MAY1979

Time will tell. It will be interesting if breaks that way, given the social media 1st app and 1st issue speculators buy the label not the book crowd still won't care BTW collectors of the newsstand might want to keep it quiet if they believe it's picking up steam in an effort to keep prices down while they buy stuff up.

Great innovative and unique Hannigan cover design. Love that "forced" angled perspective. Probably my favorite cover in the run.

Many eBay sellers and seemingly most auction houses rarely if ever make any mention of Newsstand thus sampling likley too tiny to be a valid mechanism for historical sales. It's strictly eye of beholder type stuff. I know of other collectors like myself who prefer a book the way they remember having it back in the day. I'm willing to pay a small amount extra (roughly 10% max and only if Marvel - DC's pretty much look the same) if I had the newsstand back in the day but that's as far as it goes. Conversely if I had a direct sale when I was young I want a direct sale now.

I wonder if pressing works the same on thick stock covers? Is it even safe on them?

and the only Comic Book cover I can draw pencil and ink just as well as the original artist Solar 10, like most Valiant, there were a metric ton (edit: as was pointed out pre-Unity #1 , thus merely 1/2 a metric ton) printed but look how few in percentage there are in CGC 9.8. Very, very difficult to score in 9.8 the only reason there are the 150 or so on the census is due to the overall quantity produced.. Even the tiniest of defects is glaring on the cover. I got mine in my youth, I was an instant big Solar fan after scoring many Gold Keys in 4 for $1 bins circa 1990. Sent my #10 in to CGC years back as I knew I had a shot at 9.8 but had been wrong about these type things before. It did grade at 9.8, glad I waited back in the day for the 2nd printing to read the book. Solar 10 remains my favorite Valiant book, with Shadowman #1 second, Solar 1 third, then Magnus 1 and 12 forth and fifth,. Harbinger never really did it for me same goes for X-O. The Boniface Shadowman being my favorite original Valiant character creation.

Yes that is the oldest/first label IMHO the "old school slab" both, original red and blue, carry a slight premium with some collectors. It's pretty much a guarantee that the book has not been pressed especially if it is was a comic with low value back then like the Moon Knight. Of course the cert number woudl remain the same but still seeing that older label (aka Flip) as mentioned will entice certain collectors as they know not pressed. I've some high grade Silver and Bronze Age in those circa 2000-2002 labelled slabs that I would never consider having re-holder-ed. My opinion keep the old slab! As for the all things first appearance or #1 issue modern day crowd who buy the holder (and label) not the book my guess is they want the newest and shiniest, newton rings not withstanding, they also will leave the hobby when something else catches their short attention span IMHO of course! P.S. If my MK#1 in circa 2019 slab was a direct sale, I'd offer you a trade.

From 1978-1981 he was for a time the regular penciller of Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four and Thor . The former 2 listed at the time were Marvel's flagships titles. He also did bunch of covers for various books: https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Keith_Pollard/Cover_Artist I'm big fan of his work from that era! Underrated IMHO for that time frame. His later art was not my cup of team however.

New and Official: https://groo.com/

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Nice Book! Good to see Pollard getting some love even though those most of those now seeking the issue have no idea who he is

Until proof is demonstrated then it might as well be Action #1 Also I don't understand the true topic ask anyhow

Ok. However, the 181 cover is not confirmed to exist. If we are talking about all art that is not confirmed extant than it would dwarfed by the value of Action #1 and Detective #27. BTW at the time Mr Wein did not want it know what he truly owned out of fear.

Today would be millions. As it turned out the GS X-Men 1 cover was not in his home, perhaps it was pre-lim or not published. The published OA was already owned by Eurotrip co-writer Mandel at that point; https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=536337 If this topic is not limited to OA confirmed to actually exist then you might as well just state Action #1 and Detective #27 and and close it down I don't think much else would top those 2 in final Auction Hammer price.

Lost in a California wildfire that claimed Len Wein's home back in 2009 along with complete 181 interiors. All well documented a dozen years ago. RIP Len Wein. BTW - how is "Greatest" quantified?

"Mildew Perigree", that stinks

Yep, that is the reason not in higher demand it appears in about half of DC books cover dated Nov 1982. My favorites of which are NTT 25, JLA 208, Daring Adventures of Supergirl #1, All-Star Squadron 15, Captain Carrot 9.

1st Miller DD; Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man v1 #27,28

On nearly all graded books I'm one copy then it's been there done that. With some exceptions: There are few books with special meaning to me I have sought out multiple graded copies, usually one direct sale (if applicable), one newsstand and one creator or artist autographed. Also since I almost never sell a Comic Book I do have multiples of a bunch books I've later acquired in higher grade.

It is my honor to report here that the Thanos Copter exists in the MCU! Loki S01E05 https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/loki-episode-5-thanos-copter-tom-hiddleston-b1879600.html?jwsource=cl

I've wonder about that 282 letters pages for years. Knew it was on all copies but no idea why. BTW a great page 1 splash in 282 with a unique Thor image in the vein of the half Spider-Man/half Peter Parker face.

Cool as I picked up the majority of Vanes collection. Still smarting over I was a few days late for the Best of DC #3 "Super Friends". If possible PM me with list of any Digest you have available that is CGC graded.

Why no DC? Given my digest collection is exclusively DC, I'm taking it a tad personally

Nice write up. I feel the better comparison though is to Hulk 182 not 180. Hulk 180 is the 1st appearance (cameo) of Wolverine. ASM 129 is 1st Punisher, 134 is 2nd Punisher (cameo). Hulk 182 is 3 app (cameo ) of Wolverine.

My first (owned not read) Groo issue and still my favorite is Eclipse's Groo Special 1 from 10/84. I recall for decades it had a higher value than Groo #1 due the low distribution. The comic shop I got mine from back then only had placed the minimum order which as I recall was 3 pieces. Luckily I found one I thought was is nice shape and treated it very carefully as during my childhood $2 was a decent sum to me. Fast forward 17 years later I sent to CGC and received what I believe was the first 9.8 of the book. It's actual value though is not relevant to me though as my actual childhood copy graded CGC 9.8w in 1st gen slab is priceless.