Monday
Aug112008
Tales from the Quarter Bin
Monday, August 11, 2008 at 10:16PM | RyanSilb
I love comics. And boy do I love 'em cheap. There's nothing like flipping through a bin of twenty-five cent comics and buying whatever looks interesting. So here's some stuff I found recently:
Firstly, the first issue of Otherworld, a 2005 Vertigo series by Phil Jimenez. I like the work he did for the art on DC's Infinite Crisis, and anything Vertigo is usually worth a quarter. Jimenez describes the series as "the Real World meets Lord of the Rings, meets Tron." And somehow it works. Now I want to find the trade.
Next, issue 71 of Marvel's Power Man and Iron Fist, from July 1981. Written by Marvel editor Mary Jo Duffy,it's mostly free of the blaxploitation vibe found in vintage Power Man. This issue introduces the villian Montenegro ("He's the worst!" claims the cover), who would show up from time to time and give the heroes trouble...by climbing things. All in all, vintage comics at their best.
Also picked up issue number 5 (of 8 ) of Time Masters by DC. The reason I picked it up is because it features Rip Hunter, currently a major supporting character in Booster Gold, one of my favorite current books. This isn't really the same RIp, but the comic features both the American Colonies and something about the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail. I'm really not sure. Practically incoherent.
Perhaps the strangest comic I picked up was Amalgam Comics Spider-Boy Team-Up #1 from 1997. For the less geeky, Amalgam Comics is not a real company. It was a joint venture by DC and Marvel to smush together their universes and form new characters that would be jointly owned. This issue features a smash-up of Superboy and Spider-Man, Spider-Boy as he meets the Legion of Galactic Gardians from 2099 (click all the links to see what that means). The whole issue is a cute nod to fanboys everywhere.
I also snagged issue #6 of Terry Moore's Paradise Too, a collecton of art and strip work by the acclaimed slife-of-life comic creator (also a name cash-in on his most famous work, Strangers In Paradise). It's un and cute. Totally a find for a third of a can of soda.
Lastly, two consecutive Captian America Annuals, numbers 5 and 6, from 1981 and 1982, respectively. The 1981 annual is pretty straightforward and is so-so. In fact, the highlight is an ad for Hostess fruit pies featuring the Hulk. Also an ad for the contemporary Spider-Woman ongoing featuring Jessica Drew decking a shirtless guy with the oversize caption, "Ain't She Sweet?" The 1982 annual features early work by J. M. DeMatteis, who went on to co-create Justice League International. People complain today that comics are too steeped in continuity, they have no idea what it was like. I would have needed a Cap Encyclopedia to understand half of what was going on (it features four ((four!)) iterations of Captain America running around).
So there you go, an exciting trip through 7 essentially random comics, all for under the price of a half tank of gas (as of this writing).
Firstly, the first issue of Otherworld, a 2005 Vertigo series by Phil Jimenez. I like the work he did for the art on DC's Infinite Crisis, and anything Vertigo is usually worth a quarter. Jimenez describes the series as "the Real World meets Lord of the Rings, meets Tron." And somehow it works. Now I want to find the trade.
Next, issue 71 of Marvel's Power Man and Iron Fist, from July 1981. Written by Marvel editor Mary Jo Duffy,it's mostly free of the blaxploitation vibe found in vintage Power Man. This issue introduces the villian Montenegro ("He's the worst!" claims the cover), who would show up from time to time and give the heroes trouble...by climbing things. All in all, vintage comics at their best.
Also picked up issue number 5 (of 8 ) of Time Masters by DC. The reason I picked it up is because it features Rip Hunter, currently a major supporting character in Booster Gold, one of my favorite current books. This isn't really the same RIp, but the comic features both the American Colonies and something about the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail. I'm really not sure. Practically incoherent.
Perhaps the strangest comic I picked up was Amalgam Comics Spider-Boy Team-Up #1 from 1997. For the less geeky, Amalgam Comics is not a real company. It was a joint venture by DC and Marvel to smush together their universes and form new characters that would be jointly owned. This issue features a smash-up of Superboy and Spider-Man, Spider-Boy as he meets the Legion of Galactic Gardians from 2099 (click all the links to see what that means). The whole issue is a cute nod to fanboys everywhere.
I also snagged issue #6 of Terry Moore's Paradise Too, a collecton of art and strip work by the acclaimed slife-of-life comic creator (also a name cash-in on his most famous work, Strangers In Paradise). It's un and cute. Totally a find for a third of a can of soda.
Lastly, two consecutive Captian America Annuals, numbers 5 and 6, from 1981 and 1982, respectively. The 1981 annual is pretty straightforward and is so-so. In fact, the highlight is an ad for Hostess fruit pies featuring the Hulk. Also an ad for the contemporary Spider-Woman ongoing featuring Jessica Drew decking a shirtless guy with the oversize caption, "Ain't She Sweet?" The 1982 annual features early work by J. M. DeMatteis, who went on to co-create Justice League International. People complain today that comics are too steeped in continuity, they have no idea what it was like. I would have needed a Cap Encyclopedia to understand half of what was going on (it features four ((four!)) iterations of Captain America running around).
So there you go, an exciting trip through 7 essentially random comics, all for under the price of a half tank of gas (as of this writing).
tagged comics in Uncategorized
comics in Uncategorized
Reader Comments (1)
I always loved that 'aint she sweet?' spiderwoman advert- would love to have it. jessica drew spiderwoman is one of my fave superheros, period.