Comic Book Talk (5 Viewers)

[Jeff Miller]

I was an avid collector from 1985 to 1998 (Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Valiant, Image, Epic, Legends, even New Universe).

After that it grew tired of the constant reboots to trash continuity and dumb down story telling from 6 to 12 part arcs to 3 issue stories with too may splash pages and the lost art of drawing backgrounds (thank you Rob Liefleid).

After that the price of each book was just way to high to get back into it. my current collection is probably valued at $10,000 with nearly every significant issue in those 13 years with the exception of Spawn 1 thorugh 30, that were stolen.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

I was an avid collector from 1985 to 1998 (Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Valiant, Image, Epic, Legends, even New Universe).

After that it grew tired of the constant reboots to trash continuity and dumb down story telling from 6 to 12 part arcs to 3 issue stories with too may splash pages and the lost art of drawing backgrounds (thank you Rob Liefleid).

After that the price of each book was just way to high to get back into it. my current collection is probably valued at $10,000 with nearly every significant issue in those 13 years with the exception of Spawn 1 thorugh 30, that were stolen.

i've said it before in some other threads, but i lost more than 500 titles to katrina - none mint but i would have loved to hand those books to my kids

 

[GrandAdmiral]

I'm behind in my reading right now. I've got the first four issues of Man of Steel coming in mail. I was really hoping that it would be a good lead-in to his run on the other books.

Where do you order from?

 

[Sun Wukong]

Seriously, I'm very worried about Bendis on Superman and in DC in general. Right now he looks like he's trying to take Lois Lane and Jon Kent out of Superman's life. Man of Steel just hasn't been good IMO.

Comic writers, even the best ones, have a "sell by" date. Or more accurately, a wall they just hit where the content they produce is no longer good. Like, for me, Chris Claremont is the greatest X-Men writer of all time, but by the time the early 90's rolled around he was done. Totally out of gas. And he was never able to hit those heights again. And eventually you end up with an abortion like X-Treme X-Men when they keep trying to recapture that magic and failing time and again.

Bendis is certainly well past his sell by date. Whether you think he was ever good or not, his early 00's run was one of the more historically formative ones in the industry. But the Bendis that was responsible for that run of Powers, Ultimate Spider-Man, Alias/Jessica Jones, that five year run on Daredevil with Alex Maleev among many other things....that Bendis hasn't existed in a long, long time. We're almost 20 years on from that Bendis and he just feels like a guy with not much left to say. Timeline wise, he's about to the "Claremont on X-treme X-Men" part of his career. His jump to DC was pretty much the standard "once untouchable big name company lifer jumps ship to the other guys for one last stab at the limelight." We've seen that one happen too many times to count. Hell, even Jack Kirby did it and he was the unqualified Greatest of All Time. Of course, his output at DC, while very misunderstood at the time, has been pretty well vindicated by history, so maybe he's not the best example.

 

[bonnjer]

Where do you order from?

www.mycomicshop.com

That's the website for Lone Star Comics. They're in Arlington, so when I place an order I usually get it in a couple of days with USPS Priority mail. They're always quick to get the order completed and shipped, plus their packaging could withstand a bomb. I highly recommend them for online orders.

 

[bonnjer]

Comic writers, even the best ones, have a "sell by" date. Or more accurately, a wall they just hit where the content they produce is no longer good. Like, for me, Chris Claremont is the greatest X-Men writer of all time, but by the time the early 90's rolled around he was done. Totally out of gas. And he was never able to hit those heights again. And eventually you end up with an abortion like X-Treme X-Men when they keep trying to recapture that magic and failing time and again.

Bendis is certainly well past his sell by date. Whether you think he was ever good or not, his early 00's run was one of the more historically formative ones in the industry. But the Bendis that was responsible for that run of Powers, Ultimate Spider-Man, Alias/Jessica Jones, that five year run on Daredevil with Alex Maleev among many other things....that Bendis hasn't existed in a long, long time. We're almost 20 years on from that Bendis and he just feels like a guy with not much left to say. Timeline wise, he's about to the "Claremont on X-treme X-Men" part of his career. His jump to DC was pretty much the standard "once untouchable big name company lifer jumps ship to the other guys for one last stab at the limelight." We've seen that one happen too many times to count. Hell, even Jack Kirby did it and he was the unqualified Greatest of All Time. Of course, his output at DC, while very misunderstood at the time, has been pretty well vindicated by history, so maybe he's not the best example.

So what you're saying is that my Superman comics are about to go down the toilet?

 

[GrandAdmiral]

www.mycomicshop.com

That's the website for Lone Star Comics. They're in Arlington, so when I place an order I usually get it in a couple of days with USPS Priority mail. They're always quick to get the order completed and shipped, plus their packaging could withstand a bomb. I highly recommend them for online orders.

Thanks. I was weary about them, but any recommendation from a SR member is good enough for me. They have some stuff I've been looking for and I'd rather take a chance with them than trying to go through the prices at Mile High Comics.

So what you're saying is that my Superman comics are about to go down the toilet?

DC may really pay for this. Jergens and Tomasi/Gleason had done an awesome job bringing Supes back to the forefront. I personally wasn't a fan until they took over in Rebirth. I gave Bendis an honest chance with Man of Steel, but it's been blah for me.

I almost wonder if DC didn't have a choice. They could've offered Detective, but Bendis wanted total control and they dare not take Batman from King with the success he's been having, so they had to give in on Supes (despite the story Bendis tells). I think it's going to bite them in the arse in the end.

 

[Jeff Miller]

i've said it before in some other threads, but i lost more than 500 titles to katrina - none mint but i would have loved to hand those books to my kids

I've offered them to my kids and my step kids numerous times, i've always been surprised how little interest they have even though they like the Marvel movies. I don't get it.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

I've offered them to my kids and my step kids numerous times, i've always been surprised how little interest they have even though they like the Marvel movies. I don't get it.

my guess it's akin to music on LPs vs spotify
we developed an attachment to the physical thing as well as the content - if there was a youtube channel that just flipped through the pages of your comics, i'd be they'd be in to that

 

[bonnjer]

Thanks. I was weary about them, but any recommendation from a SR member is good enough for me. They have some stuff I've been looking for and I'd rather take a chance with them than trying to go through the prices at Mile High Comics.

Just to add to your peace of mind, here are some pics of the package I just got in today. All of their comics come bagged and boarded. They are placed inside a plastic bag, which is then taped to a piece of sturdy cardboard, and then wrapped with the even sturdier outer cardboard packaging.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

Just to add to your peace of mind, here are some pics of the package I just got in today. All of their comics come bagged and boarded. They are placed inside a plastic bag, which is then taped to a piece of sturdy cardboard, and then wrapped with the even sturdier outer cardboard packaging.

Thanks. I still drive 90 minutes to the same LCS I've been going to for years but have taken to online stores like Midtown Comics and going to cons for the older back issues I've been looking for. It's good to have another avenue.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

I've offered them to my kids and my step kids numerous times, i've always been surprised how little interest they have even though they like the Marvel movies. I don't get it.

Hell, I'll take them.

 

[bonnjer]

Thanks. I still drive 90 minutes to the same LCS I've been going to for years but have taken to online stores like Midtown Comics and going to cons for the older back issues I've been looking for. It's good to have another avenue.

I get most of my comics from them. Every now and then, I'll drive to And Books Too in Lafayette. On rare occasions, I'll hit Excalibur in Shreveport or Louisiana Double Play in Baton Rouge.

 

[Sun Wukong]

They have some stuff I've been looking for and I'd rather take a chance with them than trying to go through the prices at Mile High Comics.

Chuck Rozanski has been gouging people on comics prices for over four decades. And as bad as their online/warehouse prices are, the stories of him jacking up prices on old books at conventions are legendary. He gets away with it because no one else has the kind of catalog of back issues he does and he's been in the game longer than anybody, but still. It's ridiculous. That said, I have always wanted to visit the actual physical Mile High location in Colorado. Being in what amounts to a giant warehouse of comic books would be awesome, even if I'm not paying Rozanski's prices for most of them.

Every now and then, I'll drive to And Books Too in Lafayette. .

I will forever be enamored of that life size Silver Surfer they have in the front of the store.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

I get most of my comics from them. Every now and then, I'll drive to And Books Too in Lafayette. On rare occasions, I'll hit Excalibur in Shreveport or Louisiana Double Play in Baton Rouge.

I really kinda hate Double Play. I bypass it to go to Metairie because of how they jack up their prices on some stuff.

Chuck Rozanski has been gouging people on comics prices for over four decades. And as bad as their online/warehouse prices are, the stories of him jacking up prices on old books at conventions are legendary. He gets away with it because no one else has the kind of catalog of back issues he does and he's been in the game longer than anybody, but still. It's ridiculous. That said, I have always wanted to visit the actual physical Mile High location in Colorado. Being in what amounts to a giant warehouse of comic books would be awesome, even if I'm not paying Rozanski's prices for most of them.



I will forever be enamored of that life size Silver Surfer they have in the front of the store.

Agreed on Mile High. Even though I'm starting to hate everything San Diego CC is becoming, I had zero sympathy for him when he said he was pulling out from attending. What he charges for stuff on that crappy website of his ought to be criminal.

I might have to take a drive to Lafayette to check out And Books Too.