Jim Starlin's Thanos Saga

Inspired by Infinity War and the fact that I have all the comics from Starlin's original saga from the 1970s - I thought I'd read them!

It all starts with his first appearance in Iron Man #55 but then moves to Captain Marvel where Thanos gets hold of the cosmic cube and CM goes all cosmic and aware!

Thanos is actually defeated at the conclusion of the story in issue #33

Strangely the story also includes a few issues Daredevil - basically because Moondragon, also of Titan, is introduced.

and an issue of Avengers with a classic cover.

After the conclusion of his CM run, Starlin moved onto Warlock (Strange Tales and then published under Warlock's own name)

I decided to read that from the beginning as it all ties-in eventually.

 There was some great Starlin art in those issues.

Eventually the story concludes in two 1977 Annuals.

And that was that for a few years. Some classic issues in that run.

So, for a change, I've got to read plenty of original issues (27 altogether).

Back to Teen Titans next.

Thor 262

This back-issue was one of the ones I was missing from the lot I won last year. Only 99p and makes me feel warm inside not having a little gap in the collection.

Great cover too.

Complete Two-In-One (plus another Thor! and Nemo!)

I've now completed by collection of Marvel Two-In-One with this purchase of issue 13. As you can see from the cover scan it's not the VFN as advertised but, to be fair, the seller agreed and fully refunded me when I pointed this out. It'll do but I'd have rather have had that VFN copy.

So, just as promised back in Jan, I've now completed 1-75 of 2-in-1 which was my aim.

I also picked-up Thor #256 from a different seller as it was one of the issues missing from the lot I purchased recently. A nice copy at 99p.

And finally I decided to purchase "River of Ghosts" which is the last part of the Nemo trilogy. I didn't like only having 2/3 of the story on the shelf and this was going cheap. Oh, the completist in me can cause me trouble! 

Added to My Collection: Bronze-Age Thor!

I still occasionally check ebay for bargains and I recently picked-up 11 issues of Thor in two separate lots from the same seller for the total of £3.87.

I got issues 255-267 but #256 and #262 were missing. All in Fine condition too. Still these issues comprise the next Masterworks so I've saved myself some money by buying the originals. I will look out for those two missing issues though.

These issues feature the change in art from John Buscema to Walt Simonson. I haven't got Simonson's later run where he takes over the writing too but a quick glace through these issues I can tell he adopted a similar style to JB for his initial issues.

A nice bargain and I've now achieved my aim to get all the JB issues. Very soon I'll get Vol 3 of the Epic collection which will Mean I've probably got enough to be going on with.

Added to my Collection - One more "Two-In-One"

So I picked-up Two-In-One #18 off Ebay for £2.50 incl P&P.

It was advertised at VFN+ but it's really aVFN- at a push. Still a reasonable price and this means I just want #13 to complete the run that I want to collect.

The grade of this comic didn't bother me as much as the grade of Avengers #166 which I was upgrading from a FN copy to this

Again it's not bad, but it's not VFN+ as advertised. The main issue is the lack of cover gloss and that's not something you can really pick-up from a scan. If I'd paid more I would have complained but in the end it's a better copy than I had previously. But I'll probably not order from captainbeano again (not that I have many back-issues that I want).

Giant -Size Spider-man 4 & 5

Although the aim was to read the Giant-size issues I'd bought this year, I couldn't resist continuing with the series as these two issues are good reads and issue 4 with the Punisher is a particular favourite of mine. This is because I bought this on a summer holiday in 1979 when I was 12.

I loved it. And it felt more special as it was a surprise purchase and it was a an extra long Spidey story. I think it was also the first time I'd read a reprint of Amazing Fantasy 15.

GSSM #5 is also a good story by the same creative team. It ties in well to what was going on in the main book at the time as it develops the Clone Gwen sub-plot. I personally love that story.

Added to My Collection: Marvel Two-In-One

I've got a few "missing" issues of Two-In-One which, when I get them all, will mean I have 1-75.

These two issues which came in the one ebay auction leave just 2 more to get. Numbers 13 and 18. I know these won't be classics but it was sort of nagging me that they were missing.

Giant-Size Spider-man No. 2 and 3

These are two comics from 1974 which I'd not read before. The stories are definitely not classics but they were fun. The best part was seeing "new" Ross Andru Spidey art because, as I've said on this blog before, Ross Andru  was my first Spidey artist and as a result his portrayal is one of my favourites.

1974 Giant-size Marvel Comics

 These Giant-size issues were always a bit of a mystery to me growing up in the UK in the 1970s as they were just not available. I never saw one for sale - but I did see plenty of house adds for these extra-long stories.

And when reference was made to events in the regular title ( I remember the Spidey/ Man-Thing team-up in issue 5 being referenced as a "story for another day") was was really curious.

So purchasing and reading these issues is always a bit special, even if the stories themselves are very average if truth be told.

Great covers on both these books and Ross Andru artwork on Giant-Size Spider-man is always a pleasure for me.

I'll be reading these Giant-Size books in-between some New Teen Titans by DC!

More Bronze-Age back-issues

I'm clearly on a little bit of a back-issue kick at the moment because I've just bought these three back issues off ebay. Nothing expensive but they just caught my eye,

Iron Man #90 is actually an upgrade copy as it was one of the first US Marvel comics I ever bought. This slightly better condition copy will go into the box and I'll frame my original copy. I love the cover!

Added to My Collection: Giant-size Spider-man 3

Well, I've gone and bought another Giant-size issue as I'm clearly in the mood for a few back-issues at the moment. Here we have another Gerry Conway/ Ross Andru story. It's not one I've read before so I'm sure this will be a real treat when I get round to reading it.

Bought off a "buy-it-now" on Ebay for £10 incl. P&P.

Added to My collection: Giant-size Spider-man 1

I guess I always knew I would get this comic someday even though I've a reprint of it. But I never wanted to pay £15+ for it.

Anyway, this cost exactly £8 including p&p so I'm very happy with that.

Great cover even though I seem to remember the story is not that great. Still Gerry Conway and Ross Andru Spidey is always going to bring out the fanboy in me. 

Giant-size superheroes number 1

It was not long ago when I thought I'd completed my back-issue collection with the purchase of Fantastic Four #72. And to some extent I still have but I now want to add a few more issues. A bit of gravy if you please.

So some Hulk issues because they are no longer publishing the paperback Masterworks, I've noted that there are a few gaps in my Marvel Two-In-One issues and I also quite fancy picking-up all the Spider-man Giant-Size issues.

So I've started with this one which has a Gerry Conway/ Gil Kane story I've not seen before so quite nice for £8.80.

Fantastic Four 72 completes my collection!

I'm feeling a bit of a sense of accomplishment with this new purchase.

I think this is the final issue I require to complete my back-issue collection. It's a nice FN/VFN copy from ebay bought using proceeds from comic sales (particularly Amazing Spider-Man #361 1st Carnage)

Of course, I will probably buy more single issues but looking at the titles I intend to read when I eventually start reading my Marvel collection, I think I have them all. Some of the early stuff is in Marvel Masterworks or another collected edition but I have all the stories. FF#72 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby was the last single I was after.

If I get the opportunity I'll get more Dr Strange and Thor in collections but I don't mind if I don't.

Now I can look forward to starting Marvel from the beginning!

Defenders 10

EXPENSIVE BACK-ISSUE ALERT!

This cost me £24 incl p&p off ebay. And it's only a FN- copy. Mind you higher grade copies are in the £80-£100 range so I'm making do with this one. Still £24 is quite a bit to pay for one issue and I reckon it's one of the most expensive bronze-age issues I've purchased. probably Iron Man 55 being the most.  It completes my Defenders run and the issue itself is important as it's a key issue in the Defenders vs Avengers war from 1973.

Pleased to have got this.

My Iron Man comic collection is now complete

With the recent purchase of this comic, Iron Man #172 cover dated July 1983 I have now completed my Iron Man collection. Hooray for me!

There are plenty of recent Iron Man comics I haven't got but I now own a complete run from issue 50 to #281. Those together with the Masterworks reprints means that all the issues up to June 1992.

Plenty to read then.

Defenders Number 11 - upgrade!

Uptill now this was my copy of Defenders #11

This is my new VFN- copy!

X-Men Annual 4

It's from 1980 - 9so Byrne was still the regular series artist ) it's the classic team

The annual has John Romita Jr on art

Why haven't I bought this before??

Added to My Collection - Even More Bronze Age Iron Man

I keep spotting bargains on ebay which mean I'm quickly moving towards my goal of completing the Iron Man run from 50 - 281. Only a month again I won a auction lot and again this week I won 171-180 (but not 172) for £5. These are circa 1983 and were published just before I got back into comics with the discovery of speciality comics shops.

So just 172 to go now!

Added to My Collection - More Bronze Age Iron Man

It's only been a month since I purchased some other Iron Man back issues but I've already added some more leaving me just a handful to get to complete a run from 50 - 281.

This was a lot of various issues from 168-199 of which 11 were back-issues I needed. One or two replaced older copies I had so it is all good.