So how many comics can you get for $40 bucks?
Not as many as you might think. GodDAMN but the price has gone up since I last collected. When I was a regular collector, and a hardcore collector at that, it was $1.99 for a regular Marvel or DC comic. Now it's $2.99. Wow! It was $1.99 for a long time it seems. Somewhere the prices must have skyrocketed. Comics prices are usually hiked a quarter at a time. I think when I stopped collecting they had gone up to $2.25 but that was back at the end of 2002. Now, four and a half years later? GAH! I can tell you that comics were at $1.99 for a lot longer then that.
So how many comics can you get for $40 bucks?
12.
Yep, that's about it. To be sure, it's more like $43 once you add in taxes. Also, I did buy a few back issues listed at more then cover and a they were all bagged and boarded and the like (and I think I was overcharged a couple of bucks, thanks AJ), but it was still pretty damned pricey without. I remember a day when 12 comics woulda cost you less then $20 bucks. You could go hog wild and follow just about any absurd event the companies were trying to shovel down your throat. It was totally sweet. Now? Christ. Comic fans really need to pick and choose wisely. Either that or have high paying jobs. Sometimes while flipping through some books I think to myself the subject matter isn't what I would want to show my kids. Oh, well that's no problem, cause they've gone and priced out the kids market to begin with. Too bad, every ten year old needs to spend all his time flipping through mags with guys kciking ass in impossible ways.
So, what did I get?
Okay, picked up a few back issues of Uncanny X-Men, #475-480 and #484. It's a huge 12 part story written by Ed Brubaker. The first part was pretty cool, I liked it a lot. My only problem is I'm missing parts 7, 8 ann 9. That...sucks. I might have to suck it in and go to that other comic store in town (sorry Andy). The art is by Billy Tan and some guy named Clayton Henry (who I think got his start on Spawn if I'm correct). Tan's art has evolved. It's a lot different then it used to be. I kinda like it, kinda think he's following the present trends.
Also picked up X-Men #197, the first part in a three part story leading into #200. I've always been a fan of Chris Bachalo's art. People complain that it's too cartoony but what did they expect? It's where he's been moving to for years! Amazing that they failed to notice.
Also the new Amazing Spider-Man #539. Damn, Aunt May still not dead? Hurry up and kill her already! Also Spidey gets back his black costume. It was weird, cause the final page with him in the costume you notice two things. First, they redesigned the black costume ever so subtley. Second, his balls. Goddamn,, does Ron Garney really need to draw them so that they're so in your face? Just...too much information. Also too many continuity and character mistakes to mention.
Also a few issues of DC's 52 Weeks series. Weeks...43 and 44? 42 and 43? And 46. I think I'll stick around for the remainder, then pick up World War III and Countdown. DC is intent on shaking up their universe, might as well see what happens. Apparently they're gonna turn Mary Marvel into a giant ho bag, which oughtta be interesting. I mean, both companies have done that to pretty much all their female characters, why not one more? I've only kinda flipped through these, still haven't read them. They killed the Elongated Man. Sweet! Well, not really for him, though, especially in light of the fact that they had his wife raped and murdered a couple of years ago in Identity Crisis. I must say, that's too bad cause now I got an interest in the Elongated Man. His powers are...well, he elongates. DER! But he's also a detective. See, would have been nice to have a detective character for people who couldn't get into Batman and that wasn't also half crazy. PPfffttt, who would wanna read that kind of book, right? Also some shit with Black Adam and the Marvels. Interesting. I should pick up the TPBs when they come out. I heard it's real hit and miss, but what do you expect from a story told in real time?
So, yeah, I guess I'm trying to get back into comics. Maybe not collecting so much, I can think of a few TPBs I wanna get but a few single issues here and there wouldn't hurt. Plus collecting can be such a manic habit, worrying about condition and what have you. Fuck it, I'm going casual. But I did spend years reading these books and following these characters, so it would be nice to see how things are going.
Also it makes for a good excuse to drop by the shop and see what the hell is going on with everyone else.
So how many comics can you get for $40 bucks?
12.
Yep, that's about it. To be sure, it's more like $43 once you add in taxes. Also, I did buy a few back issues listed at more then cover and a they were all bagged and boarded and the like (and I think I was overcharged a couple of bucks, thanks AJ), but it was still pretty damned pricey without. I remember a day when 12 comics woulda cost you less then $20 bucks. You could go hog wild and follow just about any absurd event the companies were trying to shovel down your throat. It was totally sweet. Now? Christ. Comic fans really need to pick and choose wisely. Either that or have high paying jobs. Sometimes while flipping through some books I think to myself the subject matter isn't what I would want to show my kids. Oh, well that's no problem, cause they've gone and priced out the kids market to begin with. Too bad, every ten year old needs to spend all his time flipping through mags with guys kciking ass in impossible ways.
So, what did I get?
Okay, picked up a few back issues of Uncanny X-Men, #475-480 and #484. It's a huge 12 part story written by Ed Brubaker. The first part was pretty cool, I liked it a lot. My only problem is I'm missing parts 7, 8 ann 9. That...sucks. I might have to suck it in and go to that other comic store in town (sorry Andy). The art is by Billy Tan and some guy named Clayton Henry (who I think got his start on Spawn if I'm correct). Tan's art has evolved. It's a lot different then it used to be. I kinda like it, kinda think he's following the present trends.
Also picked up X-Men #197, the first part in a three part story leading into #200. I've always been a fan of Chris Bachalo's art. People complain that it's too cartoony but what did they expect? It's where he's been moving to for years! Amazing that they failed to notice.
Also the new Amazing Spider-Man #539. Damn, Aunt May still not dead? Hurry up and kill her already! Also Spidey gets back his black costume. It was weird, cause the final page with him in the costume you notice two things. First, they redesigned the black costume ever so subtley. Second, his balls. Goddamn,, does Ron Garney really need to draw them so that they're so in your face? Just...too much information. Also too many continuity and character mistakes to mention.
Also a few issues of DC's 52 Weeks series. Weeks...43 and 44? 42 and 43? And 46. I think I'll stick around for the remainder, then pick up World War III and Countdown. DC is intent on shaking up their universe, might as well see what happens. Apparently they're gonna turn Mary Marvel into a giant ho bag, which oughtta be interesting. I mean, both companies have done that to pretty much all their female characters, why not one more? I've only kinda flipped through these, still haven't read them. They killed the Elongated Man. Sweet! Well, not really for him, though, especially in light of the fact that they had his wife raped and murdered a couple of years ago in Identity Crisis. I must say, that's too bad cause now I got an interest in the Elongated Man. His powers are...well, he elongates. DER! But he's also a detective. See, would have been nice to have a detective character for people who couldn't get into Batman and that wasn't also half crazy. PPfffttt, who would wanna read that kind of book, right? Also some shit with Black Adam and the Marvels. Interesting. I should pick up the TPBs when they come out. I heard it's real hit and miss, but what do you expect from a story told in real time?
So, yeah, I guess I'm trying to get back into comics. Maybe not collecting so much, I can think of a few TPBs I wanna get but a few single issues here and there wouldn't hurt. Plus collecting can be such a manic habit, worrying about condition and what have you. Fuck it, I'm going casual. But I did spend years reading these books and following these characters, so it would be nice to see how things are going.
Also it makes for a good excuse to drop by the shop and see what the hell is going on with everyone else.
posted by Robert at 3:21 AM
2 Comments:
Oooohhhh, you mean comic books. For some reason I was thinking stand up. I need to get back into that, too. Or at least start my own. I've got a few ideas(storylines and characters) in the works. Too bad my drawing skills have rusted solid. Perhaps I'll just score them out as rock operas a la Transformers The Movie.
I've had this one character bouncing around my head for years! Since I was like 10 years old!
The idea is that he's a guy that is granted almost cosmic level powers and whose job it is to basically safeguard the space/time continuum. His power is the ability to basically bend the laws of physics to his whim. Alas, the way it always worked out in my head was the guy came off as a giant Green Lantern knock-off when it came to the manipulation of his powers.
I did distinguish the character in one way in that aside from his duties as some sort of cosmic entity, which I imagined was more of a mundane job in the end, was the fact that he would also be granted rule over his home planet which itself was already ruled under a corrupt and ineffectual monarchy. I thought it would be interesting to see a character deal with two massive problems at once.
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