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Lost in collecting- Om's Journal by oldmilwaukee6er
1 1

403 posts in this topic

Worst   1st   appearance   ever?  (AKA Spawn #280-282)

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So, Spawn has been agitating in the new comics marketplace lately with the announcement that a new character will debut and earn their own title. In Spawn #280, Cyan Fitzgerald was revamped with a new look and new powers. Image's description of the issue included the following "Spawn. . . in his attempt to protect a young girl who very shortly will be a NEW SUPERHERO much stronger than Spawn himself."  Following that issue, Spawn #281 was to be the one where "A NEW HERO PREMIERES! Look for this exciting new character as she makes her heroic debut." Finally, according to Image's website Spawn 282 "marks the introduction of a NEW CHARACTER, soon to have its OWN Image comic book!" Of course the recent Dark Horror storyline was leading to this, that is the emergence (again) and growth of Cyan's supernatural powers. Presumably she is now a new character named Black Mirror, and without spoiling too much from #282 her powers look pretty badass. 

We comic collectors debate first appearances. For me, a full 1st appearance is threefold

  1. The character is shown in full
  2. The character is named
  3. The character is part of the storyline (e.g. the Hulk 180 vs 181 debate)

 

So toward that end, I liked the following summary of the confusion (kudos Fashina, 2018):  "Cyan, whose destiny has always been intertwined with [Spawn's] (1st appearance Spawn #3). Flash forward a few years Cyan has grown into a teen still dealing with the horrific murder of her mother (Spawn Resurrection), and as a result she has developed a drug habit. The fact that she is constantly being haunted by ghosts, demon’s, and the nastiest looking monsters your mind could dream of doesn’t help her situation at all either. That is why she is going to be a great character, she is going to have plenty of room for more character development. There are few disambiguation problems with the way the character is being advertised. This issue was the billed as the first appearance of a new character; however, Cyan’s first appearance was in Spawn #3. Cyan has shown powers and abilities as far back Spawn #160. Normally I would say that the truth is in the eyes but that happened way back in Spawn # 183.  The only indication that there is new Character is her announcement of the ‘Black Mirror'…but that happened back in Spawn #280."

 

And so... 

 

And send. And sip. 

Edited by oldmilwaukee6er
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The Lady Speaks. . .A Unicorn, Grendel, and C2E2

It's been a great while since my last update.  I apologize for that.  In part, I'm still struggling with my current collecting goals but mostly it's just been busy, busy, busy.  So here's a quick update.

1. I found X-Men Essentials volume 1 at Burnham Bowl at the end of March.  I'd been told by several dealers that I'd never find it because it was out of print.  So it was really exciting to find it in the wild for $10.  I think I only need volume 3 to complete my collection.  So while it's not a true unicorn, I feel like I accomplished something when I popped on this.

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2. OM told me about the debate surrounding Gambit's actual first appearance.  Conventional wisdom says it's Uncanny X-Men 266 which right now is not an economic book to buy.  But then OM told me that there is a growing number of people who think it's actually Uncanny X-Men Annual 14.  The Marvel Wikia agrees that Uncanny X-Men Annual 14 is Gambit's first appearance.  While at the Turning Page on Saturday I found a copy for $15 so I picked it up.  Ultimately I'll get an Uncanny X-Men 266, but for now owning Annual 14 and Uncanny X-Men 267 is satisfying.

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That means that the X-Men issues I want are #96 (1st Moira McTaggert), #129 (1st Kitty Pryde), and the long shot Giant-Sized X-Men #1.  I'd also like to score a Captain Britain #8 (1st appearance of Psylocke).  Additionally I hope to pick up Detective Comics #267 (1st appearance of Bat Mite) and Detective Comics #230 (1st appearance of Mad Hatter). 

3. On Friday we cruised over to Madison just to burn some go-juice and see some country.  While there we visited Graham Cracker Comics.  That was my first Graham Cracker experience ever.  In the back issues I was able to find original Comico Grendel's and I scored almost the entirety of the run.  I 'm down to just needing issue #27.  That means I have 39 of 40 issues.  Someday when Grendel takes off, I'll be sitting pretty.  ;)  I do not own Grendel's first appearance which is in Comico's Primer #2 but Grendel #1 is his second appearance.

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Grendel is an irritating title to collect because of the many, many, many mini runs that happened after the initial 40 issue run.  I have complete mini-runs of War Child; Behold the Devil; Grendel Tales Devil's Apprentice; Grendel Tales Four Devils, One Hell; Grendel Tales Devil's Hammer; Grendel Tales Devil in Our Midst; Grendel Tales Homecoming; Grendel Tales Devil's Choices; Grendel Devil Quest; Grendel Devil by the Deed; Black, White, And Red; and Grendel Cycle.  I am short a few issues of Grendel God and Devil. 

While I own the three volume Omnibus, I'm still not entirely sure how much more is out there for me to collect as the Omnibus is organized not chronologically but by characters/cycles.  And I'm not even counting the various cross-overs with Batman, although I do own a few of those as well.

4. Friday will mark our first foray into C2E2.  It seems like for every super positive review I hear about C2E2 being superior to Wizard World, I hear one that says that it's not that great for comics, that' it's too crowded, that parking sucks, etc.  But I keep hearing it's good for video games so that has me super intrigued.  I'm not exactly cosplaying, but I am going to rock my Rogue and Gambit leggings. 

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Not only are they my favorite X-Men of all time, but I'm also collecting the Rogue and Gambit comic title and it's taking me back to the early 90's when the X-Men were my reality tv fix in terms of drama, relationships, romance, back stabbing, and other good things.

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Who can forget this moment in X history? X-Men 24 (1993)  They even kissed in the animated series!

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The new title.

5. Assassin's Creed Origin continues to entertain, but I think I accidentally finished the main quest without paying attention because I skip the cinematics.  Now I'm cruising through the newest DLC Curse of the Pharoahs but I'm in a bit of a pickle when fighting Nefertiti in the afterlife.  However, it's spring break so I am confident I will defeat her either today or tomorrow (unless I have to report for Jury Duty).

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That's the report from The Lady Speaks!

 

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Man, it's been a busy few motnhs. I can't even... At one point I worked 15 days straight with many days over 12 hours. We both celebrated our birthdays, and we look forward to celebrating our 20th anniversary in just over a month. The lady and I traveled to Cartagena, Colombia for 7 nights, and then it was two weekends free of snow duty before I was called back to my normal duties on the streetcar. 

 
Prior to the last two weekends my modern comic book collecting has been limited to my subscription pulls through the local comic book store. The last few months Spawn has heated up quite a bit and the local market and sometimes I've had to resort to going online to pick up current issues (#283, 284). I believe I have that problem solved and I'll be getting both of black white and color covers going forward. This is something I've had the luxury of pulling at my local without issue prior to switching to the new store. If I ever missed a B&W or color cover for whatever reason in the past I could always run to the magnificent Lost World of Wonders. But lately everywhere has been selling out and I've been getting stuck with either one color copy or one B&W copy only. For issue 284, I pre-ordered all three covers via feeBay. 
 
I pulled the following books out of a discounted box for $15, incl. Savage Dragon #225 NSFW cover ($12 cover price, 100pgs, not pictured)
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I also pulled this NM+ copy of Lumberjanes #1 1st from Boom! for $8
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Also pulled for the personal collection... $25 for both Spawn Resurrection #1 B&W cover (below; some eBay auctions say 1 per store) and Rock Candy Mountain #1 Image Blind Box Virgin variant (not shown). I had that copy of RCM in my mind for this show and intend to pursue a Kyle Starks signature / remarque when I go to C2E2. 

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Angela #1-2 NM+ copies picked from a new collection in at the LCS ($10/pair). 

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Decided to get current on the chaotic neutral PhD from space... Star Wars: Dr. Aphra #13-18 NM/NM+

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A couple more Spawns 185  279  266  I couldn't pass up at Lost World of Wonders (average $4/each)... Spawns continue to heat up... #249 has three sales over $40 on eBay, incentive B&W covers fetch money again, and any retailer premiums average $100-200+ (e.g. Thank you, Image Expo 283, store exclusive Mattina 280). Modern Spawns are competitive, books go online quickly, and (I suspect) Spawn collectors skew a little younger. IMO books are getting locked up mid to long-term in collections at a higher percentage than the average book, such is the efficiency of the modern direct market. At ~16,000-19,000 presales per month, the average Spawn book published today is more collectible that ever before. Consider... you can look through monthly sales records for 1990s Spawns on Comichron and Spawn was a LOCK in the TOP 10 of presale comics for over 53 issues! Most months it was TOP 4. It was only knocked out when Marvel rebooted with Heroes Reborn (using Image talent), splintered off with Heroes Distribution in late 1996. Man, the 90s... nothing but X-Men and Spawn  :D

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Speaking of X-Men... I sold my CGC 6.0 Fantastic Four #48 OWW on feeBay and put a small chunk back in with CGC 5.0 X-Men #3 1st Blob (below).

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FF48 is hot HAWT right now and I decided to cash in and put the energy into a few other parts of my collection.

The sale also leaves me with a nice lil budget for my first C2E2 this Friday. :wishluck:    ~Happy picking! Om

 

PS. Usagi Yojimbo: The Hidden #1 (Vol. 3 #166 ... #213 in a series)   But it's a #1!

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Edited by oldmilwaukee6er
It was autolinking to ebay
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To "The Lady", was wondering if you have the three black and white issues of Grendel that came out before the color series? Very tough books and pricey, as well.

I need to get some of the later Matt Wagner Grendel books. Probably not so interested in the Grendel Tales books as I think many of those are done by creators other than Wagner.

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5 hours ago, Brother J said:

To "The Lady", was wondering if you have the three black and white issues of Grendel that came out before the color series? Very tough books and pricey, as well.

I need to get some of the later Matt Wagner Grendel books. Probably not so interested in the Grendel Tales books as I think many of those are done by creators other than Wagner.

You know, I don't have those books.  Are they under the Comico imprint?  This is part of what makes Grendel frustrating to collect.  Just when I think I've hit the end, I find out there's more!

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2 hours ago, TheLadySpeaks said:

You know, I don't have those books.  Are they under the Comico imprint?  This is part of what makes Grendel frustrating to collect.  Just when I think I've hit the end, I find out there's more!

Yes, Comico started out by publishing black and white titles before they switched to color. After Primer #2, Comico published a three issue run of Grendel, which ended mid-story. 

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My first C2E2 and I am both exhausted and pleased. Overall a better 'comic show' than Wizard World Chicago, but worse 'amenities/experience' for me. 

As such, I have had such a case of #conhangover

Just scanned some books and hope to add some text soon. The lady already wrote some stuff up but she's gaming now while I'm on the 'puter (got some grading to do before SUN night). 

 

I went in my Spawn gear and wanted to pick 'oddball' Spawns, was ready to spend some money, and get some books signed by two creators I enjoy. I HAD thought I would add a low number X-Men at this show, and I walked home with enough money where I could have. But alas, I was tired and ready to hit the road by 2:30pm. 

First up, my set of Spawn #284 courtesy of the local LCS (cover price plus tax). I have another set coming from feeBay and pre-ordered 285 as well (Mattina cover; 4-copy set for $16 shipped).

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For these books, spec are blown. Spawn has been heating before these books and I have read that Diamond/Image allowed for orders after 'final order cutoff.'

I pulled the only set from my local, but still I'm gonna have 6 total copies and I expect the Comichron numbers to jump for Spawn 284-285

 

My first purchase, Spawn 265 blank sketch cover for $25 from Scorpion. They did the retailer exclusive Spawn 280 Mattina set that is worth money and have another Spawn homage cover in the works (New Mutants 87). Lots of retailers had the Spawn homage covers (221-231), but no 222, which I need along with Spawn 150. 

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Spawn 156 ($8) just so hard to find in high grade (this book has 6 spine ticks, a known problem; but so glossy nice otherwise!). If I had a lil more time or was on my hustle I could have had a nice Philip Tan signature on the book. 

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Spawn 279 ($4) Walking Dead homage; black and white cover

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Angela #3 ($5) NM+ Gaiman & McFarlane goodness completing my 1-2 set recently bought at the LCS   :D 

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The time to buy something is when you see it. I recall a dealer that had 4 copies of Malibu Sun #13 for $150 at WW Chicago 2 years ago ranging from VF to VFNM. 

I passed then as it was all my con monies midway through a show; now I believe I bought his last VF copy some two years later at a slight premium ($170) over market. Pressable to 8.5-9.0. 

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I am happy to own the book and have no regrets. It's for my PC... it has beautiful Spawn front and back covers. It includes 2 full-page B&W pinups, Spawn copyright info and logo in the indicia, and it includes an article that describes how Spawn will fit into the Image Universe as established by Liefeld's Youngblood (and soon to include Savage Dragon). 

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$2 Star Wars I have been collecting and trying (slowly) to become current on Dr. Aphra and Poe Dameron. With Poe Dameron 25 the series joins the current movie timeline.

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Gobble gobble gobble Star Wars' Harley Quinn. Dr. Aphra, our chaotic neutral, PhD-stealing, robot assassin controlling, Indiana Jones-meets-Laura Croft is just too cool a character not to have a future with Disney (only preselling about 30k copies as of issue 17). 

Poe Dameron #1 Variant ($2) with a neat-o-keen glossy print of the cover and a launch party flyer found inside. 1st BB8 in comics (not that anyone cares). 

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Rock Candy Mountain #1s signed/sketched by Kyle Starks. I do not know the symbol he used on both books, but of the four on the first cover (from L to R- arrested on sight, dangerous place/neighborhood, unknown, and good road to follow). I thanked him for his work and asked a few questions. He spoke for 5 min about RCM, it being optioned (but nothing expected of it), sales, that Kirkman liked the book (but sales were low) and that he had "another Rock Candy Mountain story to tell that included Babs, Hundred Cat, Pamona, and Big Sis."

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I also bought RCM TPB #2 (collectes issues 5-8; $15) and he signed/sketched the 'literal Devil' on the interior (not pictured). Another guy had RCM, but everyone else I saw had the Rick and Morty C2E2 Vindicators #1 con exclusive. Starks did note to another that "I have sketch requests out the " and I believe he may not have signed one book, stating something like "I can't sign that book for XX reason" but I'm not 100% I heard that conversation right.

 

Picked up this Tank Girl mini comic / sketchbook (and a skull funk pin) from Jim Mahfood for $25. Got to thank him for his work, geek out a lil and had him sign 3 books-  my Cosmic Toast, a FN+ copy of Deathwind #1 (his first work from when he was in high school just for kicks to see his reaction to the book), and the Grrl Scouts #1 B&W Image Blind Box. When I approached his booth, he had just signed like 30+ books from CGC handlers / facilitators. and so I had to wait about 10 min to talk to him and make a purchase. He had mostly Grrl Scout variants, two prints, the Tank Girl mini, and 3 different pins- plus the OA. I was also happy to see the lady picked up a Tank Girl print from him, which he did a very small pencil sketch on. His artwork was like $600+ and he was doing a commission piece while we chatted. Busy guy, nice guy. Wish him well and learned he has relocated to Portland, OR! 

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The Lady Speaks. . .C2E2 The Haul

I'm working on a second post that comprises my general thoughts about C2E2 but for now I'll just post my haul.

The first things I purchased were from Artists' Alley.  I knew I was going to track down Terry Moore and get something because it was in 1999 when I first met him. There was a line of about four so I decided to queue up earlier rather than risk large lines later.  Most of what he had was Motor Girl based.  There was scant Strangers in Paradise stuff to buy except for the big dog Omnibus.  I ended up settling on a the 25th Anniversary Sketchbook.  Moore wasn't very chatty but his wife was.  We reminisced about Wizard World Chicago back when it was about the comics.  She likened it to a flea market and I can't exactly disagree.  It's definitely moved away from publishers.

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After visiting Moore, I decided to pop in on Jim Mahfood.  He only ever had one or two people around him so it was no big deal to stop.  I purchased a Tank Girl print and had him draw on it.  He drew in pencil which was a little weird, but I rolled with it.  The image below isn't my copy, that one is currently protected so it can go on display in my office.

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My two big splurges were Assassin's Creed inspired hoodies from Volante Design.  I've long coveted their stuff on their website but I worry about purchasing without trying on, especially with pieces this expensive.  I call them Murder Hood 1 and Murder Hood 2.  Murder Hood 1 is a red and black pullover while Murder Hood 2 is a blue and black zip up.  Again, the pictures are not of me.  They're from the website.  They also have super cool more detailed pieces but they can get upwards of $500 and that's just quite a lot.

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Two smaller purchases I made were a Poetic Earth journal.  I have six of these things and can't help myself.   When I see them, I buy them. My newest is called Nordic Raven and Skull.   Additionally, I bought a plushie Porg.  It was inevitable, really.

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All in all, I had a budget of about $500 and limped home with not much.  The hoodies were the bulk of my expenditures and I regret nothing.

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The Lady Speaks. . .C2E2 Observations

Om and I somewhat disagree about C2E2.  I'll let him tell you why he thought it was a great con and now I'll tell you why I thought it was okay.

Admittedly, a big part of my problem is Chicago.  C2E2 is at the McCormick Place.  There is no good way to get to this location.  You have to go through downtown Chicago.  This is not a fun experience.  Ever.  If it were a fun experience, I'd spend a lot more time in Chicago.  One could take the Hiawatha Amtrak from Milwaukee to Chicago.  It would take about 90 minutes (if everything is on time) but the cost is $54/person round trip which means you're spending over a $100.  While parking is expensive, it's nowhere near that expensive.  So driving is economical, but it takes a little more time depending on when you leave Milwaukee and what the traffic situation is.  On our outing we left Milwaukee at 6:08am and were eating breakfast at the Bongo Room on Wabash by 9 am.  We were able to get to McCormick and park a little before 10am.  That left me just enough time to queue up for Starbucks and we were on the floor by 10:10am.

Unlike Wizard World where you have to queue up to get your wristbands and get ushered onto the floor, at C2E2 you have a badge on a lanyard and pretty much just cruise on in.  The floor didn't start to get crowded until nearly 2pm which was really nice.  The aisles are wide and there are plenty of zones where you can stop and recombobulate (or, in my case, fight down some anxiety).  But there weren't areas set up where you could sit down and gather yourself like there are at Wizard World.  This show is designed to keep you on your feet and moving. 

They had a video gaming area set up similar to what Wizard World had last year.  I don't know if they had any competitions planned.  There was a table top gaming area that was pretty popular.  The big publishers were right at the front of the show so you saw them as you entered.  Indie publishers were spread throughout the floor but you could tell they were trying to keep them close to the front.  Artists' Alley was nicely designated and it truly was an artists' alley.  I didn't see any of the craftsy booths that you see at Wizard World in this Artist's Alley.  The autograph area was behind Artist's Alley and didn't bleed at all onto the floor or Artists' Alley.  A stage was setup for some entertainment, but I never saw it in use.  The panels were up a level which kept that traffic off the floor but it wouldn't really have mattered because unlike Wizard World's setup, C2E2 has massive dead zones surrounding the floor.  The floor is clearly marked by black temporary walls and behind those it was acres of bare concrete.  No chairs, no tables, nothing but dead space.  Since it wasn't inviting, not many people were in those areas.

One thing that drove me crazy about the floor was that there were bathroom signs but no bathrooms.  Often the bathrooms were either up a level or down a half level and it wasn't always clear where the access points were.  Additionally, there wasn't much in the way of food/beverage vending.  There was a restaurant/food courtish area above the main floor.  I heard a lot of people grumble about the lack of alcoholic beverages.  Where Wizard has alcohol vendors placed throughout the floor plan, C2E2 doesn't.  Revolution Brewing was set up and selling beers and I saw some people with Coors Light bottles so I'm guessing they were getting those from the restaurant area.

There were 3 energy drink booths on the floor--Mutant (Monster), Amp Organic, and 5 Hour Energy.  Wild Bill's Soda was there, much to chagrin.  Had I taken any peeks in advance I could have brought one of my Wizard World mugs and paid $5 for all day soda.  Instead, I bought a C2E2 mug and made sure to capitalize on as much soda as I could.  Other oddball booths included one reptile sanctuary and there was something else with animals but it was off to the side and I never checked it out.  Equilibrium's Urban Survival Bags was set up and my favorite, Harebrained (aka Period Panties) was also at C2E2.  Sadly, I learned about Harebrained after buying my two Murder Hoods so I couldn't splurge like I'd normally.  There was also one booth dedicated to books--as in hard copy, dead tree, old school books.  Not graphic novels, but actual books.

Overall, there were far less miscellaneous (i.e. not pop culture) related booths.  No one was trying sell Lasik surgery or tens units or neck pillows.  No one tried to get my DNA for science (although there was a Blood Drive).  There was also less repetition of booths.  Some companies set up at Wizard World and have 4 or 5 booths (this is especially true of some of the booths that sell Pusheen, Neko Atsume, Pokemon plushies).  Even InStylin' and Super Hero Stuff only had one booth each and at Wizard World they'll have a minimum of 3 booths anchoring the floor.   While it's nice to not have the repetition, one thing you lose out on is the ability to bargain hunt.  At Wizard World a $10 Pop Funko near the door will be $8 near the back of the floor.  C2E2 prices are consistent and set because there's not as much competition.  So Pop Funko and action figure hunting loses a bit of its luster. 

Many of the vendors were familiar, however, after attending 5+ years of Wizard World.  That made shopping easier. I could skip the ones I recognized because I know I'll see them in August and the prices will probably be better.  Examples of familiar booths include the glassware booth where I bought my Assassin's Creed stein last year, the pocket watch vendor who sets up with the purple LED tree, Poetic Earth Journals, some of the Steampunk stores, Chicago Costume, etc.  I concentrated on the ones I hadn't seen before which is how I ended up with my Murder Hoods.

Normally I'm a big buyer of t-shirts but I felt like there wasn't a whole lot new in t-shirt design.  And prices were higher than I like with the cheapest t-shirts coming in at $20 and going up from there.  There was one booth with some kick Godzilla t-shirts but they were $52.50!  Besides, the last t-shirt I bought is pretty much the coolest ever:

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In general, it was a younger crowd.  Younger than Wizard World, anyhow.  I'd put the average age at maybe mid to late 20's.  And there was a ton more cosplaying going on, some of it super elaborate and a good chunk of it obscure.  I found myself often not knowing what character someone was.  Spider-Man was popular as were Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn.  Firefly had a strong showing (Kaylee and Mal, mostly) and of course, Star Wars cosplay was prominent.  Gender bending characters remain popular, especially Nintendo characters.  There were quite a few Assassin's Creed assassins running around, which made me happy.  The best costume that I saw was a full-on battle mode Hella from Thor: Ragnarok.

If I can think of anything else, I'll be sure to post.  But my overall opinion of C2E2 is positive, but I didn't fall in love with it.  Maybe if we go again and I know what to expect I'll enjoy it more.

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On 1/31/2018 at 10:22 PM, oldmilwaukee6er said:

Worst   1st   appearance   ever?  (AKA Spawn #280-282)

 

 

So, Spawn has been agitating in the new comics marketplace lately with the announcement that a new character will debut and earn their own title. In Spawn #280, Cyan Fitzgerald was revamped with a new look and new powers. Image's description of the issue included the following "Spawn. . . in his attempt to protect a young girl who very shortly will be a NEW SUPERHERO much stronger than Spawn himself."  Following that issue, Spawn #281 was to be the one where "A NEW HERO PREMIERES! Look for this exciting new character as she makes her heroic debut." Finally, according to Image's website Spawn 282 "marks the introduction of a NEW CHARACTER, soon to have its OWN Image comic book!" Of course the recent Dark Horror storyline was leading to this, that is the emergence (again) and growth of Cyan's supernatural powers. Presumably she is now a new character named Black Mirror, and without spoiling too much from #282 her powers look pretty badass. 

We comic collectors debate first appearances. For me, a full 1st appearance is threefold

  1. The character is shown in full
  2. The character is named
  3. The character is part of the storyline (e.g. the Hulk 180 vs 181 debate)

 

So toward that end, I liked the following summary of the confusion (kudos Fashina, 2018):  "Cyan, whose destiny has always been intertwined with [Spawn's] (1st appearance Spawn #3). Flash forward a few years Cyan has grown into a teen still dealing with the horrific murder of her mother (Spawn Resurrection), and as a result she has developed a drug habit. The fact that she is constantly being haunted by ghosts, demon’s, and the nastiest looking monsters your mind could dream of doesn’t help her situation at all either. That is why she is going to be a great character, she is going to have plenty of room for more character development. There are few disambiguation problems with the way the character is being advertised. This issue was the billed as the first appearance of a new character; however, Cyan’s first appearance was in Spawn #3. Cyan has shown powers and abilities as far back Spawn #160. Normally I would say that the truth is in the eyes but that happened way back in Spawn # 183.  The only indication that there is new Character is her announcement of the ‘Black Mirror'…but that happened back in Spawn #280."

 

 

I tapped out with issue 275. 

Color me DONE. 

I got so sick and tired of chasing all the variants. I was wanting to go through 300 but...

NOPE! 

I've been very happy with my decision thus far. 

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On 4/12/2018 at 1:55 PM, newshane said:

I tapped out with issue 275. 

Color me DONE. 

I got so sick and tired of chasing all the variants. I was wanting to go through 300 but...

NOPE! 

I've been very happy with my decision thus far. 

 

I feel you. I am loving Spawn right now and have lately gotten swept up in at least trying to pluck the non-ratio variants when I see them. 

I've been lucky and can usually get the B&W cover and the regular trade dress at my LCS because Spawn's monthly readership is low. 

But FOMO from those Francesco Mattina covers means I have 6 copies of #284 and a full set of 4 copies of #285 coming from Golden Apple. 6 copies :facepalm: of a book I have no intention of selling. 

 

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A full NM set of Spawn Fan Editions I picked up recently from the LCS ($20). These never really caught my eye before, but I also had not seen them all together before, including the variant for each one.  

5ad406376d2f6_spawnfan1.thumb.jpg.9e02107b5cb62c01e6579eaab4c64d4e.jpg5ad4064279d04_spawnfan1variant.thumb.jpg.4456afb794c8eec7223f90942b8fed1c.jpg

5ad4064c7334c_spawnfan2.thumb.jpg.e11e149dbef48407f5ba15391de48858.jpg5ad4065839160_spawnfan2variant.thumb.jpg.03b3d2f91445041fea2c5ad9bd8d7568.jpg

5ad4066395c4e_spawnfan3.thumb.jpg.1a0504f36310fc94502364ff4c7b2614.jpg5ad4066dad353_spawnfan3variant.thumb.jpg.22043f508d0c59e2a970bacc391c047b.jpg

This mini series was distributed with Overstreet's FAN Magazine #16-18 and tells the story of Nordik the Norse Hellspawn.

 

I'm tired, but motivated... so just gonna free-form this one: 

  • Went to a local show this weekend. An Alan no-tell motel show. It was pretty much a bust, ATM was not connecting, so I spent the $5 in my pocket on a Cliff Chiang vol1 con sketchbook c. 2010 to throw in with my Paper Girls collection
  • I voiced to the universe my ambition to roll up my sleeves and go after Amazing Spider-Man #1 in 2.0-3.0. I also enlisted a local part-time dealer whom I trust to help. With some really hard work downsizing, editing, scrimping and saving, teach an extra class, underpants gnomes... I hope to make the purchase around Wizard World Chicago time. 
  • I am buoyed by the sale of my CGC 6.0 FF48. It is freeing to make a sale every once in a while, and while I added a CGC X-Men #5 in middy... I still have a nice chuck of that money to build on. My underground comix are not appreciating right now, so I had to be flexible and practical. 
  • I ordered a fat lot of Forgotten Realms / Drizzt Do'Urden books from Mile High during the most recent TAXTIME! sale. Devil's Due stuff from 2005-2008 that published about 7-13k copies. $5 and $9 cover price stuff for around $3.60 each. No steal, and nobody really cares about them now, but collecting oddball moderns is a bizzitch with those low print runs and I just don't feel like grinding long boxes for these. I dunno, the price was right for me... all the orig IP with Drizzt is in the books, game modules, etc. But his IP is pretty cool and I look forward to having the stories in my collection. 
  • I have the strong urge to finish Usagi Yojimbo and Spawn runs, put the boxes in storage and not look at them for a really long time. Out of sight out of mind. Just sit on them and pull them back out in 10 years and flip through the run again. 
  • Finally, I have been reading the boards and finding inspiration. Long journeys begin with small steps. I want to take small steps toward my ultimate goal. Today I pulled 3 partial show boxes out of storage and re-sorted. I stocked magazine box for Half Price. One partial to try on Craigslist or eBay. One chock full of underground comix TBD (probably eBay lots). 

 

PS > I liked this Blueprint video about Todd McFarlane; the lady and I watched it together tonight. Then I fell down the rabbit hole of a few other Blueprint vids. They are inspirational! 

 

Edited by oldmilwaukee6er
creative @#$%^!
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Tuesday at the flagship

The lady has a teaching schedule that skews later this spring, and so I use the extra 3 hours to visit my with my ole LCS manager, who mans the flagship store on TUES nights. Typically, it is a quiet shift as the store clears shelf space, sorts subscription pull boxes, and generally prepares for New Comics Wednesday. I use the time to catch up with a friend, flip through Previews, and maybe pick up a book I may have missed at the local (e.g. Usagi Yojimbo #165). This week I pulled the following Star Wars: Dr. Aphra covers-

Darth Vader #20 ‘Story Thus Far’ variant ($4)… with ‘man-hands’ looking ‘chiseld-jaw’ Aphra, but also Triple-Zero and Beetee-One. I am hunting these pre-Aphra #1 Dr Aphra covers in the wild and a dollar under cover.

vader20v.jpg.13e69d1422d3f93c326ceae123e649ec.jpg

 

Dr Apha #5 Quinones variant ($10). A ‘simple depiction’ of Aphra, priced to market, but ALL FOUR of my fave characters on the cover- (from L to R)- Black Krrsantan, Aphra, Triple-Zero, and Beetee-One.

aphra5v.jpg.ae6294b3287e8dfa9575db5a98c260a7.jpg

 

Cliff Chiang Sketchbook Vol. 1 (2010; $5)… a beautiful, high grade, well-constructed mini comic / sketchbook / con book, this features sketches and finished commissions from Chiang’s break-out years. I first became aware of Cliff’s work on Neil Young’s Greendale comic adaptation (c. 2010), and enjoy his work bi-monthly-ish on Image’s Paper Girls. A preliminary search shows Chiang active on the 2010 con circuit and that is likely where this originates. Nothing on eBay regarding (RE:) this book… tempted to park it there and see if there’s a market.

5ad7fd90b9ee7_cliffchiangsketchbook1.jpg.2d55206856f4412beffdee4e1036cd2a.jpg

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No sooner than I put out the ‘Verse that I want to get serious about Amazing Spider-Man #1 and an old HS buddy hit me up to hike Mount Kilimanjaro. He works for the State Dept. in Turkey and is organizing a trip. It floored me for the better part of a week and is leading (crosses fingers) to some serious personal improvements. There are, of course, three major hurdles- money, fitness, and time. And given enough of the third, the other two can be handled. If he gives me enough time, say 2019… I’m there. If they decide to go late 2018, I’m out (already used a week of vaca, money’d be tight, and fitness-wise I’d likely be a liability).

The lady says I’ve been itching to burn my FF48 monies, and she’s right. First I lusted after designer urban wear (no action), then it was the Signature Series threads (namely a SS Action Comics #1000 with a slew of sigs; no action), and finally furthering my Lee / Kirby X-Men #1 – 19 run, e.g. CGC 5.0 X-Men #3. Yesterday, I went to the LCS pick up my new comic subscription and pulled the trigger on two more VG X-Men…

X-Men #5 – Early Brotherhood of Evil Mutants

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X-Men #11 – 1st Stranger

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I came home a lil sheepish… going for some new comics, coming back home with a depleted Paypal. The lady takes one look and says “Well, you’ve been itching to spend that money for some time. I’m glad you spent it on something that you actually enjoy.”

I also received a phat stack of 27 ‘mics from Mile High Comics… knocked out one more Usagi Yojimbo book, which leaves just 5 books remaining before I am 100% current the three Usagi runs.

The majority of the order was Devil’s Due Forgotten Realms Drizzt Do’Urden books, including the Dark Elf Trilogy (Homeland, Exile, Sojourn) and the Icewind Dale Trilogy (Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver, Halfling’s Gem). Plus, Legacy and Neverwinter Tales. I loved these stories in high school, and R.A. Salvator has a whopping 22 NY Times bestsellers! These comics are c. 2005 – 2011, and had cover prices of $6-10 (regular, prestige/variant). I was happy to pay an average of ~$3.80 not to have to chase these in the wild- especially at an average of 6-9k presale copies per issue. Here is a small selection:

Forgotten Realms: Drizzt Do’Urden Homeland #1 (cover B). I believe this is Drizzt’s first appearance in comics. Please correct me if I am wrong. If ever this rich/popular IP is tapped, this is the book to get. 

homeland1.thumb.jpg.bf7ce0a2af9adbf6795efa4ec5730fee.jpg

 

Forgotten Realms: Drizzt Do’Urden Sojourn #1 (cover B).

sojourn1.thumb.jpg.1b2cd8ad48d4c4de39da52956b93ce22.jpg

 

Forgotten Realms: The Crystal Shard #1 (cover B).  In the books, this is Drizzt's first appearance. Not so in the comics. 

shard1.thumb.jpg.f691e2a622619191f154564380010161.jpg

 

Forgotten Realms: Streams of Silver #3 (cover A). Because this features assassin Artemis Entreri, Drizzt’s equal in battle and archenemy.

streams3.thumb.jpg.50e64dd716de5a4108e7a7e87be7abb6.jpg

 

Finally, a lovely Ashley Witter Star Wars: Dr. Aphra #19 cover pulled from the LCS this week. 

aphra19.thumb.jpg.254cbe0ba9944d5173dd9c5eb217588a.jpg

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"I'm falling, so I'm taking my time on the ride"

Sh*t has been sideways the last couple of months.  I wrote a whole posting on free comic book day, and left it drafted in my Gmail account for forever. Likewise, the lady also drafted a whole posting about C2E2 in Chicago and similarly left it unposted. We've been fine (thankfully) but life around us has spiraled some, forcing us to circle the wagons. 

Hopefully we're coming out the other side... And there's not much I feel I can confide in family or "friends" and so I thought I might seek that outlet here. A wee vent as it were. Thanks

I'll start by saying just a few things. First off, we're looking forward to seeing The Meg again tomorrow night. What a lovely little diversion this movie has been, so much fun. Likewise, I would also like to see Crazy Rich Asians this week. If anything just to escape and experience a different culture. 

I did set up at the most recent Burnham Bowl comic book show. Typically, the one in August is the slowest of the year, just before Wizard World Chicago. I did okay, dumping a lot of drek and extras for approximately $190 net profit. I also caught a shoplifter trying to nab approximately $25 worth of X-Men Gold. Surreal. It was a healthy exercise in the first show I have set up at since June of 2017. I also sold a short box of moderns to Half Price Book for approximately $38. 

On the flip side I haven't brought too much in, just my normal modern pulls. Additionally, I bought three underground comic books at the Burnham Bowl show, including a Funnybook #1 first appearance of Cherry Pop-Tart for $3. 

As life takes over, comic books have taken a backseat. We are having some minor renovations done to the condo, namely the replacement of a failing plaster ceiling, electrical, and painting. As our 25x15-foor great room becomes inaccessible, we retreat further into 2nd BR. 

The lady faces the prospect of the new academic year while actively manging contractors. Meanwhile, I desperately pray for rain and the chance to catch up in the office. 

We have 2 more weddings this year. One in 3 weeks and one over New Year's Eve. I look forward to spending time with family, in part because I feel like my friends have really let me down the past few months. On a lighter note we have been scoring Mega kudos for purchasing the spiralizer attachment to the KitchenAid appliance for each wedding. In many ways tis the summer of weddings and the spiralizer. #wackawacka

We broke our drought for live music, by entering and succeeding in the Twenty One Pilots drawing. We will be seeing them in the new Milwaukee Bucks Arena in Oct, recently named the Fiserve Forum. 

Finally, we hit up the Wisconsin State Fair this weekend and I could not pass up on an airbrushed Spawn hat for wear at Wizard World Chicago. 

My best purchase all summer

 

 

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Edited by oldmilwaukee6er
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