Back Issue Booty!

- the final issue of the Pacheco-drawn Superman / Batman story arc (oooh pretty) (and, yes, I probably would've bought the Supergirl issue, too, despite my misgivings, because I AM THAT TYPE OF PERSON)
- the last two issues of The Question mini
- the final issue of Spectacular Spider-Man, w/ Paul Jenkins & Mark Buckingham reuniting to do what they do best

xpost

I've seen that somewhere, but not in the SF. Maybe I got a Catwoman trade once?

[xpost] - Yeah, I think the Secret File stuff was collected in one of the Catwoman TPBs.

Fuck. I'm a nerd again. Where'my Spidey 2099's at?

Looking for Simonson's run on FANTASTIC FOUR next. Though all the back issue places by me have dollar bins, not quarters.

Sigh.

Bruce Jones & Lee Weeks did a pretty solid character-driven (read: no super-baddies) 3-parter about a taxi driver that learns Spidey's secret identity. There was also an issue drawn by Jim Mahfood where the Rhino (I think) & the Grizzly end up going on a blind internet date - that was cute.

the Dean Haspiel one about J. Jonah Jameson wasn't as ace but still provided mild entertainment. ah fuck it, TANGLED WEB HARDCOVER NOW!

(Since this is my first post on ILC in ages, should I have done a comic-trailer-style re-intro?)

I havent bought a back issue in years. Must - not - submit - to - need....

Yesterday, while shopping for supplies, I snagged runs of:

- WASTELAND (the Del Close / John Ostrander fun-time series)
- KAZAR (by Waid & Adam Kubert & about 294 other fill-in artists)
- X-MEN: CHILDREN OF THE ATOM (by Joe Casey & a cast of tens)
- some Dark Horse 4-issue mini-series by EDDIE CAMPBELL
- New X-Men Annual 2001 (by GM & Leinil Francis Yu)

scientific deduction makes this DEADFACE: EARTH WATER AIR FIRE.

BOY COMMANDOS #1 ("A Simon And Kirby Special!")
GRIP: THE STRANGE WORLD OF MEN #4
GRIP: THE STRANGE WORLD OF MEN #5
TOP 10 #3
TOP 10 #7
TOP 10 #8
TOP 10 #10

I have been getting back into comics for the first time since about 1990. I back in the late 80s, I was deep into comics dealing with an enormous collection. I got hard up for cash in college and dumped all but a few books.

I haven't gone back at all other than picking up a couple of the telephone sized reprints of Cerebus. It was just too much to try and start over as paying three bucks for a 20 page comic seems a waste, considering I can read it in about 10 to 15 minutes.

The thing that got me checking into some stuff again was running into those those DVDs that Marvel has out with complete runs of titles in PDF. I've picked up the Amazing Spider Man, Avengers and just ordered the Hulk. It has been quite a bit of fun reading these things. I don't really want to collect, but I love having these huge runs of titles.

I've been starting from the first issue and moving forward. I've read Amazing Spiderman up to the beginning of 1970. I'm up on the Avengers into 1968. What is cool is that I have gone through the covers and figured out some of the first issues I read as a kid. I'm pretty sure my first issue I ever had of Spiderman and one of the first comics I ever got was #134 with the Tarantula on the cover.

I know I got hooked on the Avengers in the late 70s when Perez and Byrne were working on the book. It and Batman, Detective, the Hulk and the two Spiderman titles were the titles I first really got hooked upon.

I see DC has been putting out some affordable reprints in the Showcase title, but so far they haven't even touched the really good stuff. I will probably get that Challengers of the Unknown one as I had some of those and remembered it was pretty good and maybe the GI Combat ones, as I also had some of those. Why they haven't started putting together some big reprints of some of Denny O'Neil's Batman books is kind of puzzling, as some of that stuff is awesome.

I just wish I could get some of the old indies from First or Eclipse that probably are not worth much, but would be hard to find that I used to love like Scout, Mage, Grendel, American Flagg (especially the first twelve issues) and Grim Jack. There are bunches of books I'd just like that I would like to read again.

The Comico Mage run is available in one big book (recoloured on computer though, no Joe Matt), and about 90% of Grendel is collected in a bunch of books. The first 12 Flaggs are theoretically coming in a very, very overdue hardcover about three years ago.

Hey earl, welcome over to this side of ILX. I'm curious, what do you say is the "good stuff" that DC hasn't gotten to yet w/ the Showcases?

Hi Earl!

The Showcase line, so far, has been very 50s/60s oriented as far as the superhero stuff goes, though they have announced some 80s stuff like "Batman & the Outsiders" and "Suicide Squad". There are a few collections of 70s Batman stuff like "Tales of the Demon", which is prime O'Neill and Adams, as well as "Strange Visitors", which is the brief run by Englehart and Rogers. There's also the Batman in the Seventies collection, which is kinda piecemeal and unsatisfying.
You might enjoy the recent "Batman & Son" story by Grant Morrison, which, in Morrison's words, recalls the "hairy-chested love god" version of Batman.

I think Grimjack has been collected too, as has Mike Grell's Jon Sable Freelance.

Judging from what you like, the recently released ESSENTIAL DEFENDERS VOL. 3 (receiver of much praise on a fairly recent thread) could very well be of some appeal. Take a gander, if you will.

OTHERWISE:

ANIMAL MAN #26
DOOM PATROL #36
THE FLASH #167
THE LEGEND OF KAMUI #1
THE LEGEND OF KAMUI #2
SWAMP THING #21
SWAMP THING #22
SWAMP THING #23
SWAMP THING #24
SWAMP THING #25
SWAMP THING #26
SWAMP THING #27
SWAMP THING #46
SWAMP THING #47
SWAMP THING #53
SWAMP THING #64

Fifty cents each. Yup.

oh yeah, that FLASH is silver age and features Mopee, who's awesome on various levels.

It's a good thing Johns got kicked of Flash before he got around to thinking up a way to make Mopee modern and badass for today's emotionally-retarded comic lovers.

I think Giffen did a parody or something similar with Mopee back in the 80s in an AMBUSH BUG special. Quite amusing, according to my very vague recollection.

"what do you say is the "good stuff" that DC hasn't gotten to yet w/ the Showcases?"

Maxie Zeus and Ra's Al Gul Batman stuff. I think the Ra's Al Gul is O'Neil in the 70s, but he popped up on an off and I think he is one of Batman's better villains. The Maxie Zeus stuff starts I think with Engelhart writing the book, but maybe it was Jim Aparo doing the artwork. I just remember those books being real cool, along with the Rogers stuff. I always thought Batman and Detective in the 70s and 80s was pretty good. Some of the 70s Brave and Bold I remember were really good, even oddball ones with Batman and the Metal Men. I'd just like to have two DVDs with like every Batman and Detective from about 65 to 2005. It probably won't happen. Batman Year 1 and Year 2 were also really good.

I'd like to read Moore's run on Swamp Thing again. That stuff would even look good in black and white.

Is there any on-line comic shops that are pretty good? I've looked at Amazon for some Miracleman reprints and some other stuff with mixed results.

The thing I like about these DVDs is that it takes out the fidgity stuff about missing issues. I got my Hulk DVD today and have read the first three issues.

Well, Miracleman's gonna be a big problem to find--all of that stuff is way out of print and hideously expensive.

My favorite online back issue shop is milehighcomics.com, which is always having some ridiculous password sale--trade paperbacks are very often _very_ cheap there, like 40% off cover price.

Moore's Swamp Things have indeed been reprinted in b/w--the "Essential Vertigo" series some years back.

are these DVDs you speak of actual OFFICIAL LEGAL things?

I've seen ads for them in Marvel books & such. If they're not legit, then I don't know what is.

I'd like to read Moore's run on Swamp Thing again. That stuff would even look good in black and white.

Every time they print it in b&w, they fuck up and leave out dialogue and colour holds and such. The Essential Vertigo made it about a third of the way through the run, the Titan one made it all or most of the way through.

The Marvel DVDs are in PDF and use hyperlinks to move around. What is cool is that they are kind of open in their formatting, as you can copy the entire disc to a laptop and just open them at will.

They are scans of actual comics, so you get ads, oddball color separations and everything, which I think is really cool. The ads are kind of bonus hoot. It is really funny seeing ads for Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention in an old comic book.

So far they have Amazing Spider Man, X-Men, Avengers, Captain America, a double DVD of Fantastic Four & Silver Surfer, Mad Magazine and Ghost Rider out. They are scheduled to bring out Iron Man and Thor.

I actually forgot about Mile High Comics. I did some mail order from them back in the 80s.

I've been looking more into what is in print in trade paperback and have been completely blown away by how many Batman mini-series have been done. There must be like 50 or 60 trades of mini-series alone. I saw some of the reprints of O'Neil and Englehart Batman.

On another note, it seems weird to me that Ghost Rider became a popular series. I always thought that was a wack comic when I was a kid.

batman = cashcow

oh, and if you're going to get some Batman miniseries collections, GET BATMAN YEAR 100, it is the most awesome Batman thing since the the 80s.

THE ADVENTURES OF LUTHER ARKWRIGHT #4
BALDER THE BRAVE #4
BPRD: THE BLACK FLAME #5
THE INVISIBLES #2
MANHUNTER #1 (Goodwin/Simonson)
MIGHTY THOR #341
MIGHTY THOR #348
MIGHTY THOR #364
MIGHTY THOR #372
NEGATIVE BURN #17
NEW X-MEN #128
NEW X-MEN #129
NEW X-MEN #145
THE ONE #1 (NOTE: Any comic becomes exponentially cooler when the cover is plastered with a Forbidden Planet price tag.)
THE ONE #2
PUNISHER MAX #44
PUNISHER: THEY TYGER
SWAMP THING #59

Is that Manhunter issue the reprint of the shorts from Detective and the issue of Brave & the Bold. If so, that one is really good.

I've been trying all sorts of things.

ESPers - trade paperback of original Eclipse issues
** I remember really liking this one. The artwork is David Lloyd from V for Vendetta.

Camelot 3000 - trade paperback
** I loved the mini-series when I was kid. It isn't like Brian Bolland has done that many full comics. I've got a feeling the story won't hold up as well, but I bet it will still be fun.

Scout - trade paperback of first seven issues.
** This was about my favorite title of all time. I have loved the first couple of issues.

Nexus - trade paperbacks of the first ten issues.
** This was about my second favorite title. The side cast in this title is really great, especially Dave and Judah the Hammer.

Grim Jack - the first two trade paperbacks.
** I think this one holds up pretty well. I was also a big fan of this series.

Mage - the first mini-series tpb.
** I'm curious to see how this one will read to me now. I really could identify with this comic back when I was a kid.

Batman - Hush (both volumes)
** I had heard of Jim Lee, but he got really popular after I got out of comics. I thought the artwork was really wicked on this one and the story really moved. It makes me want to start following the newer Batman titles.

Batman - Manbat
** I got this at the same used book store as Hush. John Bolton paints the entire mini-series and Jamie Delano who I am pretty sure was the writer of Hellblazer when it started as the writer. I thought it was pretty good.

Transmetropolitan vol.1
** This one is great and exactly what I was looking to find. I thought it was pretty funny. I'll probably end up reading this entire series.

Ultimate Galactus
** I thought this was pretty good. The artwork was really sharp, even when they changed artists. I haven't read much of the Ultimate books, but the couple of trades that I have were OK.

I've also read off of the DVD's all of the 2006 issues of the Hulk, which is about half way through the Planet Hulk storyline. The artwork on the Planet Hulk issues is really fine.

Off of the Spider-man DVD, I have read Amazing Spider-man from the beginning of 2002 to about mid 2006, which are the road to "civil war" issues. The earlier ones when Romita Jr. was doing the artwork were really fun. That storyline with Gwen Stacy & the Green Goblin's kids was junk. "The Other" storyline, which I only read the ASM issues bothered me less.

I also read off a DVD, the end of the old Avengers into the New Avengers stories. That one with the Scarlet Witch killing off all of those people was kind of hard to read. It would have freaked my thirteen year old self completely out. I do have to say that the first storyline in the New Avengers was a pretty fun read, especially the interplay with Luke Cage, Cap and Spider-man. The issue with the fight scene at the prison was great.

I don't know where the whole Civil War/Illuminati storylines went, but to me it seems like they were painting themselves into a big corner with no way out but a total complete reset to make everything right again.

To me, it seems they were painting themselves into a big corner with the whole blow up Aunt May's house

Is that Manhunter issue the reprint of the shorts from Detective and the issue of Brave & the Bold. If so, that one is really good.

Yup - and I agree with your assessment. Heady stuff, w/ Walt's design skills in full force.

Grim Jack - the first two trade paperbacks.
** I think this one holds up pretty well. I was also a big fan of this series.

Also readily available at the goldmine I found myself at over the weekend. I was fearful of venturing into unknown territory (HERE THERE BE DRAGONS representative of ninety-five percent of what's available), but I'll look into it when I go back.

Waid's FF, HC vols. 1-3
Finder, Crazy Women + Rescuers
Lady Snowblood, vol. 1
Punisher: War Journal #s 4, 7, 10

I was very pleased the other day when I found the issue of Y I was missing, so now I know why all the world's meng died.

Anything that looks like Kirby, is:

A1 BOOK TWO
ADV. OR LUTHER ARKWRIGHT #1
ALEC: THE KING CANUTE CROWD
BALDER THE BRAVE #1, 2
BLACK PANTHER #4
DC ONE MILLION 80 PAGE GIANT
DOOM PATROL #107, 108, 122 (DRAKE PREMIANI)
DOOM PATROL #40, 41
FANTASTIC FOUR #343, 345, 346, 349, 350, 352 - 354
HEARTS OF EMPIRE #8
HELLBOY: THE CORPSE
HOURMAN #4
JACK KIRBY'S NEW GODS #4, 5
JLA #16, 17, 22, 23
KAMANDI #20, 22
MARVEL'S GREATEST COMICS #68, 75
MARVEL TALES #155, 175
MIRACLEMAN #2
NICK FURY, AGENT OF SHIELD #5 (STERANKO)
OMAC #5, 7
ORION # 1-5, 7
SMAX #1, 5
STAR SLAMMERS #1, 2
STARSTRUCK #1, 2, 6
STRANGE TALES #140, 148
SUPREME #45
THOR #351, 380, KING SIZE SPECIAL #3
VERTIGO POP!: LONDON #3
WARLOCK SPECIAL EDITION #2, 5
YEAH! #7

HOURMAN, which picked up on a lark, surprisingly good.