Bigfiver691

And this... a New York Times obit, and deservedly so. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/19/books/sam-glanzman-dead-comic-book-artist-of-combat.html

Very sorry to hear this news, Mick. Sam was amazing - USS Stevens, GI Combat (he drew more Haunted Tank stories than anyone), his stories in Dell's Combat, not to mention a lot of memorable art in the Charlton war books. Battle Albums! Table top dioramas! Sam gave us a massive volume of work, always top-notch, always with enormous verve and energy. So sad. When I started getting back into collecting, there were so many creators still with us. Sigh... Shep

Been a while since I've been on this thread. Here are some recent pickups...

OAAW #218 is technically bronze age, but the backup story is the first appearance of the USS Stevens series, which became a storied, long running back up feature in DC's war books. Generally considered a key. OAAW #196 is a very important book, in that it marks the beginning of Joe Kubert's editorial run on the title (and the other DC war books). But what's critical is the shift in tone that this book represents... Kubert made a distinct editorial decision to use the war books as an antiwwar statement in response to Viet Nam, starting with OAAW 196. He wanted to portray the characters less as superheroes and more as just humans with strengths and weaknesses, flaws and virtues. In this issue, Sgt. Rock basically has a breakdown in response to the unending combat. He's portrayed as vulnerable and painfully human, and he questions everything. I had a chance to speak to Joe about this many years ago, and I asked him point blank if it was overtly his intention to make an antiwar statement through his editorship, and indeed he said it was. In many ways, an strong argument can be made that this actually the first book of the bronze age, depending on how you define that era. If we see the BA as a period where the stories are more mature, more reflective of the culture, where the focus on characters turns more towards their humanity rather than just their superpowers, this is the book that started that... all by Kubert's design. Argument can also be made that OAAW #160 marks the beginning of this approach. But #196 seems to mark the real shift in gears that propels this title in the storytelling style of the bronze age. Shep

I think the War comics gods are starting to toy with me... Had a meeting downtown, and a local comic shop recently moved locations nearby. I strolled in, and in the first silver age box I picked through, I found these two beauties... both important keys. Both less than the price of dinner and a movie. No doubt this is a bit of luck, but finding books like these for the equivalent of about $25 USD seems unusual. Has the market softened up recently, or are these anomalies? Lemme know what you think.... Shep OAAW 196... one of the most important DC books of this era in any genre. VF, maybe a little better... And while bronze age, also posting because it's just such a great book. OAAW 218. First USS Stevens by Sam Glanzman. NM, and one of the most nicely centred copies of this I have seen...

Hey Andy! Sorry I haven't been by the shop to see you... haven't been in London as much this year, even though my son has been going to Western! Before the end of the summer for sure, though... I'll give you a heads up. Shep

Thanks gents. I don't know if this qualifies for 'back in the game', but it was a real pleasure bring this little gem home and thumbing through it. As for these new-look boards, I have to say that I like them. The notifications are great. Shep

Hey gents, Passed my old LCS today, and saw this on the wall. Couldn't resist. First one in a looooong time, but can you blame me? Not high grade by any stretch, but it's solid and the price was right. One of my top 10 for sure... Hope all are well, Shep

A 9.4 copy of Our Army at War #218. Heaven. As I continue to pursue the Bronze Age Our Army at War run, there have been a few surprises along the way. One is that - without question - this is going to a long and expensive process, as these books are proving tougher to find than I had anticipated. But the big discovery is, frankly, the simple thrill of finding certain books in certified high grade. Our Army at War #218 is a case in point. The 218 is one of the classic issues of this title. I first found a copy about 6 years ago in small hole in the wall store in Orlando, Florida. It was a FN, and I remember that despite the grade, I couldn't wait to read it. I had heard about the book from fellow collectors. The reason OAAW #218 is so dear to me is that it has both an incredible Russ Heath art job on the Sgt. Rock tale, AND a key backup story - the first appearance of the USS Stevens by writer and artist Sam Glanzman. The USS Stevens was one of the most popular and successful backup series in DC war comics. So it was a book I always wanted to have. When the sole 9.4 copy of this book came up, I knew I had to have it, and thankfully Frank and Stephen at Metropolis made it possible for me to get it. In addition to all of this, it's the Oakland copy. So I have finally been able to get an example from this well-known pedigree into my collection. I have a raw copy of this book that would probably grade 9.0/9.2 but there really is no describing the thrill of opening the FedEx box and holding this book. And in the end, it's moments like those that make the hours and hours of searching completely worthwhile.

How do you build a better collection? After spending the past month scouring the usual sources for 9.4 CGC copies of Our Army at War, I have found about 8 and purchased 4 of them. Truthfully, I thought that there would have been more buying opportunities out there. I'm quite suprised that there aren't more slabbed 1975-1976 books on the market. Then, there are raw books purported to be in 9.4 - as we all know, few dealers grade as tighty as CGC, and since I live far from large shops and cons, I have to rely on internet deals. Sometimes books come back looking 9.4, while other come back looking 8.5 - not particularly reliable. So, am I better off buying raw and submitting, or holding out until nice certified copies appear? Tough call, but in truth, I am leaning towards holding out for the already certified copies. But man, are they scarce. Shep

War isn't Hell. Finding 9.4s is. When I started collecting war comics again seven years ago (after a nearly 20 year lay-off), I thought I'd be happy with a nearly complete, mid-grade set of bronze age books. Over time, however, and thanks largely to the advice and guidance of some very respected high grade collectors of this and other genres, I have been focussing on getting my books in higher and higher grade. I very recently made the decision to begin compiling a 9.4+ set of Our Army at War from 1968 to 1977, to have in addition to my complete 8.0 - 9.4 raw set. I am amazed at how few of these books actually appear on the market at any one time - probably a blessing, due to the cost. I have just received my first 9.4s, issues #236 and #244, both sweet 52 pagers. It will be an adventure, and it will take a long time, but please keep checking back in from time to time to see how the set is coming along. And don't hesitate to give me a shout. Shep