What comic books have you read today?11515
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
| My travels to the land of February 1983 dated comics have turned my thoughts toward team-up comics. I have always enjoyed the simplicity of this type of comic. Unlike the regular hero comics or superhero team books, team-up comics are most often self contained stories by nature, featuring a rotating cast of characters, short on lengthy subplots and convoluted storylines and long on straight ahead action. They are kind of like popcorn; maybe not very filling but a great snack between heavier meals. After being caught up in the ongoing complexities of books like Avengers, Flash or Arak, Son of Thunder, it’s nice to sprinkle in a team-up book here and there, providing some great action without the burden of keeping track of who all the players are and what happened in last month’s issue. This month’s reading has brought to me the realization that this point in time was the beginning of the end for this type of comic. There are four different team-up titles in my February ‘83 hoard: Marvel Team-Up, Marvel 2-in-1, Brave and the Bold and DC Comics Presents. In just a few short months the ranks would be considerably thinner. The final issue of Marvel 2-in-1 would come in Jun ‘83, the title being replaced with a solo book for the Thing. The July issues would bring the final Brave and the Bold, replaced on the schedule by a new superhero team book, Batman and the Outsiders. A little further down the road, Marvel Team-Up would eventually give way to Web of Spider-Man. DC Presents carried on a little longer but was eventually cancelled in ‘86 when the John Byrne revamp took place. To be fair, Action Comics did take over as the Superman team-up book for a while, but even that title ultimately was forced to change formats away from team-ups. I’m not sure what the reasoning was for phasing out team-up comics. Virtually all of them were replaced by a somewhat similar non team-up title on the schedule. Perhaps it was hard finding reasons for diverse heroes to keep teaming up month after month? Or maybe nobody wanted to write these things anymore? I don’t know why the decision was made to start phasing out team-up books in ‘83. I just know that it makes me kind of sad.     |
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| Post 501 • IP flag post | ||
 If the viagra is working you should be well over a 9.8.
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xkonk private msg quote post Address this user | |
| My LCS had the four issue mini of Vision and Scarlet Witch from 82/83, so I gave that a read. Not bad, but in the context of reading it along with the Disney+ series there was much less about their relationship than I would have thought. The issues are also fairly disconnected, although a theme of family mostly carries through. It is the series where (spoiler from 30 years ago that was later walked back!) they say that Magneto is Wanda and Pietro's father, so that's notable. | ||
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @xkonk this is something that I am currently re-reading as well. Issue 4 is still in my February to-be-read stack but I recently re-read #3 for the first time in 38 years. What a cool and trippy comic that was! | ||
| Post 503 • IP flag post | ||
 Suck it up, buttercup!!
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KatKomics private msg quote post Address this user | |
| just got in my books from @poka 's sale in december. I don't know why but I've always like the handbooks. Right now looking through some of the Marvel Handbooks of the Universe. Just fun....tells you all about a character or team or equipment (Avengers Manor or Quinjet) has tech specs or powers, real names- do you know Kitty Prydes real name?? marital status, first appearance, team affiliation, when they joined that team etc. etc....I have a bunch from when I was a kid - also liked the books of the dead. The wrap around covers are great - it's all just fun stuff!!! A great resource from pre-internet days!!! | ||
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Suck it up, buttercup!!
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KatKomics private msg quote post Address this user | |
Again..loving the handbook....here is something fun...Ranks of the Nova Corps...now when you see one you'll know!÷ |
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| Post 505 • IP flag post | ||
 PEDIGREED... Again!
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martymann private msg quote post Address this user | |
Just a few from the October 1994 ZERO SERIES.    mm |
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| Post 506 • IP flag post | ||
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Towmater private msg quote post Address this user | |
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| Post 507 • IP flag post | ||
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @KatKomics back when those handbooks were coming out I had a couple of friends who would scrutinize every page of every issue. We were constantly talking superheroes back then. With most of my information coming from the Overstreet guide, I would get them every time on questions about what issue something happened in, but they would murder me on questions like “how much can this guy lift?” or “what is the Abomination’s real name?” thanks to those handbooks. Great memories! | ||
| Post 508 • IP flag post | ||
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
Almost finished working my way through February 1983 dated comics. Just a ton of great stuff in there! It’s interesting to note how the market was expanding back then. My January ‘83 hoard was a little over 50 comics, February is closer to sixty. I haven’t counted the March comics, but the stack is taller than Jan or Feb, probably around 65 comics or more. And subsequent stacks are even bigger! Of course back then I didn’t have the financial resources to keep up with that many comics. I was lucky if I could buy 15-20 a month. The rest are comics I have picked up since that time, some of which I had never even read. I am going to start with such a comic: Neil the Horse #1 was a pretty interesting comic. It was kind of a hodgepodge of material. A few comic strips, a couple of short comics stories, even an illustrated text piece. I am still not sure what to think of this comic as a whole. There were some good bits, and I thought the characters were engaging and well drawn. For those unfamiliar with the strip (most of you I would guess), the three central characters are Neil, a friendly and perpetually hungry horse with a fondness for bananas, a cigar smoking, not particularly pleasant cat named Soapy, and their human friend, a free spirited and fun loving young lady named Mam’selle Poupee. I definitely see a lot of potential here and I am looking forward to seeing it realized in future issues as the concepts become more fully developed.  The early 80’s relaunch of Blackhawk is probably my favorite of all the various incarnations of this title. I did enjoy both Howard Chaykin’s late ‘80s mini series and the serialized version that appeared in Action Comics Weekly, but this version, by Evanier and Spiegle, best captures the true essence of these characters IMO. This was a great issue featuring two solid stories. If you’re not hip to this series, keep an eye out next time you are digging through the discount boxes as it is both affordable and entertaining.  It seems like there were a whole slew of deluxe format reprints back in the early ‘80s. I guess that makes sense since publishers weren’t making a dime off of the sale of back issues, in spite of the increasing interest. This one is a reprint of Giant Sized X-men #1, with an all new backup story to pad the page count and get the completists who already have GSXM1 to plunk down their two bucks. The backup, focusing on Kitty Pryde, is nothing particularly special, but it is a nice package, printed on baxter paper with an all new wraparound cover and a nice looking pin-up on the inside cover.  I will wrap for tonight with the comic that I just finished, Elfquest #15. Man, what a great comic! I had forgotten just how awesome Elfquest is! This was a particularly intense and exciting issue. It makes me want to pull out and re-read the entire series. I am going to do my best to refrain and stick to the schedule, which will be hard since Elfquest only came out every fourth month and the next issue is dated June ‘83. Fortunately I have a ton of other great comics to keep me going until then!  |
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| Post 509 • IP flag post | ||
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PEDIGREED... Again!
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martymann private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Ran across this while digging through a forgotten box of auction books.  mm |
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| Post 510 • IP flag post | ||
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Jabberwookie private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @KatKomics Isn't it amazing that Marvel got people (kids, included) to buy a comic encyclopedia? I don't think you'd ever get that to happen today with books costing $3-4 a piece. @michaelekrupp I have that X-Men book, too. I'd searched for it forever because that's how I read GSX for the first time. Not a great book, but like you said, a great, cheap starting point for new readers. @martymann That book looks pretty good to be in just a random box. I'm totally envious of your collection. I'm just waiting for the day you "find" a detective Comics 27 in VF condition. Thanks for sharing, as always! |
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| Post 511 • IP flag post | ||
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Jabberwookie I remember back when those deluxe edition reprints started popping up there was a certain segment of dealers and collectors who felt these books were “back issue killers”, holding down the value of the related back issues. Nearly 40 years later, hindsight tells us they were very, very wrong. The X-men Special Edition can be found for cover price or less with minimal effort today, while the current price of GSX1 would have been inconceivable 40 years ago🤯! I think what these books really accomplished was to pave the way for the proliferation of high end reprint material that would occur later on. That $2 price tag for Special Edition 1 was more than 3 times the going rate for a regular comic at the time... for a glorified reprint! These comics served to lay the groundwork for the first Marvel Masterworks books later in the ‘80s, which ultimately flowered into the large selection of high end material available today. I don’t know about you, but I LOVE hardcovers, omnibuses and slipcase editions, none of which would likely have seen the light of day if those deluxe format reprint comics had flopped. | ||
| Post 512 • IP flag post | ||
 Masculinity takes a holiday.
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EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @michaelekrupp Interesting points. At the time you had to own the book to read the story and I think there was legitimate concern that reprinting the story would eliminate the need to own the books. But for the most part reprinting the stories turned the originals into desirable collectables. One notable exception to this was Miracleman 15, the death of Kid Miracleman. While it was tied up in lawsuits and could not be reprinted the original kind of reached cult status and fetched very high prices. The lone printing of the TPB also was selling for hundreds of dollars. Maybe it's cult status was because it was one of the few books that could not be reprinted? But once the story was freed up for reprint it lost significant value. | ||
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Jabberwookie private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @michaelekrupp All great points. I’d forgotten about the price difference, but once you mentioned it, I realized I’ve never paid cover price for that book. I swapped a random Power Pack for it back in the day, and when I reacquainted it a few years ago, it was in a dollar bin. Not as sexy as having the real thing, but I got to at least read the story for a total cost of $1.50. You and some others are really talking me into those hardcovers. Once the world gets back to “normal,” I’ve got a place I may try to go pick up a few. |
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| Post 514 • IP flag post | ||
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PEDIGREED... Again!
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martymann private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Jabberwookie Thank you for your kind words...no DETECTIVE #27 in the box but I did find a DETECTIVE #554 in there along with some FLASH COMICS.  mm |
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| Post 515 • IP flag post | ||
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @EbayMafia I agree that the availability of affordable reprints removes the “I just want to read it” crowd from the equation. In the case of Miracleman, I would argue that the loss of value is also due to the character dropping out of the public eye. Without new material bringing in new collectors to seek out the back issues there is diminished demand, which is an equal, if not greater, factor in deflating back issue prices. | ||
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Masculinity takes a holiday.
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EbayMafia private msg quote post Address this user | |
The cover compelled me to buy it, so I figured I might as well read it. It's the return of Captain Nazi since the Golden Age, but the story is just completely contrived and difficult to swallow: This Ad on the inside of the book is probably symbolic of how little effort DC was putting in at the time:  But I have to admit, reading it has inspired me to pick up a full run of the Shazam books. They are super cheap and I think several Golden Age villains re-appear for the first time in the Shazam run. |
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| Post 517 • IP flag post | ||
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PEDIGREED... Again!
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martymann private msg quote post Address this user | |
Looking for NIGHTWING... mm |
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| Post 518 • IP flag post | ||
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
Read these two before work this morning. Nothing helps to get one through a 12+ hour shift better than thinking about the comics you read that morning . Both are top shelf products produced by creators at the top of their game. Both can be found in the dollar boxes. Two good reasons why I have no interest in trying to keep up with the $4 and up stuff they are putting out today.  |
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| Post 519 • IP flag post | ||
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PEDIGREED... Again!
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martymann private msg quote post Address this user | |
First appearance of THE VIGILANTE. mm |
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| Post 520 • IP flag post | ||
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Jabberwookie private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Just finished Ha Ha 1 and 2 and they were decent. King in Black is good but feels really familiar. However, I’m really enjoying Batman/Catwoman. Great art. Fun story. Give it a try if you can! |
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| Post 521 • IP flag post | ||
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
Today’s reading has served to highlight how much a book can improve when just one member of a creative team changes. In the case of Micronauts, Butch Guice’s art served to inject life into a title that had been stagnant for a very long time. Those issues in the 50s stand as the best of the entire run, due in no small part to Guice’s incredible art! And I’m not forgetting those early Michael Golden classics when I say this. In the case of the Flash, both writer and artist remained the same, but it was the addition of editor Ernie Colon that seemed to give the title a more cohesive direction. It started with these issues featuring the threat of the Eradicator which served as a run up to the “trial of the Flash” arc that held me spellbound for so long back in the ‘80s.  |
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| Post 522 • IP flag post | ||
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PEDIGREED... Again!
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martymann private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @michaelekrupp Your post got me to look up my MICRONAUTS and FLASH copies. I remember buying the FLASH issues for the GIFFEN DR. FATE stories.   mm |
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| Post 523 • IP flag post | ||
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michaelekrupp private msg quote post Address this user | |
@martymann I loved the Flash/ Dr. Fate pairing! One of my favorite covers: |
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| Post 524 • IP flag post | ||
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PEDIGREED... Again!
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martymann private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @michaelekrupp And this cover states..."TWO SUPER-STARS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!".  mm |
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| Post 525 • IP flag post | ||
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Fads89 private msg quote post Address this user | |
 George Perez drew this sketch of Marionette for me for $5 at a comic convention in Corpus Christi, Tx in 1979. |
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| Post 526 • IP flag post | ||
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BrianGreensnips private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Fads89 That is a great piece. | ||
| Post 527 • IP flag post | ||
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Redmisty4me private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by michaelekrupp Ernie! You know, he never gave himself credit for being as brilliant on the literary end of the biz as he was on the visual end - amazing talent, and very deferential. |
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| Post 528 • IP flag post | ||
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willieCPA4646 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| The Dreaming - Waking Hours #8 (DC - Sandman Universe) - Wilson / Rodriguez | ||
| Post 529 • IP flag post | ||
 Moderator
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Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I actually read this last night. I liked the story, but not quite as much as the first issue. The first issue was written from the point of view of the main protagonist. In the second story, the story of the main protagonist is told through the eyes of her daughter. Even though the daughter obviously has issues also, they are not the main focus of the story. And I typically don't care much for that style of writing. I find I like reading the inner monolog of a character. Anyways, it IS a good story, just not a great one imo. I am getting new eyeglasses tomorrow and look forward to reading more comics without getting headaches!!! I expect my reading overall will increase dramatically now!!!  |
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| Post 530 • IP flag post | ||