Our Fighting Forces #158. A week after ordering on GoAntiques, I have my comic and am quite happy. I have my comic in hand and, to my delight, it is in the described condition. I am now going into a collector's fit, wherein I need to own all the DC Kirby war comics.

About a month ago, I wrote about browsing through GoAntiques, looking at some Bronze-age Jack Kirby war comic (read Testing the GoAntiques Waters – Buying a Comic Book Part I). I had not, at the time, purchased anything from a GoAntiques vendor, but I found several Our Fighting Forces comics and was smitten. I was even more so when I discovered an issue of Our Fighting Forces #158. At the time, I wrote that I was going to knuckle under and order it, and I promised I’d let you know how the whole process with GoAntiques went. Well, I’m here to report.

A week after ordering, I have my comic and am quite happy. Payment was easy and ran a little differently than other auction/shopping sites I have experienced. I agreed to purchase the comic, at which point an e-mail is sent to the seller to make sure the item is in stock. It’s not until the seller responds saying the comic is available that the buyer is asked to pay for the item, which I did using PayPal. There were credit card options offered as well. Shipping is decided by the seller, and most shipping rates can be found in the descriptions of the items. Six days later I had my comic and, to my delight, it was in the described condition, which has now sent me into a collector’s fit, wherein I need to own all the DC Kirby war comics. It’s a condition I’ll have to live with for the time being but one I’ll be satiating with the new hardcover collection of Kirby’s The Losers.

All-in-all, I found my GoAntiques experience to be a good one, with good communication from seller and a product that was represented very well. My criticisms come not with the site, but that some of the sellers are listing items for ridiculous prices. Now, of course, their will always be the school of thought amongst retailers and collectors both that the Overstreet Guide should be used as the bible of comic pricing, not just a “guide” to pricing comics. A theory that, in my opinion, only makes sense for the seller. It would be nice if we could all get top-dollar for our comics, but the truth of the matter is there is a real-world market out there that doesn’t pay much attention to the price guides. It seems that sites like eBay have become the ultimate nullifier to the comic price guide by showing what actual people are paying for comics new and old. Just because your price guide says a comic is worth $200 doesn’t mean you will be able to find a buyer willing to pay that price.

I would argue that GoAntiques could do a better job suggesting prices for sellers, or perhaps allow sellers to list similar books along side each other to allow buyers to pick their price along with their condition. Also, a feedback or reputation score for each seller would help with buyer’s confidence. In recent months, sites like eBay have tightened restrictions on their feedback policies watering down their meaning even more and perhaps GoAntiques would run into similar problems in the future. However, I did find it a little nerve-racking clicking the buy button not knowing how the seller I was buying from grades their comics. As I said earlier, I was happy, but the experience could’ve been even scarier had I been purchasing a $100 comic with no real knowledge of the seller.

Matt Baum is a Worthologist who specializes in comic books.

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

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Captain Britain and MI: 13

Still overwhelmed by my Watchmen experience yesterday—a series of unfortunate events prevented me from going this weekend—I found myself squinting at my computer screen last night trying to figure out how I was only expecting to buy ten comics this Wednesday and the alphabetical list I made ends with the letter “i.” Weird right? I suppose it just gives me some more time to catch up on Jason Aaron’s Scalped from DC/Vertigo. My friend Ryan loaned me the first three collections recently and I fell in love, with the book not him. Nicely done, Ryan. Also this week, the first in the Jack Kirby war comic collections hits the stands. The Losers by Jack Kirby collects issues #151-#162 of Our Fighting Forces and features a forward by Neil Gaiman. The other DC Kirby reprints have been a great way for collectors on budget to read some of the most influential comic work in comic history in excellent hardcover reprints.

With that said, let’s take a look at the new comics coming out this Wednesday, March 11. Below you’ll find the list of new comics I’ll be purchasing. For a complete list of this week’s comics click here. To find a comic shop near you click here.

Action Comics #875
Batman: Battle For The Cowl #1 of 3
B.P.R.D.: The Black Goddess #3 of 5
Captain Britain and MI: 13 #11
DMZ #40
Green Lantern Corps #34
Guardians Of The Galaxy #11
Immortal Iron Fist #23
The Invincible Iron Man #11

Like I said earlier, a weird list, right? Not much in the way of new series this week other than the Bat-event “Battle for the Cowl” (see my picks below for more on that). Although it’s a light week, there’s some real quality on the shelves. The best comic you’re not reading is Captain Britain and MI: 13, written by Paul Cornell (writer on the Doctor Who TV series). Cap and MI:13 has brought Count Dracula back to the fore-front of villains in the Marvel U and fans love it. In all seriousness, you need to give this series a chance. Lately, its sales have dipped to dangerous levels and rumors of its cancellation are beginning to circulate. It would really be a shame to lose a comic this good just as the series is finding it’s legs.

And now, on to the Speculator Picks of the Week. These are books that, for one reason or another, may sell out quickly and become instant collectibles. If you don’t pay attention and get to your local comic shop in a timely fashion, you could be paying way too much for these comics very soon. The codes you see listed below the solicitations are for use when ordering through your local comic shop.

Batman: Battle for the Cowl #1 of 3: DC

Batman: Battle for the Cowl #1 of 3

Solicitation: “Batman: R.I.P.” and FINAL CRISIS saw the end of Batman. Now, months following the disappearance of her protector, Gotham City sits at a precipice and it may be too far gone for Nightwing, Robin, Commissioner Gordon and the rest of the city’s heroes to save the day. Amid the fires, rioting, looting and gang warfare, one question rings out from the souls of Gotham’s desperate citizens: Where is Batman?
With guest-stars galore, the destruction of a sacred Gotham City institution and an ending that will have everyone talking, this three-issue miniseries event written and drawn by Tony Daniel (The Tenth) features the battle to take on the Mantle of the Bat. Who has earned the right? Who thinks they deserve it? Robin? Nightwing? Jason Todd? Two-Face? Catwoman? Batgirl? Who will ultimately win the BATTLE FOR THE COWL?
• 40 PGS
• $3.99 US
• JAN090180
Written by: Tony Daniel. Pencils by: Tony Daniel. Inks by: Sandu Florea. Cover by: Tony Daniel.

Why it’ll go fast: Regardless of whether or not you liked RIP and Final Crisis, chances are you want to know what happens next. Once again DC is going way out on a limb and giving the job of telling this story to an unlikely candidate, an artist. Tony Daniel, who, while being an accomplished comic artist, has had very little writing experience. Who knows, maybe Daniel’s fresh perspective will make “Battle for the Cowl” a triumph. However, maybe this is where the retailers draw a line in the sand. Since RIP, numbers on both Bat-books have dropped and the announcement that the second part of the Neil Gaiman Bat-story, in the pages of Detective Comics, isn’t coming out until April certainly isn’t going to excite anyone. The chatter on the fan sites isn’t what I’d call optimistic at this point but I still think this one is going to sell. It has all the hallmarks of the 1990′s “Reign of the Supermen” storyline that followed the “death” of Superman. None of us honestly believed that Supes was dead forever but we still all went along for the ride.

Resident Evil #1: DC/Wildstorm

Resident Evil #1

Solicitation: Capcom’s international video game sensation returns in March with Resident Evil 5 and WildStorm debuts the new prequel miniseries tying into the highly anticipated release! Find out what led Chris Redfield to Africa and learn the dark burden that haunts him! An absolute must-read for fans of the franchise and a starting point for new readers!

• 32 PGS
• $3.99 US
• JAN090264
Written by: Rick Sanchez. Pencils by: Kevin Sharpe. Inks by: Jim Clark. Cover by: Brandon Badeaux .

Why it’ll go fast: Say what you will about video-game-comic-adaptations, I personally don’t read them, but they sell. Wildstorm’s Gears of War adaptation sold only about 20,000 copies in the direct market (comic shops and book stores) and about 380,000 copies elsewhere (probably video game stores?). With the hype behind it’s video game release, this Friday, the Resident Evil 5 comic could easily out sell GOW based solely on franchise history. Gears of War: 2 games. Resident Evil: 5 games and three movies. Resident Evil wins even though the movies were terrible and I’m not excited about still having to stop and shoot zombies in the new game. Advantage Gears of War, purely on gameplay.

Rorschach 1:6 scale deluxe collector figure: DC Direct

Rorschach 1:6 scale deluxe collector figure

Solicitation: This 1:6 scale deluxe collector figure of the movie’s masked vigilante features an intricate and authentically detailed fabric costume with multiple layers, including a suit, boots, a Rorschach mask and accessories. Packaged in a deluxe 4-color window box with a fifth panel, the figure also comes with a display base.
• $99

Why it’ll go fast: Again, I apologize for bringing toys into our weekly comic blog but this one is amazing. If you have read Watchmen or recently seen the movie, which you should, you undoubtedly fell in love with the character of Rorschach and thought to yourself, “man, I need to drop a hundred bucks on a figure of that guy.” Well now is your chance. At $99 each, rest assured there aren’t going to be piles of these laying around, and those of us who want them are going to buy them quickly.

The Indy Comic of the Week will return next week.

Nerdy Question of the Week:

Several fanboys and comic creators have complained about the end of the Watchmen movie being different from the original comic, while the rest of the film was a virtual word for word adaptation. With out ruining it for those who haven’t seen the film yet, did you like or dislike the changes made to the end of the Watchmen movie?

Thanks again for your continued input and keep the answers to the nerdy questions coming. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join WorthPoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask a Question” section. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price.

Matt Baum is a Worthologist who specializes in comic books.

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

I’ve spent hours cycling through countless eBay auctions looking at comics that the seller swears are in mint condition only to receive a comic in Very Good condition at best. If you know what I’m talking about in that last sentence, then you know the difference between Very Good and Near Mint is huge. In fact, I’ve often argued that mint-condition comics do not exist, and even near-mint copies are hard to come by.

Yet, if you search “Mint Comics” on eBay, you’ll currently find more than nine pages of results. Near mint, maybe, but 10.0 mint condition, no way. I’m not saying all these sellers are frauds, but rather they don’t seem to have the knowledge that longtime collectors or even retailers have of their own comics.

This is where GoAntiques seems to have an advantage. Are there some sellers there are asking ridiculous prices for garbage comics? Yes. However, there seems to be a large group of sellers who have professionally graded their comics and actually know what they are talking about.

Our Fighting Forces #158. After browsing like a nerdy shark looking for a back-issue to sink my teeth into, I found this one on GoAntiques. I made the purchase, and will report on what I actually bought when it shows up.

This afternoon, I spent an hour looking at some Bronze-age Jack Kirby war comics on GoAntiques that I would love to own. As of yet, I haven’t made any purchases but will let you know about my experience when I do. I don’t think I can resist these Our Fighting Forces comics much longer. When clicking on the page, I found the layout easy to read and simple enough not to get lost in the details. Most of the sellers I clicked on stated the grade/condition of the comics and that the dealer was using the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide for their pricing.

I’m not saying that Overstreet is the end-all, be-all of comic-book pricing. Remember, just because a comic-book guide says something should sell for hundreds of dollars does not mean you’ll be able to find someone to buy it for that price. I do like sellers who state they are using Overstreet as their guide because it is well accepted and used by most professionals and collectors alike as a way to establish a condition grade and a fair price.

So I’m browsing like a nerdy shark looking for a back issue to sink my teeth into. One thing that could be improved upon is the taxonomy. Rather than just lumping everything into comics, it would be nice to see Golden, Silver, Bronze and Modern-age sections (by the way, if anyone from GoAntiques is looking for a nerd to help with comic-book taxonomy, I’m your guy). Not all of us can afford Golden-age comics or are even looking for them in some instances. Some of the sellers have included ages in their descriptions, and when I searched “Bronze-age” comics, I did find quite a few issues including the Our Fighting Forces #158 I keep coming back to. So maybe my taxonomy gripe isn’t warranted, or at least it wouldn’t be if more sellers would include the ages in their descriptions.

The next step is to buy, I guess. One thing that leaves me a little uneasy is the lack of feedback on the dealers. Maybe I’m missing something, but there doesn’t appear to be any. I’m sure this dealer is a fair-enough guy but reading someone else’s message to confirm this would put my mind at ease. Oh well, this is a learning experience, and I’m getting paid $10 dollars a word (chuckle), so here goes.

Checkout is pretty self-explanatory, paid with PayPal, but had the option of using my credit card, and now I wait. In Part Two of this story, I’ll talk about what happens next (how long the comic took to arrive, the condition, etc.). For now, I wait to hear from the seller to make sure they still have the comic in stock, which is a pretty handy function for store owners who want to have their inventory for sale in their brick-and-mortar store and on the Web. I’ll report back with my findings soon.

Matt Baum is a Worthologist who specializes in comic books.

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

When I began reading comics as a child it was the heroes and villains that drew me to the monthly books. I lost myself in Spider-man’s high-flying battle scenes with the Vulture and Wolverine slashing his way through Sentinels. It wasn’t until I was about 11-years-old that I began to notice not only the pictures of my favorite characters but the style and perspective of the artists that were drawing the comics. The first artist that I remember making an impression on me was Mike Mignola. I was a young Alpha Flight fan when issue #29 hit the stands and I first fell in love with Mignola’s work.

Mignola is the creative force behind Hellboy which sees it’s second big-screen premiere this weekend in theaters with Hellboy 2: The Golden Army. Long before Hellboy made his comic debut Mike Mignola had been toiling away as a comic artist assembling one of the most creative and stylized bodies of work the comics business has seen to date. He began his career at Marvel comics in the early 80’s inking issues of Daredevil and Power Man and Iron Fist.

From his first penciling jobs Mignola was instantly branded an outsider due to his odd penciling style. Fans either loved him or hated him. Unlike other artists of the late 80’s Mignola shied away from the silver-age-style of the late 70’s made popular by artists like Steve Ditko and Neil Adams favoring heavy line work and pitch-black shadows that gave his style a bulky and foreboding feel. Writer Alan Moore once called Mignola’s art style as “German Expressionism meets Jack Kirby”. Mignola’s bulky characters and stark angular backgrounds brought a sinister feel to his art and would give his first creator owned character, Hellboy, a style that would change horror comics forever.

In 1994 Hellboy: Seed of Distruction hit the stands and instantly stood out amongst the glut of stereotypical-gritty-superhero books that litter quarter boxes today. Mignola’s Hellboy comics applied a pulp-sense and his love of classic horror to the super hero-genre that had not been seen before. Fans instantly fell in love with the character’s large stone hand, tail, and sarcasm in the face of unholy terror. Hellboy is a demon that fights on the side of humanity while working for Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense. In his Hellboy adventures Mignola, who both wrote and drew the early Hellboy stories, melds folklore with classic horror fiction seamlessly to supply Hellboy and his supporting cast a legion of demons, werewolves, ghosts and vampires to protect humanity from. Though his encyclopedic knowledge of folklore and pulp horror make his Hellboy stories intelligent reads it’s Mignola’s art that supplies the truly creepy and original feel to Hellboy’s adventures.

Hellboy’s instant popularity with fans paired with the relatively low print runs make the first two Hellboy miniseries next to impossible to find. However Dark Horse comics in now reprinting the complete adventures of Hellboy in a over-sized hardcover format available at comic shops everywhere.
Collector’s are paying premium prices for Mignola Hellboy back issues and the prices on the books continue to rise with anticipation of the latest Hellboy film Hellboy: The Golden Army directed by the Oscar nominated director Guillermo Del Toro.

Here is a list of Hellboy’s most collectible comics(all prices listed for comics in Near Mint condition):

San Diego Comic Con Comics #2, Dark Horse, 1992, 1st appearance of Hellboy. $10.00 in Overstreet (currently selling for $50.00+ online)

John Byrne’s Next Men #21, Dark Horse, 1992, 1st regular comic app of Hellboy, $35.00 in Overstreet (currently selling for $60.00+ online)

Hellboy: Seed of Destruction #1-#4, Dark Horse, 1994, 1st Hellboy miniseries, $5.00 each in Overstreet (currently selling for $10.00 each online)

Dark Horse Presents #88-91, Dark Horse, 1994, Wolves of St August storyline. $6.00 in Overstreet (currently selling for $8-$10 each online)

After 14 years, one movie and two animated features Hellboy continues to thrill horror fans. His latest miniseries, Hellboy: The Crooked Man, written by Mignola and drawn by horror-comics-legend Richard Corben hit comic stands last week and should be available in most comic shops. For more on Mignola’s Hellboy and other new comics check out my other blog, ”This Week in Geek” where I discuss the new comics of the week that could be tomorrow’s hot collectibles. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section.

Wednesday is here again but unfortunately it’s not new comic day for everyone. The flooding in the midwest has screwed up shipping schedules, pushed books back, and in some extreme cases has wiped out whole comic shops altogether. If your head is above water then count yourself lucky. I’ll be keeping tabs on the flooding and relief efforts for comic shop owners that have suffered from the rising waters. Keep your eyes on this space for info on how you can help. In other news, the DC editorial offices have taken a beating this past week from some of their top writers and, according to Diamond comics estimated sales for May, have lost even more of the comic market share to Marvel. If heads aren’t rolling out of that office soon we’re going to have to form a mob and do this ourselves. Good old fashioned vigilante justice folks, that’s what we need. We’ll get us a riled-up group of surly nerds with pitch forks and torches and march on the DC offices. Who’s with me…

OK, we’ll try this again next week.

Lets look at some new comics you’ve gotta pick up before they disappear and remember you can click on the links for previews and other information.

”Charlatan Ball”, Image Comics, Written by Joe Casey with art by Andy Suriano
If you haven’t been reading Joe Casey’s other Image book,Godland, you should be. It’s excellent and all the other kids are making fun of you behind your back. With Godland and his latest offering Charlatan Ball Casey has established himself as the “wildman” of modern comics. These are stories that couldn’t be told at Marvel or DC. Casey’s psychedelic science fiction hearkens back to the genius of creators like Jack Kirby while keeping a decided modern and twisted sense of humor. I can’t recommend his Image books enough. Charlatan Ball has been referred to as graphic fiction on shrooms and nothing could be closer to the truth. Paired with the amazingly original art of Andy Suriano, who has worked on The Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack, and the animated Star Wars Clone Wars, Casey weaves a magically weird tale that you don’t want to miss. However, don’t be surprised to see retailers turn up their nose and order this one at lower numbers than Casey’s Godland which checked in at #295 on the 300 most ordered comics list for April shipping a whopping 3072 copies nationwide.

”The Incredible Hercules”Written by Fred Van Lente and Greg Pak with art by Rafa Sandoval
Again I find myself screaming. WHY AREN’T YOU READING THIS BOOK? Last Thursday I threatened to beat a guy over the head with an Issue of The Incredible Hercules, thereby destroying it’s condition, unless he read it. Sure enough the guy loved it and bought the entire run. This is just an example of one of the lives that I have touched with my geek knowledge but that’s not the point. The point is Herc continues to sell out every month and is not going to reprints. These issues are going to be hot and I don’t mean until the Secret Invasion storyline ends. I’m talking about hot for the foreseeable future. It certainly doesn’t hurt that this issue is a Secret Invasion tie-in, a fact that will make this issue sell out even quicker. If you haven’t been reading the Incredible Herc and can’t find the issues you’re in luck. This week Marvel Comics released a Hardcover edition titled ”The Incredible Hercules: Against the World” that collects Herc’s saga so far. Issue #118 pits Herc and a rag tag group of earthly gods against the Skrull’s pantheon of gods. If there’s a better superhero comic on the new self this week I’ll eat it.

”Willaim Katt’s Sparks #1”, Catastrophic Comics, Written by Christopher Folino with art by J.M. Ringuet
Now if you are like me then right now your saying “who is William Katt”. I’m ashamed to admit I forgot him but William Katt was the guy with the curly-blond-afro that starred in The Greatest American Hero. A show that I more than loved as a child in 1981… I just dated the heck outta myself didn’t I. Anyway, William can sleep well tonight knowing that putting his name on a comic book (not writing mind you, Will just came up with the idea) is enough to make Matt Baum subjugate his own morals and pick said comic to be hot that week. That and the fact that I’m betting 90% of the comic retailers out there either had no idea who William Katt was or didn’t take the time to dig through the independent section of their Diamond Comics catalog long enough to even look at the modest Catastrophic Comics section. I’m not saying this one is going to be worth millions someday, just that it’ll be hard to find this week. By the way, my retailer not only knew who Katt was but also ordered his book. Nice job Jase.

So that’s it for now kiddies. Get out there and get your funny books. I’m sending good vibes to all you nerds underwater at the moment. Like I said as soon as I hear of a relief effort for flooded comic shops you can count me in. If any of you guys are above water but cut off from your local comic shop drop me a line and I’ll hook you up with some quality retailers that will get you your issues by mail. Until next week feel free to post to the forum topics in the comic books community and tell me what you’re reading/collecting. Also check out my other blog, The Comic Speculator, where I discuss classic yet still affordable back-issue comics. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section.

This week new comics day comes on the eve of the premiere of the new Hulk movie and the and man-oh-man the fanboys are rumbling. There seems to be two schools of thought on Hulk; “I’m excited” or “I’m scarred”. Count me in the second school. What worries me is that Marvel has already leaked every cool moment of the film in the multiple trailers. They went as far as to leak the footage of Tony Stark’s appearance in the latest trailer which seems like a desperate bid to attract moviegoers at best. Although I thought we had seen everything that Iron Man had to offer in the multiple trailers. Obviously I was wrong and Iron Man turned out to be arguably the best superhero film to date. So I guess I’ll go into the Hulk cautiously excited. After all, it can’t be any worse than the first Hulk movie.

I see we have a few new subscribers. Welcome aboard y’all. Make sure to introduce yourselves in the comic books forums so’s I can get to know you’s. If you’re a seasoned loyal reader feel free to skip to the next section…
OK, I think they’re gone. So here’s the poop on this blog for all you newbs. Each week I pick a few books from that week’s new comics that are going to sell like hot cakes. This does not necessarily mean that these comics will be worth millions some day but in the near future they could be hard to find and see some ridiculous price tags before the smoke clears. You can click on any of the Hyperlinks for more info on any of comics I discuss. My info is gathered using Diamond comics shipping numbers, Comic Book Resources sales ranks, historical price guide data and good old fashioned magcik. I toss some chicken bones into a mystical circle in my back yard and then, provided my pugs don’t get them before I do, I can divine the future of said weeks comics. Pretty cool right? So that’s what happens here. Now buckle up bonehead cause were going for a ride.
This weeks hot seller picks are GO!

Eternals #1, Marvel Comics, Written by Charles and Daniel Knauf with art by Daniel Acuna and 50/50 variant cover by Oliver Copiel. 1/25 White Acuna variant cover
Long story short. After seeing his ”Fourth World” idea canceled at DC comics, Jack Kirby took his cosmic ideas to Marvel and gave readers the ”Eternals. The Eternals made their debut in 1976 and would be canceled 19 issues later. For more on Kirby’s Eternals check out this weeks Comic Speculator. Flash forward past several mini-series and guest appearances and now the Eternals are back in what promises to be psychedelic-cosmos-spanning tale in true Kriby fashion. Daniel Acuna’s art is gorgeous and I expect it to compliment the Knauf’s intelligent writing style perfectly. The Knaufs are fresh off their run on Iron Man: Director of Shield and I’m excited to read more of their work. After the sky high orders and less than stellar sales of the last Eternals series by ” Gaiman” and ”Romita Jr” it wouldn’t surprise me to see this latest series sell out from stores quickly due to lighter orders. The previous Eternals series is only currently booking at slightly above cover price mainly due to the fact that retailers still have piles of the issues. Without big names like Gaiman and Romita Jr on the book I’d expect initial orders on issue #1 of Eternals to be pretty conservative.

Skaar: Son of Hulk, Marvel Comics, Written by Greg Pak with art by Ron Garney. 50/50 Variant Cover by Carlo Pagulayan. 1/25 Variant Cover by Julie Bell
Skaar picks up where last year’s ”Planet Hulk” storyline left off, sort of… As fate would have it, or perhaps the promise of cashing in on Planet Hulk one more time, Hulk Jr survived the nuclear blast that leveled Planet Hulk, even though he wasn’t born yet… Only in comic books folks. Any way, Skaar looks like good Conan-in-space fun and if it’s more quality writing from Greg Pak then count me in. Skaar has one major strike against it. There’s no big name characters in the book. No Hulk, no Thor, no Wolvie, just Skaar and a bunch of aliens, for now. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited for Skaar and planning on picking it up but retailers may be skiddish when ordering a comic that only has Hulk in the title especially after disappointing sales on Hulk: Warbound (the tale of Hulk’s alien buddies that came back to Earth with him). Warbound #5 checked in at #91 on CBR’s estimated sales figures for April selling a paltry 24,529 copies nationwide. Mark my words, Skaar is going to be hot and by the time issue #3 hits #1 will be long gone. Watch for the Julie Bell Variant cover of issue #1 to heat up as well.

Red Mass for Mars #1, Image Comics, Written by Johnathan Hickman with art by Ryan Bodenheim
Here’s a challenge for you. Go out and try and find a number #1 issue of any of Hickman’s other comic series. Nightly News, Pax Romana, Transhuman, any of them. You can’t. Why you ask? The answer is two-fold. One, Hickman is an underground phenom that writes great comics and two, retailers don’t know he’s hot yet because they are content to order five issues and let his books sell out. Close minded “good riddance” ordering is exactly what is going to make this comic, like his other number ones, impossible to find in the near future. Do yourself a favor and check out Red Mass for Mars while you can still find it. Hickman very much reminds me of a young Bendis, not in writing style but in the sense that he has been putting out high quality books under the radar for a couple of years now and when he does break into the mainstream, much like Bendis’ Jinx and Torso series, Hickman’s early works will be impossible to find.

That’s all for now kids. I’m sure I’ll see you all at the theater this wearing your official Hulk hands. I’ve been wearing mine all week to prepare which can be hard to explain to my girlfriend at bed time. She’s been very understanding so far. Until next week feel free to post to the forum topics in the comic books community and tell me what you’re reading/collecting. Also check out my other blog, The Comic Speculator, where I discuss classic yet still affordable back-issue comics. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section.

Now that Pennsylvania has muddied the waters of the race for the Democratic Presidential Candidate even more it’s time we as Americans focus on something that matters. Batman is going to die! Or maybe that sentence would read better as “Batman is going to die?”. The issue before Batman RIP, which starts next month, hit the stands today and nerds everywhere fell for the same trick we always do when a comic company says they’re going to kill a major character. We all rushed to the comic shop and bought our Batman like good little nerds and then immediately went to the Internet to started screaming. Some of us are praising Batman series writer Grant Morrison, others want him strung up and beaten with socks full of nickels. Regardless of which side you’re on chances are you bought the prequel to Batman RIP. Which brings me to the first pick of the week. But first, an open letter to Wildstorm Comics fans: If there is anyone out there that cares at all about the “Number of the Beast” event that came out today I ask that you email me. The reason being is that I’m relatively convinced that no one cares about Wildstorm Universe anymore and who ever let it sink to this point, and I’m talking to you Dan DiDio, needs to be held responsible. Any Wildstorm fans out there? Cricket cricket… If I’m wrong then post in the Comic Book Community forums at Worthpoint.com and convince me. Anyway, where were we:

Batman #675, DC, Written by Grant Morrison with art by Ryan Benjamin
I am decidedly in the Pro-Grant Morrison camp and thusly very excited for the upcoming RIP storyline. I trust Morrison, yes he’s taken us on some roller coaster rides to nowhere in the past, (“Seven Soilders” being the most recent) but he has more wins than losses. Morrison is to Batman what Manny Ramirez is to the Red Sox; a mouthy self satisfied jerk that may not knock the ball out of the park consistently but he’s always good for double. I’m waiting on third Grant, now bring me home.

Hulk VS Hercules One-Shot, Marvel, Written by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente with art by various artists
Now if you are like me then you love “The Incredible Hercules” and can’t get enough of the herky stuff. However, I am aware a small but vocal group of nay-sayers who cried foul, don’t worry I’m not launching into another baseball analogy) when the Hulk left his book to be replaced by the Son of Zeus. First of all you people are idiots who obviously don’t like to read great comics. OK, maybe that came off as harsh but seriously, if you don’t love “The Incredible Hercules” then don’t pick up the “Hulk VS Hercules” because it’s written by the same great writing team, it’s excellent and you obviously don’t like excellence in your comics. I would recommend picking up the Wildstorm “Number of the Beast” crossover that came out today which should cater perfectly to your crappy comic tastes.

Godland #22, Image Comics, Written by Joe Casey with art by Tom Scioli
If you loved anything that Jack Kirby did at either Marvel or DC then you already love Godland. This is seriously the best comic on the stands that nobody is reading. If you’re a fan of Casey’s work then you know of his witty dialog and visual storytelling style. Paired with art of Tom Scioli, albeit his aping of Kirby, makes “Godland” a wacky-psychedelic-sci-fi masterpiece that makes me smile every month.

So I’m serious about the Wildstorm fans. I want to hear form you guys. Get on Worthpoint.com and post! Personally I used to love Wildstorm and I still, to this day, get made fun of for the letter I wrote to WildCATS when I was sixteen. Now the DC-owned imprint just seems like an experiment gone wrong trying to cash in on characters I used to love. I feel like it’s over for Wildstorm and the only thing left to do is look the company in the eyes, admit that you used to love it but it’ll never be the same again and shoot it in the head Old Yeller style. “It’s my dog Ma, I’ll do it”. BLAM!

Feel free to post to the forum topics in the comic books community and tell me what you’re reading/collecting. Also check out my other blog, The Comic Speculator, where I discuss classic yet still affordable back-issue comics. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section.

Last Sunday was perfect. The weather was beautiful and so my niece, my two dogs and myself were on our way to the dog park when I received a phone call. It was my friend Mike and he sounded desperate; “What are you doing?” he asked, “I’m on my to the dog-” “Never mind,” he interrupted me,”there’s a guy on north 93rd st having a huge comic sale” My eyes widened as he continued, “he’s got a some old stuff some new stuff and almost all of it is .25 cents.” I was skeptical. “Is it garbage?” I asked. “Would I be calling you if it was garbage?” Mike shot back. I looked at my niece and then at the two whimpering Pugs in the backseat and made a decision. “I’ll be there in five minutes.” It didn’t take much to convince my niece, who at 6-years-old is already a voracious reader, that digging for comics in a strange house would be a good time. I told her she could have as many as she wanted and the deal was sealed.

Upon arriving it was exactly as Mike had reported, approximately 20,000 comics, some new, some old and all in very decent condition. The best part was they were for the most part, alphabetical and sorted by company. So I began digging as fast as possible knowing that I had about a 15 minute window before I became a bad uncle and pet owner. Without my want list I was firing blind, grabbing boxes and hoping something jumped out at me. And then something did. An almost complete run of Walt Simonson’s Thor in excellent condition for .25 cents a piece. Like I said, last Sunday was perfect.

Walt Simonson took over the writing and art duties on Thor in 1983 with issue #337 and remained on the book until #382. Simonson’s run is considered by many to be one of the best written and drawn story arcs on Thor since the legendary Jack Kiby’s run which ended in 1970. Simonson’s Thor stories brought the character back to his Norse mythology roots while hanging on to Kirby’s psychedelic-cosmic cosmic feel. In his first issue, Simonson introduced readers to Beta-Ray Bill, an alien that would replace Thor as the Thunder God of Asgard after besting him in combat. I still remember seeing the cover of Thor #337 as a child, which pictured a horse-headed alien holding Thor’s hammer, and thinking “I’ve gotta know what the hell this is about.”. After the first Issue I was hooked and have been a Thor fan ever since. It was Simon’s distinct, angular art style that drew me to the book and to this day I will argue that no one draws a better Thor.

Simonson’s Thor run is not yet collector’s gold but is getting harder and harder to find in great condition. Marvel Comics was printing well over 100,000 comics an issue at the time so 1980′s Thor Comics are by no means rare, but they were printed on very cheap newsprint at the time which degrades very quickly if not properly stored. Currently Simonson’s first issue, #337, guides the highest at $9.00 in Near Mint condition but watch for that price to increase as collectors begin snatching up Thor back issues with rumors of an upcoming Thor film.

Other key Simonson issues include:

Thor #374, a tie-in to the X-Men Mutant Massacre storyline guest starring
X-Factor. $4.00 Near Mint

Thor #382, Simonson’s last issue, 300th anniversary issue. $4.00 Near Mint

While Jack Kirby’s Thor-run guides for hundreds of dollars an issue Walt Simonson’s Thor run is much more accessible, equally enjoyable and affordable for collectors.

As for my niece, she was thrilled with the short run of Marvel’s Robocop and assorted issues of Casper and Spooky she found. My brother however was not and accused me of trying to indoctrinate his daughter into my cult of nerdy-ness. And the circle of comic collecting life continues. Until next time free to post to the forum topics in the comic books community and tell me what you’re reading/collecting. Also check out my other blog, This Week in Geek where I discuss the new comics of the week that could be tomorrow’s collectibles. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section.

Welcome back to the Comic Speculator, where each week I talk about affordable collector comics that may not be undervalued for long. This week, I’ll be discussing Silver Age comic legend Jack Kirby’s early works for DC comics.

Currently, Kirby’s New Gods are being killed off in the pages of DC’s “Death of the New Gods” in preparation for this summer’s crossover event, “Final Crisis.” With the death of the New Gods in full swing, now is a perfect time to take a hard look at Kirby’s DC Fourth World work while it’s still very affordable.

Shortly after his split with Marvel in the late 1960s, Kirby began writing and drawing four different series for DC that would later be known as his Fourth World concept. The three Fourth World series were Forever People, Miracle Man and The New Gods.

The Fourth World concept centered on the god-like inhabitants of two warring planets, New Genesis, home of the New Gods and Apokolips, home of Darkseid and his evil minions. Kirby’s epic storytelling, along with his famous art style and revolutionary layouts, gave these comics a psychedelic-science-fiction feel that readers had never seen before – and possibly were not ready for.

Both Forever People and the New Gods were canceled in 1973, presumably for sales reasons, thereby ending Kirby’s cosmic epic. Both Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen and Mister Miracle would continue, but issue #148 of Superman’s Pal was the last issue that dealt with the Fourth World storyline and Kirby would leave Mister Miracle with issue #18. Since then, avid Kirby fans have been slowly and quietly buying up undervalued issues of Fourth World comics for next-to- nothing while on-line bidding wars over Kirby’s 1960s Fantastic Four work for Marvel pushed prices out of the range of the average collector.

Kirby introduced his Fourth World concept in the pages of Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen when he took over the creative duties with issue #133. Kirby’s first issue of Superman’s Pal sells for $85 in near-mint condition and, when compared to the $41,000 price tag on the first issue of Fantastic Four, it’s very affordable and relatively easy to find in worse condition. Kirby’s second issue of Superman’s Pal would later turn out to be the more collectible due to the introduction of his Fourth World Villain and arguably most well-known character, Darkseid, a cosmic despot who seeks to control the universe using the anti-life equation. Darkseid’s first appearance currently sells for $100 in near mint condition but that price has been steadily climbing. All of Kirby’s Fourth World titles have recently seen huge jumps in price as his DC work is becoming more sought-after; both Forever People and Mr. Miracle #1 (1971) are selling for over $100 and New Gods #1 routinely sells for more than $120.

As Kirby’s DC work becomes sought by comic collectors, watch for the prices of the Fourth World titles to go up exponentially – especially if the New Gods are going to play a large role in this summer’s Final Crisis event. Big crossovers with top-notch talent translate into big sales, which creates more interest in the origins of the characters involved. If you are looking for Kirby’s Fourth World titles, now is a great time to pick up these back issues. Conversely, if you are looking to sell your Fourth World books, it might be worthwhile to wait a few months to see if Final Crisis spurs even more interest in these undervalued series.

Until next time, free to post to the forum topics in the comic books community and tell me what you’re reading/collecting. Also check out my other blog, This Week in Geek, where I discuss the new comics of the week that could be tomorrow’s collectibles. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world, feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum.

Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section.

This week Marvel Entertainment premiered their trailer for the new Incredible Hulk movie starring Edward Norton as the Hulk. This latest Hulk movie pits Bruce Banner, the Hulk’s alter ego, against the Abomination, another Hulk-type monster with more psychotic tendencies. Although the evil character will not be named the Abomination in the film the creature’s alter-ego is the same, Emil Blonski, but has a different back story. The original Blonski character was a KGB agent that exposed himself to gamma radiation which transformed him into reptilian monster with strength that exceeded that of the Hulk. Unlike the Hulk however the Abomination could not transform back to Emil Blonski.

In this issue of the Comic Speculator I thought this would be the perfect time to take a look at some key Abomination appearances before their value gets out of hand due to Hulk movie hype.

The Abomination’s first appearance was in the pages of Tales to Astonish starring the Hulk, which would be retitled to The Incredible Hulk with issue #102. While the early issues of TOA from the late 1950′s guide around $1500.00 to $2000.00 later issues are much more affordable. Issue #90 of TOA, the first appearance of the Abomination currently guides at $60.00 in very-good/near-mint condition but watch for that price spike as the Hulk movie premier draws closer.

The Abomination would later appear in issue #12 of the first Silver Surfer series of the late 60′s after being kidnapped by a cosmic being known as the Stranger and then summoned back to earth by a coven of witches. Silver Surfer issue #12 currently guides between $60-$70 in very-good/near-mint but could spike in value soon with the news of yet another Fantastic Four film and possibly a Silver Surfer solo film. Before the 2nd Fantastic Four film, in which the Silver Surfer made his big screen debut, issue #1 of Silver Surfer, Marvel Comics 1968, was selling for $200-$300. After last summer’s FF2 release Silver Surfer #1 is now selling for upwards of $600.00.

After his defeat by the Surfer the Abomination was recaptured by the Stranger and used as defense against Thor in Issue #178 of Thor. Thor issue #178 currently guides in the $50-70 range and was not only a key early Abomination appearance but also the penultimate issue on legendary comic artist Jack “the King” Kirby’s Thor run. Jack Kirby comics of the late 60′s and early 70′s Marvel Bronze-age continue to become more and more popular with collectors and harder to find every year.

For more on the Abomination check out :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abomination_%28comics%29

Until next time free to post to the forum topics in the comic books community and tell me what you’re reading/collecting. Also check out my other blog, This Week in Geek where I discuss the new comics of the week that could be tomorrow’s collectibles. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join Worthpoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section.