They say that one man's trash is another man's treasure, and I find this especially true in the realm of comic books. Books that I love may be another man's bird cage liner, or comics he salivates for every month may be so far off my radar that I wouldn't get them out of a quarter bin. But that's the beauty of our hobby- there's something for everybody.I recently wrote a little blurb (ok, it was pretty much free advertising) about a 70% off sale over at the Things From Another World website. Though most of the comics were considered "nick and dent" copies, there was plenty of material I had been waiting to snatch up. On my first pass I bought up $100 worth of stuff. This is what I got:
TPBS:
Black Panther: The Client
Black Panther: Who is the Black Panther
Black Panther: Secret Invasion
Captain America: Road to Reborn HC
Eternals Manifest Destiny
Punisher: Dark Reign
Thor: Ages of Thunder HC
Red Sonja Vols 5 and 6
Conan Vol 0
Jonah Hex: Six Gun War
Immortal Iron Fist Vols 1 and 2
Issues
Conan the Cimmerian 0-21
Groo: Hell on Earth 1-4
Joe the Barbarian 5-6
Supergirl 49
Apparently there's something about discounted prices that makes me want to read violent, warrior based comics, but sometimes you just have to see some good old fasioned graphic violence, you know?
And if that wasn't enough, I went back and got more (blushes ashamedly). I figured I would never have another chance to get the Immortal Iron Fist this cheap again, so I went ahead and got volumes 3 and 4, as well as another Conan volume by Kurt Busiek, and Justice League Generation Lost 8-10.
It was actually pretty interesting timing to find out about the sale, because lately I have been thinking quite a bit about the Immortal Iron Fist series. If you've never read the original run by Fraction/Brubaker/Aja, you should look into it.
In the initial arc, Danny Rand, the current Iron Fist (as well as readers of the Marvel Universe at large) finds out that the "Iron Fist" moniker is actually a mantle that has been passed down over the ages. This opened up so much history and potential for a character that had been a kung fu joke for the previous decade before, only appearing in failed relaunches(the 1990's Heroes for Hire) or crummy "MC2" guest spots (Spider-Girl). Since the series release, Iron Fist has become a supporting character in Daredevil, a New Avenger, and a key player in the Shadowland series.
The reason I connect so heavily with the Iron Fist book is that it launched right around the time I got back into comics in a big way, and I've always felt like it was a serendipitous meeting. It was almost as if the world of Iron Fist being expanded was like my rediscovered love of comics- what had once been a faded joke had become something with potential for the future.
Wow, that's pretty nerdy... Anyway, my whole point today was that the books I got for cheap are by no means "classics", but I can't wait to devour them once they arrive. This makes me wonder, for those of you who got in on the giant sale, what did your shopping cart have in it?
Until Next Time, Long Live the Legion!
And P.S. , I caved and got my own internet connection, so hopefully I'll be around to manage the site a little quicker!
Sounds like you picked up some great stuff, Kello! I've heard great things about just about everything you mentioned. I actually just re-read Black Panther: The Client for the first time in almost ten years, and God do I love that book. In fact, I think I'd argue that it actually is a "classic," and it's a shame that there are only two trades collecting Christopher Priest's run on the title.
ReplyDeleteAnd if you haven't read Who is the Black Panther, get ready for a shock, because it basically revises the character's origin and ignores everything in The Client! Other than that I don't have much of a problem with that story...it was only afterward that Reginald Hudlin's run went completely to hell. But Jason Aaron did the Secret Invasion trade, which I've heard is great and I'm looking forward to reading at some point.
I heard good things about the brief ongoing Eternals series as well. I actually bought the Gaiman/Romita Eternals hardcover from TFAW last year during their Black Friday sale, when they had it for like three dollars. It's pretty good, other than some attempts to tie it into Civil War that felt a little forced.
I haven't partaken of this particular TFAW sale yet, mostly because I just spent a good deal of money on eBay...between yesterday and today alone, I've received 25 trades in the mail! And last week I got maybe 15 or so, courtesy of Top Shelf's awesome annual sale (which may still be going on, for all I know). But if I do, I'm really tempted to get the Indiana Jones Omnibuses ($3 each!).
And for anyone still looking to do a little shopping at TFAW, I would highly -- and I do mean highly -- recommend you take a look at the softcover Marvel Masterworks they're offering for only $3 apiece. Each of them has ten classic Lee/Kirby or Lee/Ditko issues of series like Fantastic Four, Amazing Spider-Man, and Avengers. I think I might have even seen a couple X-Men ones on there. Considering these books were only available as $50 hardcovers until last year, that's an amazing deal. So amazing, in fact, that I'm really tempted to get them even though I already have them in Omnibus form!
Holy Cow, I've written quite a lot, haven't I? I should probably wrap this up, but before I do, congrats on having Internet again Kello! JT, X-Man, Falisha and I have been chatting via AIM and/or Skype the last few Saturday nights, so hopefully we'll see you there this week.
Marc- Thanks a lot for the comments!
ReplyDeleteI actually had original printings of the Black Panther issues collected in the Client, from way back when I was a Freshman in high school. The only thing is, I only bought the issues because Marvel Knights was the hot new thing and I basically got whatever Wizard Magazine told me to. So I really want to go back and see what all the hype is about!
And I have heard a lot of bad things about Hudlin's run (I think I read one issue, and hated it), but I'll always give JRJR a chance to wow me.
As for the Eternals series, the first arc is probably artist Daniel Acuna's best work of his entire career. The story itself is pretty interesting(there's this whole idea of cosmic balance), but I didn't feel a strong connection with a majority of the characters. I was really huge into the series as well as the Gaiman stuff when it came out, but it just wasn't compelling enough to last. Sersi is still a stone cold fox, though.
And I almost bought those FF Masterworks, but I would have only done so to say I "have" the issues. I probably wouldn't cracked them open to seriously read them. I had Essential Spider-Man 1-6, as well as Masterworks volume 1-2, as well as the 500 covers, and I never looked at them more than once.
I'll have to get a new AIM screenname, since I never use the service anymore.
And if you want to post here as an author just send me an e-mail with a profile pic at dashboardc123@hotmail.com and I'll add you on the team. If not, it's cool. And sorry if I already invited you, I've been asking everybody and I'm kind of losing track.
Ah, I see I was late in inviting you to the AIM chat over at X's blog. And great post Kello, I like that Iron Fist was somewhat of a joke and is no so respected because I didn't really know, he's always been a main player in my book considering I started reading comics only two years ago. It's nice to know he kinda has a Booster Gold story where he was a joke and is now a pretty big player in his own right.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get anything online since I've been waiting on money, I still gotta go pick up this weeks weekly's tomorrow so I can do the R & R over at my blog, but It does sound like a really good deal. Glad to see you also picked up the last three issues of Generation Lost since they were so good.
Wizard or no Wizard, it sounds like your tastes were a little broader than mine in the early 2000s -- all I was really concerned with at that point were crappy X-Men comics! (And I mean really crappy...shudder...) I've read a good deal of the Marvel Knights stuff since then, though, and for the most part it's really good.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I kept buying Hudlin's Black Panther for quite a while after that first arc because for some reason I was under the false impression that JRJR was coming back. I was very, very wrong, haha.
I don't blame you for not looking at the 55 Covers book since there's no narrative to it to keep you hooked, but the actual stories are gold. The ideas Lee and Kirby tossed around in those early issues of FF are so loopy and brilliant that you almost start to take it for granted after reading a few issues. I'd have to say FF #5 and Amazing Fantasy #15 are two of my three favorite issues of the early Silver Age, with Flash #123 being the other.
I just sent you an email from my Gmail account, which is the one I primarily use. I did get an email from you, but I didn't see it until now since I rarely ever use the one associated with my Blogger account!