If you love comic books, related vintage toys and collectibles plus comic-related news, then you have come to the right place.
My Amazing Spider-Man #1
Friday Afternoon at the Comic Shop Like most teens, I always looked forward to Fridays. Not only was it the end of the week, marking the start of the weekend, but it was also new comic book day. Every Friday I would make my way to Unicorn Comics in Oshawa, Ontario (now known as World's Collide) and exhaust all that I had earned from my $3.15 per hour job on every new release from the big two publishers. I would then spend the next couple of days reading through all of it. Man I was a nerd... and I loved it. I quickly began to limit the number of new comic books I would buy, and instead began purchasing up back issues from my favourite series, the Amazing Spider-Man. Before I knew it, I had assembled a pretty decent Amazing Spider-Man collection with complete run from issue 100 and up. Now although my collecting heyday was from 1985-1990, popular comic books back then still cost a pretty penny. In fact, I recall paying a whopping $60 for Amazing Spider-Man #129 (which I still own by the way). Amazing Spider-Man #1 The task of assembling issues 1-99 was the logical next step. I thoroughly enjoyed digging through the back issue bins every week, as I would always seem to find at least one or two much need comics. Then, one day, out of nowhere, I received a call from Shawn, one of the employees at Unicorn. He didn't say much but urged me to get to the store as soon as possible. I had a feeling deep down that Unicorn had attained a copy of the comic at the top of my want list: Amazing Spider-Man #1. As I walked in the store Shawn held two comic books in his hands. My suspicions were correct - I was face to face with Amazing Spider-Man #1....but also Amazing Fantasy #15! Luckily both comic books were low grade, as I would not have been able to afford the books. Even back then these two books were valued at around $1000 each. In low grade, however, Unicorn was only asking $100 each. I raced home and then returned to the store with a long box filled to … [Read more...]
Star Wars Gift Ideas… Too Soon?
Star Wars Gift Ideas The Christmas season has come and gone, and most of us are just now receiving the credit cards that prove we may have gone a little overboard with our holiday spending. That being said, I cannot think of a better time to start thinking about what to buy the nerd in your life (or yourself) for his/ her birthday or Christmas present this year. Since 2015 will mark the return of Star Wars to the big screen, every Mandalorian, Ugnaught and Ewok, from Dantooine to Hoth will want to prepare themselves with the latest and greatest Star Wars stuff! Below you will find my top five Star Wars related merchandise currently available for sale on-line and at your local comic shop. Please understand that there are hundreds of really neat Star Wars gadgets and gizmos available, but the following are strong with the force in one major way: they are all affordable! Enjoy! 5. Star Wars Lightsaber Candle Stick Holder Before she slips into her Leia slave girl outfit and you into your Jedi robe, light a couple of these babies to really set the mood. I think we all know that adding a touch of Star Wars into any romantic encounter is a sure fire way to let that special someone know just how much you care. Remember: nothing is as romantic as Star Wars. $24.99 4. Star Wars Wampa Rug Due to over-hunting, Star Wars Wampa pelts are pretty hard to come by these days, but that’s okay because now you can buy your very own synthetic version! This rug not only looks like the real thing, it also feels and smells like the real thing too (okay, just kidding – it smells good). This décor piece will certainly start some conversations and would be a welcome addition to any Star Wars fan’s office or theme room. $129.99 3. Star Wars Inspired Hoodies I have seen these around for a while now, and still think they are pretty cool. A warm wookie coat, complete with hood and face mask that not only keeps head warm, but actually transforms you into your favourite “walking carpet”. … [Read more...]
TOP 10 MARVEL UNIVERSE VILLAINS
TOP 10 MARVEL UNIVERSE VILLAINS (According to me) There wouldn't be a real need for superheroes if there weren't any super villains to thwart. In this post I am going to outline my personal favourite Marvel villains, provide a pic, a quick blurb and explain why I like. These are my favourite Top Ten Marvel Universe Villains, what are yours? # 10 - Taskmaster First Appearance Avengers #195 (1980) Real Name: Unknown Interesting Fact: was born a prodigious savant of mnemonic talents (boy that's a mouthful) - which basically means he has photographic reflexes. Played with the idea of becoming a crime fighter, but decided that a life of crime would pay more. Why I Like: This dude can learn the skills and moves of any adversary plus he has a skull faced mask which is really cool. He has given Captain America, Spider-Man and many other heroes a real run for their money. # 9 - Juggernaut First Appearance X-Men #12 (1965) Real Name: Cain Marko Interesting Fact: His powers come from the gem of the mystical entity Cyttorak. The helmet worn by the Juggernaut keeps him safe from mental attacks - once removed, however, Marko's mind is helpless against beings with telepathic powers, like his step-brother, Professor X. Why I Like: Charles' Xavier's step-brother turned bad. The family drama coupled with a bad-ass costume is why this bruiser made my Top Ten Marvel Universe Villains. #8 - Mysterio First Appearance Amazing Spider-Man #13 (1964) Real Name: Quentin Black Interesting Fact: Former Hollywood stuntman & special effects designer turned bad guy. Original member of the Sinister Six. Why I Like: Costume. 'Nuff said. #7 - The Klaw First Appearance Fantastic Four #53 (1966) Real Name: Ulysses Klaw Interesting Fact: Using one of Klaw's weapons against him, a young T'Chala (Black Panther) fired the weapon at the villain, shattering his right hand. Klaw installed a "sonic gun" where his … [Read more...]
Buying Comic Books for Investment FAQs
Buying Comic Books for Investment - What to Look For When I started collecting comic books back in 1984, I wasn't interested in what the comics I purchased would one day be worth. The stories and the art work is what drew me into that world. Now don't get me wrong, there were comic books, even back in 1984, that were worth far more than the $ .75 cover price. In fact, I remember scrounging all of my pennies together to purchase Amazing Spider-Man 129 for $60. Nowadays, Comic Books for Investment really is part hobby and part investment and many enthusiasts are often shocked to find out how much some of their comic books are worth. In the following segment I am going to focus on the investment side of comic book collecting and answer some frequently asked questions pertaining to purchasing comic books for this reason. Which comic books are best to buy for investment? Newly published comic books will likely never garner the sort of return that golden age and silver age comics are now seeing. When looking for comics to buy, it is a safe bet that issues featuring the first appearances of key characters from the golden and silver age is the way to go. Comic books like Detective Comics 27 (1939, first Batman) and Amazing Fantasy 15 (1962, first Spider-Man) are two hot books that have consistently climbed in value over the years - so much so that even low grade copies are out of reach to the average collector. Bronze age key books in especially high grade have also now begun to climb significantly in value. No doubt, Hollywood's involvement in the industry has helped bring these third tier characters to the forefront. And, since their golden and silver age counterparts are unattainable to most, many have set their sights on these. 9.8 copies of such comic books as Ms. Marvel 1 (1977) and Nova 1 (1976) have started to sell for thousands of dollars online. Some modern books do increase in value, but will likely never be as valuable as their … [Read more...]
Batman Versus Darth Vader?!?
Holy Dark Side Batman!!! Recently on You Tube a fan made film popped up which saw Batman take on Darth Vader. It was epic to say the least. There, on the screen in front of me was Batman, flying towards the Death Star in a space modified Batwing, on his way to save Superman from the Empire. It was everything I had dreamed of as a kid. The detail was awesome in this video. The costumes and sets were solid, the actors were top notch and the whole thing was held together with solid sound effects and soundtrack. If you haven’t seen it yet go watch it now: The premise of this short was really cool. Superman is being held in the Death Star! Instantly my first thought was in what world could Superman be caught by the Empire? What kind of battle occurred between Superman and Vader? How did he take him down? I want to see that movie! If Vader took down Superman how is Batman going to stop him? All of this in the first minute. Batman gets aboard the Death Star pretty easily, but then again A New Hope taught us that security aboard this massive war machine is pretty sad. Han, Chewie, Ben and Luke didn’t get caught after they are brought into the hanger, Batman is going to have no problem here. Batman gets in and hacks the computer and is on his way to get to Superman. It’s here where he is discovered by Vader and the fun begins. Now, hopefully, you have just watched the battle and I don’t need to go into to much detail, but it is epic. When Batman pulls out the lightsaber and starts to battle Vader you can‘t help by but get excited. I had staged battles like this as a kid with my toys and now I was watching it. Batman is able to outsmart Vader almost ever step of the way. This back and forth battle is one you could watch this go on for hours! It just had these characters bring it all to the table and they stay true to what we have seen in the movies and comics. Then it ended (huge spoiler) and Batman was defeated. The geek in me was outraged. How could Batman have … [Read more...]