Off Panel

Hey, you got your #1! Congrats!

I finally got around to upgrading an early CGC purchase. ASM 112 9.6 Off-White to a 9.8 White copy. When Disney+ announces their new MCU police procedural, Spidey Cops Out!, I'll be really glad I've got two of these.

Burial at C++.

I’ll second that. I would caution sellers against believing that “all attention is good attention.” When I see shenanigans like this, the perpetrator goes into my “avoid forever” pile. I can’t tell if a seller who overvalues his books so egregiously is an insufficiently_thoughtful_person, a con artist, or just the kind of individual that rhymes with “glass bowl,” but I know I’m not going to try a transaction to find out which one.

Okay, I really like legacy numbering. What I hate is the need for legacy numbering. The legacy numbering should be the numbering. Publishers: please stop rebooting your books every time you get a new writer, or start a new story arc, or the year changes, or a butterfly flaps it’s wings in Tokyo. You may think it’s a great jumping-on point, but it’s just as good a jumping off point. How many here stopped collecting Amazing Spider-man with issue #441? Spider-woman has had as many “volumes” as some books have had issues. Ugh. I know that I’m howling into the void on this one, but man, it peeves me.

While I don’t feel quite as strongly as jimbo, I’m another one who doesn’t like to buy comics with writing or drawing on them, even if it’s the signature/work of someone I admire. I’ve made a few exceptions, but these were very special cases. I’ve been looking for an ASM 120 in 9.8 with white pages for a couple of years now. Three times I’ve seen one come up for auction and I get all excited before noticing it’s a Signature Series and immediately move on. The signature craze is actually a little worrisome to me when I think about how few copies of some high grade books have survived 50 or 60 or 70 years only to get Sharpie’d in 2021. R.I.P.

That’s the Irish movie review site, isn’t it?

To echo what Scrooge said, the post office often reports that they have delivered specific pieces of mail to us the day before they actually deliver it. I don’t know if it’s to make their metrics look better or what. I hope this is what has happened to you and you get a nice surprise tomorrow.

I can only speak for myself, but I’ve had a great experience buying from Doug. I bought multiple books in both the May and June Pedigree auctions and couldn’t be happier with the outcomes.

First 9.9 for this book.

I’m torn on this. I would think an experienced seller (and this appears to be an experienced seller) would have the same concerns about this book that we do. Having said that, this individual actually has the case in hand and may be able to absolutely rule out that the book has been cracked. Even if it is obvious that mistakes were made, what obligation does a seller have to caveat a case/grade that has not been tampered with? I don’t have the answer, but I would be livid if I bought this book (with the seller for “cheating” me and with myself for not paying enough attention to the photos).

Forget the spine ticks, forget the staple tear, forget the ragged edge at the bottom … there is a 1” color-breaking bend at the top left corner that would immediately disqualify this book no questions asked. This is not a case of “intelligent people can disagree.” You can’t convince me that this was the book CGC graded. It’s not even like the damages (with the exception of that staple) are candidates for shaken comic syndrome.

So, is this a case of the original book being cracked out and a lower grade book snuck into the holder? I know CGC misses a call sometimes, but they aren’t giving that book a 9.6 on their worst day.

Kav awoke and smelt the coffee. (Which apparently means he also dealt the coffee.)

Is it just me or is her head flying slightly faster than her body?

Plot Twist: Disney+ announces a new show called “Dazzler #9.” Your book is now worth a million dollars.

Okay Herb Trimpe isn't my most favorite artist ever, but the man could actually draw and sometimes quite well. I keep thinking that the reason he enjoyed this style so much was that he was making fun of Liefeld and probably just convulsing with laughter every time he finished another figure. TRIMPE: (calling to his wife in the next room) "Honey...(ha ha ha)...honey, you've got to come...(ooooh hahahahahahah)...come here and look at THIS ONE! (AHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA)...ohgod...

Might get a little loud and messy when you eat a steak though…

Several people have noted (and I agree) that the word “cameo” is problematic. Most would consider a “cameo” to be a brief guest appearance of an already established character. If I ruled the world, I would change this to “first glimpse” appearance. We see the character for the first time, maybe a partial drawing or maybe “in all his glory” (or her glory, or its glory as the case may be), but only in a single page or panel. This is to whet the reader’s appetite and ensure they show up next month for the first full appearance. In my mind, while valuable and significant, these panels might as well be titled “Next Month in Incredible Hulk!” (or Amazing Spider-man, etc). I do see a lot of value in these “first glimpse” appearances (and so does the market — an Incredible Hulk 180 in CGC 9.8 may set you back $40k these days! Respect!), but as a collector, the “first full appearance” is my priority. I think that is true for most, which is why 181 is the more valuable book. If you ask comic book collectors what happened in Wolverine’s first appearance, the vast majority will say, “He fought the Hulk!” (IH 181). Very few will say, “He struck a pose and shouted his own name!” (IH 180).

Stilt-man’s signature move.

Your no-prize is on its way, sir. Bonus points for not mentioning unstable molecules or Pym particles.

Okay, it pains me to post a Romita cover to this thread -- I love Romita -- but even beautifully drawn, this one qualifies. No physicist I, even eight-year-old me realized that something wasn't working with the Kangaroo's path up the radio tower. If you leap up, gravity will pull you down. However, if you leap left, gravity will not pull you right. Sure, the comic ends a lot sooner, but gravity is a harsh mistress.

Thanks, man. You’re already a rock star. Meanwhile, at CGC, the big red light just started flashing as tendrils of smoke curl up from under the door to the server closet…

I did the same thing. I think it’s the first time my Google results just said “whatever.”

Top Five Conspiracy Theories About The Boards Going Down: 5. Kav told the forum software it could do what it wants! 4. System meltdown after Buzzetta created a sales thread and accidentally linked a Nickelback song 3. Re-org assigns server maintenance to the CGC Quality Control department. 2. All of CryptoMillionaire’s posts are just thinly designed scripts for mining Bitcoin. 1. Servers are now housed in Purple-label slabs since being restored.