Over the weekend, I wound up getting quite a bit of stuff! Granted, some of it was ordered and arrived over the weekend, but still much more than a usual weekend might be!
I stopped by Comic Heaven looking for Trial of the Flash issues, with no luck on those. but I did score an anniversary issue of Detective Comics that I think I may have heard of but don’t think I’ve ever read.
Then I found several books more than 50% off in bargain bins I hadn’t realized had been "restocked." (One actually may have been on a bargain shelf display, come to think of it). These, plus a booster pack of Star Wars: Destiny (a dice and cards game) where I got a rather pricey rare card (or "legendary" in game terms) cost me LESS than what the Black Vortex would have cost at cover price!
And it’s kinda hard to believe that there are 75 issues of Savage Dragon across just three of these Savage Dragon Archives paperbacks. (They’re basically like Marvel‘s Essential or DC‘s Showcase volumes–phonebook-sized black and white reprints of series). I remember (among other issues prior) getting Savage Dragon #75 as a new issue and being astounded at how long Larsen kept the result of that issue going at the time. And I’m quite interested in snagging the other Archives volumes as well.
Then, I took a friend across town to Carol & John’s, where we were unfortunate enough to be there during Winston‘s nap-time. Being cat people, though, we totally understood not waking the kitty!
I snagged the new Marvel Comics Digest starring Spider-Man, and picked up Bane: Conquest #2 which I’d missed/not seen prior (oops!).
At a Books-A-Million, I snagged a Spidey treasury edition…for $3.97 and jumped on it (hey, 5 Marvel issues’ content for a whopping $3.97–cheaper even than a single issue–is a price point I’m willing to sample something at!)
Also at the Books-A-Million, I found a copy of the (I believe out of print) Gambit Classic vol. 1 for a mere $6.97–seven issues’ content for barely $1 each, and did I mention that I’m pretty sure this volume is out of print? I think its contents are somewhat duplicated in other stuff, but the ’90s fan in me was ecstatic to find this for the price (though I’ll probably pay at least triple this for the second volume if I ever come across it or hunt it down).
And rounding things out, I’d put an order in with InStockTrades for a few books, sliding I think just a few cents over the minimum threshold for free shipping. And though the box arrived with a hefty dent and outright HOLE in its side from the mail system…since InStockTrades (UNLIKE Amazon) ACTUALLY USES GOOD PACKING PRACTICES, my books were UNHARMED. Additionally, because of actually being packed well, they arrived in new condition, as ordered–something Amazon flat-out REFUSES to do!
Next is to try to hold back a bit, though there are a number of other books and such that I want. It’s just kinda sad when a random visit to a couple comic shops and a bookstore (and an online order) yield better deals and more plentifully so (that interest me, anyway) than a convention.
We’ll see what this week’s new releases hold, and if/when I get another chance to sit down for some major, marathon reading!
It was quite outta the blue, getting a message from a friend yesterday. Adam West passed away…
Great. Thanks, 2017. And an image of some posts I’ve seen the last couple months about how "2017 is worse than 2016" or some such–presumably referring to "celebrity deaths" and the like.
This was outta the blue, yeah, but while surprising, at the same time, somehow not shocking. Unwelcome, yes. Undesired, certainly. But he was old, right?
I flipped over to Google, and keyed in simply "Adam West," not wanting to prompt any false stories of death or such. Perhaps it’s a hoax, right?
Nope.
Too many results, saying that he’d indeed passed.
He was 88. Short battle with leukemia.
I had just made plans to meet up with a friend for awhile, and had an urgent family matter to attend to, so didn’t sit or dwell.
While at a comic shop, saw that they had Batman on–the ’66 series’ movie–and wound up loitering a bit with that. Enjoying the campy stuff, musing over the typical stuff–a bat ladder? Bat shark spray? Bat copter? But it was what it was.
As a kid, I never understood my parents’ seeing humor in the show or ridiculousness in it.
As a kid, I took it seriously. It was Batman. I’m sure I knew it was dated, yeah, it was from decades earlier! (~24-25ish years at the time, barely half the series’ existence as of now in 2017) But it was stillBatman.
I got slightly choked up seeing this, when a friend sent it to me yesterday.
He’s gone on.
We’re still here. We remember the actor, and what he meant to us–if not personally, then at least as Batman, as a hero, as that figure we’d watch on the tv screen.
Mr. West meant a lot to more people than I can imagine.
I said to a friend that some part of me half-thought he’d live forever.
Knowing of Stan Lee having "health issues" the last several years, seeing all the celebrity deaths in 2016, I kept expecting to see his name amidst others.
Part of me (morbidly) still does. Certainly don’t wish it, just sadly expecting it, statistically.
But Adam West?
It hadn’t really even occurred to me that we’d ever lose him.
I think back to a few years ago, I went to a Wizard World in Columbus, Ohio, with a couple friends. We got to see the ’66 Batmobile (albeit from outside its display area).
I got to see it "live," "in-person."
After a restroom break, I was asked if I’d seen Burt Ward in there–apparently he (and a couple bodyguards?) had entered shortly after me. No, I didn’t see/consciously know he was even in there while I was til after the fact…but that’s my claim to fame: I got to pee with Burt Ward.
And we also got to attend a panel with the two as the focus. Adam West and Burt Ward. They talked to us, the audience, for a bit, and then did a Q&A session. Plenty of people lined up for it, there were plenty of questions, and the two men easily filled the allotted time for the panel.
I think it was this panel that I first learned of the two and their "rivalry" on set, trying to crowd each other out of the shot or otherwise steal the focus of the camera.
Flash forward to last Fall, and the animated movie The Return of the Caped Crusaders–it was an interesting thing, hearing the familiar voices, but knowing they’re all significantly "older". I first learned of the film then-coming-up because relatively recent to that point, I’d become ‘friends’ with Ward on Facebook.
I remember back in college, when I watched the ’66 film for the first time in a number of years, and found it so extremely hokey and off-putting. PARTICULARLY that the Bat-Copter goes down, and there’s CONVENIENTLY some mattress sale going on in the parking lot immediately below the distressed machine.
I–like apparently many–had my phase of finding the series distasteful and such an artifact of the past.
Several years ago, though, I was ecstatic when I learned we’d be getting the series on DVD/home release. I got the first season pretty early on–but could not begin to justify the steep price on the entire series all at once. Somewhere along the way after that, I got the first part of season 2. And then I think it was "Black Friday 2015" or otherwise some online/promo-pricing I got the second half of season 2 and season 3…so I functionally have the complete series on DVD, just without all the bonus-premium-EXTRA-extras from the single-box full-series set.
And I haven’t watched much yet, but I’ve liked just having the option. At whatever point I’d choose, I can pop a disc in and watch whatever episodes strike my fancy. Or at least, I can look up where they’d be and try to find the appropriate disc to do so.
I never met West in person. Never got anything signed, never talked to him, etc. He wasn’t/hasn’t been on my "bucket list" of individuals I would like to meet someday and all that.
Perhaps I took stuff for granted.
Perhaps it was simply not considering losing the guy.
I’ve often "wondered" at people seeming personally, deeply affected by celebrity deaths. Yeah, I get the significance but few have "meant" as much to me.
Despite the time, the years since the show was first on and all that, there was something to Adam West as Batman, and knowing he was still "out there," still around, still making appearances, doing voicework, etc.
But he’s gone.
And as I see numerous posts from fellow bloggers, fellow fans, friends on Facebook, etc…it hits home. This is a big one. I’m saddened at having learned of his passing. I’m sad, perhaps overly selfishly so, that I’ll never have another opportunity to "meet" him. No more Adam West AND Burt Ward.
A hero–an actor who played a hero–is gone. Someone who touched millions of lives, mine included, has gone. Whatever metatextual stuff there may be…that’s a part of my life now gone, someone who was ‘always there’ even if I never noticed, or rarely did.
I watched a couple segments on YouTube about his passing, and was ok.
But then there was that transition noise into the theme music, and tears filled my eyes.
But y’know?
If I’m this affected, if we’re this affected, millions of us as fans past and present, old and new and all that–we’re hurt at this loss, we feel a loss in our lives?
I can’t imagine it for the family.
There are loads of cliché words to be said (that I won’t); but it’s TRUE: I can’t imagine what it must be for them, losing someone close to them, that actually IS a part of their lives, by blood, by family, and not just someone that played any of a number of characters that impacted us.
What can I truly say? I can’t even organize my thoughts. This whole post is stream-of-consciousness…I wasn’t even gonna do this post. But that’d be to somehow do the whole head-in-the-sand thing, or in trying NOT to do/be something, I’d DO/BE that.
I’ve been a Superman fan practically my whole life, back to some of my earliest conscious, consistent memories. But next to Superman, next to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, there was Batman. Michael Keaton, yeah, and Adam West. Keaton was one version, a couple hours, a single movie, then two movies.
Adam West was hours upon hours of continuous stories of daring-do and such.
I think I started what’s become my "art wall" back in January or so. Basically, I’d had some small posters in these "gallery frames," and I decided to put ’em up on a wall, using push-pins. Then it occurred to me that some older posters I had that I was having trouble finding frames for would work in these by flipping the "backing board" of the frame over to essentially provide a "black border" and I could simply position the smaller poster within the area.
This ended up working for a bunch of old posters that had come from comics–bound in the middle of whatever issues, where I’d not found any reasonably-priced option before.
And long story short, I started adding more to this wall such that I’m actually sorta concerned it’s gonna fill up before I’m ready!
One of these days I’m going to attempt to get some photos of it for this blog, but at present, I’m having a major issue with reflection off the glass in everything, such that at the angles I’d need for the camera, I’d wind up either showing off a restroom, or otherwise have too much showing too clearly in the reflection and not enough of what I actually want the photos to show.
However, at the correct sort of angle I’m able to minimize reflection and glare…so here I’m showing off several that I’ve recently put into "gallery frames" but have yet to actually get put on the wall itself.
Got the Voltron poster at the Lake Effect Comic Con last weekend; they also had this Riverdale poster, though I’d gotten mine at Kemore weeks ago. I hadn’t actually watched much of Riverdale at the time, but now have finished the season (thanks to Netflix!) and quite enjoyed it, despite the massive departures from the source material. That’s a subject for another post, though for now–I’m hoping the series gets a second season, and look forward to seeing what they do with it!
And I’ve yet to watch more than a few minutes or an episode or so of the new Voltron–I’m more familiar with Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers, and far prefer the original Megazord…but can’t deny simply enjoying the notion of the individual machines joining together to form an even bigger one, and I’m close to giving in and buying some of the toys, though I’ve thus far held off the temptation. But as a poster and liking the image, well worth putting on the wall!
Then, at half the price of specific comic-sized frames, I’ve found that these "document frames" work very well for single-issue comics that I want to show off. As I’ve said in previous posts, this is where I’ll give in occasionally on variants–treating them as "prints" to be hung on a wall and displayed, not merely owned and filed away in the abyss of an accumulation I call my "collection."
I’m not sure how well thicker issues or squarebound issues/annuals would fare like this…but since I’m not big into variants anyway, it’s not something I expect to really have to deal with.
I have some other issues I’m thinking of framing in this way, though…but this sort of gets into different territory than the posters and prints. I suppose that’s a matter for some other time, though.
Despite hopes for a "small" week, found this to be a fairly large week, particularly with a couple of high-priced issues I hadn’t consciously planned on, particularly for the prices!
Of course, the weekly Superman issue. Then, because it was there, snagged the Superman & Bugs Bunny issue/volume. $8 and I believe it reprints a 4-issue mini-series…so functionally $2/issue for a full story in one go? You betcha! And of course, Captain Atom and Predator with new issues this week.
I went ahead and snagged the Batman issue rather than waiting for my DCBS bundle shipment, having had stuff spoiled a bit thanks to Bleeding Cool, and figuring I’d want to read this sooner than later for myself instead of just going on second-hand information.
And I hadn’t known anything about the Steve Trevor issue–I actually thought it was some new series or mini-series, so didn’t want anything to do with it. Plus, I simply never cared for the character, period, til seeing the new Wonder Woman movie this past Friday. And with it being a one-shot and NOT jacked up to $4.99+, I opted to give it a shot. Though the presence of an alternate cover–such that I had no idea which cover was the variant and which was the "regular" nearly drove me to put it back and pass on it entirely.
I did pass entirely on Magnus #1 because there was a B cover and a C cover, but no A cover, and I hadn’t realized it was out this week to request it be pulled as I did a couple of the other issues! (Publishers: you LOSE people like me by conditioning me to "accept" variant covers’ existence, but then messing me up when I at least attempt to stick to the "A"/non-variant/regular/advertised cover and ALL that remains are variants withOUT even the "original"/actual/real cover!)
With The Batman/TMNT Adventures wrapped, the "cartoon" TMNT series TMNT Amazing Adventures is back with (presumably) a mini-series…perhaps in lieu of an ongoing as stuff on the "2012 series" starts to wrap up with the final season (I believe) presently airing and all that. And I’m definitely on a Spawn kick at present…barring price increase or my getting hosed over a variant or such, I’m mostly intending to dig in and stick through #300 at least.
I didn’t even realize it til I got it home, but this issue of Reborn was $5.99! I think had I realized that, I might’ve passed on the issue for now. I’m not certain that I have all 5 previous issues–I might be missing an issue–but having "most" of the issues, I simply figured hey, next/new/final issue, why not? Though I’ll grant it a LITTLE more leeway than I would Marvel at this point, as they’ve totally "abused" the extra-priced issues. And I’ll gladly take an extra $2 for presumably twice the content, or at least an extra 50% of content, especially if it means holding to the established number of issues, even if they had to expand the page count (again looking at Marvel primarily for tacking extra issues on at the end of event series).
I also noticed that Batman: Dark Knight III finally had its "final" issue out, which itself is a DC book that added an extra issue (as I recall, it was supposed to have been an 8-issue series, not 9).
Then, for good measure, apparently, as I approached the register, I saw three stacks of books. Curiosity got me and I looked at the price stickers: $1.00! So for the price of 1 DC Rebirth issue, snagged two hardcovers and a paperback collected volume. No idea, for example, if the Zombie Christmas Carolis a Marvel Zombies thing, or just a zombie theme applied to the classic Dickens tale (thinking the latter), and I know I don’t have the other two, so at least they’d be "something" to read someday.
It’s been a fantastic year of movies already, and some of them are starting to come out for home release. Logan a couple weeks ago, and now the live-action Beauty and the Beast.
And just because I had it in my ‘camera roll’ as I was transferring stuff for this post…a photo of my 43 or so Supermen at the moment. Once/whenever I get new bookcases assembled and stuff re-arranged, I’m pretty sure these guys are gonna have to split up–it’s getting harder to add new ones, and I’m not too keen on the statue straddling two bookcases, nor of "hiding" it amidst dozens of alternate counterparts.
Writer: Cary Bates Pencils: Carmine Infantino Inker: Dennis Jensen Colorist: Carl Gafford Letterer: Phil Felix Editor: Ernie Colon Cover: Carmine Infantino, Rodin Rodriguez Published by: DC Comics Cover Date: August 1983 Cover Price: 60 cents
I have the Showcase Presents: The Trial of the Flash volume, bought a couple years ago. That book has Flash 323-350…basically, the final couple years’ worth of issues of the Silver Age Flash series that took us up to Crisis on Infinite Earths prior to Wally’s series kicking off.
I have "experienced" 28 years of reading new comics myself, all being years after this issue. And in broad strokes I’ve long since "filled in the gaps" or otherwise have "a passing knowledge" of stuff from this "era."
But finding this issue in a 25-cent bin, I was all for it. Sure, I have the issue in that Showcase volume–but that’s black-and-white and a thick volume that’s not the greatest for a randomish, casual read. This issue is in color with all the ads and whatnot in being the actual, original, (vintage) edition.
The cover is what grabbed my attention–The Flash holding Reverse-Flash and exclaiming "Get up, Get up! You can’t be dead!" and a caption proclaiming "But he is–and Flash killed him!" This is both accurate and yet comes off very much as a number of classic covers do–a "technicality" of truth but quite misleading. Of course, I know this isn’t "just" that, but is indicative of an issue with a lasting point that influenced so much at the trailing end of the series.
Then I figured I’d missed the actual occurrence, and "assumed" that this would pick up immediately after the PREVIOUS issue ending on an "Is he or isn’t he dead?" cliffhanger.
What I got from this was a solid read from a key point in pre-Crisis Barry Allen’s life with one of his most dangerous foes, and an issue meeting expectation while drawing me into the then-contemporary story and leaving me curious about a number of things, not limited to: Iris died 40+ issues earlier? I did think that was here. Who is this Fiona, and how important was she as I’ve never consciously been aware of her? And how does an obvious rock-and-hard-place situation stopping a known killer with intent lead to a lengthy story of the Flash on trial?
While I’d half expected to open the issue TO Barry and a dead Thawne, I actually found that the two were still engaged in fisticuffs. Said fisticuffs have made Barry very late for his own wedding, where family and closest friends try to salvage the situation, assuring folks he’ll be there and has NOT left Fiona at the altar. Kid Flash performs a "super feat" rescuing a baby and showing THAT he has the power and speed to do much of what Barry does…and even he is late for the wedding. Or would be, if it was proceeding as it should have. As the wedding situation deteriorates, Wally heads out to try to find Barry, and is intercepted by a Guardian of the Universe (not to be confused with a Guardian of the Galaxy…similar names, different publishers) who does something to dampen his powers, ensuring that no one will interfere with Barry’s fight…at said hero’s request, apparently.
We then switch more fully to the Barry/Eobard fight and see a fraction of what goes on with two mortal combatants at super-speed. Ultimately, seeking to press whatever advantage he maintains, the villain takes the lead, heading to kill the woman who would be Barry’s second wife–forcing Barry to move even faster and decisively to save Fiona’s life. Standing before her as the Flash, he does not tell her that it’s him–Barry–and as she storms away, we learn that Thawne is not just "stopped" but dead.
As said earlier, this cover looks like something right out of the ’70s and classic exaggerated/far-fetched situations. The art inside the issue is solid and seems very much of its time–early 1980s–with all relevant characters being distinct and recognizable, and generally no wonkiness or weirdness throwing me out of the story. Possibly the biggest visual grab for me was that somehow I keep forgetting that Barry was blond, and I’m still used to Wally and thus a Flash without red hair throws me off.
Story-wise, this issue includes a footnote indicating that there were several issues’ worth of development leading to this one–and that by itself serves to pique my interest in finding those issues. It also reminds me that this is from those days long ago BEFORE everything had to be clearly deliniated within a rigid 4-issue or 6-issue "story arc" format…when issues could be issues, telling an ongoing story without necessarily being formulaic X Chapter of Y Story.
I like the structure of this issue, giving us some heroics, super feats, as well as developing the wedding side of things and Fiona’s thinking she realizes what’s happened, then seeing Barry and Thawne and their battle, leading to Barry’s being forced (goaded into?) to kill Thawne to save Fiona.
All in all, I definitely enjoyed this issue. It was an easier read than I expected, half thinking it was gonna drag on and feel overly wordy, as well as thinking I’d be reading simply a random chapter of something–not even a key moment–of a much larger story. Though in a way this IS just another ’80s issue, it being an issue included in that Showcase volume, I feel like it’s an ‘early chapter’ more than an ‘isolated issue’ but found this engaging and interesting, while leaving me interested both in backtracking and getting the later issues (as preferable to "just" a black and white reprint).
For only 25 cents, it was well worth the purchase, a solid read, and I would certainly recommend the issue if you find it in such a bargain bin and don’t mind NOT having the entire 25+ issue "run" necessarily at hand.
Spawn recently had a 25th-anniversary Director’s Cut issue published, as part of the Image 25th anniversary year releases.
I initially bought the McFarlane cover (an homage to Ultimate Spider-Man #1), enjoying the homage and ‘tradition’ of homage covers of the title.
I wound up buying a second copy (different cover) in a RARE case of finding a worthwhile variant.
The cover’s a painted version based on the original #1 issue’s cover. And having a 2nd copy of #1 anyway, I realized I could put together a great little "art piece" utilizing the two issues, and so treated the purchase of the 2nd copy to be akin to buying a print.
And here in an 11" x 14" frame (the perfect size for bound-in comics posters or 2-panel wraparound covers and such) (or in this case, two distinct/separate issues), I have a copy of 1992’s Spawn #1, and 2017’s Spawn Director’s Cut #1.
Of course, being in the frame like this still physically protects the issues–they’re held tightly in place better than they’d be in a bag ‘n board; but the frame’s glass can be simply popped out with a little effort, so I still have "access" to these AS COMICS along with having this on my "art wall."
While everyone else is covering Wonder Woman‘s opening weekend (I saw the film and thought it was fantastic, far more enjoyable and such than Man of Steel or Batman v Superman, and above Suicide Squad) I’m gonna continue on for now. Maybe I’ll write up lengthier, more in-depth thoughts, maybe not.
Prior to seeing the film, I made it to Kenmore to pick up my pulls, and after earlier in the day seeing a staff photo with the statues in the background (and still annoyed that someone bought the Robin statue I had intended to buy a week or two before I went to buy it) I opted to splurge big-time (for me) on this Superman statue.
This is my first statue, at least as I’d consider stuff to be statues. I suppose the Super Powers Robin and Super Powers Superman that I have might be considered some sort of statue, but I don’t count ’em as such.
The box for this Icon Heroes Superman says "collectible statue paperweight" and I don’t quite get where "paperweight" comes in, but whatever. This is larger than any other Superman I’ve yet got, heavier, and has a base, and is very much a statue in my book!
Though the face is a bit generic, and the "S" seems to be more New 52 to me offhand than not, it works (and the costume is more the classic–including the trunks!). I like the pose, and the "movement" of the cape…that it’s not just "flat" hanging off him.
The "detail" of the yellow S on the back of the cape doesn’t seem to be a sticker, but does not seem to be "painted" on…probably some sort of transfer. No bother, though–it looks good to me!
Comics-wise, had Letter 44, Highlander: The American Dream, and TMNT Universe on my pulls, and couldn’t remember if I’d had Aliens: Dead Orbitbut managed to grab that from the shelf. And seeing this other Spawn cover (an updated take on the classic, original #1 issue cover), I bought it to pair with one of my copies of the original first issue for my wall. I’m treating it functionally like buying a small print, and not as a variant cover; regardless of nitpicking on words, though–it’s going to be displayed and not just simply be filed into some box o’ variants or such.
I also snagged the Wonder Woman Day issues–a reprint of the first issue of the Rebirth run, and a chapter of SuperHero Girls: Summer Olympus. (Then on Saturday, I also snagged the cardboard tiara and bracers for a friend’s daughter from Comic Heaven along with an extra copy of the comics to go with ’em.)
I spent a whopping $1 from the 25-cent bins on a couple older comics–The Flash and Brave and the Bold, then a ’90s Justice League Quarterly and the newsstand edition of Batman #500.
Attending the Lake Effect Comic Con on Sunday, I completed my (now-vintage) original set of TMNT: City at War for the same price as some Marvel contemporary #1 issues. And got the X-Men Forever 2 volumes as a 3/$10 deal.
I also snagged this Marvel Treasury Edition of Superman and Spider-Man for a whopping $5.
This is a bit of a "novelty" for me–I believe the only other "treasury" type issues I have are far more recent–a reprint of GI Joe #1 a friend gave me, and an IDW edition of TMNT #50.
I got this Batman at a Barnes and Noble, and a Wolverine I had ordered arrived.
While at the Lake Effect Comic Con, I found a dealer than had a large selection of these Pop! figures…but they all seemed to be marked up quite high–far above anything I was willing to pay. I feel "vindicated" (so to speak) on having ordered this Wolverine, and I bought the Batman in a foolish sort of passive-spite, being able to get it at a "regular" price.
Overall, an extremely expensive weekend, particularly with some other stuff I’d ordered (and forgot about).
Here’s hoping this week’s new comics are another very light load!
It’s been a few years now since the last time I did any, but for a number of years–thanks to a combination of Facebook, an active social life, taking loads of photos, and simply enjoying playing around with the imagery, creating logos, etc–I created a number of comic cover-style images, on the premise of one cover, one month of my life.
I’d started in 2006 or so, thinking it was a one-off sorta thing…and with Marvel‘s lead-up to Civil War with the Road to Civil War banner, and heading toward my final summer as a college (graduate) student, I did an image with a Road to Final Summer banner, and chose the numbering based on my first (full) month of grad school.
Later, I worked my way backwards to encompass my undergrad years, and since I’d already numbered based on grad school, numbered my undergrad years as a sequence–figuring with the Marvel philosophy of "rebooting" numbering for major changes.
As such, ultimately, I figured if my life was a comic series, there’d be a 225-ish issue run for my early years through high school; a 61-issue run for going off to college, and the series would meander a bit after college, before a new series focusing on grad school. That run would then drop any mention of being a student and just continue on.
Had I kept up with that, it’d be somewhere in the 150s or so at present. Maybe someday I’ll backtrack again to fill in the gap. For now, here is a small selection of some of my favorite "covers," or at least more significant. You’ll see how I modeled stuff after "real life" comics in design, numbering, etc.!
I used the name The Third Option from a Neil Gaiman/The Sandman quote: "Sometimes you wake up. Sometimes the fall kills you. And sometimes…when you fall, you fly."
Here’s the first issue of the "relaunch" as I headed off to college…much as seemed "reasonable" at the time (before the "seasonal" or "annual" relaunching began in earnest), the long-running series of my life would relaunch under the BGSU Student designation.
Here we jump to the "end" of "the college years," where the main series kicks off a several-issue "wrap-up"–Chapter One taking place here in the "main series," Chapters Two through Four would be a 3-issue mini-series of the story title Leaving Chapman & BGSU (a separate mini to allow stuff involving friends and such, rather than strictly a focus on my life…but still involving me, self-centered as that may sound).
The story would then wrap up in the fourth Annual–with the important, key event of the actual diploma arriving, and closing the door on a hugely important four-year period!
In the immediate "aftermath" of graduating and leaving BGSU…since the series would continue its numbering but the main ‘character’ was no longer a student, taking a cue from Deathstroke: The Terminator and its morph to Deathstroke: The Hunted around Zero Hour, I tacked Alumni over the Student and went from there.
This one’s from a few months after graduation, on a rather sunny day with one of my best friends.
Continuing on, a few months later, I got my first-ever (and thus far, only "solo") apartment, that I would spend a number of months in on a short-term "college town" lease.
Toward what would become the end of my time living in the city of Bowling Green, I visited the campus of Kent State University for the first time, having been accepted into a graduate program. Several friends went with me, and I recall our (in particular) finding/wandering the student center, its plaza, and the university library.
And here, almost literally, I closed the door on by time as a student and resident associated with Bowling Green, taking this photo as my last sight of the apartment I’d lived in for more than half a year.
Starting at Kent State, I only knew friends from before my time at the school, and playing off the Identity Crisis #1 cover, I "staged" this image of a photo in a frame–I have no idea what I intended with the "laying down the past" part, at least in association with the photo–one of my best friends since the start of freshman year at BGSU, and to this day nearly 18 years later! The photo itself–in the frame–is from the start of our sophomore year. I suppose that might be the "laying down the past"–laying down the old photos, the past, and embracing the new experiences–as I quickly got "plugged in" and involved at the university.
Again, jumping to the end–here, I modeled my final month as a university student after Marvel‘s The End books…I believe this one specifically modeled after X-Men: The End.
I was one of these "weird" ones that did not relish graduation, and was actually quite annoyed to have been "tricked" into graduating a semester earlier than intended…though the details of that are a personal story.
Here’s one of my favorite "selfie" images, taken in a lobby at a friend’s wedding in 2008. No filter or such–that image is genuine/raw–sitting o a bench with two large mirrors facing each other.
Back to trends of comics–a "running backup" story across several titles at the time. Based on the obvious ploy of conning people into buying more stuff for something that isn’t even necessarily the primary focus of a series, or "rewarding" those who do follow a bunch.
I believe I modeled this off the Hostile Takeover that ran across the Superman books during the Exile story that was going on back in 1989 when I first got into comics…and perhaps also a bit after some story DC did across its annuals with either the story itself or a series of stories were added to annuals…Private Lives or some such; I don’t recall as of this writing.
Jumping ahead again, here’s one of me with my dad…one of my favorites, and one of maybe three or four photos I have thus far of the two of us…something I do need to correct sooner than not!
Moving along, this "special" issue was a case of timing–right around Free Comic Book Day, one of my best friends did this sketch and sent it to me–I believe he’d been experimenting with his then-new iPad. I modified the image slightly, I believe, and added the cover dress. I still use the image as an ‘avatar’ in some contexts online!
After attending Gen Con with a couple friends, the "painting bug" finally bit, and I spent the remainder of one month gathering supplies, and then nearly two full months getting a bunch of Warmachine miniatures painted. This is a look at the majority of those minis…and unfortunately, it’s been almost seven years since that painting blitz, and I’ve yet to get back to painting minis again, despite wanting to. Then again, the time I’ve spent on this blog sorta supplants time that "could" otherwise be spent on painting…and life was also a lot simpler seven years ago.
A very special one-shot, once-in-a-lifetime experience for me came in the spring of 2012, attending the Pittsburgh Comic Con with a friend, meeting a couple of our other friends there. Had a great time at the convention, and icing on the cake was getting to meet (albeit for just a few seconds) Stan Lee and get a photo with him!
At the end of that year (and coinciding with what would be the 100th "issue"), I got to visit one of my best friends in Alabama, and shortly after getting back, saw The Hobbit (the first one) with several friends. I also got to see the Superman exhibit at the Cleveland Airport.
Finally (for now), a "selfie" from one of my longer beard phases and a hat that once belonged to my grandfather (who introduced me to comics!).
I’ve occasionally "experimented" with different "looks" when I’ve eventually gotten around to major trimmings or shaving. I haven’t been without facial hair since the start of February 2006, but I often vary the length and full beard versus the "goatee" or "circle beard" or whatever technical term there is for it.
Maybe another time I’ll show off some more images from these. as a whole, I’ve done over 200…but no need to bore anyone with more than these. I already feel overly self-indulgent…but being at a loss for a blog topic to end the week with, and having just pulled thousands of photos and saved images off my phone, I had these handily accessible and figured they’d make a good "flashback" for a Friday.
This week is ridiculously small! As far as new comics, REALLY was only ONE issue I was specifically looking forward to. I still managed to spend like I’d bought 7-8 Marvel issues, though!
I’ve been enjoying the four-issue/3.5-title/month-long The Lazarus Contract story crossing The Titans, Teen Titans, and Deathstroke…and while the Deathstroke issue seemed to sell out/be shorted all over last week, no trouble snagging this Teen Titans Special (that I believe was supposed to be an Annual!)
Then of course, there’s the 25-cent issue of Saga, which, hey…for 25 cents, I wasn’t going to NOT get it! I may even read it, see where it seems the title’s gone since whenever I left off on reading via TPBs a couple/several years back!
And finally, because it was there…I snagged the X-Men: Apocalypse Wars oversized hardcover for the staggeringly-high price* of 5 1/2 Marvel single issues! (* Note heavy sarcasm in that phrasing!) I had been intending a nice, cheap week, but gladly tossed that out the window for a bargain-priced volume at this price and for a story I’d been interested in reading but passed on originally just for the price of the single issues.
Perhaps with this "small" week, I’ll catch up on some other reading and such…time will tell!
We also have the Wonder Woman movie coming out this week–surely some Thursday shows, but I’m seeing it Friday with a friend. There’s also Wonder Woman Day Saturday that might warrant a quick visit to a shop or two–Once again, time will tell!
I’ve recently gone against my better judgment and bought a couple of Marvel characters in their Pop! vinyl format.
I phrase it this way, because I loathe the bobble-head format. I means that otherwise-solid, otherwise-sturdy, otherwise-quality figures are rendered EXTREMELY fragile and breakable in a way that is NOT repairable with simply a bit of glue or such. And since they’re gonna be "just on display" and not "played with" the way an action figure would…I do NOT get the "appeal" or "reasoning" from Funko TO do the figures this way–it actually killed my interest in the line for awhile and has (and continues) to leave be extremely DISINTERESTED in their Marvel range of characters.
But there’s a certain nostalgia factor for me that overrode that. First, in coming across Archangel after a friend had shown her figure off some weeks back.
Then over the weekend, I came across Cable in this classic ’90s getup and realized he’d look really cool "with" Archangel. Of course, now the added frustration of ’90s Cyclops and ’90s Xavier being long "out of print" and far too ridiculously-priced to try to acquire, along with an even-MORE-ridiculously-priced Wolverine.
But at least I have these two!
They add "character" to my X-shelf for now, and will likely remain such a presence for awhile!
Comic Reviews by Walt 