shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Dec 30, 2021 2:10:35 GMT -5
2022 Classic Comics New Year's Resolutions Thanks as always to Icctrombone for starting this tradition!It's that time once again, folks! If you did any 2021 New Years Resolutions, let us know how they turned out and then make some new ones for the new year here! Buying Goals- Assuming things with Covid aren't going to get much better in the next twelve months, my enthusiasm for acquiring is pretty much non-existent. The thrill of the hunt just isn't the same online. So I make no buying goals for 2022 (which is not to say that I won't decide I absolutely need a key issue or run a week from now because, let's be honest, I will). Selling GoalsI made close to 10K in selling key issues I didn't truly need to keep anymore in 2021. While most of the "best" stuff I'm willing to part with is gone, I'd still like to supplement my income by bringing in at least $5,000 more this year. Reading Goals I'm serious about working towards- Make regular time for non-comic book reading during hectic weeks (at least an hour a week). Last year I wanted to read two novels and didn't even come close, so I'm going to be less end result-oriented and more focused on time management going forward. I finally have my wish of having a full house and loving partner, and that places demands upon my time that I never had before. I have to do a better job of working self care into that equation. As part of that, I need more reading time in my life. - Spend at least a half hour reading something with Amber each week (comics, novels, whatever); Again, more time management is needed in my life. We love reading together and have so many books and comic runs we want to get through; we just don't find the time. - Read The Great Darkness Saga - Work towards finishing my Avengers run (#231-300, plus annuals remaining) - re-read at least one classic run in my collection. What's the point of saving back issues if you only read them once? There is so much good stuff that I want to savor again. Reading Goals I want to get to before I die (maybe this year. Who knows?)- Byrne's Fantastic Four - Defenders #1-60 - Ditko's Spider-Man - Grimjack - Astro City - Sandman Mystery Theatre - Dreadstar - Excalibur - New Mutants all the way up to #100 (I think I got thru the first 25 issues on a previous reading attempt over two decades ago) - Get caught up with The Cerebus Reading SocietyEssential Reviewing GoalsAgain, I'm taking a very different approach this year. Rather than committing a certain number of reviews to each of my review threads, I'm pledging to write a minimum of 5 reviews per month in whichever threads compel me at the time. That's a total of sixty reviews in 2022, which is a stretch, but I believe I can make it happen so long as Owen's health doesn't take a turn for the worse again. And I can allocate those sixty reviews in whatever way I feel. For example, I could: - Do two years' worth of Justice League reviews, two months' worth of Superman in the Post-Crisis Era reviews, and then have both threads caught up with The Complete Batman: 1979-2011 so that I can maintain all three threads together in real-time going forward. That would take about 30 reviews to pull off. - Do another full year of Superman in the Post-Crisis Era reviews, taking us all the way to his death in January of 1993. That would take nearly all sixty reviews to achieve. - Finish The Batman Family and Beyond: 1955-1978. It's difficult to determine how many reviews this would take, but it would certainly be less than sixty. - Take New Teen Titans and Beyond all the way to The Judas Contract. This would take about 25 reviews. - Finally devote some serious time to The Complete Batman: 1955-1979 along with Hoosier X, who has been waiting on me most patiently! - Put some serious time into The Complete Batman: 1979-2011 for the first time in years. - Finish Atari Force, which would only take ten more reviews. - Put a serious dent in Nick Fury in the Silver Age- Start a whole other review thread that I don't have the time for. I keep toying with doing Hal Jordan in the Silver Age. Ultimately, I'll probably make a good dent in two or three of these goals and then do 2-3 updates in most other threads to make sure they don't languish. Who knows? The fun will be in finding out. My only promise is to do at least five reviews per month. So basically:1. Spend an hour a week reading novels 2. Spend a half hour each week reading with Amber 3. Write five reviews each month 4. Sell $5,000 in key issues. and a few other specifics. And that's it. I'm actually really excited to work towards these goals this year. For once, these resolutions won't just give me the extra push I need to get a few more books read and reviews written; they'll help me to find new balance in my life!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2021 8:04:53 GMT -5
Buying Goals
I have a running list of very specific issues I might be looking for, but it's always evolving as are my buying preferences overall. I don't usually have a long-term plan and stick to it, rather it just sort of "happens" and the collection grows. But things I tend to find myself shopping for:
-Pre-checkerboard DC, particularly Sea Devils and Challengers of the Unknown. -Batman/Detective/World's Finest from mid-to-late 50's up until new look in 1964. -I'd also like to get back to Metal Men, Jimmy Olsen, and Blackhawk at some point. The short run of Bomba the Jungle Boy is on the list as well. -Back issues of various 1963-1965 Marvel super-hero titles (particularly FF and ASM)...the buying market is absolutely terrible for these, but I keep my eyes open and occasionally will spring for some. It's a balance at times between overpaying for what I really enjoy versus buying a lot of other stuff over time that is a much better deal but doesn't ultimately speak to me the same way. -Reference materials: I love reading biographies, interviews, etc. Books, back issues of things like Alter Ago, I collect this stuff a lot. -Golden Age reprints of obscure material. Also would like more Plastic Man Archives. For original material, I don't know how committed I am to really spend the money here, but I keep an eye on Smash Comics issues with the Ray featured on the cover, More Fun and Adventure issues with appearances of Johnny Quick, and Detective issues with Air Wave. I'm interested in various Mary Marvel appearances from this era as well. -Bronze Age I'm very well stocked up on overall, but 1975-1980 were my "magic" young reading days so I find myself still grabbing occasional back issues of various content (mostly superhero). There's the next Legion collected edition from this era coming out this year I'll grab as well.
Selling Goals
My selling goals have been more focused on selling off significant parts of my other collections and staying more focused on comic books. In terms of comic books themselves, I don't really buy with any mind to sell or as an investment. I do have a few long boxes of more modern material from 2000 on I just want to get rid of. It was my attempt for many years to "stick with it" and in hindsight I never read the stuff. I've been really lazy doing anything with this, and a real goal I need for 2022 is to finally filter out the items of higher value and send off for auction or trade credit. I'll probably give away the rest.
The other thing I need to look at are 80's and 90's key issues in my collection. I'm not sure having New Mutants #98 for instance brings me as much joy as something a little more vintage per above I could redeploy those funds towards. So another goal this year will be to finally make some decisions on potentially letting go some of this type of material.
Reading Goals I'm serious about working towards
No goals, I flit from one thing to the next. I love the whole collection and it's more "what catches my fancy" on any given day.
Essential Reviewing Goals
I started my DC Golden Age Archives review thread recently, and plan to just stay focused there for awhile.
Overall, my real goal is just to make sure at all times the "collecting" side doesn't dominate too much and cut into the "reading and enjoyment" side. The absolute best part of all of this for me is taking a break from all the real world stresses and escaping a bit into these enchanting worlds of imagination. That's why again, I kind of set goals, but I kind of don't. Comic books at their best make me feel like a kid again, and not taking any of it all too seriously usually allows me to enjoy the most.
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Post by Icctrombone on Dec 30, 2021 8:05:26 GMT -5
Hey shaxper, I'm going to take the plunge into the Usagi books. which one do I read first ? This one Or this one?
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Post by The Captain on Dec 30, 2021 8:10:56 GMT -5
Trying to keep it simple for 2022:
Buying Goals (things I'll actively seek out) 12 issues of Jonah Hex, to complete the run. 5 issues of the Killraven stories in Amazing Adventures, to complete the run Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection #8 (if Marvel publishes this in 2022) Sandman TPBs "Endless Nights" and "The Dream Hunters" Hellblazer TPBs, at least to complete the Delano and Ennis runs Possibly some early Incredible Hulk Masterworks/Epics to cover gaps in my floppie collection
Cheap Buys (no more than $3/issue, preferably no more than $2) Random issues of Batman and Detective if I like the villain. Handful of issues of the various Kull books that Marvel put out that I don't own Bronze Age Pre-Crisis Flash issues, particularly if they have one of the main Rogues in them.
Reading Goals Would like to reach 1,000 books in 2022. This was the first year in over half a decade I didn't hit that number.
Reviewing Goals The dream is always to revive my Captain America review thread, but while the flesh is willing, the spirit is typically weak.
Collection Goals Would like to reduce the size of my overall collection by at least 10% this year, primarily targeting series that I've read and am unlikely to reread or that I've picked up in other formats (like Howard the Duck, as I have all of the floppies except two but also own the Complete Collections that cover all of these issues).
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Post by Icctrombone on Dec 30, 2021 8:29:58 GMT -5
Buying Goals
I lost my taste for buying books to fill runs at the end of 2021. I do have small non major runs, to keep an eye out for like inexpensive Image books, but I have a want list that includes:
Astro City ( Vertigo ) Atlas books The Kirby Captain America run from 193-214 Deathstroke ( Need 17) DC Comics presents ( Need 5) Femforce books ( Need too many to list) Force works ( the Marvel series that followed WCA) New Warriors( Need 7) The 90's Silver Surfer series ( need 7) Savage Dragon 248, 249. I missed them because of the pandemic and I don't want to pay 30 dollars each on eBay.
Selling Goals
I have many books from the Bronze Age that I want to sell but I hate getting gouged by Ebays fee's. I have to see where I will post them.
Reading Goals
Birds of Prey V.1 E-man - both the Charlton and First runs Flash the 1987 run Femforce Green Lantern the Kyle Raynor run Invader Bronze Age Roy Thomas series Mighty Crusaders Rich Buckler run MOKF - I will start from 15 again to complete the reading this time Planetary Secret Origins Starman the James Robinson run Tom Strong Thor ( starting with the SA issues that I spent the last 4 years buying) The Engelhart Batman run Usagi Yojimbo Trades Hellblazer from the beginning.
Reviewing Goals
Maybe I will start a review thread. I don't have the patience for it but, I have a few books that haven't been covered on this forum yet that I might start this year.
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Post by Graphic Autist on Dec 30, 2021 13:33:26 GMT -5
Due to a full bookcase and a small apartment, I won’t be buying any more Omnibus books after the Invaders one is released. My filing cabinet neatly fits TPBs and isn’t full yet, so I’ll probably be buying more of those until I reach capacity. After that, I will be exclusively digital for my reading enjoyment.
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 30, 2021 13:47:41 GMT -5
I'll probably read some funnybooks.
I may review some.
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Dec 30, 2021 15:13:41 GMT -5
Hey shaxper , I'm going to take the plunge into the Usagi books. which one do I read first ? This one Or this one? I began with the Fantagraphics one and didn't regret it. Usagi isn't drawn in his final form from the start, but that's a small detail; the volume has major storylines like the Dragon Bellows Conspiracy and the first appearance of Lord Hikiji. Unlike many other long-running series, Usagi Yojimbo didn't start as just O.K. to become excellent later; it started great and remained so!
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Post by spoon on Dec 30, 2021 17:40:30 GMT -5
Buying Goals
- I have such a backlog of unread comics and trades that I probably shouldn't making specific buying goals. So my one goals is to buy fewer stories/issues than I read this year.
Reading Goals
- Re-read (or read) some stuff from each of the four main classic X-Men comics: Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, New Mutants, and Excalibur. For most of those it'll be re-reading, but I haven't read that much Excalibur before and have never read some of the later issues of New Mutants. - Binge all or part of Captain America #258-285 - Read one or more of the TPBs & comics I have of late 1980s Spider-Man - Read some or all of Avengers #278-300 - Pick a couple of periods from Legion of Super-Heroes that I haven't read that much of to binge: maybe the beginning of 5YL or Earthwar - Make a dent in the Batman Archives/Omnibi I have - Read more stuff that's non-Big Two and/or non-super hero. Not gonna lock myself into specific titles, so I have maximum wiggle room. - Maybe some Byrne Fantastic Four - Read whatever Marvel Comics Presents and/or Action Comics Weekly that I'm in the mood for
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2021 18:59:28 GMT -5
will not *ever* again buy a single issue of any Image series.
one shots? yeah, perhaps.
continuing series?
nope. . .they burned me once too much, and drove me away as a single issue customer. "Second Chances" issue #4 was the straw for this Camel.
(and yes, tho I loved "Stray Dogs". . when I saw that the new issue out yesterday was "1 of 2"? I removed it from my pull list).
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Post by wildfire2099 on Dec 30, 2021 19:44:37 GMT -5
So I actually picked up three more of the Iron Man books I needed, so that was exciting.
My 2022 goals:
-Get 'Demon in a Bottle' for a decent price
-Read more of the Silver Age DC collections that are sitting around
- Continue to make progress on the 'to read' pile (good progress last year... down to a full milk crate)
- Replace a few more boxes with plastic ones
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2021 20:12:18 GMT -5
Acquisitions
Since I am still not working and my only income is selling vintage rpg stuff (my wife is working and she makes our ends meet, so we're not in dire straights or anything, just being more judicious in our spending), I don't anticipate any major spending on back issues unless the situation changes. I have a little bit of credit still, and a couple of dealers I do some trading with, so I am sure I will grab some stuff here and there, but it will be mostly opportunistic grabs. When I do spend, I want to focus on the stuff I am actively trying to amass-Kubert war books, Usagi issues, Groo issues, Scooby Doo issues, Uncle Scrooge related issues, and a few other series I only need a couple of issues to finish (like Xenozoic Tales), and maybe a couple affordable red dress covers.
Curating
I anticipate most of spending on comics this year will be on supplies. I am reorganizing my comics, as I have run out of space. I will also be trimming my collection, both to create more space and to scavenge some of the supplies I need. I want to finish getting the books organized. I finished cataloging them early last year, but many are still in random piles on the table and desk downstairs in our old gaming room (the finished room in the basement). This past year, I set up the shelving and file cabinets I needed and started the organization process, but ran out of bags and boards. I got close to 60-75% of my indy books done, and maybe 20% of my Marvel books done before I ran out. DC I had barely started, except for specific runs that were being stored/displayed in a different manner than the rest of the DC books (stuff like the Kubert war books). I hope to finish the indy books and make significant progress on Marvel this year, and maybe get a start on DC, depending on availability of supplies and what kind of resources I have available to get them. I also plan on purging stuff I no longer have interest in, either to sell or trade off.
Conventions
I plan on setting up at one or two shows this year (Champion City at least, though there are going to be 2 Champion City shows this year). I also hope to attend a couple of the Jim and Dan shows and Gem City this year as a fan/patron, depending on budgets. I doubt I will have much of a budget for either show but I can probably manage a little walkaround money for a few of these to do some dollar bin diving or maybe splurge on an impulse purchase or two.
Reading
I want to read some comics this year. I have come to terms that I am a mood reader, meaning I will read what I am in the mood for, but I cannot plan too far ahead, as if my mood changes, I will not read what I am no longer in the mood for. Currently I am reading through some stuff on Marvel Unlimited (80s X-Men, SA Daredevil, Ditko Spidey, and current titles), some indy series I have in trade (Berlin, Strangehaven, Age of Bronze) and some via Hoopla (Thorgal for example), some series I have in back issues (Doc Strange in Strange Tales vol. 2, Savage Sword of Conan, post-Thomas Conan the Barbarian), some DC stuff (GA Superman, SMT). I have my eyes on some other series/runs, but we will see where the mood takes me.
I have a huge backlog of comics, trades, and prose books to read, so I'd like to get to 40-50 trades I own over the course of the year. I'd like to hit 1500 issues overall (via issues I own, books in trade, or stuff I have legal access to digitally) for the year. And I will set my Good Reads reading challenge total at 87 again (my goal the past two years, exceeded both years), with at least 15 of those being prose novels or short story collections. The rest will be the aforementioned trades, art books, game books or non-fiction stuff I read.
So essentially, my goal for 2022 is:
read more, buy less, and get my sh*t organized.
-M
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Post by berkley on Dec 30, 2021 21:06:17 GMT -5
In the broadest terms, read more new or recent stuff - say from the 2010s up to now. That's the only thing I'll need some resolve to to stick to. The oler stuff takes care of itself - I expect to continue with Steve Caynon, Dan Dare, maybe Johnny Hazard if I can find the volumes I need. I'll probably finish the Kurtzman-era MAD and then see if I want to continue on from there, assming I can find the issues collected somewhere. And I'll be reading maybe noe or two thing s more frm the 80s but mostly moving into the early-90s and beyond, depending on how long it takes me.
But the newer stuff I have trouble getting motivated for at times, so I hope to make a big dent in the 2010-2021 books on my stack. Last year I made a bad start on that score but gained just a bit of momentum towards the end, so I hope I can build on that.
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Post by MWGallaher on Dec 30, 2021 23:41:39 GMT -5
Buying Goals: None, unless I spot a reasonably-priced copy of Dell's El Dorado movie adaptation. I'm mostly out of paper collecting these days, although I'll do some library borrowing of comics material occasionally.
Reading Goals: After a couple of years reading a lot of Marvel Westerns, I'd like to find another genre I haven't sampled in depth, something I can access online. I'm leaning towards jungle comics. I'd also like to tackle reading complete runs of a few Golden Age features; I've made a good start on The Lost World (from PLANET COMICS) and Hour-Man (from ADVENTURE COMICS), and I certainly want to complete those. (I was toying with an in-depth thread on Hour-Man, something like chadwilliam's Spectre thread, but I don't know if anyone would really stick around for it.) Jack Cole's Midnight is one I'm interested in, The Heap is another.
Review Goals: I plan to finish my look at Marvel's 2nd tier Western heroes, since I've only got a few features left to spotlight: Black Rider, Wyatt Earp, and the original Rawhide and Two-Gun Kids. My instincts for completionism may compel me to spend at least a little effort on an overview of Marvel's Big Four Western features, Rawhide, Colt, Two-Gun, and Ghost Rider, but they got a lot of attention in my Western Team-Up thread.
Management Goals: I've got to unload a significant percentage of my collection. Too much I'll never read again, too much that wouldn't be worth my time to sell and isn't in good enough condition to draw interest. I've been able to toss quite a bit of it already, and it wasn't as painful as I thought it would be. I just need to identify the stuff I have to keep, the stuff with strong sentimental value, like the first year or two of comics, all the Aparo and Kirby series, the Super-Specs and Giant-Size issues, some of the complete runs I'm fond of, like DEFENDERS, the first L&R run...
Non-comics Goals: Another read-through of Mark Z. Danielewski's The Familiar Volumes 1-5, continuing my youtube synthesizer tutorials, getting the house in shape and sold so we can move into someplace new, refining my geoguessr skills, and writing some music!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2021 3:16:04 GMT -5
I was toying with an in-depth thread on Hour-Man, something like chadwilliam's Spectre thread, but I don't know if anyone would really stick around for it. I would have considerable interest in such a thread, the Man of the Hour is by far my favorite DC Golden Age hero. I feel like he is so underrepresented and cool, I waited forever for DC to give him a full Archive Edition (the partial reprinting of his Adventure run in the JSA All Stars volume was the closest we got). So at least one person would absolutely stick around for it!
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