Big Daddy Posted January 6, 2009 Author Share Posted January 6, 2009 Depends on if you're looking at art wise or storyline wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hepcat Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Here`s what my GL collection looked like before Spunkydo cleared me out: How could he have been so heartless? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hepcat Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 I finally have something new to add to this thread. I now have completed 1-41 !! :banana: All slabbed 9.0's? How are you collecting them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hepcat Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 (edited) Well, it seems like there still is some life in this thread. It's great to hear from and see posts from friends and those I haven't had the opportunity to actually have any real interaction with. As promised, I'm posting the second of my most recent acquisitions, Green Lantern v2 #24 9.6 Off-White to White (OWW) from the Pacific Coast collection. I have been eyeing this book for at least two years (ever since I discovered the Pacific Coast collection), but had to keep pushing it back on the priority list because of other opportunities that came up. Nevertheless, this is one of my favorite early Kane covers (similar to Green Lantern #57, where Hal Jordan is standing between the hand of Major Disaster and the Earth). Further, having a black cover and being an early SA comic, it is a very difficult book to find in the highest of grades, as evidenced by this being the solo 9.6 with no 9.4s in the Census. The significance of this book is, of course, in that it introduced Shark into the Green Lantern narrative. Shark won't appear on a cover until GL #28, but he is one of the GL villains that has remained prominent from the Silver Age to the most recent storylines, like Sinestro, Hector Hammond, Black Hand, Star Sapphire and a few others. Of course, the current Geoff Johns & Ethan Van Sciver Shark looks much different than the original, as you can see below from the cover of Green Lantern v4 #5). Shark started as a tiger shark that was mutated by nuclear waste, a frequent origin story in Silver Age comics, as the atomic bomb had exploded onto the historical stage. His powers included telepathy, telekinesis, energy bolts, and the ability to cause fear in others. In GL #24, it was the last of these gifts that he tried to use against Hal Jordan (DC's "man without fear") and though he discovered Jordan's weakness to the color yellow through his telepathy, he was still unable to defeat the stalwart hero. Since there is life again, for the moment, in my favorite thread, I will continue to post my collection in order, starting where I left off, which means the next book will be Green Lantern v2 #8, a favorite among collectors (both GL and other). Green Lantern v2 #24 9.6 OWW Pacific Coast pedigree (Origin and first appearance of Shark) That's perhaps my all-time favourite Green Lantern cover, perhaps/partially because it was the first Green Lantern I actually bought as a kid. I'm leaning toward upgrading my existing copy which I acquired perhaps twenty years ago because of a minor 'defect". I get pickier and pickier over the years and drive myself crazy that way. Edited January 7, 2009 by Hepcat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hepcat Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 (edited) With a special thanks to tth2 for allowing me to add this important book to my collection, this next post is for my collecting buddy Mercede, who has some of the most beautiful key DC issues in his own collection. The book is Green Lantern v2 #8 9.4 Off-White (OW), topping out the Census on its own. Difficult to find in high grade and highly desired by collectors of all stripes, as well as Green Lantern aficionados, Gil Kane's amazing 50's-style monster cover uses the "grey tone" technique, also known as the "painted cover" because pencil or charcoal underlying the original pencilled image is used to enhance the effects of light and shadow to produce a more aesthetic quality. The cover has a noticeably richer depth with its richer hues. This book is also notable for having the first 5700 A.D. storyline, where humans from the future transport Hal Jordan to help them. His memory is modified so that me may take on the role as Solar Director of that time and save humanity from a race of ray-blasting mutant gila monsters. Green Lantern v2 #8 9.4 OW (First 5700 A.D. story. Grey tone cover.) Mine may be a minority opinion but I really hate that cover. I think it's Gil Kane's worst Green Lantern cover. Green Lantern looks all wrong. I dislike it so much that it was my lowest priority among early Lantern issues but three or so years ago I bought a copy anyway when I ran across a particularly pristine copy. Edited January 8, 2009 by Hepcat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hepcat Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Skipping over issues #3 and #4 and published in the spring of 1961, the next book in my collection is Green Lantern #5 9.4. According to the CGC Census, this 9.4 is alone at the top and obviously difficult to find in high grade, as are most Silver Age DC comics from and before 1963. Much is significant about this book. To begin with, it has the first appearance of Hector Hammond, though he has yet to become wheelchair-bound and disfigured (occurs later in issue #22). Second, the villain is the first of Green Lantern's recurrent enemies to haunt him throughout the Silver, Bronze and Modern Ages. Interestingly, Sinestro, while appearing more times than Hammond in the early Silver Age issues, is not the first supervillain for Green Lantern. The cover of this book is also a departure from each of the issues which came before it, including Showcase #22 - #24, as well as Green Lantern #1 - #4. While Hector Hammond may be main evil character, the cover of Green Lantern #5 is really the first to not show either a monster, villain or weapon -- but to rather ambiguously suggest the story within. Once you get past the cover, you also realize that in this issue, the writers have dispensed with the usual two or three separate stories, and instead decided to create one long story. Green Lantern #5 9.4 (First appearance of Hector Hammond) That #4 provides an excellent example of a defect I hate for which CGC does not penalize - the miscut left edge which leaves white showing along the spine. Miscutting of ths sort leaves any comic that isn't the brightest white look old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hepcat Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 Jumping to the next book in my collection is Green Lantern v2 #11 9.4 Off-White to White (OWW). To be honest, I've never really cared too much for this early Silver Age GL cover, though it was the first to show off the amazing diversity of the Green Lantern Corps. The other significance of this issue is that it includes the third story dealing with the renegade Green Lantern, Sinestro. Hal Jordan is exiled to the anti-matter universe of Qward where he falls into his nemesis' hands. That's three appearances in five issues for the "Yellow Lantern", with another two to come in GL #15 and #18. All I can say is "kudos" to the writers and artists that realized what an amazing arch-villain they had with Sinestro. Battles between Jordan and Sinestro are what got me hooked on Green Lantern and why Green Lantern #7 9.6 is my "grail book", where the evil one makes his first appearance. Not to mention, the recent Sinestro Corps War was a stroke of genius among the writers of DC Comics. I know that I was hooked after the first page. Green Lantern v2 #11 9.4 OWW (Sinestro appearance) Green Lantern #11 is a very high nostalgia book for me because it was the first Green Lantern comic I ever read. That and JLA #14 with the Atom joining the Justice League were the two comics which hooked me on the DC superhero universe for life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aman619 Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 With a special thanks to tth2 for allowing me to add this important book to my collection, this next post is for my collecting buddy Mercede, who has some of the most beautiful key DC issues in his own collection. The book is Green Lantern v2 #8 9.4 Off-White (OW), topping out the Census on its own. Difficult to find in high grade and highly desired by collectors of all stripes, as well as Green Lantern aficionados, Gil Kane's amazing 50's-style monster cover uses the "grey tone" technique, also known as the "painted cover" because pencil or charcoal underlying the original pencilled image is used to enhance the effects of light and shadow to produce a more aesthetic quality. The cover has a noticeably richer depth with its richer hues. This book is also notable for having the first 5700 A.D. storyline, where humans from the future transport Hal Jordan to help them. His memory is modified so that me may take on the role as Solar Director of that time and save humanity from a race of ray-blasting mutant gila monsters. Green Lantern v2 #8 9.4 OW (First 5700 A.D. story. Grey tone cover.) Mine may be a minority opinion but i really hate that cover. I think it's Gil Kane's worst Green Lantern cover. Green Lantern looks all wrong. I dislike it so much that it was my lowest priority among early Lantern issues but three or so years ago I bought a copy anyway when I ran across a particularly pristine copy. I really like GLs casual pose here. looks just right for gliding to a stop to confront the gilamonster head on. Its a beautiful composition, with GLs leg crossing the tail which curls back up filling the area between GLs legs, the gila is leaning away from GL as he invades his space, and finally the cactus extending upwards stopping short of GL. And not to forget the burst hovering between them! Only thing Id move is the balloon to the left and the 10 cent box under the CCA. Dont know why its covering the G so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aman619 Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 I forgot the pink mountain, sloping up to the left holding everything BIT GL together against him, while also counter balancing the ground which slops down to the left corner. IMO this is on a par with Avengers 4 which I consider a brillliant layout balancing the dominant CAP figure while not diminishing all the Avengers splayed around him JJ-4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john72tex Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 I finally have something new to add to this thread. I now have completed 1-41 !! :banana: All slabbed 9.0's? How are you collecting them? No, I wish I had at least 9.0s in my run. I have a mixture of raw and slabbed copies too. I'd say issues 25-41 avg around 9.0. I will probably upgrade sometime down the line on issues 2-24. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 I forgot the pink mountain, sloping up to the left holding everything BIT GL together against him, while also counter balancing the ground which slops down to the left corner. IMO this is on a par with Avengers 4 which I consider a brillliant layout balancing the dominant CAP figure while not diminishing all the Avengers splayed around him Totally agree with you on Avengers 4 -- brilliant work by Kirby! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tth2 Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Mine may be a minority opinion but i really hate that cover. I think it's Gil Kane's worst Green Lantern cover. It's definitely a minority opinion! But that's cool, it'd be awfully boring if we all thought the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tth2 Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Green Lantern #11 is a very high nostalgia book for me because it was the first Green Lantern comic I ever read. That and JLA #14 with the Atom joining the Justice League were the two comics which hooked me on the DC superhero universe for life. Thanks for the interesting commentary! It's always cool when people are able to say that they started buying these issues back in the single-digits or teens, and these older issues have particular personal significance to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Mine may be a minority opinion but i really hate that cover. I think it's Gil Kane's worst Green Lantern cover. It's definitely a minority opinion! But that's cool, it'd be awfully boring if we all thought the same. It's a gorgeous book in person, but I'm not so rhapsodic about the composition like the aman (sorry, bro). There are only a handful of superhero greytones are they're, well they're just cool, darnit! But I'm sure folks like spunkydo appreciate that there are haters out there as it means less competition! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 (edited) Hey Guys, If I want to BEGIN (yes I've done 0/zip/zilch/nada reading of Green Lantern, where should I being?? Is there a specific "essential" book perhaps to start reading this story?? Please PM if at all possible, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks and happy new years! Beautiful books by the way!! Nick I like the series from the start up through the Neal Adams/Denny O'Neil issues with the proviso that it's weak from about issue 60 - 75. I particularly like Kane's art from about issue 40 to issue 58. Kane was always working on his drawing and he really developed into a very special artist during that sequence. DC Archives are the best way to read. Edited January 8, 2009 by adamstrange Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tth2 Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 but I'm not so rhapsodic about the composition like the aman (sorry, bro). NOBODY in history has been as rhapsodic about the composition as aman! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 but I'm not so rhapsodic about the composition like the aman (sorry, bro). NOBODY in history has been as rhapsodic about the composition as aman! This was the first time I've read his comment. Is he a repeat rhapsodizer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aman619 Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Ive rhapsodized about your awesome books a few times methinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamstrange Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Ive rhapsodized about your awesome books a few times methinks. You can rhapsodize about my books as much as you want! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MR.COMICBOOK Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 Gil Kane DC`s Jack Kirby? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
