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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2020 14:38:57 GMT -5
I tried to find this one in NY last year and drew blanks and thought maybe, MAYBE 2020 would smile on me...I can still dream, can't I?
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Apr 7, 2020 15:45:11 GMT -5
I tried to find this one in NY last year and drew blanks and thought maybe, MAYBE 2020 would smile on me...I can still dream, can't I? The first hundred issues sure are fun to track down, aren't they? I've got the full run from #100 thru the end of the first volume, but the earlier stuff is impossible.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 7, 2020 19:11:58 GMT -5
I'd be glad to own just a handful of them like I do with Superman and Action Comics...
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jun 11, 2020 11:58:40 GMT -5
Mid-year check:Well, I'm far behind on my goals because I decided (within days of making them) that I was going to drop everything in order to watch and review Every Bela Lugosi film instead. It took me five months. I have no regrets. But now here I am, five months behind on my 2020 goals: On track. I now own 1,2,3,4,5,9, and 10. Just need 6,7, and 8, but they are harder to find at a reasonable price than the first five issues! I'm not there, unfortunately. Very little is exciting me in comics right now beyond completing that Life with Archie run. I keep starting novels and not finishing them. Haven't finished a single one yet. Done. Acquired and read most of it. Not interested in pursuing more. I've forced myself to read two issues, but I'm not just not into it anymore. It fell off a cliff with issue #200, and I'm having a hard time regaining my interest. Read two issues so far. I really enjoy it, but each issue is so long and substantial. I rarely have the time. Haven't started it. We've read four together so far and enjoyed them all, just not reading as often as I'd planned. Haven't done any of this. I haven't returned to this yet, but I have no doubt I'll get it done before the year's end. None yet. Might write one today, as this is the first day in three months that I haven't had kids to watch! On track. Just wrote one today. Felt good getting back to it. This is going to take a lot more dedication than my other review threads. I really want to get back to it, but I set a very high standard for myself in that thread, and I'm not going back half-assed. When I do it, I'll be all in. Done. I've nearly doubled the amount of reviews in that thread over the past month Seriously considering it. Seriously considering it. Reviewed one issue today and hated it. I'm less sure than ever that this thread will ever be completed. There isn't much left to review for this thread, but while this thread was once one of the projects I was most proud of, I'm unhappy with how it's aged. I feel like I could do it much better now, and that makes me less enthusiastic about keeping it going. Believe it or not, I'm still toying with this one. Some days, I'm ready to liquidate the entire run from my collection, and others I'm ready to resurrect the thread.
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Crimebuster
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Post by Crimebuster on Jun 11, 2020 12:18:37 GMT -5
Mid-year check:Well, I'm far behind on my goals because I decided (within days of making them) that I was going to drop everything in order to watch and review Every Bela Lugosi film instead. It took me five months. I have no regrets. But now here I am, five months behind on my 2020 goals: On track. I now own 1,2,3,4,5,9, and 10. Just need 6,7, and 8, but they are harder to find at a reasonable price than the first five issues! Reviewed one issue today and hated it. I'm less sure than ever that this thread will ever be completed. Believe it or not, I'm still toying with this one. Some days, I'm ready to liquidate the entire run from my collection, and others I'm ready to resurrect the thread. Life with Archie - I just tried to get a #9 last week but got outbid. I'm in the process of figuring out some things with my collection, but I think soon I'm going to make this a priority again. Atari Force - I still love this series! I'm sorry you aren't digging it. Nick Fury - You are definitely in the worst era of Sgt. Fury by far. It's not just Friedrich's writing that makes it better soon, though; he comes on with #42, and with #44, the incomparably great John Severin comes aboard on art. After a few issues he becomes inker over Ayers pencils, but he inks with a heavy hand, which is good. He's just tremendous. It's a massive slog to get that far, but I'd just say, before you get rid of the run, at least read Annual #4 - aka Dan Bailey's favorite comic - to see what the book can be. And maybe #46, with all-Severin art and a well known early story from Friedrich that shows his sensibilities and where he's going to take the book. If those issues don't do it for you, though, then you should definitely bail!
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jun 11, 2020 12:33:23 GMT -5
I just tried to get a #9 last week but got outbid. I'm in the process of figuring out some things with my collection, but I think soon I'm going to make this a priority again. We should coordinate so as not to outbid each other on the same auction I almost actively dislike it. I think I had to have read it when I was 14 in order to appreciate it now as an adult. Without nostalgia to counterbalance the rest, it just seems like severely bad writing and characterization with pretty Garcia Lopez art to dress it up. This is the kind of pep talk I need. Thank you! Unlike Atari Force, I don't dislike it. I'm just bored by it. Having a goal to work towards helps.
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Post by adamwarlock2099 on Jun 11, 2020 12:41:29 GMT -5
I started at the beginning of the thread and was going to think of some goals. Then I get to the last two posts and I'm like "oh yeah the year is already have way over" lol
But I'll post some goals. It's probably not going to happen all in the next six months, but I can always renew them in 2021.
After a almost ten year hiatus in buying (I've bought a handful of things throughout the years, but with no real aim. Pursuing $1 bins while kids/family are shopping for other things, or a TPB here and there) I think I need to actually set some goals that point me in a specific direction. I feel at this point in my life with comics having something that's not all over the place, will help.
Immediate and easy goal (and least if they're easily available) is finish Abnett & Lanning's GotG. I have no idea why I stopped reading it. 2009 was still the height of my buying comics. It wouldn't be till mid 2011 that I cut off comic buying because of financial reasons.
Long term goals Batman Legends of the Dark Knight entire series I have about 80% of the issues up to around #135 or so, again when I stopped buying comics all together. So my goal is to start at the first issue I am missing numerically, fill all the holes, reading each issue I own and the new ones and working up to where I stopped. Then buying the new issues from #135 on and reading them. I've always wanted the whole series because getting into Batman from watching TAS, I really like the anthology setup in LOTDK. Plus reading what I already have will be nostalgic.
Cerebus I want to get the rest of the volumes and be able to read along if CCF does another annual read together. I have the first four TPB. So I'd definitely have to read what I have again and then move on from there.
Review Goal I might resurrect my Gray Hulk review. I just need to snag a single reprint (if it exists) of issue #340 or a TPB with it in it and I can move on with my reviews. I'm not promising much on that. I do enjoy doing them to a degree. But making time to read comics and making time to type up reviews are two different things to me. Maybe I can find a way to do my reviews that makes them more fun to do than seem like work.
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Crimebuster
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Post by Crimebuster on Jun 11, 2020 12:44:20 GMT -5
I just tried to get a #9 last week but got outbid. I'm in the process of figuring out some things with my collection, but I think soon I'm going to make this a priority again. We should coordinate so as not to outbid each other on the same auction I almost actively dislike it. I think I had to have read it when I was 14 in order to appreciate it now as an adult. Without nostalgia to counterbalance the rest, it just seems like severely bad writing and characterization with pretty Garcia Lopez art to dress it up. This is the kind of pep talk I need. Thank you! Unlike Atari Force, I don't dislike it. I'm just bored by it. Having a goal to work towards helps. I was wondering if you were bidding on the same issue! I think at this point for the first 10 issues we mostly have different needs. I think we're both missing #6, but I already have 7 and 8. And the others I need, you have. So we shouldn't be competing much. Regarding Atari Force, I have a lot of nostalgia for the book, but I should say that my first issue as a kid was #14 - which is both the first issue after the main plot is resolved in #13, and the first issue with the new writer Mike Baron. So it has a bit of a different direction than the first part of the run. I personally think Baron is a much, much better writer than Conway. Garcia-Lopez also leaves and is replaced by Eduardo Barreto, who I think is really underrated. Not saying you'll like the last 7 issues any better than the first 13, but they are a bit different. They also have backups written and drawn by Keith Giffen if that's a draw for you. Finally, regarding Nick Fury, since you are also reading SHIELD in Strange Tales, I'll mention that right around the time Friedrich and Severin take over Sgt. Fury, Jim Steranko begins drawing Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD. I'm a big fan of the first SHIELD arc you just finished, but thing definitely pick up again once Steranko comes aboard! So both parts of your review thread should hopefully get more interesting at the same time.
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jun 11, 2020 13:07:34 GMT -5
Regarding Atari Force, I have a lot of nostalgia for the book, but I should say that my first issue as a kid was #14 - which is both the first issue after the main plot is resolved in #13, and the first issue with the new writer Mike Baron. So it has a bit of a different direction than the first part of the run. I personally think Baron is a much, much better writer than Conway. Garcia-Lopez also leaves and is replaced by Eduardo Barreto, who I think is really underrated. Not saying you'll like the last 7 issues any better than the first 13, but they are a bit different. They also have backups written and drawn by Keith Giffen if that's a draw for you. I don't think I've ever read a Mike Baron story I didn't enjoy, so this is very good news! You offer me hope once again. I've read all the Stange Tales SHIELD stories and enjoy them tremendously, but I always felt that first HYDRA arc was the highlight of the Strange Tales stories. I've never read the actual SHIELD title, though, and I don't actually own those issues yet either. If I get back into that thread, it's going to be a financial investment as well as a time investment. Maybe it will be worth it. I do love Steranko.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jun 12, 2020 0:23:39 GMT -5
Hey Shax.....if you want to get better into the classic Avengers stuff for that time period... start with #227... 200 is a terrible place to start. You could got straight to Under Siege I suppose, but Stern's mostly worth it. Since I've noticed we have alot of similar tastes in Big 2 comics, I suspect you'll be amused. That's the beginning of Stern's run.. if that doesn't tickle your fancy, Avengers just isn't going to do it for you right now
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Post by Icctrombone on Jun 12, 2020 5:26:29 GMT -5
shaxper, plow through Avengers # 200-210. 211 starts the Fall of Hank Pym storyline, which Crimebuster and I discuss in an upcoming podcast. * * shameless plug.
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shaxper
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Posts: 22,269
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Post by shaxper on Jun 12, 2020 6:07:25 GMT -5
Hey Shax.....if you want to get better into the classic Avengers stuff for that time period... start with #227... 200 is a terrible place to start. I've actually been reading since the Kree/Skrull War, but it came to a screeching halt two years ago when I first stumbled into this portion of the run. This gives me hope, though. Thank you!
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Jun 12, 2020 6:07:48 GMT -5
shaxper, plow through Avengers # 200-210. 211 starts the Fall of Hank Pym storyline, which Crimebuster and I discuss in an upcoming podcast. * * shameless plug. I absolutely cannot wait!
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Post by Icctrombone on Jun 12, 2020 6:16:00 GMT -5
I thought that Avengers 197-210 were total dreck. That's why ( I think ) Shooter took over with # 211 to restore them to their greatness.
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shaxper
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Posts: 22,269
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Post by shaxper on Jun 12, 2020 6:18:02 GMT -5
I thought that Avengers 197-210 were total dreck. That's why ( I think ) Shooter took over with # 211 to restore them to their greatness. Of course, Shooter is one of the billion writers with their names attached to #200, and he was the guy in charge at the time
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