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Non-’90s Bargain-bin Finds

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Walt

Usually when hitting the bargain bins, I’m grabbing ’90s stuff. Mostly DC and Marvel, and other randomish stuff. But this time, I found some stuff much more recent, from just the last several years, that totally made my day to find.

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First, I was surprised to discover several TPBs in the 25-cent bins–so much so that I actually asked if they were supposed to be in there. I recall seeing this Turok book a few years ago, but $14.95 seemed too steep for what it is. Of course, for 25-cents it’s an awesome purchase. The Sigil books are quite worthwhile at the price as well–one for me, one for a friend.

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While I’ve refused to pay $3.99 for certain comics, I can’t deny my interest in the Regenesis phase of X-Men stuff. I’ve told myself for awhile I’d backtrack via bargain-bins…I just expected $1-bins, so 25-cent bins I will definitely take advantage!

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I have several gaping holes in my X-Men run, that this bunch begins to plug, though just barely. I missed a few years where I was all but unaware of what was going on in this title; I’ve since caught up a bit (a couple of these issues I bought digitally during a comiXology sale a couple months back), but again…25-cents is a steal for issues so recent.

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I saw a set of these four Magneto issues at another comic shop a few weeks back–while I don’t recall the price, I think it was around $16…I thought these were $3.99 issues but looking now, they’re priced at $2.99 (further example of Marvel losing up-front sales from me for “training” me to believe anything they put out is more likely $3.99!). I’ve been interested in the title, and my waiting has CERTAINLY paid off here.

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Finally, I grabbed the two issues of X-Men Legacy I saw, and for 25-cents can afford to try The First X-Men (heck, if it still has the download code, that alone is “worth” the 25-cents!).

The entire bargain-bin haul for the week barely cost me what any two issues would have cost me new off the rack as recently as this past summer.

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Old is New?

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Walt

20121207-213713.jpgI remember noticing it early in the Uncanny X-Force run: the logo was the classic without the 3-D effect. (And the book was without Cable.)

For me, there’s something about a book’s logo. I can appreciate a new look, or something done to clearly indicate part of a group. I just don’t care for the constant change in a short span of time.

Not even 2 years into UXF, the logo was changed to the Regenesis branding. And beginning with Cable and X-Force under Marvel Now, we’re getting another logo (with yet another for the “new” Uncanny X-Force).

20121207-215446.jpgI noticed comiXology’s Friday sale on the first 15 issues of the original “adjective-less” X-Force (cuz now X-Force, a part of the X-Men family of titles gets its own split to two titles) and 2008-ish Cable run. Already got several of the Cable issues last time they were $0.99, but decided to get X-Force #1 for the heckuvit.

I don’t like paying $2.99 and $3.99 for digital comics…but $0.99 isn’t horrible (except I keep seeing the print edition in the 25-cent bins…) And I guess I’ll pay the $0.75 for the convenience.

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Pricing in Context: Thrift Stores And collectibles

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Walt

20121203-153710.jpgI went to what looks like a thrift shop–think Salvation Army or Goodwill or such–but it’s actually stocked with unclaimed baggage from airports.

So most stuff is “used,” some is new, and prices vary from bargain to more expensive/comparable to Walmart.

While there, I came across a small selection of ’90s comics for 99-cents apiece (numerous copies of Ghost: Comics’Greatest World Week 3ish and Deathmate: Black amidst ’em), but all were what I’d consider quarter-bin fare so didn’t buy any.

Most surprising/morbidly amusing I came across this Uncanny X-Force Comic-Con Exclusive set. The store has it priced at $99 (from “$199 Retail Price”). I would value it at most in the $60-70 range and expect it to be in the $30-40 range.

As-is…I simply took this photo and left it on the shelf. I find the $22 price for the Marvel Universe 3.75-inch 3-pack to be rather high, and don’t care these days for Marvel Legends.

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24 of 32 years

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Walt

20121203-133836.jpgToday I am 32. For 24 of those years (give or take a few weeks) I’ve been into comics…that’s 75% of a lifetime.

When I was introduced to comics, Superman was 50…Spider-Man was 26, The X-Men 25ish, and the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon had but 1 season.

And now it’s amazing to see comics and their characters through the eyes of a pair of 4-year-old boys and try to remember what it was like to NOT have two-plus decades of comics reading experience, the intricate knowledge of comics’ continuities and universes.

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Post-Thanksgiving Hardcovers

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Walt

avxhardcoverfrontI got a text from Amazon over the weekend that my book was on the vehicle to be delivered. Unfortunately, they decided to leave it at the apartment office, so I had to wait until Monday morning to pick it up.

This is the second copy of this AvX hardcover Amazon‘s sent me–the first arrived with the bottom corners dented in (damaged) presumably during shipping. Given the pricing of this book, I wasn’t about to accept damaged product for something new.

This copy has some minor stuff to it, but frankly, I’m not gonna worry about it. Where the prior instance was more than I’d accept, this one’s no worse than grabbing a copy off the shelf at a comic shop–I don’t need some “9.8” grade book…I just don’t want something obviously damaged (at least not new when I didn’t administer the damage through my own use).

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I wasn’t expecting Spaceman for another week or two at least–just got an email a little over a week ago about this and it said 4-6 weeks, so I figured 2-3 weeks more likely.

But here it is–it was also left at the apartment office with my AvX book.

I don’t remember truly “noticing” Spaceman when it was being put out in single-issue format from Vertigo.

But it was one of the books being offered as a “giveaway” or whatever at Goodreads, and I’ve been trying to put my name in the hat for all the DC giveaways, figuring what the heck…not losing anything but a few moments of my time doing so, and with stuff like the New 52 hardcovers and whatnot, “any win” would be a bonus.

spacemanpriceSo one book that I honestly didn’t even have any interest in, and I wound up “winning” it–but looking at the back cover, reading the basic premise and flipping through it (and realizing it’s Vertigo!) I’m looking forward to actually reading this. And as said…didn’t cost ME anything but a few moments to put my name in.

Cost THEM almost $10 to ship it to me…sorta wonder why they didn’t use a media mail option, but I won’t complain.

avxhardcoversideJust over a year ago, I posted a comparison of three 18/19-issue collected volumes with questionable pricing.

This AvX volume can join that set with the same question: why not price stuff on a standard? If a standard-trim paperback with 18-19 issues has a cover price of $40, why is one hardback with 18-19 issues $65 and another with 19-20 issues $75?

AvX is practically an “omnibus” itself–it has the entire 12-issue event series, the #0-issue/prologue, the “Versus” all-fight issues and even the previously digital-only “infinity” comics that were interspersed…then again, I guess this would have to contain AvX Consequences to be an Omnibus.

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The Price Really Does Affect The Purchase

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Walt

The price of a comic really does affect the purchase (or not-purchase), at least for me. As do variants.

Case #1: Judge Dredd (IDW) #1

Judge Dredd (IDW) #1For what little advertising I’ve seen, I recognize the “A” cover. As that’s the image that’s been most used–that I have seen–I don’t WANT some “variant” image–I want THE image on the cover. That’s what I may or may not have been “sold on,” so if I can’t get that standard, first, “A” cover, you’re gonna lose my sale.

But then there’s another thing: what if I get the cover I want, and more than just trying this because it’s a first issue, I actually LIKE it? If I get “into” another series–this is $3.99/issue. I am so sick of $3.99, I honestly do not have ANY desire to add more comics to my pull list at $3.99 per.

Case #2: Marvel NOW recent releases

Marvel Now coversAgain, I have no interest in variant covers–just give me one single standard cover.

But $3.99/issue?!? I think I saw where Fantastic Four #1 was $2.99, and Deadpool may have yet again fooled me and actually also be $2.99. But all the other relaunching books that’ve caught my eye–most notably X-Men Legacy and Iron Man–are $3.99. Couldn’t Marvel AT LEAST pull the drug-dealer bit and offer the first issue for a discounted cover price, and jump up for the next issue?

When DC relaunched FIFTY-TWO TITLES IN ONE MONTH, I went from buying “2 DCs” in August 2011 to buying 29 or so of the #1s in September, the ONLY $3.99 in the bunch was Action Comics #1 (and I immediately dropped Action Comics at #2 when the story ended 2 pages past the staples).

If Marvel’s NOW initiative was launching a bunch of books at $2.99 (hey, this sorta thing, why NOT use it as an “excuse” to re-brand the PRICE POINT and say “ok, y’all are getting sick of $3.99 so as part of these relaunches, we’ll give you at least a year of these books at $2.99!”). For $2.99 as the standard price and $3.99 as an exception…I’d’ve been much more inclined to try some of these titles.

As-is? Other than glancing at the new shelf for the Judge Dredd issue and putting it back, I paid no attention to any other releases, sticking instead to my pre-arranged pull list.

Case #3: The Bargain Bins

Try as I might, I haven’t been able to resist the bargain bins at my local comic shop. In addition to whatever “new stuff” I’m buying, I find the urge to at least flip through the back section of the bargain bins to see what’s been added–perhaps one day I’ll see that elusive Conan issue with Rune (from the Ultraverse) here, or a beat-up Uncanny X-Men 266 that I can read and have that won’t be re-sellable, or something on-par with that Thunderbolts #1 I got not too long ago.

And I’ve recently added better than 150 new issues to my ’90s X-collection, with some 2000s X-stuff thrown in–all for under 50-cents apiece, the vast majority for 22-25-cents. For $1.50, I got to read the 6-issue X-Men Forever mini-series from the early 2000s (this predated the Claremont series from several years ago)…spending more time reading that than $20 worth of new comics!

Why should I want to pay $3.99 for a bunch of comics when I can buy 14-16 issues’ worth of material for that same price? I can justify $4-5 on a dozen to 20 comics, no problem. But at $20 for 4-5 comics, I’m just LOOKING for an excuse to talk myself into dropping titles.

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Black Friday? Remember Black September?

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Walt

 

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Today is “Black Friday.” Which, as a comic fan, always reminds me of the Malibu/Ultraverse “event” when they relaunched a bunch of their series back in 1995: Black September.

From what I recall, for the month of September, 1995 all of the Ultraverse books shipped with all-black covers, with the logo/price/etc. being the only color.

There was an image on the back, which actually served as the front cover image for variant-printed editions of the issues.

But I didn’t even become aware of these variants until some years after the fact–I only ever saw the “standard editions” and went with those.

Black September was a new beginning for the Ultraverse–the various titles existing before it all ended, and these new “# Infinity” issues served to launch several new series, most of which ultimately turned out to be essentially mini-series.

While I much prefer the original runs of the various Ultraverse books…I can’t deny that at the time, Black September was a Pretty Big Deal for me. Probably part of the significance was that September 1995 was also the first full month of my being in high school–so that was a new beginning for me, and these Ultraverse books I’d been following for a couple years were getting a new beginning.

Of course, I have a lot of different feelings on the whole thing looking back from 17 years later.

Black Friday…I’m too old to fight crowds for items at prices that really oughtta be considered false advertising. I’ll stick to reading and enjoying some comics.

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A Day to Be Thankful

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Walt

Not much to say, today, for now–except to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

Amidst the stuff that SHOULD be “givens,” such as health, family, and friends; living in a country where (for now) I have freedom of faith and a number of other freedoms…

I’m thankful for the gift of the joy of reading. My parents always encouraged me to read, and never discouraged my reading–whatever I was reading.

thanksgivingwiththesuperheroes

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Random Promo-ish comics

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Walt

I recently bought a longbox of mostly X-books, which proved to be a significant step toward shoring up gaps in my 1990s’ X-books runs. I also snagged some promo-type comics.

Pretty sure I have the Bravura issue somewhere, and I think I found the Deathmate and Comics’ Greatest World Advance Comics editions this summer, but skinny as these were, grabbed them while I was filling the longbox.

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I do kinda miss this sort of thing; and while I get sick and tired of the 3-7 page “previews” of comics in the backs of current issues, I wouldn’t mind a skinny preview issue every week or couple weeks…at least then it’d feel like its own thing, and I could read it (or not) without being fooled at the length of the issue.

Whatever else there is to say about Wizard…I often enjoyed the #0 issues (and even the send-away #1/2 issues).

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The Defiant issue caught my attention–I may have read an issue of Warriors of Plasm, but mostly Defiant‘s caught my attention this summer as I’ve learned more about 1990s Valiant; figured learning of the comic universe’s origin can’t do much harm.

I also kinda miss these Ashcan comics, though I grabbed these since I was filling a longbox and their space is negligible.

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One of these days I’m going to have to read up on X. Other than the Will to Power weekly $1 mini the one summer, Xwas the main Comics’ Greatest World character I was actually interested in.

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X Marks the Spot

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Walt

I recently bought a longbox of mostly X-books, which proved to be a significant step toward shoring up gaps in my 1990s’ X-books runs.

For the first time ever, I finally (FINALLY!) have all three issues of the Astonishing X-Men mini in one place at the same time. I got the first two issues back in 1999 when they came out. Unfortunately, the only comic shop I had access to when I first went off to college either didn’t get or sold out of #3.

I eventually got to read the final issue when I found a copy of the TPB of the mini. Sometime in the last several years I got a copy of #3. Unfortunately, I’d had #s 1-2 somewhere else and they’ve disappeared. Finding all 3 in the bargain bins for only $.75  total means I’ve still paid less than I’d’ve paid for the 3rd issue at cover price.

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When I first bought The Search for Cyclops, I wound up with 2 issues of one cover style and 2 of the other. I now have a unified-looking complete mini.

Aside from other issues I have with variants, one of my main things is I like when (especially for a mini-series) the covers all look like they belong to the same series.

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I remember Avengers Forever, and thus being interested in “the X-Men counterpart” when it started. But I actually only wound up with 2-3 issues of the series. Finally have the whole 6-issues series to read.

It’s slightly amusing now to know that–like Astonishing X-Men–there are multiple series of the exact same title that are completely unrelated, apparently used because they really liked the title…

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I also realized this past Saturday that–quite without the intention of it–I had acquired the first appearance of Jublilee for a whopping 25-cents. Now if only I could be similarly lucky to find Uncanny X-Men #266 in a bargain-bin…

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