tomo

Hats off to a great thread! It was nice being able to tune in every couple of days and find a non-AF15 post to read in Silver Age!

That book is going to be huge, with 50+ issues!

While not necessarily Superman titles, I do consider the Fourth World books Superman-adjacent, since they did kick off in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen. So today, let's take a look at the series that laid down a lot of the mythology to come. New Gods #1 from March 1971. I think out of all the Fourth World titles, this cover is not only a classic, but probably one of my personal favorites as well. I love the oversized logo, the black and white background, and the oversaturated colors on Orion really pop. This was one of the last books that I needed to complete the run, and almost didn't get it. I was going to be out of town and unavailable during the auction at my LCS for this one, so I put in an absentee bid of $30 since the picture wasn't the greatest. Low and behold, the other on-line bidder stopped at just under $30, so it was waiting for me when I got back into town. Aside from the small mis-wrap, the books a stunner and I couldn't be happier. It was one situation where a low-res picture worked in my favor. The other (relatively new) big dog from this series is the 1st appearance of Steppenwolf, in New Gods #7 from March 1972. I picked this one up well before the movie hype, so it only cost me $10. I still can't believe how cheap the DC Kirby stuff was going for, not even 5 years ago. This cover is not one of the stronger of the run, as the coloring on this one just seems to mute all of the detail. At least Steppenwolf made the cover for his 1st appearance! Finally, we have what is my other favorite cover from this series... New Gods #11 from November 1972. It's a great action packed cover, and in my opinion, the only thing keeping it from legendary status is that the Black Racer is in the background. Imagine this cover with an imposing figure of Darkseid in his place, watching his two sons go at it. I realize that the Black Racer was there to amp up the stakes, but c'mon...the Black Racer? He's one of the few lost opportunities with the Fourth World, as far as I'm concerned.

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?

About two months ago, I decided a needed to seriously address a couple of holes in my Superman collection that had been bothering me for a couple of years. I heard through the grapevine that this one guy had a massive collection of books, and just might have the couple I was looking for. Turns out he has a website. I barely made it out of there with my retinas and wallet intact!

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!

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...

He has a few comic books left. Nothing that hasn't been picked over or refreshed in the last two years, however. i did find a nice mid-grade Lois Lane #23 there for a decent price last year though.

That should've read "fifty dollars more." And I did end up getting close to $100 for my #1.

Good catch with Jimmy's tie. I caught that Perry White had the bow-tie, but missed the corresponding incorrect neckwear on Jimmy!

Let's round out this week with one last interactive cover of sorts. Action Comics #388 from May 1970 So what is wrong with this cover? Let's count 'em up... Krytpo as Streaky One Way road sign pointing up Cosmic Boy's gloves Cosmic Boy's legs are white Saturn Girl's logo Superman wearing glasses Superman has long hair (damn hippy!) Superman has short cape Superman's chest emblem backwards Flash marking on Superman's left arm Bizarro's chest emblem backwards Bizarro throwing confetti Jimmy "Mr. Action" Olsen sleeping while his signal watch is going off Perry White in a bow-tie Perry White smoking a pipe Brainiac in Mr. Mxyzptlk's costume Brainiac holding up a sign supporting Superman Brainiac has a DC logo on his chest The Batmobile is red Supergirl throwing spaghetti Supergirl wearing a kryptonite bracelet Supergirl missing her cape Supergirl has an "S" logo on her back, with inverted colors Argo City no longer around in this continuity ...and perhaps the most unbelievable thing of all...Lois Lane as Superman's bride? Right, like that will ever happen!

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!

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!

If only I was a little old lady, at least then I could've gotten the senior citizen discount like the 75 year old driver whose case was heard right before mine did. i kid you not...a senior citizens discount for traffic tickets! Who knew?

So after about 2 ½ hours at the local courthouse yesterday, I got my 3 point traffic citation reduced to a zero point infraction for impeding traffic. The actual fine went up $30, but I'd gladly pay that to avoid the higher insurance rates associated with a 3 point ticket. Especially considering the fact that my wife and I just bought a new car last week! Here's Superman impeding traffic, from Superman #85 from 1953. This is another book from one of my LCS' monthly auctions. I had already bought a few Superman books during this session, and this one was an afterthought since I already had a stack going. I normally don't go for books with parts of the cover missing, but for $15 I'll make an exception for a book that's 60+ years old. It was only after thumbing through my books, trying to find an appropriate cover of Superman messing with cars, that it hit me that perhaps one of the most iconic comic book covers of all time would've fit the bill quite nicely. Now that's how you impede traffic!

Just when you think you've seen every DC gorilla cover, along comes another...

I actually worked this journal entry up over the weekend, as right now i'm in court trying to fight a traffic ticket. In all honesty it's more of a "can you take my good driving record into consideration, put me on probation for six months, and take the points off of my ticket please?" than a 12 Angry Men type situation. We'll see how that turns out tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy these covers of Superman getting hassled by the man! Action Comics #359 I'm questioning the the capabilities of Superman's defense lawyer, allowing this little girl to tug at the juror's heartstrings like this. This copy I picked up in an auction bulk lot at my LCS. I'll spill the beans on that situation in the near future, as that's the site of my all time greatest pick-up...stay tuned... Action Comics #556 Hopefully I can put up a better defense than Superman here. This issue I picked up early on in my decision to start collecting the entire run of Action and Superman. I bought a large amount of my copper and bronze runs out of the back of The Comic Buyer's Guide magazine in the early 2000's. It only cost me a buck, so I'm sure it came from one of those bulk buys. Action Comics #319 I can't see things turning out this bad in court, fingers crossed. I picked up this issue at the Motor City Comic Con, probably 8 years ago or so. I remember a dealer had a bunch of nice mid to high grade silver age books for cheap, $5-10 each. I bought a nice stack, but it wasn't until I got home that I saw the extra embellishment on the face of one of the jailers. D'oh... World's Finest Comics #145 ...and if you do ever end up in jail, let's hope Batman is never your jailer. That guy's a real piece of work. This particular issue was another pick up from one of my LCS' auction nights. Make sure you tune in tomorrow, and we'll see how my pleading with the court for mercy turns out.

I don't think I've ever seen this cover before, thanks for sharing!

This one would definitely be a top five contender for sure. Its funny, when I compare Marvel and DC Books from this same era, it's like looking at books from two different Earths...Earth-1 and Earth-What?! DC was the powerhouse, with three decades of solid publishing to back it up, but if I was ten years old in 1965 I'm pretty sure Marvel would have been getting my 12 cents. Looking back as an aging collector, there's a certain charm and sense of history that I get from the DC books as they progress from decade to decade that makes me happy as a run collecter. Perhaps there's an essay in here somewhere for another day...

And finally, we have what has to be the greatest of all Superman gorilla covers...or at least the zaniest! Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #98 I mean, c'mon...what's not to love about this one... Jimmy as Tarzan, getting married to a female King Kong in a bridal veil, with the ceremony being performed by Superman, who just happens to be the local witch doctor. Since he's a witch doctor, he has brought with him his boiling cauldron. It's good to know they went for at least one aspect of realism with this cover! Whatever drugs they were smoking back in 1966, I hope that a) they didn't screw up the writer and artist for life, or b) they helped you make heads or tails of this cover! This particular issue I got in a bulk lot of Jimmy Olsen titles from one of the LCS' auctions. I think I ended up paying under $2 when everything was said and done. Always on the prowl for an upgrade of this one. Have a great weekend everyone. Don't do anything rash that you'll regret like our impetuous friend Jimmy!

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?

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.

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.

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!

Spoilers!!