While we were at the Heroes World that evening after I'd spent the day doing menial tasks in my father's office, I didn't just pick up back issues but also a few new books that had arrived. Because Heroes World was being supplied by the then-nascent Direct Sales distribution network, they got their new books … Continue reading BHOC: AVENGERS #175
This issue of MARVEL COLLECTORS' ITEM CLASSICS was another book that I bought on that night after I'd worked all day at my father's office. It was an issue that I picked up for the most important reason possible: it was priced more cheaply than other issues that were there, thus allowing my money to … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL COLLECTORS’ ITEM CLASSICS #17
This issue of FANTASTIC FOUR was the last one among the box of 150 Silver Age books that I bought in my Windfall Comics purchase for $50.00 in 1988. It was a story that had already read years before in its MARVEL'S GREATEST COMICS reprinting, which was one of the back issues I bought on … Continue reading WC: FANTASTIC FOUR #32
MARVEL COLLECTORS' ITEM CLASSICS was an Annual sized regular title that reprinted earlier stories in the Marvel canon for the benefit of readers who came to the line later. Like me. It eventually changed its name to MARVEL'S GREATEST COMICS and ran for a good long time. And for somebody like me, who was interested … Continue reading BHOC: MARVEL COLLECTORS’ ITEM CLASICS #13
The PUSSYCAT one-shot is something of an oddity in the Marvel back catalog. As it doesn't carry any Marvel markings, it can easily be overlooked as even coming from the House of Ideas, though the indicia makes things clear. And in truth, while it originated in the same place, it got there the long way … Continue reading PUSSYCAT #1
When we talk about the forces that came into play in the creation of the original Marvel super heroes, in particular the Fantastic Four and attempt to apportion credit (or blame) between the two men who worked on those early strips, one earlier feature that is inevitably invoked is Jack Kirby's series for DC, CHALLENGERS … Continue reading Lee & Kirby: When Challengers of the Unknown Presaged Fantastic Four
Now this was a good issue all around, one that catapulted the new X-MEN into the upper tiers of my favorite comics of the era. I'd been growing more enchanted by this strange new team for a couple of issues now, having had to work out who everybody was on the fly a little bit … Continue reading BHOC: UNCANNY X-MEN #113
This week brought out another issue of THOR, a title that I had only recently begun to get into and enjoy. New writer Roy Thomas had decided to lean into the genuine Norse legends for his first big epic, which saw the Gods of Ragnarok once again facing the approaching threat of Ragnarok, the end-of-the-world … Continue reading BHOC: THOR #275
It was on a shopping trip to the Smith Haven Mall that I came across this Pocket Books paperback reprint of early Spider-Man stories in one of the three bookstores that were located within that mall. Despite the fact that it was the second volume in the series and I didn't know whether I would … Continue reading BHOC: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN POCKET BOOKS Volume 2
Another week back at the 7-11 brought another issue of NOVA, a title that I'd only just begun to follow, having enjoyed the pair of coverless issues I'd gotten sometime previously. NOVA was an attempt on the part of writer Marv Wolfman to create a new young Spider-Man-like super hero for the Marvel Universe. And … Continue reading BHOC: NOVA #21
