Friday, July 15, 2011

10 Things to Look For When Buying/Grading Back Issues


When you go out to your local comic store and you're looking through the back issues (especially those $1 or 50 cent bins that I love so dearly).  It important to keep in mind that there's possibly a good reason that this particular issue is being practically given away.  Now for the most part the issues you find in there aren't anything special and there's millions of them in circulation and that all the reason there is....BUT if you find some rare exquisite gem hiding in a box of cheap comics you may want to take a second look!  Of course there's always the chance they threw it in there by accident and by the standards of the American Economic System, that tough for them and you just got a crazy cheap and wonderful issue, but chances are there is some sort of defect or problem with the issue even if you don't readily see one.

So here I have compiled a list of some key things to look for when you are stocking up on back issues for awesome prices.  These are also some great pointers if you are trying to learn about grading comics.  There is, of course, much more to it but follow some of these pointers and you'll be on your way.
  1. Creases/Tears in  Cover and Pages - Obviously the easiest thing to look for is glaring rips in the pagesor cover, but also look a little closer for damages that might not be so prevalent.  I've seen people buy an issue that comes with a bag and board only to get home and take it out to find the large pieces of the back cover missing or pages that have been folded inside the comic for years, leaving a crease that will likely never go away.
  2. Stains/Watermarks - Another, typically glaring, type of damage to look for is stains or water marks.  These are sometimes harder to find as they can show up anywhere on a perfectly clean page.  So if you casually flip through a book it can be easy to miss a spot where someone's drink or food may have spilled on the page really close to the spine on or the back 
  3. Writing - This is honestly a new problem for me, but its happened more then once recently so it seem worth mentioning.  I have recently buy several older issues of original X-men and found that the cover has been written on (i.e. the title letters traced or filled in) or the inside has initials (marking ownership by someone who didn't care much about their comics condition.  I know to most of the people reading this, it seems like sacrilege to write on an issue, but it DOES happen so if you start buying cheap back issues in bulk like I did you should be watchful of it.
  4. Loose/Missing Staples - This is just something that happens sometimes when comic are printed.  Either the staple misses or doesn't go in right or whatever, but occasionally you get an issue where one of the staples is only half in or missing completely.  A lot of times the rest of the comic is just fine and for the one or two times you are going to read it, just be a bit extra careful.
  5. Missing Pages Cover - This sort goes along with tears and creases that I mentioned in the first item.  It really pays to take the time and look through an issue before you buy it (many local stores will allow you to look briefly through an issue to check for damage, NOT READ IT).  I've found entire pages or the back cover missing.  Easily avoidable and will save you MUCH frustration later.
  6. Discoloration of Pages - This another one that simply happens over time.  You'll find this problem a lot when you buy older issues like the 60's or early 70's, as a book ages the pages begin to yellow a bit and the coloring fades.  Not really a big deal and most collector or graders know to expect it, so its just a matter of does it bother you.
  7. Spine Wearing/Rolling - This can be caused by age, poor handling, or just bad printing, but sometimes you'll notice that the spine is severely creased, the top and bottom are worn and about to split, or even (in the case of many Annual issues, where the book isn't folded but glued with a real spine) that the "spine writing" is somehow more on the front then the side. A lot of times you'll find that the pages inside are in fine condition and then its a judgement call about how much M/NM condition really means to you.
  8. Adhesives - This is right up there with writing on the book.  Sometimes you'll find little price stickers or colored dots or even, god forbid, scotch tape.  DON'T PANIC! Breathe.  Scotch tape is often a lifelong problem especially if its an older issue where the tape has been there for a long time but I often find that with prices stickers or colored dots that if you SLOWLY AND PATIENTLY peel them back, they remove just fine.
  9. Corners/Edges - These isn't one specific things to look for here, just keep a general eye on the corners and edges of the issues you are buying.  Often you'll find the corners of issues or blunted, torn off or folded over while the edges are very prone to tiny nicks, or dents.  Most of the time these are very superficial damage
  10. Deformed Copies of the Issue - Once again, this just happens.  When you print millions of copies of ANYTHING there is bound to be some mistakes and mechanical errors.  Often you'll find issues that are brand new (within a few weeks) in a cheap box of comics because a page has a piece that wasn't cut right or is folded  over and then was cut like that.  Could be anything, and often these issues were supposed to cost $3-$10.  So unless you are super OCD and need a perfect pristine copy of every issues, these are often a good deal if you just want storyline.
These are just a few things to look for when you are buying older back issues, especially if you are raiding the bargain bins.  If you are a serious collector then you have your books that are important and have to be perfect but you probably also have runs of books that you just want completed, that are maybe a bit less important and some of these tips will help you find the difference while you are shopping around.

A Fantastic Cameo - Review Iron Age #2


I'm torn on what I think of this series...

On the one hand they marketed this series ALL WRONG!  This series was advertised as the "Return of Dark Phoenix" with all the excitement that comes with such an exciting proclamation.  However, aside from a lackluster appearance in Iron Age: Alpha where has our little celestial ginger been?  NO WHERE TO BE SEEN, that's where.  Now admittedly she looks to be showing up next issue finally so maybe ther is hope...but let me just say, when Marvel markets the real Dark Phoenix, those of us obsessed with the Phoenix expect to see THE PHOENIX.  I mean, I know that she was technically there but we are 3 issues into this storyline and all we've seen is her getting manhandled by a few Doombots and then destroying the world.  Now forget that those Doombots should be slag, but, by destroying the world and sending Tony into the past, she went from amazing cosmic return to convenient storyline gimmick just get us to read and get Iron Man to the past.

Now on the other hand...it was heartwarming AND heartbreaking to see Johnny.  And not smooth super hero Johnny from right before his death, no no no we got old (early 70's) Johnny Storm, rife with all his insecurities and still unsure of his place on the Fantastic Four.  It was also nice hearing Tony's regret about not know Johnny as well as the other members of the FF (a common theme with Tony as he is flung through time, Tony's regrets throughout his past).  One almost wonders if, in the course of history, this interaction is part of what made Johnny strive to be a better hero, and he just always thought he was keeping this moment between him and Iron Man private (whereas secretly the current Iron Man of that present had no idea).  This theme of Tony addressing past mistakes was laso present in the first story with Luke Cage (in all his bright yellow Power Man glory) and Iron Fist, as he remembered his mistakes and also helped reunite PM and IF with Misty and Colleen.

Overall, I have to say I DO like this story a lot...as an Iron-Man-confronts-his-past story.  However, with the way that this story was marketed as a return of Dark Phoenix story left huge shoes to fill and I don't feel like its lived up to the hype.  Now there's still issues #3 and Omega, and perhaps we will get lots of Phoenix-y goodness and we fanatics will get what we were hoping for...stranger things have happened...

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

My Weekly Pull List - 7/13/11

schism cyclops wolverine x-men
ALPHA FLIGHT #2 (FI)
BLACK PANTHER MAN WITHOUT FEAR #521 (FI)
FEAR ITSELF SPIDER-MAN #3 (FI)
FF #6
GHOST RIDER #1 (FI)
JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #625 (FI)
NEW AVENGERS #14 (FI)
NEW MUTANTS #27
X-MEN SCHISM #1 (S)

Edit: Also I picked up Iron Age #2 while I was at the store...how could I forget!

Yet another week of MANY Fear Itself tie-ins, thank god these have been pretty good for the most part because if these tie-in's were like the Chaos War tie-in's I have been QUITE upset.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Make sure you're checking out Comic-Page!

The new Comic-Page site is coming along really well.  So far I have added all members of the X-men, X-Factor, Excalibur New Mutants, and X-Force.  Coming soon you'll see New/Young X-men and then we'll start working on some of the major villain teams.  Also keep an eye out for A-Page and 4-Page soon too! 

Do Comic Book Gimmicks Really Work Anymore?

This may seem like a redundant but with the recent release of Ultimate Spider-man #160 in all its polybagged glory are we going to see the comeback of some of these 90's gimmicks?  After all, when I started collecting 20 years ago that where I started!  First appearances, foils covers, holograms, embosses, cut out and the infamously polybag just daring you to open it and see what goodies came inside.  Now while the others would incite most collectors back then to purchase a copy of a book they wouldn't normally buy, the polybag gimmick was especially effective in its time because collectors would buy not just one copy to own but, sometimes two and three copies (like my three copies of Adventures of Superman #500 which, at the time, promised to be QUITE the collectors item): 1 to keep closed, 1 to open and (for the die hard fanatics) 1to sell in the future when it invariably became worth a fortune.  As the 90's closed we saw the demise (for the most part) of these sparkly shiny gimmicks and the promises of priceless issues that came with it, and, as the 2000's opened, we all discovered that they were worth nothing because of the way they were FLOODED to the market during their release.  Que sera sera!

But Alas!  What have we here...Ultimate Spider-man #160 featuring the death of Ultimate (not to be confused with the real) Peter Parker...in its own opaque polybag.  So did this much hyped storyline and polybagged conclusion gain the extra readership and boost sales the way it was supposed to?  Not according to Gary Loring of Gary Comics and More who told the New York Post that the specific issue sold less then even a typical issue of Ultimate Spider-man.  The cause of this is cited that people would come in and ask for the issue but would be dissuaded by the polybag because they could see the issue or contents before buying.

So let this be a lesson to you Marvel.  There is a reason comics took a down turn in the 90's and all the gimmicks and tricks used during that time were more or less abandoned.  Not to mention that collectors are a little savvier now (with less younger collectors and most having collected for aroudn as long as I have) and aren't likely to fall for such blatant marketing tactics anymore.  Now granted instead we get multiple tie-ins to every story and variant covers to EVERYTHING, but at least we get more story or different artists instead of just a flashier cover.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Marvel Comics On-Sale 7/13/11


OK everyone with Schism FINALLY getting underway this week, its your last chance to take part in my poll!  Which side are you on? Team Cyclops or Team Wolverine? Vote Now!  Schism Poll

ALL WINNERS SQUAD BAND OF HEROES #2
ALPHA FLIGHT #2 (FI)
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #665
BLACK PANTHER MAN WITHOUT FEAR #521 (FI)
CAPTAIN AMERICA #1
DAKEN DARK WOLVERINE #11
DEADPOOL #40
DEFENDERS FROM MARVEL VAULT #1
FEAR ITSELF SPIDER-MAN #3 (FI)
FF #6
FORMIC WARS BURNING EARTH #7
GHOST RIDER #1 (FI)
INCREDIBLE HULKS #632
JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY #625 (FI)
KA-ZAR #2
MYSTERY MEN #3
NEW AVENGERS #14 (FI)
NEW MUTANTS #27
PUNISHERMAX #15
SUPER HEROES #16
ULTIMATE AVENGERS VS NEW ULTIMATES #6 (DOSM)
ULTIMATE AVENGERS VS NEW ULTIMATES #6 HITCH VARIANT (DOSM)
ULTIMATE COMICS FALLOUT #1 (DOSM)
UNCANNY X-FORCE #11 2ND PRINTING BROOKS VARIANT     
WOLVERINE #12
X-MEN SCHISM #1 (S)
X-MEN SCHISM #1 BRADSHAW VARIANT (S)

(DOSM) = Death of Spider-man
(FI) = Fear Itself
(S) = Schism

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Is the Way Mutant Powers Manifest Reactionary?

cannonball sam samuel guthrie new mutants

Ever notice that some powers manifest in just the exact right way to save or fix a situation?  Even though mutant powers are something that they are born with, they always seem to have just the right manifestation to save the day.   

Take Cannonball for example.  What if he never got trapped in that mine shaft?  In that exact moment he need a cannonball or a wrecking ball or something destructive with forward momentum to save his own life so he became a human cannonball.  However we've now seen in later year that that's not the extent of his power...what if he was in a collapsing building and had tons of debris falling on top of him? Would his power have activated then in the effect of a forcefield (which we now know he can do)?  Or what if Sam Guthrie wasn't the good upstanding person he is and instead got into a drunken fight with someone much larger then him?  Could his power have first manifested in blast field powered punch to save himself in the fight?  These are all powers that he is now shown to have so I would think his powers could easily have activated in those ways first under the right conditions.  Maybe he could only cannonball at first because that's the form his power first catalyzed in so he got stuck (much like mental blocks self-imposed by Rogue's powers and maybe Cyclops' but I don't know that we are sure about that yet).

Another good example may be Karma and her twin brother.  We never saw much of Tran but Shan has often been noted for having such a very specific telepathic ability.  Well when it first manifested it was in a situation where she needed to control somebody to save her brother...so that's how her power manifested.  And since we are talking about psionic twins, its not such a stretch to think they had some link that caused his powers to react the same as her at that moment.  Even with Jean Grey, her abilities first manifested to connect to her dying friend's mind and from then on her telepathic powers always seemed to have a very empathic feel to them, unlike Psylocke's colder more clinical seeming TP powers.  Other psychics who maybe had no traumatic or specific event happen, such as Professor X, seem to have more general and well rounded powers with less specific features to them.

Even Dazzler to some extent shows evidence of this reactionary power pattern.  One could argue that BECAUSE her powers need sound to create light, shes automatically a good singer (much like Banshee's exceptional hearing), but what if its the other way around?   She grew up always being a good singer and wanting to perform so her powers kicked in while singing onstage at a high school dance the lights on her so she started glowing and then she needed to blind the audience to protect herself.  What if she was just born to convert energy from one form to another but based on the situation when it kicked it, her body adapted to the sound = light combo.  

This of course don't necessarily work in all cases.  Some mutants have powers that they are just born with no matter what (for example claws, wings, or blue skin), but I think some mutants aren't born with a specific powers, just the potential for a type of ability.  With this in mind, who knows if Illyana's life might have gone differently if her teleportation potential had activated somewhere where the link to Limbo was less potent?  Maybe she wouldn't have been connected to stepping disc and she would have opened a different type of portal like Ariel or Blink.