What the heck am I doing here, anyway?
So I bought the DVD's years ago - the ones that were giant collections of Marvel comics(see links below!). X-Men, Captain America, Hulk, Ghost Rider and the like. My greatest problem as a comic collector was my completion compulsion. Even today, I ask people to NOT buy me things. I don't want or need ANY other new obsession to hunt down. Because when I find SOME element, I want to collect EVERY PART of it. Good news? It was finite. After a few months of publishing, Marvel pulled the license, or someone looked at the work GIT was doing, and yanked it all. Front to back. So? I found them. A few cost a BUNCH of money, but most were around $50. And for the sheer immense VOLUME of stories - not a bad deal. The problem? How and when to read them.
So, MANY years back, I started collecting Valiant comics. What am I talking about... IN THE NINETIES. Geez. That makes it seems like twenty years ago. Which, happily or sadly, it was. Well, the bottom fell out of both MY wallet and the industry. Supplies ran lower and lower every day, and eventually the company was bought out, re-packaged, and crushed into history. Thanks, Acclaim. You morons. So now? Another finite company. THAT I can pursue! SO I collected all that I could, and read through good and dark times. I wanted to re-read, and an idea struck me. A three-year plan.
I never really read through much of the X-Men - BEFORE1975, that is. I knew the story lines, but wanted to go back and read the classic 60's stories through the silver age of comics (and Marvel's birth). My inventiveness is to read the stories - and compare the creation of each company month by month. Many months, Valiant's stories are far more prevalent. Unity, twelve titles, and the thrust into Deathmate brought a flood of comic titles and etc into the field. Some months, Marvel has many more titles. This paralleled read has an ultimate conclusion. I mean, Marvel still exists, and while its heyday has ended, certainly has built a new strength through its own line. This reading should trace and parallel Shooter's strengths in creating a company that thrived to destroy itself during an industry's devolution- vs. a company that consumed to survive in current industry trends.
So, MANY years back, I started collecting Valiant comics. What am I talking about... IN THE NINETIES. Geez. That makes it seems like twenty years ago. Which, happily or sadly, it was. Well, the bottom fell out of both MY wallet and the industry. Supplies ran lower and lower every day, and eventually the company was bought out, re-packaged, and crushed into history. Thanks, Acclaim. You morons. So now? Another finite company. THAT I can pursue! SO I collected all that I could, and read through good and dark times. I wanted to re-read, and an idea struck me. A three-year plan.
I never really read through much of the X-Men - BEFORE1975, that is. I knew the story lines, but wanted to go back and read the classic 60's stories through the silver age of comics (and Marvel's birth). My inventiveness is to read the stories - and compare the creation of each company month by month. Many months, Valiant's stories are far more prevalent. Unity, twelve titles, and the thrust into Deathmate brought a flood of comic titles and etc into the field. Some months, Marvel has many more titles. This paralleled read has an ultimate conclusion. I mean, Marvel still exists, and while its heyday has ended, certainly has built a new strength through its own line. This reading should trace and parallel Shooter's strengths in creating a company that thrived to destroy itself during an industry's devolution- vs. a company that consumed to survive in current industry trends.
The direction?
I'm not certain how this mess will trace out. I like the direction - and will do some natural comparisons throughout the line - at least one comic per day - but many lines tend to naturally lead themselves to comparisons. X-O Manowar and Iron Man, or X-Men and Harbinger naturally spring to mind. However, many months are without comparison. I don't want to force a conclusion - but will try to compare. I am also uncertain if I'll evaluate each story by a current standard, or from a kid's perspective. I mean, comics in the sixties had a clear audience that did not include 38 year-old fan-boys. I'm pretty sure the term fan-boy didn't exist back then. What I'd like to do is trace a line's growth and demise, while reflecting personally to each story.
I've put together a few sets of books. X-Men, Avengers, Iron Man (with Tales of Suspense), Hulk (with Tales to Astonish), Spider-Man, Captain America, and Fantastic Four. I also have access to a VERY limited number of Daredevil, but SORRY, kids. Thor is out. At the end, I'll also bring in some Ghost Rider, and maybe even transition into my own comics (Complete run of West Coast Avengers, anyone?) But really, my task - at least for the first three years - is Marvel vs. Valiant.
I own all of the Valiant line - with one or two exceptions. I don't own all of the Valiant Voices, or the Acclaim Reader promo - but I should be able to follow the story. I will attempt to read a minimum of one comic from Marvel or Valiant every day. I paired up from the beginning of both industries from origins to Unity 2000 number 3 and January 1971 in Marvel. If I need or want to continue after that, I'll examine at that point. It's interesting to see so many parallels in the lines, though. Re-launches of Hulk, Iron Man, and Captain America lines come into existence around the 'parallel' time of the Acclaim re-launch of Valiant titles, etc. Strange, but cool.
I've put together a few sets of books. X-Men, Avengers, Iron Man (with Tales of Suspense), Hulk (with Tales to Astonish), Spider-Man, Captain America, and Fantastic Four. I also have access to a VERY limited number of Daredevil, but SORRY, kids. Thor is out. At the end, I'll also bring in some Ghost Rider, and maybe even transition into my own comics (Complete run of West Coast Avengers, anyone?) But really, my task - at least for the first three years - is Marvel vs. Valiant.
I own all of the Valiant line - with one or two exceptions. I don't own all of the Valiant Voices, or the Acclaim Reader promo - but I should be able to follow the story. I will attempt to read a minimum of one comic from Marvel or Valiant every day. I paired up from the beginning of both industries from origins to Unity 2000 number 3 and January 1971 in Marvel. If I need or want to continue after that, I'll examine at that point. It's interesting to see so many parallels in the lines, though. Re-launches of Hulk, Iron Man, and Captain America lines come into existence around the 'parallel' time of the Acclaim re-launch of Valiant titles, etc. Strange, but cool.
Mads and Dad. My baby takes on the mantle
So, here's where it gets interesting. I started my daughter reading these comics - a month ago? Two? I started her on Harbinger, then Solar, Man of the Atom. What a concept, right? Mads is an eater of books, to say the least. She loves reading - whenever she can. Wish I had more of that bug in me. So - she loves them. I mean, loves them, loves them. She starts - and runs through them, and I start piling up books to get her through Unity. It hits me. Of course! SHE can read along WITH me. That's GREAT stuff. Kid's perspective on these things... First time-reader... Father-daughter bonding... This has amazing story written throughout! So - starting in June, and along a path of years.... We'll read together, compare, and reflect, k, kids?
Glad you're here for the ride!
Glad you're here for the ride!
YES! I, too, am crazy
Well, you are in luck. And in BIG trouble at the same time. While I would suggest ebay, quality isn't ALWAYS the best. Instead, you could try the sellers on amazon, who are apparently trying to pay their mortgages through one sale. While most of these titles INITIALLY sold for around fifty bucks - a pretty good deal at the time - most of the supplies of these have waned, and apparently demand has REALLY affected pricing. Here are a few of them below...
Chronological Comics "Mess" List