengers, there is one Marvel title that I still collect, and that is Dr. Strange!
    I'm an old school D&D player from back in the day (started playing in 1982), and among my friends, no one ever wanted to play the Magic-User character.  That usually left me to play that character class by default as I was the only one who didn't mind the inherent weakness at the beginning.  So naturally, when I started reading comics I found myself gravitating to the magic side of the universe.
    His original self-titled series had just about ended right when I started reading comics, so it would be a few years before I really became a fan of the character with the Sorcerer Supreme title that started up in '88.  I finished up the volume one run in the early to mid '90's with no problem, as most of those issue were pretty cheap and readily available.
    I never really went any earlier than that until recently, however, as my collecting focus drifted a bit as the '90's went on.  I've since started filling out those runs, but it's moving at a snail's pace.  I'm not holding out for pristine copies at this point, so I pick up nice looking beaters as they present themselves.  I had the opportunity to pick up a Strange Tales #110 last year, but there was someone who wanted it more than me at the auction who was willing to pay above current market value.  This was also about 6 months before the movie, so the price was already inflated.
    Dr. Strange is also the only Marvel title that I still currently read on a monthly basis.  Marvel pretty much killed whatever interest I had left in continuing to follow their universe with Civil War and the advent of the $4 comic book.  I still refuse to pay $4 for a new book, so it's a good thing discounted mail order services are a thing.
    Enough words, let's look at some kickass covers.

    Strange Tales #150 from November 1966 has one of my favorite covers by Bill Everett.

    You gotta love that classic 1960's stance from Dan Adkins on Strange Tales #160 from September 1967.
    My copy of Dr. Strange #169 from June 1968, featuring the first solo title for the doctor came rather recently, well after the price for these jumped dramatically.  My copy only cost me $20, and it looks it!

    It actually presents well for a $20 book, but it does have this arts and crafts project happening on the inside...

    It looks like the original owner had carefully clipped this picture of Dr. Strange from out of the letters column in the back and put it in a scrap book of some kind.  You can see where the adhesive he/she used discolored the corners of the picture.  I'm fascinated that they then carefully taped the picture back into the book, albeit without the missing right hand side margin.  That just makes me appreciate this copy even more, after getting a glimpse of how well loved this book was back in the day!

    I could look at Frank Brunner Dr. Strange covers all day long, and the cover for Dr. Strange #1 from June 1974 is one of his best.  I picked this copy up at the Motor City Comic-Con in the mid-to-late 90's for a ten spot, and it was the last issue that I needed to complete the run.

    Brunner doesn't get much better than this, with the cover for Dr. Strange #4 from October 1974.  It's too bad he didn't have a longer run on this title, but I treasure these and the Marvel Premiere issues just the same.
    Gene Colan was a good follow up to Brunner, and had some killer covers himself.  The cover for Dr. Strange #14 from May 1976 is probably my favorite.

    Probably my favorite Dr. Strange artist of all time is Jackson "Butch" Guice, as his run is the one that I started reading Dr. Strange with, so I'm sure it has that emotional attachment going for it.  He had a nice, long 20-some issue run with Roy Thomas that pretty much turned me into a lifelong Dr. Strange fan.  Plus, he had some great covers himself...



    I'm sure the fact that he also drew a fine looking female form didn't hurt either!
     
  7. tomo
    Since we spent the last month pretty much firmly entrenched in the world of Superman, I thought it might be fun to look at some of the other non-Superman titles that I collect.  This will almost always be a Superman-centric journal, as that is where my main interest lies these days, but I'll allow myself the occasional diversion as I see fit.
    As I mentioned way back in my first journal post, the first title I started collecting back in 1985 was The Avengers.  So the very first back issue I ever bought was The Avengers #138 from August 1975.

    The Vision soon became my favorite character, so I specifically started collecting his key issues and cool covers.  I remember I had to pay a whole $5 for The Avengers #134-135, featuring the revised origin of The Vision!  

    That was quite a princely sum back in the days of having to rely on allowances, and not summer jobs, for my funds.  Even so, I was soon able to fill out the run from issue #134 up to current.  I started buying off the racks at that same time with issue #256, so that was a solid 120 issues of back issue collecting that I set for my first goal.  I've since eBayed off #211-402 and the awesome Busiek/Perez volume three run.  The selling off was all post-Marvel Cinematic Universe, so I was able to get a nice price for a couple of runs filled with non-key after non-key.
    I still have my run of #8-210, but it's pretty spotty for issues before #100.  I don't really actively collect the title anymore, but I'll still pick up the occasional issue if the price is right or it has The Vision standing tall with arms crossed in the upper left!
    This issue cost me a whole $8 back in 1985.

    I vividly remember standing in front of the glass case at Reader's Comics in Westland, Michigan staring at The Avengers #57 from October 1968.  My friend and I were going back and forth on wether or not it was worth the eight bucks, or if I was going to be paying too much.  As you can see from the scan above I did buy it, and it has been a valued book ever since.  I've sold an awful lot of books over the last ten years, but this one will more than likely be one of the last to leave my collection.
    The Avengers #16 from May 1965 was always out of my price range growing up.  I never did come across a copy until a few years ago when I snagged this copy for $5 at the Oddball: Emporium of the Weird show in Akron, Ohio in 2015.

    It's beat to hell, but I don't care...look at that cover!  That's a keeper in any condition, and I just wanted a copy for the collection.  The same goes for Kang's first appearance in The Avengers #8 from September 1964.

    This was one of my last purchases as I was leaving the Motor City Comic-Con in 2013 and cost me $10.
    Something else that I just noticed while filing these issues away, this run also contains my first ever tape pull!

    Increasing the value of everyone else's comic book collection one book at a time since 1986!
    So those are my personal favorites from my Avengers run.  Tomorrow, we'll take a closer look at the other Marvel title I still maintain a collection of.
  8. tomo

    A DCCP miscellany

    By tomo,

    Let's wrap up this week by looking at a few other highlights of the DCCP run.

    DC Comics Presents #1 from August 1978.  If I were to rank my all time favorite Superman artists, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez would absolutely be in the top three, and I got the chance to meet him last year at the Motor City Comic Con.  My wife is a photographer (that's her alien pic that is my avatar) and she usually does a festival in East Lansing that same weekend.  Last year, however they were a week apart so she actually had the chance to be a vendor at the con!  During some down time, I was able to go and chat with him for a few and thank him for his work, and I got this autographed comic to add to my personal collection!

    DC Comics Presents #2 (Whitman Variant) from October 1978.  This is part 2 of the Superman/Flash race and one of the nicer Whitman variants that I have in my collection.

    DC Comics Presents #8 from April 1979.  Hands down, my favorite cover from this title.  What I would do to get the original art for this one...
    Earlier in the week, we looked at DCCP #26 which featured story and art by Jim Starlin.  He would actually keep drawing the book for a few more issues, helping to introduce (along with Len Wein) another classic cosmic villain, Mongul!

    DC Comics Presents #27 from November 1980.  For the next five years or so, he would be a semi-recurring villain for this title.

    Here he is again, looking decidedly happier in DC Comics Presents #28 from December 1980.  This issue is also the first appearance of the Warworld.

    DC Comics Presents #29 from January 1981 has my favorite cover from the Jim Starlin run on this title.  That's some classic Starlin...and that purple...love it!
    Starlin would have one more crack at this title before heading back to Marvel to do a small graphic novel about the death of someone or other.

    DC Comics Presents #36 from August 1981.  Once again, it's cosmic and Mongul is in the mix.
    After a few more appearances in this title, Mongul would remain little seen until he got pulled into the whole Reign of the Supermen storyline after the death of Superman.  From there, he was pretty firmly ensconced as a major Superman and Green Lantern villain.
  9. tomo
    This next book I just don't get.  I mean, I guess I understand it, I just don't get it.

    DC Comics Presents #47 from July 1982, featuring the first comic book appearance of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe!  I understand how this being the first comic book appearance could be a big thing, I just don't get it.  It's not like the toy line had a successful or fondly remembered comic book run like G.I. Joe or Transformers did.
    As a kid growing up in the 1970's, this toy line was before my time.  Although, now that I think about it, this book was from 1982 which puts me at 12 years old.  Why do I remember this being much later than that?
    Hold on a sec while I do some quick googling...
    So the toy line started in 1982, with the show following a year later in 1983.  So this issue is pretty early in the He-Man lore.  According to the editorial in the letters page, this issue also features the appearance of some characters who have not been publicly released toys yet.  I guess I can kind of see it now, especially since this issue predates the television show.  You learn something new every day.
    I also managed to find another copy of this issue in the $2 bins from a vendor at last year's Motor City Comic-Con, so this is a good flying under the radar pick of a book to find out in the wild for a quick flip.  I just checked the sold eBay listings, and I thought the Overstreet prices were crazy!  With VG copies fetching upwards of $30-50 raw, I just might have to put up my under copy.
  10. tomo

    The DCCP big dog

    By tomo,

    Continuing our look at the DCCP title, without a doubt DC Comics Presents #26 is the big dog of this run, featuring the first appearance of The Teen Titans.

    As it turns out, I don't think I've ever read it.  Call me a blasphemer, but I don't think I've read any of the Wolfman/Perez run.  It's not that I have anything against it, as I'm a big fan of George Perez in general (by way of The Avengers).  It's one of those runs that will one day fall into my lap, or not.  It's just that up until this point, it still hasn't.
    In the meantime, give me five minutes, as I'm going to read this...live!
    Things I learned...
    Who knew Beast Boy Changeling was a playa!  Is this the first use of the Changeling name?  I'm a fan of Beast Boy from the Doom Patrol books and don't recall him using that moniker there, or did this change happen in the interim between series? Cyborg is kind of a jerk This was definitely written in 1980, as the references to Jimmy Carter and The Empire Strikes Back reveal. I needed more than five minutes, as this is written in a classic Bronze/Copper style.  Definitely not decompressed. Perez is a beast of an artist.  Granted, I already knew this, but it bears repeating again. Most important, I also never realized that this was an original story and had always assumed that it was just a preview of story and art from the first issue, pre-printed here.  I guess that makes more sense now why this issue is so sought after for Teen Titans fans.  And for first appearance fans in general, as this issue also covers Cyborg, Starfire, and Raven.  It's kind of a shame actually, as this preview robs that classic George Perez cover for issue #1 from being associated with the first appearances of some iconic characters.  
    I guess iconic is a relative term, but I have a ten year old son, which means that I have probably seen every episode of Teen Titans Go! a dozen times each.  I couldn't help myself when reading the book from mimicking the voices from the show, lol.  It's the one "kids" show that I enjoy watching, as the writing is whip-smart and genuinely funny.  I do find it strange that my son knows who Raven, Starfire and Beast Boy are, and that knowledge didn't stem from me!  I'm sure there are a legion of ten year old's out there just like him.  If that isn't iconic, I don't what is!
    Earlier in the year, I was trying to explain to my son that when I was in school the entire school had to share one computer.  The computer had its own room, and if you were well-behaved you could sign up for free time on the computer to play Oregon Trail.  I don't think I've ever seen someone so confused as I tried to explain to him how "fun" playing Oregon Trail was.  Anyways, two weeks later he comes running into my office to let me know that Teen Titans Go! was doing a whole episode satirizing the Oregon Trail!  It's such a good episode, and did a much better job of explaining it than I did.  "You have died of dysentery" has been a favorite call back line for us ever since!
    Anyways, back to Superman...this issue's main story is plotted and drawn by Jim Starlin, but it's not really good Starlin.  Best to move on, before something drastic happens...

     
  11. tomo
    Back in the day, from 2009-2011, I used to have a blog called The Random Longbox.  The idea, was that I would let a random number generator pick a book at random from my collection that I would then have to read and review.  I had a lot of fun, and enjoyed the pure randomness of pulling a book out of the longboxes and reading with no prior context other than my (faulty at best) memory.
    The old link is long dead at www.randomlongbox.com, but the the original blogspot link is still up and active if anyone is curious to take a look.  www.randomlonbox.blogspot.com
    Seeing as how my buying has been in a bit of lull lately, let's dust off the old randomizer and pull a book out to see if that spurs any conversation for this week.
    And the random book is...

    DC Comics Presents #54 from February 1983.
    This was still two years before I started reading comic books full time, so I had to buy all of my issues after the fact.  This title is probably the first Superman title that I finished a run on when I decided to start refocusing my collection towards Superman.  I had about a dozen or so issues before I saw a listing on eBay for a complete run (minus one issue) for a hundred bucks.  At the time, I was cherry picking random back-issues from my LCS for $0.50 a book, but here was a chance to get nice copies all at once for about a buck a piece.  I jumped on it, and that is where this issue came from.  The books were in great shape, ranging from a 8.5 on up in condition.
    There's nothing really special about this issue, as Superman and Green Arrow team up to battle a rogue industrialist harvesting a new type of "Z" energy.  Unfortunately, the creation of the Z energy emits a smog that covers the country from coast to coast.  Before everything is said and done, Superman has to take down a smog monster composed of "one part smog and five parts Z energy," while Green Arrow rounds up the industrialist's goons.  Pretty typical done in one for a DC book from this time period.  Story by Paul Kupperberg with art by Don Newton and Dan Adkins.  I do quite like the cover though.  And that's a great Commissioner Gordon mustache on Green Arrow!
    Green Arrow also had an earlier appearance in the title in issue #20, again battling a rogue industrialist of sorts, this time in the oil business.

    Nothing like typecasting old Ollie, eh?  Be careful Green Arrow, if the boiling hot geyser doesn't kill you, the fall certainly will.
    Black Canary appeared in issue #54 as well, and she also had an earlier solo appearance in issue #30, facing off against the dream villainy of Doctor Destiny!  

    I just reread the first year of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman last month, and it had completely slipped my mind that Doctor Destiny was a part of the first story arc!  It was good to see him here, after just recently encountering a decidedly more Vertigo take on him over there.  Man, that diner issue was brutal.
  12. tomo
    To wrap things up for the week, let's take a look at a few curious items I found at the estate sale.
    First up are these set of 6 Collector's Series Value Packs.

    I have never seen these before in my time, and I'm still not 100% sure where they came from.  I think these are the mini-comics that came with a cassette tape?  Maybe?
    The second book in each two-pack is either an Untold Legend of the Batman issue, or an Archie book.  Very curious.  I would imagine that these were repackaged and sold to a discounter, but have no other clues to investigate further.
    I also found this collection of re-packaged books too, complete with poster and trading cards.  It doesn't get much more 90's than that.  Well, I suppose pogs do, but the less said about those the better.

    So anyways, that's the story of my greatest find out in the wild.  It's definitely scores like this that keep you going.
    Good hunting, my friends!  Just save some of those Superman books you find out there for me!
  13. tomo
    Day three, in the retelling of my estate sale find recap continues!
    The next book is a hard to find non-key, and was on my radar for some time before I found these.

    Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #106 from November 1970.
    With it's cringe-worthy (if not well-intentioned) look at race relations at the tail end of the civil rights movement amid the rise of the black power movement, this one has been sought after for the historical oddity that it is for a while now.  Snuggled right in the middle of the usual melodrama of Lois pining for Superman in the previous and following issues, this one must have seemed like quite a head scratcher at the time.
    And that title..."I Am Curious (Black)!"  That's poetry right there!
    That black cover doesn't help things any, with trying to find a nice high-grade copy.  For now, I'm content with my mid-grade and two low-grade copies.  Again, not a bad find for a buck fifty!
  14. tomo
    Let's take the first few journal entries and talk about some firsts.
    So what was the first comic book that I ever read?  I can't be 100% sure, but I'm pretty sure it was this one...

    I vividly remember the Christmas I got this, although the year is fuzzy.  I'm guessing it was 1977, and I was 7 years old based on the copyright date.  I also got the Batman treasury with the dead Robin on the cover, and an agonized Batman and Ra's Al Ghul laughing in the background.  Both of these covers are burned into my brain, even though it would be another 8 years before I bought another comic book.
    I always enjoyed reading growing up, but never had been exposed to comic book before this.  Maybe a Mad magazine or two might predate this?  I remember getting a couple of Mad magazines when I got my tonsils out, and that would have been right around this time.
    That's not too bad for the first two examples of comic book art to be Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez and Neal Adams!  This copy is not my original owner, as those were long gone and I'm sure were eventually purged in a room cleaning years later.  This one I got in a killer estate sale a few years ago that I'll probably dedicate a week or two of journal entries on, as it was pretty epic.
    In the interim, it was all Super Friends, Spider-Man, and Batman reruns on t.v.
    Oh yeah, and some movie came out of nowhere that year that completely derailed everything else I was into at the time...
     
  15. tomo
    For my money, Mister Miracle was the most successful of the Fourth World titles in both idea and execution.  The deceptively simple concept, coupled with Kirby's out there early 70's imagination, led to some great stories.
    It took me a while to find a nice copy of Mister Miracle #1 from April 1971.  I finally picked up this nice looking mid grade copy from a fellow boardie for a nice price.

    Look at that cover!  How could you not want to pick that up!  Well, if that one didn't entice you, than surely this one did?

    Mister Miracle #6 from February 1972.  Hands down, my favorite Kirby cover ever.  Beautifully homaged by Jackson Guice for Action Comics #708 from March 1995.

    One last favorite cover of mine is Mister Miracle #13 from April 1973.  I love the twist on the old "damsel in distress tied to the rail road tracks" trope.  And that Kirby train...classic!

    This run also features the 1st appearance of Big Barda in Mister Miracle #4 from October 1971.

    Will Barda and Scott ever make it into the DCEU films?  Call me sentimental, but I could definitely see a high action, super-hero romance film being successful.  Have we had one of those yet?  Deadpool, maybe?  Time will tell, but with the Fourth World coming big time with the Justice League movie, we can only hope...
     
  16. tomo

    Happy 4th of July

    By tomo,

    Seeing as how the oversized treasury editions were released in the mid-70's, there were some great patriotic covers to coincide with the upcoming bicentennial celebration!  I was only  6 ½ at the time, but I seem to recall quite a bit of bicentennial fever leading up to that summer.

    Limited Collectors' Edition #C-38 released on July 3rd, 1975.  The lead off story, reprinted from Superman #48, is the only one with a real patriotic bent.  Superman heads back in time to collect signatures from some of histories greatest figures, including George Washington, Ben Franklin, and Abraham Lincoln, among others.  Also reprinted are the only two appearances of Zigi and Zagi from Alpha Centauri, as well as a classic Mr. Mxzyptlk story featuring little Susie Tompkins.  An odd collection of stories to say the least.
    If you ever do find one of these in the wild, make sure you check to see that it still has the Neal Adams Superman pin-up centerfold attached, as I've come across a few without it.

    Limited Collectors' Edition #C-47 released on May 4, 1976.  Covers just don't get much more patriotic than this one.  I don't have a copy of Superman #14, so this reprint will have to suffice.  Contrary to the cover image, this book isn't really a Superman book per se.  In it, Superman narrates several Tomahawk stories from the time of the American Revolution reprinted from Star Spangled Stories and Tomahawk.
    These two books I got in an auction lot tailor made to me.  It was a collection of 10 different Superman related treasuries all for one price.  My memories a little hazy, but I think I ended paying less than $85 for the lot.  Not bad for bunch of mid to high grade treasuries (including the second Superman/Spider-Man crossover in NM/M condition) that filled quite a few holes in my Superman collection.
    Happy 4th of July everyone!
  17. tomo
    I seem to have stumbled upon a theme week routine here, so let's keep it up looking at some more Kirby Fourth World in detail.  Before the holiday, we had the 1st cameo appearance of Darkseid in SPJO#134, so let's see what else he was up to leading up to his first full appearance.

    Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #135 from January 1971
    I can definitely appreciate what Kirby was going for, with the slow reveal of Darkseid to build up tension, but it sure makes for some lackluster first appearance issues (plural intentional).  Once again, we get a glimpse of Darkseid through a communication monitor.  At least we get two panels this issue, with a nice menacing close up on his eyes...bonus!

    This issue was part of the 3 issue lot that I scored at auction, and is in probably the worst shape of the three.  Waiting for the right upgrade to drop into my lap.  Fantastic Neal Adams cover on this one, as I always love the covers with multiple versions of Superman on them.
    His 3rd appearance is his first full appearance, and that happens in Forever People #1 from March 1971.

    This is one of those tough issues to get from this run with a bone-white background.  As you can see, my copy has some discoloration along the top, and most noticeably on the back cover.  Still, not a bad purchase for $20 back in 2014.
    As for Darkseid, Kirby teases us again with another communication terminal pic...

    ...before going full monty later on in the issue.

    And that's about as good as it gets.  For such an important character in the overall DC universe, he sure does limp into continuity one weak panel after another.  He doesn't even get a good cover appearance during the entirety of the original Fourth World run of titles.  His head appears on New Gods #2, and his silhouette appears on the final issue of Mister Miracle, and that's about it...unless I'm missing one?
  18. tomo

    Collecting Kirby

    By tomo,

    I commented last week about finishing up a mini-run of the 80 pg. Giants sprinkled throughout Action Comics and Superman, but there's also another nice little run that I finally finished up a few weeks ago with this eBay purchase...

    Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #148 from April 1972
    Since I don't really collect any Silver Age Marvel (aside from the odd Avengers or Doctor Strange book that crosses my path) my collection has a serious lack of Jack Kirby goodness.  I started to finally address this gross oversight about six years or so ago by going after the Fourth World titles.  The Jimmy Olsen's were already on my collecting radar, as that's a Superman proper title, but the other's weren't.
    With SPJO#148, this issues polishes off my run of the Jack Kirby Fourth World titles.  This one took me a while, as trying to find some of the white cover issues from this time period can be tough as there are a lot of yellowed covers out there.  That's especially so on the first issue of Forever People!  This one's not bone white, by any stretch, but it's good enough for a non-key issue.
    My 1st Darkseid, however, came rather early as I picked it up in an auction lot of SPJO#133-135 for under $20.  The auction house definitely didn't do themselves any favors by neglecting to state either "134" or "Darkseid" in the auction listing.  This was obviously before the whole market re-oriented on key issues, but I still thought I got a steal at the time.

    It's obviously not a high grade copy, but a solid low-grade copy was good enough for me for the time being while I searched for a high-grade copy.  I mean, after all...this was what the big deal was about anyway...one freaking panel!

    Needless to say, I'm still on the hunt for a high-grade copy, but it'll probably never happen as the prices these days are crazy for this issue, and I just can't justify it.  I usually like my twelve centers to be at least a 7.5 or 8.0, if not higher.  When it comes to expensive key book upgrades, this one will more than likely stay on the bottom of the list.
    The rest of the Jimmy Olsen issues from #133-148 I picked up dirt cheap, as this was right when my LCS was starting up their auction business and I was apparently the only one interested in the post-Marvel work of Jack Kirby!  Crazy...
  19. tomo
    Yesterday we had a lot of fun with the board game cover of AC#360, so let's see what other "interactive" covers we have.

    Here's Action Comics #344 from December 1966.
    This cover boasts a mystery to solve, with all of the "Bat-Clues" right there on the cover.  Superman is having nightmares, and it's up to us to figure out the cause!
    Let's give it a good look...there's a crystal man on the cover, doing his best Santa Claus impersonation while a multitude of Supermen are frozen in an infinite array of ice blocks.  Going solely by the cover, I'm guessing that an alien subconsciousness has possessed Superman and is attempting to create an army of Supermen to take over the world by manifesting through Superman's dreaming state?  Maybe?
    So how correct was I?  Let's give it a read and find out...
    Well, don't I feel stupid now.  In reality...and spoilers from here on out for anyone who wants to read the book first...
    Looking back at the cover in hindsight, it's all so obvious now!
    Anyways, this issue was another eBay purchase that was one of my earliest mid-60's books.  It's got a great Curt Swan infinity cover, with just a hint of that DC purple background! The inside story is drawn by Wayne Boring, who will always be one of my favorite Superman artists.  This was during his last regular run on the Superman books, before he was shuffled off.  He really gets to let loose here, as there are three dreams sequences that he's allowed to interpret in his signature style.  Good stuff!
  20. tomo

    Board Game Cover

    By tomo,

    Here's another recent eBay purchase.

    Action Comics #360 from April 1968.
    This was the last of the 80 pg. Giant's that I needed for the Action/Superman collection, so I was very pleased to find a nice presenting, mid-high grade copy for a reasonable price.  This one cost me under $20 with shipping, so I call that a win.  
    There's nothing better than knocking off one of your mini-goals!  I still have quite a few of the 80-pagers that I need to upgrade into 7.0 or above territory, but those are going to come as the deals present themselves.  As a run collector, I'm content to let the upgrades find me, as I focus most of my attention on the new issues.
    In celebration, let's play the exciting game on the cover!  I just happen to have a six sided die here, so let's give it a roll...

    ...and it's a 6...
    That lands me on "Enter Malvern. Go ahead 1".
    All right, so that puts me on "Supergirl Regains Her Powers.  Go ahead 2"
    Moving forward 2 puts me on "Supergirl's Immune to Kryptonite.  Go ahead 3"
    Man, I am on fire.  Moving ahead 3 puts me into a fight with "The Infinite Monster.  Go back 2"
    Oh, no...moving back 2 spaces puts me into quite the dilemma for the politically incorrect world of the mid 60's..."Linda Becomes Fat.  Lose 1 turn"
    There's no one else playing, so I guess I'll just have to take a moment to think about my life choices that led me to this rotund state.  With that out of the way, let's roll those dice again...

    ...and it's a 4...
    That put's me on "Jerro the Merboy.  Go ahead 2"
    And moving 2 spaces forward puts on the FINISH line, I win!  Yea me!
    That's quite an action packed game, as I essentially took 7 turns and lost a turn with only 2 rolls of the dice.  How this book made it out of the 60's without an excessive amount of cover wear from all of the dice and token marks on the cover put there during the hours of endless entertainment is a true mystery for the ages!
  21. tomo

    Happy Father's Day

    By tomo,

    Happy belated Father's Day to all you Dad's out there, as I'm sure this forum has their fair share of 'em!  I got these two lego guys from my wife and son.

    I'm pretty sure I have an unhealthy obsession with Lego, as I got so pleased to see a Bizarro lego figure.  Bizarro?!  C'mon, that's just fantastic.  At this point, I think my obsession with Lego's has turned Pavlovian, as I see a kit and I just have to build it immediately.
    And that's not even touching on the fact that they made a kit for the Supermobile!  Good stuff all around.  Although it's funny, as I was putting the Bizarromobile together I had to keep double checking the instructions as I couldn't understand why the tail fin is in front...that doesn't make any sense.  Then it hit me.  Me am Bizarro!  Of course he sits backwards in his car!
    Anyways, here's my copy of Action Comics #481 from March of 1978, featuring the first appearance of the Supermobile!

    And my beat to heck Whitman variant...

    Speaking of Pavlovian responses, I have the same thing with Whitman variants.  I see one, and I have to buy it, no matter what the condition.  It's not like they are exceptionally valuable in anything other than NM condition, so who knows why.  This issue cost me $0.50 from a flea market booth, so I probably overpaid!
     
  22. tomo
    At this point, we might as well round out the rest of this week with more Gorillas.
    Here we have King Krypton, the Super-Gorilla!

    Action Comics #238
    This issue features the first, and only, appearance of King Krypton.  I won't spoil the ending that necessitates this being his only appearance, so you'll just have to trust me on this one.
    I love this cover for two reasons.  First, it's a gorilla in the Superman costume.  Second, it's the improbable physics involved.  You're telling me that a tree trunk is not only going to stay in one piece after smacking Superman in the head, but also drive him straight into the ground.  I think not!
    This issue I got from an original owner collection that was part of an auction at my LCS.  More on this auction later, trust me.  It was a doozy and set the record for not only the most I ever paid for a single issue at the time, but also the most I ever shelled out in one day.
    We'll finish up tomorrow with arguably the greatest of all Superman gorilla covers.  Any guesses?
  23. tomo
    Yesterday we saw my latest semi-key monkey book.  Today, let's take a look at another.

    Superman #127
    The first appearance of Titano, from February 1959!
    This copy I bought off of eBay about 4 or 5 years ago.  It looked great in the scan, so I was surprised that I was able to sneak in and snag it for under $50.  Especially knowing the fascination with monkeys, apes, and DC.
    Initially, I thought the top edge might have been trimmed, as that upper right corner is just too sharp.  Once in hand though, it looks uncut.  There are a few tiny specks of color loss on the cover, but those might be printing defects.  And aside from a few tiny spine nicks and the slightly abraded lower left corner, this one is a beauty.  I'd conservatively grade it an 8.0.  I guess we'll find out sometime in the future when I send my next batch of key Superman books off to CGC.
  24. tomo
    Here's my newest acquisition, straight from the wilds of eBay.

    Superboy #76
    When I first discovered the eBay alerts were a thing, this was one of the first that I set up.  I have no idea why it took such precedence, as it's just the first appearance of a very minor character, that being Beppo, the Super-Monkey!  In all reality, who wouldn't want this book, am I right?
    Over the intervening years, I have found it near impossible to find a nice looking copy at a fair price.  There is something about DC silver age books with monkeys and apes that bring out the big bucks.  With that in mind, I just decided to pick up a VG copy so that I can finally cross this one off of my list.
    Anyways, this listing came across my radar so I put in an opening bid of ten bucks, and won it.  I'm sure the "R.H." initials put some bidders off, but personalizations like this don't really bug me.  In some cases, like with date stamps, they add to the charm of a book.  Knowing that little Robby Harrison (or maybe Ronnie Hargrove, or Richie Holt, or Robin Hunter, or Reginald Hawksmoor III) took the time to initial his/her book shows that it was well loved back in 1959.  Now if it was initialed with a big black permanent marker, that would be a different story.
    Even though I initially won this auction for $9.99 (plus free shipping!), I actually ended up getting it for free.  When it arrived at my house, I opened up the box and Superboy #44 was inside instead.  Uh oh...I contacted the seller and he was really apologetic about it, and had a bunch of different orders shipping, and it's obvious he got a couple of labels confused.  I offered to send the Superboy 44 on to it's correct owner and waited for my issue to work its way to me.  The seller ended up crediting my purchase, as the other buyer never responded to his emails.  Fast forward a week, and the seller emails me to let me know that he found my book misplaced in a stack of other books and would send it out to me at no cost.
    So I ended up getting this book for free, losing only a little bit of my time in the process.  I call that a win!  The seller also got a future customer in me, as I appreciated the above and beyond customer service that he provided.
  25. tomo

    The next first

    By tomo,

    So yesterday was the first comic I ever read, and coincidentally enough, it was a Superman book.  What was the first Superman comic book I bought once I decided to start reading and collecting?
    That honor goes to Superman (Vol. 2) #13 from 1988.

    As I said in my first journal entry, I was pretty much a Marvel zombie for the first 7 or 8 years of my reading and collecting.  I remember getting the Crisis mini-series as it was fresh on the stands right when I started reading.  I was enjoying the heck out Secret Wars which had just wrapped up, and was expecting another tale in that vein.  Needless to say, I was a tad overwhelmed with all the characters I was unfamiliar with.  I think I was confused, yet fascinated, at the same time reading this series.  It didn't hook me like Secret Wars did, but I would eventually come around and that title remains one of my most common re-reads to this day.
    So back on track to this issue.  It's funny, as I read the Crisis mini-series but never bought any of the tie-ins.  Here, I don't own the Millennium series, yet a have several of the tie-ins.  I guess my OCD with collecting hadn't hit full bloom yet in late 1987.
    For those keeping score at home, so far we've hit Garcia-Lopez, Adams, Perez, and Byrne...all in their heydays.
    Anyway, I bought this issue...read it...and then filed it away, quickly going back to the X-Men and Avengers.