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Truly Bargain-Priced

Posted on September 23, 2014 by Walt

Tonight I stopped at a Booksmillion on a whim. I really was hoping they’d have something Ninja Turtles related that I’d want, but they didn’t. However, I found their bargain section (that includes a bunch of mostly-Marvel graphic novels) and came across these:

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These are those mid-size volumes–smaller than a standard-trim paperback, but larger than the actual “digest-sized” volumes.

But with about 5 issues of content each, for $3.97 each…quite the bargain indeed. These, that I know I’ll like from having read some of the First Class stuff in the past, or a $3.99 comic that’ll bug me for being $3.99? These are easily the better value(s).

Also rather pleased with myself at–not having a proper inventory–having photos of my shelves in my phone, so I can zoom in and see that I do or do not have certain volumes.

Here, I bought vol. 2 and left vol. 1 on the shelf at the store, as I saw vol. 1 in my photo of the shelf it’s on in my own collection.

Filed under: NON-REVIEW CONTENT | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a comment »

Revisiting the ridiculous price of comics (vs. value)

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Walt

My frustration with the pricing of current/new comics continues. But I do love my local comic shop: the bargain bins and bargain tables honestly put most convention dealers to shame…perhaps all the more by my ability to visit the shop weekly, rather than a one-shot experience.

I’ve largely ignored the bargain-TPB/HCs the last few weeks, but as of this week, we’re up to 80% off. Which makes the X-Men: First Class vol. 1 and X-Men: First Class Finals $3/each–$1 cheaper apiece than most of Marvel’s current new single-issues. (And these each have about 5 issues’ content in ’em!). For that price, and prior enjoyment of First Class issues…yeah, why not?

Sweetening the deal, there were several stacks of books free with a purchase (turned out, purchase 1 book = choose 1 free book; purchase 2 free books, choose 2 free books). So for $6, I got FOUR new TPBs. Roughly 50 issues’ content.

Meanwhile, for regular-sized TMNT #19, Harbinger #9, X-O Manowar #10, and Superior Spider-Man #4 I paid $3.99 apiece; and extra-sized Hellblazer #300 was $4.99. $21 for 5 new comics…while the content of a mere $6 purchase DWARFS the stack of new stuff.

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Wolverine and the X-Men Magazine #1 [Magazine Review]

Posted on January 17, 2009 by Walt
Wolverine and the X-Men Magazine #1 cover

Wolverine and the X-Men Magazine #1 cover

Normally, I wouldn’t consider a magazine something worth writing a review over. However, this one struck me as something I definitely would like to write a bit about.

I came across this at a Wal-Mart last weekend, and decided to flip through it, just to see what it contained. Once I saw what it contained (as well as its price), I decided it was worth picking up.

The cover’s nothing too special–although, I have to give it credit for grabbing MY attention (a nice, classic image, there).  This debut issue of the magazine (headlining Wolverine…after all, there IS a movie coming out in a few months) contains no articles–it’s not that sort of magazine. Instead, this is more of a magazine-sized collected-volume.

This contains Wolverine: First Class #1, Incredible Hulk #s 180-181, and X-Men: First Class #1. There’s also a Mini Marvels short by Chris Giarrusso that was probably contained in one of the First Class issues originally.

For a $5.99 cover price, one gets the contents (uninterrupted by ads except between stories) of four comics. The price is a mere penny ($.01) more expensive than the two First Class issues combined, PLUS the two classic Incredible Hulk issues are present (these featured the very first appearance of the Wolverine).

What really struck me as the value here was that where many of Marvel’s comics are now at the $3.99 point for a standard size issue, for only $2 more one has two issues of recent content, plus the two Hulk issues. That the magazine is a first issue and contains the contents of two first issues and a first appearance works very well–no one’s really being plopped in the middle of some story from the get-go here.

As an adult, I enjoyed this. I’d never picked up any of the First Class comics so those were both new to me. I’d also never read the Hulk issues Wolverine first appeared in–I don’t know if I even have any reprints despite 20 years of comic collecting.

I’m looking forward to the next issue, to see what they do–if this is (for awhile) basically a reprint magazine with two recent comics and a couple classics (or even a move to more recent comics), I’ll be quite pleased, and more than willing to lay out the $6 for an issue.

Definitely recommended!

Filed under: Comic Reviews 2009, MARVEL, Wolverine and the X-Men | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment »