Comic Book Haul

I realize this is a bit different for my blog, but since I haven't been hunting for or finding much in the way of vintage glassware as of late, I thought I would talk about some of the other things I've collected over the years, and hopefully rediscover some of the cool stuff I've had packed away for a while.

My husband and I have recently been going through, culling, organizing, replacing worn out long boxes from his 30+ year old comic book collection. There's been a period for probably the last 10 years where neither one of us had bought a comic book. My collection lived in a single long box along with his *cough* several many long boxes.

I'm not sure what inspired this renewal of interest exactly, but I'd say the Doctor Strange movie might have started it back. That was one of his favorite characters back in the day, but he'd never had a very solid run on any Doctor Strange series.

My collection consisted mainly of Sandman, The Maxx, and Strangers In Paradise. I'd been content over the last 25 years to pick up an issue or two on the rare instance I came across an issue I thought I didn't have when they turned up at antique stores or thrifts.

But of course organizing leads to wanting to pick up the missing issues, and *suddenly* we are visiting comic book stores and books stores on a regular basis. But most of our purchases have been back issues from dollar boxes or cheaper. Hard to resist when sometimes we are picking up issues for less than a quarter.

I've decided to try to post hauls when I can. I'm also trying to implement a rule that all new comics coming in must be read before we go hunting for more. That one is a hard one to stick to, but it's just too easy to pick up a stack of bargain books and not realize what all you've bought. So, onto the haul!

A Touch of Silver by Jim Valentino was one of those books I had heard of by reputation but had never actually seen for sale. I was (and AM) a big fan of Strangers in Paradise by Terry Moore, and both of these titles tended to be referenced together as dealing with more serious, emotional topics. Not your typical super hero book.

And speaking of Terry Moore, he gets a nod in the letters pages of this issue - which, by the way is a veritable who's who of comic book greatness. I hope to find more issues of this title in the wild. Not going to lie, I teared up a little.

Terry Moore is one of two creators (along with Fiona Staples) who I am actually thinking of trying to pick up all their published work. Which is, no lie, a tall order. I picked up with issue of Spiderman loves Mary Jane for a dollar. I haven't read it yet, but I believe he wrote five issues of this 'season two' and also did the covers.

Echo was the last title I bought any of before my husband and I fell off of buying any comic books. I believe I have the first 12 issues, which I started getting after Strangers in Paradise ended. Happy to pick these up out of back issues for a dollar each.

I've also been picking up Fiona Staples books when I find them in back issues. She was the interior artist on Archie #1-3 (this number one is my first issue, and introduction to the Archie reboot that has paved the way for the tone shift in the Archie universe, like the show Riverdale.)
 

I'm not sure if I'm doing myself a disservice making myself read each new comic when they come in, especially this final issue #6 of The Secret History of The Authority: Hawksmoor. I read it, don't really know what's going on. At all. (Not worried though, my husband can wiki me on pretty much anything comics, because he has that nerd magic that seems to absorb and keep up with comics he's never read).

Another tie to Fiona Staples, Brian K Vaughn's Paper Girls. Jumping in on issue 2 is also not something I'd recommend to anyone like me who is prone to vaguely disliking anything I don't immediately understand what's going on. And I never know with comic books if the first issue is going to be findable for a reasonable price. Luckily this one has a one dollar Image Firsts reprint edition, so hopefully I'll come across one of those soon.

 And of course, can you mention Fiona Staples and Brian K Vaughn without mentioning Saga? I've only started reading this series a few weeks back, but I've plowed through the first 5 graphic novels, and am finding myself slowing down, because it will be all too soon before I'm caught up and having to wait until each new issue comes out. So I consoled myself with this my-favorite-tshirt-ever purchase from the saga shop - A Lying Cat shirt!

If you are a dish-friend who has read this post even if you are totally not into comics, I'll put it to you this way - Saga is pink Pyrex levels of good. And Lying Cat is the Starburst space saver of characters.

Yay. I've managed to make exactly no sense to anyone. lol.

But seriously. Lying Cat is the greatest of great things. And I will wear this shirt so much. It's so soft, sized true, and arrived so quickly, even though I chose the cheapskate 4 dollar shipping. 

All bargain books. A Sandman issue I didn't have, and the Death: The Time of your life series. These books sell as bargain issues now, but back in my day (grabs my walking stick and starts shaking it) - Back in my day, these issues had some value and weren't in the bargain box.

Still, I love them, glad to get them. Grump.

Going through my husbands comics I have discovered that I really, really love Bill Seinkiewicz art. These gorgeous covers were just 50 cents each. I'm not sure if I'm going to collect entire series or just a little hoard of his covers that I love. My husband has New Mutants issues that I'd totally steal if they weren't his childhood comic books.

This was a random dollar book I pulled because Amanda Conner just seems like one of the nicest, most talented women in comics game. My husband has a con sketch from her, which I believe he said even predates the character Harley Quinn. This cover reminds me of a youtube video I watched of her drawing Harley, saying something to the effect of how her default mood was "hungry". Which I think is just funny and totally perfect.

Random Invader Zim issue for a quarter. This is one of those characters that feels a little after my time. But for a quarter it will live in with my random issues of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, Squee!, and Lenore.

And finally, I think I saved the best for last.

I am buying Jim Lee X-Men issues and I do not know why.

Mostly because this, to me, is the most road-not-taken in my life of casual comics fandom.

In the Image founding days, I would not have touched these books with a ten foot pole. My entire comic collection was Sandman and The Maxx. I was goth. I could not be bothered with superheroes.

Now that I'm as ancient as the hills, I want every Image comic ever. No, not kidding. But not really, either. I just want to see these books with new eyes. The book whose #1 sold 8.1 million comics and set a record not likely to be bested until some genius invents a way to sell comic books to people who don't want them.

I want Jim Lee's run, and I'm just a little bit pissy that I've gotten all of these for 50 cents each, but can't find the KEY ISSUE FIRST APPEARANCE SPEC BOOK Omega Red issues that I could care less about as individual issues, but just want so I have the Jim Lee run to read in order.

So that's my haul. Hopefully I'll get these read and have some new ones to post fairly soon.

And again, I know this is not my usual content, but I hope it's enjoyable anyway. And if not, I will probably be back with a dish haul sometime in the future.

Hope all is well with you!

Happy Collecting!