Not long after discovering Capp’s Comics, my friend and I discovered another store that sold comics–Comics & Collectibles. This store was in a back/side area of a local shopping plaza…rather out of the way, and if you weren’t looking for it, you wouldn’t even know it was there.
It had many of the newer comics–like Capp’s did–but seemed to have a much different sort of selection of back issues. The quantity was less, but unlike Capp’s, this place had a couple tables with boxes both on and under the tables full of comics for $.25 or 5/$1. There were also boxes of "sets" and "grab bags" for good prices…and for awhile at one point, there were several boxes of old STAR comics and Archies for $.10/ea.
The store owner even had a weekly column about comics in the local paper, which was very cool to read at the time.
It was this comic shop that my friend and I would primarily geek out on back issues. Poring over our back issue guides, and then being amazed at all the great deals we found in those bargain bins (never mind that the condition of the issues wouldn’t always be pristine, or that we later realized that just because an issue had "Sub-Mariner" in the title did not mean it was the series where the issues were "worth" $75+ apiece…just as it never occurred to us that no comic shop owner at that time would even consider putting such valuable comics in a bargain bin).
A couple times, Dad paid $25 to give me a "credit" with the shop for the bargain bins. It gave me a sort of "Tab" so that I could walk in and pick up some bargain issues, without having to spend "new cash." Made for a pretty sweet deal.
As new issues go…it was at this store that I first saw something called "Batman: The Vengeance of Bane" and thought it looked stupid and pointless–and I passed on it. I picked up the first issue of something called Batman: The Sword of Azrael, but thought that it was boring so never picked up the other issues. (To my regret when Knightfall rolled around). Also got my first issue of Spider-Man 2099 here.
And it was–in the heart of that collector mentality that I’m somewhat afraid to admit I was victim of at the time–at this store that my mom, my friend, and I waited in THE hugest line I’ve ever seen at a comic store, for the chance to walk through the store to purchase a single copy apiece of the black-bagged Superman #75.
I recall a few bicycle rides out to this store–about a 40-45 minute journey each way, but highly worth it. Once such journey was where I picked up something called "Kingdom Come," with art by the guy who did that Marvel series–Marvels. (The names Kurt Busiek, Mark Waid, and Alex Ross didn’t mean much in and of themselves to me yet–I followed characters, not writers or artists. Though Alex Ross was the first artist whose work I distinctly recognized).
And it was partway through high school–1996 or 1997–that Comics & Collectibles closed its doors. I still had other comic shops to go to, so it wasn’t a huge loss, except in that sentimental sense.
NEXT WEEK: Fun Stuff Cards & Comics.
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For me, this is a mixed bunch. My favorite of these five specials is the Betty Cooper Confidential–probably because it seems best suited to the format. It read very much like a short story from one of the Archie digests I’d buy in the checkout lane at Walmart or some such. Even this is largely a preview for another book, though. The story–which has Betty’s diary blown away on the wind and then recovered in pieces by her friends–is one of those that plays all the characters as being friends, with far less competition or other conflict between them than in other stories. Given this is a light-hearted piece, that works fine. I’ve never been a great judge of a good age group for Archie books…but I’d say this one’s quite mild and safe for any age that’d be interested.
The Popeye comic features a reprint of what seems to be a classic serial in which Popeye & friends encounter a “ghosk” on their ship. There’s not much to it, but it’s definitely got the feel of the old Popeye cartoons I’ve recently exposed myself to. I can mostly hear Popeye and Olive’s voices in my head as I read this, but there’s something distinct to these pages–they are not simply an adaptation nor exact source material for any of the cartoons I can recall. The Ghost theme seems chosen for Halloween (where these specials are intended to be available for giving out)…but the few pages we get does not give a complete story, and just seems to end after giving up several clues and a likely reveal, though no real details or context. Still, it’s a good sampler for what Seeger’s classic strip is like, and for seeing Popeye in comic panels rather than in motion on a tv screen.
The Star Wars issue is a brief story that sees Han and Chewie wind up on a planet in need of fuel, and discovering undead inhabitants doomed to relive the accident that claimed their lives. In a way, this story feels rather out of place for what I’m used to with the Star Wars universe. At the same time, it’s also plausible given the suspension of disbelief one needs in order to believe in aliens, space ships, and The Force. We do get a “complete adventure” in these pages, which is nice–it’s just a quick slice-of-life sorta piece detailing this one particular incident the characters faced. I couldn’t say how it holds up to Star Wars canon, but it’s certainly worth the couple minutes it takes to read!
I’d expected the Casper/Little Lulu to be my least-favorite of all of these, but it has some slight charm to it. I don’t particularly LIKE it, but I can appreciate the strips for both characters for what they are–classic strips that were well-known in their time (I at least know OF the characters, even if I can’t tell you much of anything else other than what you see in this issue). Like the Popeye issue, this is interesting as a classic of comic strips, but if you’re not interested in the characters going in, this probably isn’t going to do anything to change your mind.
Finally, the Domo issue–which was sitting next to the just-released full-sized volume of the same title (Domo: The Manga) feels very much like a previw and nothing else. I’m not even sure what to make OF Domo or whatever the character may otherwise be called. I’ve seen the image of the character represented in various elements of pop culture, but know even less about it than I do Casper. The stories contained in this issue don’t really make sense to me, and I’m relatively certain as such that I am not at all the target audience. If you like Domo, this might be worth your time. If you don’t…then don’t bother with this.
Comic Reviews by Walt 