|
Post by The Captain on Jul 26, 2020 21:17:06 GMT -5
Let me suggest another run that might be had without a run killer- the Wally West Flash series starting in 1987. The only books that I saw from that 247 issue run that might be a problem are # 92 ( first Bart Allen ) and # 197 ( I really don't know why it's pricey because it has the reverse Flash? ). But Even the first issue could probably be had for under 10 dollars. Edit: apparently # 197 is the origin of Dr. Zoom and going for 75 dollars and up ! I got #1 of that series back in 2016 at a show in Columbus where I met up with our own esteemed @mrp. Paid $2 for it. I don't own #92 or #197. I actually only have #193 and 195 in the 192-200 range, but there is a TPB out that collects those issues that I bought from Amazon a couple of years ago, so I could read everything except #92, which I didn't really care all that much about.
|
|
|
Post by The Captain on Jul 26, 2020 21:13:12 GMT -5
This Sunday I went to PA to visit my grandson for the first time since they moved there and we visited a Comic shop called " Comics on the Green " in Scranton PA. Nice shop and they had 50% off on most of their back issues. I picked up 10 Flash comics for the 1987 series. This makes it only 11 more for me to complete the 247 issue series. Best of luck, my friend. I got close on this series in floppies, then bought one TPB to cover the issues from #192-200 or so due to the excessive cost. Still don't own #92 (first Impulse) and never will; I actually read the entire series while skipping the one issue I didn't have and was OK with it, as I didn't feel like I was missing anything.
|
|
|
Post by The Captain on Jul 26, 2020 9:41:06 GMT -5
In trying to build a run of this series, I've found that this issue is likely to be the most expensive. Apparently because in a metaphysical series such as this, O'Neil shot for the moon here by having Vic buy a copy of the Watchmen trade paperback. I've found the rest of the series' issues to be affordable, from couple of bucks to perhaps $4, maybe $5. A recent search on eBay for this issue though has copies starting off around $25 and up. The cheapest slabbed copy currently is for $90 with other slabbed copies being $100 or more. Wish I'd seen this before yesterday. Spent the day at one of the LCS going through $1 bins (unsorted), and I came across six or seven runs of The Question in there. I'm wondering if this issue was in any of them or if it is missing. I didn't bother to look since I don't collect the series, and with the haphazard nature of the boxes, it will be almost impossible to go back and find them unless I put in another 3 hours. Oh, well.
|
|
|
Post by The Captain on Jul 24, 2020 11:26:14 GMT -5
You're not alone. I get the shakes if I think about spending more than a fiver on an individual comic.
Yeah, long gone are the days when I'd spend $30, maybe even $50 for a back issue (usually an X-Men) not to mention what I paid for Giant Size X-Men #1, and if I buy something now, $10 is pretty much my limit. I'm with you on this. Last time I spent at least $30 was back in early 2018 (Marvel Premiere #28, with The Legion of Monsters). Since then, most I've spent is: $13 on Daredevil #65, to complete my run from #64+ $10 on Fantastic Four #109 $9 on Mike Grell's Green Arrow #1 After that, it's six $5 books: Captain America #196 - replacement copy Iron Man #118 (first Jim Rhodes) - replacement copy - big sale at LCS Iron Man #127 - replacement copy Incredible Hulk #227 - replacement copy Sub-Mariner #31 and #48 Then it's nothing more than $3.25, but mostly $2 or under. I spend most of my money on collected editions now of Silver/Early Bronze Age books.
|
|
|
Post by The Captain on Jul 24, 2020 5:26:12 GMT -5
That is what drives me to be the kind of parent to my daughters that I never had. I want them to grow up knowing they are loved, they are safe, they are special to me, and they are valued. I often struggle with the idea of being a father. I had no real good fatherly parental figure until my grandfather during the latter half of his twilight years when he mellowed out by finding faith in god through mormonism.
I think I would like to adopt though
It's not for everyone. There are days, even now almost 15 years in with my older daughter, when I wonder what the hell I'm doing or if I'll ever get it right. Thankfully, God blessed me and my daughters with their mother. She is a woman of patience, kindness, and grace, which all of us need on a daily basis (being honest, I'm not always a picnic to deal with). My wife is an amazing role model for them, a professional in her field (orginally social work, now mental health service management for those on public assistance), an woman of faith, and an advocate for social justice long before it became a thing. Right before we met, she had served two years in volunteer service through her church, working at a homeless shelter in California; she got room and board (sharing an apartment with other volunteers in the program, and meals at the shelter) and a monthly stipend of $34 for personal expenses. She is humble, caring, and generous, and if our daughters turn out anything like her, the world will be a better place for it. Don't get me wrong; being a parent is not easy. There is crying and screaming and door-slamming and silent treatments, but there are also hugs and kisses and laughter (lots of it around here) and snuggling on the couch during movies and fist bumps when someone makes an awesome comment. It's terrifying and comforting all at the same time, and it just might be the most rewarding thing in the world.
|
|
|
Post by The Captain on Jul 23, 2020 21:34:55 GMT -5
Pretty Hate Machine was released in October 1989, just two months after I turned 16. I was, no surprise, a loser in high school due to reading comics and playing D&D, while dealing with an alcoholic father and an emotionally-neglectful mother at home. It didn't simply speak to me; it yelled louder and stronger than anything had before. It took every pent-up emotion I had, every bit of anger and fear and self-doubt and self-loathing, and gave it voice. I would listen to the song "Something I Can Never Have" at 2:00 in the morning after listening to my father yell at my mother for hours in one of his drunken rages or after enduring another day of being bullied, or, even worse, completely ignored at school, and while the song itself seems to be about a lost love (although some people have interpreted it as Reznor coming to grips with his broken relationship with God), what I wanted that I could never have was peace, a sense of normalcy, a day when I didn't want to kill myself. I listened to NIN heavily for about a decade (saw them in concert three times), and while they aren't at the top of my playlist today, I still put them on every now and then. More of the recent stuff (Year Zero is particularly good as a whole, as are a handful of tracks from the various other LPs and EPs) than the first few albums, although there is something to driving down the highway at 70 mph with "Closer" or "Head Like A Hole" blasting from the speakers. I have no words to express my sadness that you had this type of childhood to deal with. I wish everyone could have loving caring parents like I had as a child. That is what drives me to be the kind of parent to my daughters that I never had. I want them to grow up knowing they are loved, they are safe, they are special to me, and they are valued.
|
|
|
Post by The Captain on Jul 23, 2020 14:44:32 GMT -5
I think NIN is one of those things where you had to be the right age at the right time and just ever so inwardly-tortured for it to really click. I like a handful of songs but by and large don't get the fuss. Pretty Hate Machine was released in October 1989, just two months after I turned 16. I was, no surprise, a loser in high school due to reading comics and playing D&D, while dealing with an alcoholic father and an emotionally-neglectful mother at home. It didn't simply speak to me; it yelled louder and stronger than anything had before. It took every pent-up emotion I had, every bit of anger and fear and self-doubt and self-loathing, and gave it voice. I would listen to the song "Something I Can Never Have" at 2:00 in the morning after listening to my father yell at my mother for hours in one of his drunken rages or after enduring another day of being bullied, or, even worse, completely ignored at school, and while the song itself seems to be about a lost love (although some people have interpreted it as Reznor coming to grips with his broken relationship with God), what I wanted that I could never have was peace, a sense of normalcy, a day when I didn't want to kill myself. I listened to NIN heavily for about a decade (saw them in concert three times), and while they aren't at the top of my playlist today, I still put them on every now and then. More of the recent stuff (Year Zero is particularly good as a whole, as are a handful of tracks from the various other LPs and EPs) than the first few albums, although there is something to driving down the highway at 70 mph with "Closer" or "Head Like A Hole" blasting from the speakers.
|
|
|
Post by The Captain on Jul 21, 2020 16:03:58 GMT -5
That could be true, it’s certainly been something I’ve come across. But not all, of course. I would never have embraced Peter David’s Hulk had I simply wanted the illusion of change. Nowadays, I think proper change is good. I don’t think anything should go to far - I don’t want to see Spider-Man wearing green armour and travelling the solar system in a rocket - but at the same time, I want to see some change. I did enjoy Dan Slott’s writing of Parker as CEO of Parker Industries. Lots of great stories there. I kind of liked the story told in Superior Iron Man. Never cared for the character before, but something about Tony becoming a villain brought on by his nanite suit appealed to me I have the exact opposite feeling on Superior Iron Man. It was a pale shadow of a far "superior" story in Superior Spider-Man where Otto Octavius took over Peter Parker's body and had to deal with life like that. Dan Slott did a fantastic job on that book, crafting a great story for Octavius full of depth and character development. Bad Tony? It was a mess, because he really wasn't evil, just a giant d-bag, petty and cruel to those around him. I bought the first four issues before I couldn't take any more of it.
|
|
|
Post by The Captain on Jul 21, 2020 8:40:15 GMT -5
Jonah Hex has been on my mind lately. I just finished the second Showcase Presents last week, which ran through issue #22 of his self-titled series (it also included the last five Hex stories from Weird Western Tales), and I want more.
Question is: How much further into his series are the stories really good, and when does the significant decline begin?
I just don't want to buy a bunch of back issues (even though I see tons of them in the $1 bins around here) only to find they suck.
|
|
|
Post by The Captain on Jul 20, 2020 18:56:08 GMT -5
I'd also add that I truly love Len Wein's run on Incredible Hulk, and it bugs me a bit that neither #180 nor #181 are in my run. Oh, I own #180 (don't see the value in paying for a #181), but I keep it in a safer area with my key books, so I don't have the fun of flipping through it in the short box. I don't have original copies of either of those or #182, but I have the facsimile editions of 180 and 182 and the Marvel Milestone edition of 181, so I have the complete story. I used to keep my key books in a fire safe, but when I got my custom comic cabinets back in 2013/2014, I just put them back into the collection. Every drawer has a lock on it, and my daughters know that they touch the good stuff upon penalty of severe disappointment. I have considered putting all of the key books in one drawer so that I could grab them easily if there were a fire. There are probably at least 50-100 books that I would want to be able to throw into a short box and take out with me, either due to sentimental value or sheer monetary considerations.
|
|
|
Post by The Captain on Jul 20, 2020 18:44:01 GMT -5
Defenders #10, the big Thor/Hulk slugfest, is significantly overpriced compared with the rest of the series. High grade copies are about $50, twice the previous issue and five times the following one. Avengers #87 has the origin of Black Panther in it, and a high grade copy goes for at least $50, usually closer to $75 or more. The issues prior and after can each be had for about $12 in high grades. Star Wars #68 has Boba Fett's origin in it, and it usually goes for $75 or more. The previous and following issues each can be had for about $5. Amazing Spider-Man #229 and #230 (Spidey vs Juggernaut) are $25 books. Issue #228 is a $5 book, and #231 can be had for as little as $4. All of the above are based on recent eBay auctions/Buy It Now books. Of the five books you mentioned I had 4 of them and sold the Spider-man's years ago. I'm glad I don't have to buy my Avengers collection in 2020. I spent: $50 on a VF copy of Defenders #10 in 2012 (it was the last issue I needed to complete the run) $20 on a F+/VF- copy of Star Wars #68 in 2017 (same as Defenders #10, last issue to complete the run) $9 on a F+/VF- copy of Avengers #87 in 2013 $1 apiece on the Amazing Spider-Man books back in the 2002/2003 time frame. Still have all five in my collection.
|
|
|
Post by The Captain on Jul 20, 2020 18:14:37 GMT -5
Defenders #10, the big Thor/Hulk slugfest, is significantly overpriced compared with the rest of the series. High grade copies are about $50, twice the previous issue and five times the following one.
Avengers #87 has the origin of Black Panther in it, and a high grade copy goes for at least $50, usually closer to $75 or more. The issues prior and after can each be had for about $12 in high grades.
Star Wars #68 has Boba Fett's origin in it, and it usually goes for $75 or more. The previous and following issues each can be had for about $5.
Amazing Spider-Man #229 and #230 (Spidey vs Juggernaut) are $25 books. Issue #228 is a $5 book, and #231 can be had for as little as $4.
All of the above are based on recent eBay auctions/Buy It Now books.
|
|
|
Post by The Captain on Jul 16, 2020 21:51:46 GMT -5
Americans and Canadians are crazy. You really are. How on earth can you be comfortable camping when grizzly bears roam so much of your woodlands? Do you really not care about grizzly bear attacks? (And don’t get me started on the threat of Bigfoot and Sasquatch). If I was to camp here in the UK, well the worst I could expect is a wildcat or angry deer. As you guys sleep in your tents, everything from coyotes and bears to Bigfoot could be near, ready to attack. And yet you still camp! Love ya, but take it easy, folks. Been camping once in my life. It was one time too many. In the Top Five Worst Experiences of my life. As for bears, hell, I live in a suburb of Pittsburgh (we're one of eastern outlying suburbs before you get to the next city, but we're only about 12 miles away) and there were two black bears spotted within 2 miles of my house within the past three weeks. Those are on top of the coyote and red foxes I see on a regular basis in my own backyard, not to mention the owls, hawks, turkeys, bats, deer, opossum, raccoons, and the little fuzzies (rabbits, squirrels, groundhogs, and chipmunks) that are frequent visitors to my property. I definitely don't have to go into the woods to have wildlife interact with me.
|
|
|
Post by The Captain on Jul 16, 2020 17:29:31 GMT -5
I can not understand how the vast majority of people on this planet don’t like anchovies on pizza. (Or in general) There I said it. My go-to pizza for years was anchovies, mushroom, and onion. Sadly, no one in my family will eat them, so it has been quite a while since I've had that particular combination.
|
|
|
Post by The Captain on Jul 16, 2020 9:16:24 GMT -5
I'm on vacation with my family (including my sister) this week in Ocean City, Maryland, and the reason for the spiking of the coronavirus cases in the country is on full display here. We have modified our usual behavior for visits here, spending almost no time on the boardwalk (either running down early in the morning to get souvenirs or slipping out quickly to grab some snacks), getting take-out food to eat at the condo or eating at places with outdoor seating (have gotten BBQ from our favorite place twice since they set up picnic tables out back), no miniature golf or arcade trips for skee-ball, etc. When we go to the beach, we set up a perimeter using our bags and chairs and towels, then hang out under the two umbrellas we rented for the week in an effort to keep people at a distance; this hasn't been too hard, because it appears that there are only about 50%-60% of the normal number of people here this week.
However, even with the numbers of people down, we're watching masses of idiots strolling up and down the boardwalk as though there was no pandemic going on from the safety of the balcony of our condo. Maybe 10%-15% of the people are wearing them while walking, including many family groups where some are and some aren't, which is about as effective as wearing a condom with a hole in it. There is negligible social distancing going on either, as people are walking side-by-side with everyone else or walking right at them before veering off at the last moment. A growing number of bars and restaurants are closing because they have staff that have tested positive or are "concerned" about it, which means they likely have positive tests but don't want to come right out and say it. It's a nightmare, and this is exactly why this problem is going to stick around for the foreseeable future.
I'm glad to be away from my house, because I was tired of staring at the same four walls. My wife needed to get away, because she is dealing with the isolation and disrupted routine far less easily than I am, our girls needed some sense of normalcy in a year marked by the abnormal, and my sister was happy to get to go somewhere after her trip to Morocco in April was canceled and her plans for the fall aren't going to happen either.
We are so screwed as a country. There. I said it.
|
|