D.C.’s 52 Pages

[Timulty]

Amazing thread, What really gets me is how many of these are stuck in my boxes. Guess it is time to separate them out with my "special" collections. Nothing high grade but if I come across a better copy, I try to upgrade where I can. Thanks guys.

[Point Five]

Very cool Kubert cover on that S15 western giant; never seen that before. It's pretty funny that the "Comics" in the logo is the typeface from the golden age Adventure Comics, Action Comics etc! I know some of those logos were dusted off in the BA, but it just looks so bizarre here; wonder why it was reused. Some great books here, folks!

[bigfiver69]

Hey guys,

 

A few comments on the 64/52/48 pagers, and grading.

 

Does CGC slide the scale a little on these, considering the bindery problems usually associated with them? I have found that perfectly trimmed, bound and centred copies are extremely hard to get.

 

Many of mine have (accepable to in my view) off-centering and mild fanning of the interiors pages. For every 1 that I see that is tip-top, there are 10 that appear poorly bound to some degree.

 

Most of the large format books in my collection are war titles (proud to say I have 'em all!). Aside from the excellent reprint material, the original stories in these issues are among the best of the runs. Severin and Kanigher on Our Fighting Forces; Kubert on the Unknown Soldier in Star Spangled War; Killer Heath and Glanzman art in G.I. Combat; great new stories and art in Weird War Tales'; and best of all, the very best of Russ Heath's art on Sgt. Rock in Our Army at War - culminating in the classic 'Easy's First Tiger' in OAAW #244. Aside from the main stories, there are also excellent backups - USS Stevens by Glanzman, Medal of Honour by Norm Maurer, Alex Toth drawing Bob Kanigher's Gallery of War.... I mean, please - It's a feast.

 

Was this coincidence, or do you think the DC brass lit a fire under the editors to make the material in the larger books absolutely top notch? Have collectors of the other genres noticed a similar upswing in quality in the other titles?

 

Curious.

 

Shep

[Zonker]

Most of the large format books in my collection are war titles (proud to say I have 'em all!). Aside from the excellent reprint material, the original stories in these issues are among the best of the runs. Severin and Kanigher on Our Fighting Forces; Kubert on the Unknown Soldier in Star Spangled War; Killer Heath and Glanzman art in G.I. Combat; great new stories and art in Weird War Tales'; and best of all, the very best of Russ Heath's art on Sgt. Rock in Our Army at War - culminating in the classic 'Easy's First Tiger' in OAAW #244. Aside from the main stories, there are also excellent backups - USS Stevens by Glanzman, Medal of Honour by Norm Maurer, Alex Toth drawing Bob Kanigher's Gallery of War.... I mean, please - It's a feast.

 

Was this coincidence, or do you think the DC brass lit a fire under the editors to make the material in the larger books absolutely top notch? Have collectors of the other genres noticed a similar upswing in quality in the other titles?

 

Curious.

 

Shep

 

I doubt there was a conscious decision to try harder just because they were giant sized books. But I do think both

a) the experiments in format that produced the 48/52/64 pg Giants & the 100 Page Super-specs; and

b) the experiments in storytelling (both scripting and artwork) at DC in the early 1970s

 

have a common root: DC's somewhat hail-Mary play of turning artist Carmine Infantino into the publisher. For instance, Infantino put Kubert in charge editorially of the war books, effectively demoting Kanigher. Later, he brought over the former guiding force behind Warren's Blazing Combat to edit 3 of the remaining Big Four titles: Archie Goodwin took over Our Fighting Forces, Star Spangled War and G. I. Combat. In general, DC took a lot of chances in this period to try to avoid Marvel leaving them in the dust.

 

(It didn't work)

[Monstro]

Here you go element, Don Rosa Weird Western Tales #12 CGC 9.8, $610 with 5 days left.

 

Damn, Steve Wyatt, buy a fricken scanner already.

 

 

 

really though. and i'm just wondering. why wouldn't you show a better

pic of souch a beutiful book? are you hoping it doesn't sell?

of course it will, it just looks like that.

[johnenock]

mild fanning of the interiors pages

 

A lot of the giants seem to have the fanning problem, but the few that have been cgc'd in my collection don't SEEM to be downgraded. The major problem I usually see are bindery corners.

 

Oh, and quit talking up the war books...I'm trying to stay focused...

[johnenock]

For instance:

 

 

Both corners have bindery tears, a little fanning and slight miscut -c and it got a 9.4. It is a Rosa(my first and I was way more careful after this purchase). I wonder if that has any bearing on grade? If not, then it would appear cgc doesn't mark down too much for these defects. Damn the small picture auctions.

 

They didn't mark down for the cat hair in the middle of the scan either.

[bigfiver69]

Oh, and quit talking up the war books...I'm trying to stay focused...

 

Sorry man.... I just can't shut up about the war books. Aside from my wife and my kids, they're the total love of my life.

 

They'll still be here when you finish your other runs, and then.... jump in and feel the war-collecting-pain like the rest of us DC war guys. I love it, but it is truly a peculiar form of masochism.

 

Here's some non-war that I pulled out today. If these have been posted already, my apologies.

 

[bigfiver69]

Wrightson Greytone. INSANE!!!

 

[bigfiver69]

Cardy... one of the great DC cover artists of all time.

 

[bigfiver69]

This cover always freaked me out.

 

[bigfiver69]

Adams.

 

[bigfiver69]

Pure evil.

 

[bigfiver69]

Something for the kiddies

 

[bigfiver69]

The only horror cover Russ Heath did during the Bronze Age. Such a badass!

 

[Timulty]

Nice, truly nice. Yee Haw.

[bigfiver69]

Nice, truly nice. Yee Haw.

 

Thanks man. Now if I could just get the rest of the horror 52 pagers!

 

Shep

[johnenock]

Sorry man.... I just can't shut up about the war books.

 

Too late. Just picked these up from Sulipa:

GI Combat

#225(Manitoba;GIANT; Kubert-c; NM+, 9.6

#229(Manitoba; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM+, 9.6

#230(Manitoba; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM/MT, 9.8

#232(Manitoba; Origin Kana the Ninja; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM/MT 9.8

#233(Manitoba; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM/MT, 9.8

#234(Manitoba; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM+, 9.6

#235(Manitoba; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM+, 9.6

#236(Manitoba; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM+, 9.6

#237(Manitoba; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM/MT, 9.8

#238(Manitoba; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM+, 9.6

#240(Manitoba; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM/MT, 9.8

 

All of 'em are the dollar giants(another interesting era for me).

 

And great Bronze Horror there. Awesome books especially HOS 93 -- one I've never seen before.

[bigfiver69]

Sorry man.... I just can't shut up about the war books.

 

Too late. Just picked these up from Sulipa:

GI Combat

#225(Manitoba;GIANT; Kubert-c; NM+, 9.6

#229(Manitoba; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM+, 9.6

#230(Manitoba; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM/MT, 9.8

#232(Manitoba; Origin Kana the Ninja; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM/MT 9.8

#233(Manitoba; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM/MT, 9.8

#234(Manitoba; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM+, 9.6

#235(Manitoba; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM+, 9.6

#236(Manitoba; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM+, 9.6

#237(Manitoba; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM/MT, 9.8

#238(Manitoba; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM+, 9.6

#240(Manitoba; GIANT; Kubert-c; NM/MT, 9.8

 

All of 'em are the dollar giants(another interesting era for me).

 

And great Bronze Horror there. Awesome books especially HOS 93 -- one I've never seen before.

 

Beautiful pickups there... I just got the email too. Nice stuff... those dollar size GI Combats are sweeter'n hell. Looks like you're getting some killer grades too.

 

Look for a PM in a minute.

Shep

[Monstro]

went to a small show today. about 10 tables.

about 5 that had Silver, Bronze and Gold. i was

determined to purchase only 64/52/48 page D.C.'s

and to my amazement i stuck to it. bought these from

two different guy's. the Weird Western Tales #12 from one

guy, the rest from the other. i feel lucky as cr_p to find

the WWT #12. he had it marked for 50.00 and he gave it to me

for 35.00. sweet deal!!!. the rest we're in a 50% off box and we're

marked 10.00 a piece. so all together 50.00. I guess that’s alright.

so yea these books are pretty affordable in decent condition.