When I was a little kid in the early 80s, we'd spend alternate Sundays at my aunt's house in the country. We discovered a trove of comics my adult cousin had collected when he was in Junior high ten years earlier. All the cousins read them repeatedly, so they were pretty well trashed by the time we all grew up. I recently went to my aunt's house and (with my cousin's permission) retrieved the trove to see with modern hindsight just what I had been reading (or in some cases, skipping). Here's what I found, after figuring out what those mostly coverless comics all were:

Action Comics #392 “The Shame of the Super-Son!” (DC, September 1970)
Action Comics #398 “The Pied Piper of Steel” (DC, March 1971)
Action Comics #401 “Invaders Go Home” (DC, June 1971)
Action Comics #406 “Master of Miracles!” (DC, November 1971)
Action Comics #408 “The Hero Superman Doomed to Die!” (DC, January 1972)
Action Comics #409 “Who Is Clark Kent’s Killer, and Why Is He Doing These Terrible Things to Me?” (DC, February 1972)
Action Comics #413 “The Voodoo Doom of Superman” (DC, June 1972)
Action Comics #422 “The TV Show That Menaced Metropolis” (DC, March 1973)

Adventure Comics #394 “The Mysterious Motr of Doov” (DC, June 1970)
Adventure Comics #395 “The Rejected Supergirl” (DC, July 1970)
Adventure Comics #397 “Now Comes… Zong” (DC, September 1970)
Adventure Comics #411 “The Alien Among Us!” (DC, October 1971)
Adventure Comics #413 “The Walking Bombs!” (DC, December 1971)
Adventure Comics #415 “The Space Pirates!” (DC, February 1972)
Adventure Comics #419 “The Thief Who Loved Supergirl” (DC, May 1972)
Adventure Comics #424 “Crypt of the Frozen Graves” (DC, October 1972)

Adventures of Shoney’s Big Boy #61 “Sun Fun”

All-Star Western (Outlaw) #5 “The Hangman Never Loses!” (DC, April 1971)

Archie and Big Ethel (Spire, 1982)

American Honda Presents DC Comics’ Supergirl (1984)

Army War Heroes (The Iron Corporal) #28 “Juggernaut” (Charlton, November 1968)

Attack #5 “Toughen ‘Em Up!” (Charlton, May 1972)
Attack #6 “Someone Has to Die” (Charlton, July 1972)

Barney Bear “Sunday School Picnic” (Spire, 1981)
Barney Bear in Toyland! (Spire, 1982)

Batman #206 “Batman Walks the Last Mile” (DC, November 1968)
Batman #240 “Vengeance for a Dead Man!” (DC, March 1970)

Bonanza #30 “The Blood Debt” (Gold Key, November 1968)

The Brave and the Bold #187 “Time… My Dark Destiny!” (DC, December 1979)

Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew #11 “The Wuz-Wolf’s Night to Howl” (DC, Jan 1983)
Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew #13 “Fowl Weather” (DC, March 1983)
Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew #18 “The Great Gnudini” (DC, August 1983)

Challengers of the Unknown #70 “A Scream of Yesterdays!” (DC, October 1969)

Chamber of Darkness #6 “A Change of Mind!” (Marvel, August 1970)

Cheyenne Kid #79 “Comanche Conqueror” (Charlton, July 1970)

Classics Illustrated #34 “Mysterious Island by Jules Verne”

Combat #35 “Cassino” (Dell, April 1972)

Combat Kelly #1 “Stop the Luftwaffe… Win the War!” (Marvel, June 1972)

Daredevil #68 “Phoenix and the Fighter!” (Marvel, September 1970)
Daredevil #70 “The Tribune” (Marvel, November, 1970)

DC Comics Presents #16 “The De-Volver” (DC, December 1979)
DC Comics Presents #39 “The Thing That Goes Woof in the Night!” (DC, November 1981)

Detective Comics #397 “Paint a Picture of Peril” (DC, March 1970)
Detective Comics #403 “You Die By Mourning!” (DC, September 1970)
Detective Comics #423 “The Most Dangerous Twenty Miles in Gotham City” (DC, May 1972)

Fightin’ Army #88 “The Partisans” (Charlton, November 1969)
Fightin’ Army #103 “The Sniper” (Charlton, May 1972)

Fightin’ Marines #86 “When In Doubt, Attack!” (Charlton, July 1969)
Fightin’ Marines #90 “They Must Love Us, Chicken” (Charlton, March 1970)
Fightin’ Marines #100 “Chicken Smith and the Medal” (Charlton, November 1971)
Fightin’ Marines #103 “The Last Days” (Charlton, April 1972)
Fightin’ Marines #107 “The Hero!” (Charlton, December 1972)
Fightin’ Marines #109 “The Hunted” (Charlton, March 1973)
Ghost Manor #13 “The 3rd Player” (Charlton, July 1970)

Ghostly Tales from the Haunted House #86 “Mr. Dedd: Return to Die!” (Charlton, June 1971)

Ghosts #6 “A Specter Poured the Potion” (DC, August 1972)
Ghosts #12 “The Macabre Mummy of Takhem-Ahtem” (DC, February 1973)
Ghosts #21 “The Ghost in the Devil’s Chair” (DC, December 1973)

GI Combat #147 (Haunted Tank) “Rebel Tank” (DC, April 1971)
GI Combat #148 (Haunted Tank) “The Gold-Plated General” (DC, June 1971)
GI Combat #151 (Haunted Tank) “A Strong Right Arm” (DC, January 1972)
GI Combat #158 (Haunted Tank) “What Price War?” (DC, February 1973)
GI Combat #163 (Haunted Tank) “A Crew Divided!” (DC, August 1973)

GI War Tales #3 “Split-Second Target” (DC, August 1973)

Green Lantern (/Green Arrow) #86: “They Say It’ll Kill Me, But They Won’t Say When” (DC, October 1971)

House of Mystery #185 (DC, March 1970)
House of Mystery #188 (DC, October 1970)
House of Mystery #195 (DC, October 1971)
House of Mystery #201 (DC, April 1972)
House of Mystery #202 (DC, May 1972)
House of Mystery #208 (DC, November 1972)

House of Secrets #86 (DC, July 1970)
House of Secrets #87 (DC, August 1970)
House of Secrets #91 (DC, May 1971)
House of Secrets #95 (DC, January 1972)
House of Secrets #98 (DC, July 1972)

Justice League of America #96 “Meet the Cosmic Vampire!” (DC, February 1972)

Kid Colt Outlaw #147 (Marvel, June 1970)

Korak Son of Tarzan #42 “The Battle of the Burning Mountain” (Gold Key, July 1971)

Magnus, Robot Fighter #23 “Operation Disguise” (Gold Key, July 1972

Marvel Super Action #8 (reprints Captain America #106) (Marvel, 1979)

Marvel Super Special #18 “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (Marvel, 1981)

Marvel’s Greatest Comics #53 (reprints FF #70) “When Fall the Mighty” (Marvel, November 1974)

Mighty Marvel Western #8: “Revenge at Rustler’s Roost” (Marvel, May 1970)

Our Army at War (Sgt Rock) #208 “A Piece of Rag… A Hank of Hair!” (DC, July 1969)
Our Army at War (Sgt Rock) #232 “3 Men in a Tub!” (DC, May 1971)
Our Army at War (Sgt Rock) #239 “The Soldier” (DC, December 1971)
Our Army at War (Sgt Rock) #240 “Tank 711” (DC, January 1972)
Our Army at War (Sgt Rock) #241 “War Story” (DC, February 1972)
Our Army at War (Sgt Rock) #242 100 page spectacular (DC, February 1972)
Our Army at War (Sgt Rock) #247 “The Vision!”

Our Fighting Forces (The Losers) #130 “Nameless Target” (March 1971)
Our Fighting Forces (The Losers) #136 “Decoy for Death!” (April 1972)
Our Fighting Forces (The Losers) #138 “The Targets” (August 1972)
Our Fighting Forces (The Losers) #142 “½ a Man” (DC, April 1973)
Our Fighting Forces (The Losers) #143 “Diamonds Are for Never” (DC, July 1973)
Our Fighting Forces (The Losers) #145 “A Flag for Losers!” (DC, November 1973)

Phantom #30 “A Small War!” (Charlton, August 1970)

The Phantom Stranger #18 “Home Is the Sailor” (April 1972)
The Phantom Stranger #20 “A Child Shall Lead Them” (August 1972)
The Phantom Stranger #22 “Circle of Evil” (December 1972)
The Phantom Stranger #23 “Panic in the Night!” (DC, January 1973)
The Phantom Stranger #24 “Apocalypse” (DC, March 1973)

Rawhide Kid #82: “A Man Called Drako!” (Marvel, December 1970)

Secret Origins #1 (February 1973)

Secrets of Sinister House #5 “Death at Dunbar Castle” (DC, June 1972)

Sgt. Fury #71 “Burn, Bridge, Burn!” (Marvel, October 1969)
Sgt. Fury #80 “To Free a Hostage” (Marvel, September 1970)
Sgt. Fury #92 “Some Die Slowly” (Marvel, October 1971)
Sgt. Fury #99 “The Grandeur That Was Greece” (Marvel, June 1972)

Shoney’s Fun and Adventure Magazine #2, 6, 10

Star Spangled War Stories (The Unknown Soldier) #156 “Assassination (DC, April 1971)
Star Spangled War Stories (The Unknown Soldier) #157 (DC, July 1971)
Star Spangled War Stories (The Unknown Soldier) #159 “Man of War” (DC, October 1971)
Star Spangled War Stories (The Unknown Soldier) #165 “Witness for a Coward” (DC, October 1972)

Star Wars #52: “To Take the Tarkin” (Marvel, October 1981)

The Story of Electricity (Custom Comics, 1969)

Strange Adventures (Adam Strange) #225 ”The Radioactive Peril!” (DC, August 1970)
Strange Adventures #236 “The Human Fishbowl!” (DC, June 1972)
Strange Adventures #237 “The Skyscraper That Came to Life!” (DC, July 1972)
Strange Adventures #240 “Lifeboat in Space!” (DC, February 1973)

Super DC Giant (House of Mystery) S-20 (DC, October 1970)

Super DC Giant (Supergirl) S-24 (DC, June 1971)

Superboy #160 “I Chose Eternal Exile!” (DC, October 1969)
Superboy #168 “Leave Us… Or We Perish!” (DC, September 1970)
Superboy #184 “The Glass Nightmare” (DC, April 1972)
Superboy #185 “100 Page Super Spectacular (DC, May 1972)
Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes #243 “Earth’s Last Stand” (DC, September 1978)

Superman #227 “Special All-Kryptonite Issue” (DC, July 1970)
Superman #254 “The Kid Who Stole Superman’s Powers” (DC, July 1972)
Superman Special #1 “Behold! The Ultimate Man!” (DC, 1983)

Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane #120 “Who Killed Lucy Lane?” (DC, March 1972)
Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane #123 “The Ten Deadly Visions of The 100” (DC, June 1972)
Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane #137 “The Stolen Subway!” (DC, September 1974)

Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #143 “Genocide Spray” (DC, November 1971)
Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #147 “A Superman in Super-Town!” (DC, March 1972)
Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen #152 “The Double-Edged Sword” (DC, August 1972)

Tomahawk #179 “Treachery at Thunder Ridge!” (DC, July 1970)

Tower of Shadows #4 “Evil is a Baaaaaad Scene!” (Marvel, March 1970)
Tower of Shadows #5 “The Demon That Devoured Hollywood!” (Marvel, May 1970)

The Unexpected #128 “Where Only the Dead Are Free!” (DC, October, 1971)
The Unexpected #131 “Run for Your Death!” (DC, January 1972)
The Unexpected #133 “Agnes Doesn’t Haunt Here Anymore!” (DC, March 1972)
The Unexpected #135 “Death, Come Walk With Me!” (DC, May 1972)
The Unexpected #136 “An Incident of Violence” (DC, June 1972)
The Unexpected #138 “Strange Secret of the Huan Shan Idol” (DC, August 1972)
The Unexpected #140 “The Anatomy of Hate” (DC, October 1972)
The Unexpected #145 “Grave of Glass” (DC, March 1973)
The Unexpected #151 “Sorry, I’m Not Ready to Die” (DC, October 1973)

The Warlord #7 “The Iron Devil” (DC, June, 1977)

Weird Western Tales (Jonah Hex) #19 “Demon on My Trail” (DC, September 1973)

The Western Kid #3 “Bushwacked in the Badlands!” (Marvel, April 1972)

The Witching Hour #9 “Lonely Road Home!” (DC, June 1970)
The Witching Hour #14 “The Haunted House in Space!” (DC, April 1971)
The Witching Hour #20 “Death Is a Demon in Disguise” (DC, May 1972)
The Witching Hour #85 “Rat Bait” (DC, October 1978)

Wonder Woman #189 “Red for Death!” (DC, July 1970)
Wonder Woman #199 “Tribunal of Fear” (DC, April 1971)
Wonder Woman #237 “The Secret Origin of Wonder Woman!” (DC, November 1977)

World’s Finest Comics #180 “Superman’s Perfect Crime” (DC, November 1968)

100 Page Spectacular Presents Sgt Rock #16 (DC, April 1973)

* The year spread is mostly 1970-1973, with a few outliers which may have fallen into the stack from other kids. Or maybe he bought a few as a young adult?

* The preponderance of war comics and supernatural comics is striking. Was that typical of kids in that era? War comics petered off pretty quickly in the post-Vietnam era, I'll wager. I never read any of the war comics, and it seems no one else did either; they were in the best shape, albeit nothing anyone would slab.

* Very few superhero comics, almost all Superman branded, with a few others. The only Fourth World are a pair of Jimmy Olsens which I found memorable but confusing.

* The Wonder Woman (including Jeff Jones' beautifully painted "chains and axe" cover), Adventure Comics (Supergirl), and Lois Lane are the main hints of sex appeal. Were there even any other female-fronted comics on sale at the time?

* And so little Marvel, with almost no Marvel super-heroes. That surprises me, considering how well Marvel was selling at the time.

So, how does his stash compare to the buying habits of others of you in that era?