SW3D's Journal

A journal by SW3D

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Entries in this journal

Swamp Thing Streaming Series Canceled

June 6, 2019 It's been a long time since I posted a comment or written a journal. I've been on the sidelines watching the world of comics vicariously through the movies, TV shows, the internet, and auction houses. What brings me back is the sad and dissapointing news that the DC Universe has pulled the plug on the new Swamp Thing series after having only aired one episode. It's a head scratching decision since the show was given absolutely no chance to succeed, yet it has drawn gl
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All By Myself... Don't Wanna Be... All by Myself...

Actually, in this case I don't mind being by myself.   So, it is official... Spawn #9 is a very hot! hot! hot! little comic. Word of Neil Gaiman's move to Marvel Comics, and his decision to take the Angela property with him has sparked a massive interest in Spawn #9, the 1st appearance of the red haired angelic beauty (I love redheads!).Well, it seems there were about half a million copies of this comic printed back in the day. How many have survived I have no clue, but there are a lot of the
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Daredevil 181: Newsstand Edition vs. Direct Edition...

If memory serves me correctly, this may have already been discussed on a journal topic or two, or on the chat boards, but I can't seem to find it. And if anyone knows of the discussion I'm referring to or something similar, I would be grateful if you could point it out. Anyway... the other day I noticed on eBay, a seller has on auction, Daredevil 181, the infamous, "Death of Elektra". It's the Newsstand Edition in 9.8. In his seller's description and characteristics, he provides the GPA Analys
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Adam Warlock Keys: What comic book key issues should be included in this set?

Recently, the CGC has modified the Adam Warlock Keys Set by adding a number of titles where Adam Warlock has made an appearance (comic books which are mostly concentrated in the Bronze Age). Personally, I do not agree with these new additions, since the theme of the set is Adam Warlock Keys, meaning only those comic books which have key significance related to Adam Warlock should be included in this set. Which comic books you may ask? Well, although I am no comic book historian, nonetheless, I w
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Remembering Eli Katz: Recent Book Releases to Re-Ignite Your Love for Gil Kane!

Adventures of Superman Gil Kane Gil Kane's The Amazing Spider-Man: Artist's EditionYesterday afternoon, as it seems to be my daily custom of late, while on my lunch break, I visited Midtown Comics Grand Central. I actually went there with the intentions to buy the trade paperback volume collecting Grant Morrison's seminal 80's run on Animal Man... which I did. Aside from that, I also checked-out the wall of new releases and noted, with a measure of indifference, Marvel's Superior Spiderman #1 t
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Those Comics in Your Basement? Probably Worthless

I caught this article on Yahoo tonight, written by Eric Spitznagel of BusinessWeek. See the link: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/those-comics-basement-probably-worthless-095537403.html   I really disagree with it... and I think it's a bit unfair. What are your thoughts? SW3DBarry T. Smith, 44, spent most of his life collecting comic books. And he always considered them an investment. "These books would someday be college tuition, or a house down payment," Smith remembers thinking. "I would lay
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A Very Rare Find! ACA Comix No. 1

AKA... John Byrne's First Published Comic Book!   AKA... Thank you Marvel Comics and Dan Slott for the Distraction!I went to Midtown Comics Grand Central yesterday during my lunch break. It was busier than normal, and I just assume everyone was there buying up the sickening glut of variant covers of Amazing Spider-Man #700... the last issue and "death" of Peter Parker... well lots of them were, but some shoppers were lucky recipients of X-mas gift cards looking to redeem and take advantage of
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A Bar Code Trick Revealed!

How to Identify First Print Editions and Variant Covers Using the Bar Code Here's a little trick that was revealed to me by the good people at Midtown Comics. I asked the question: How can I determine if a comic is a first print edition versus a second print edition and if it's a standard cover or a variant cover? His answer: Check the bar code. Now let me explain what he meant. Take the two available covers of Hero Worship Issue 1 published by Avatar Press. One cover depicts Zenith sa
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Angela: Fallen Angel in the Marvel U

Thus far, Angela has made three appearances in the Marvel Universe proper. Her first being in the last issue of the Age of Ultron Maxi-Series. Her second and third, in Guardians of the Galaxy 5 and 6, respectively. In the latest issue of Guardians of the Galaxy, No. 6, Angela takes on the entire team and manages to utter only one word throughout the entire issue. That's right... just one word! WTF?! What happened to the sexy, flippant, "in-your-face", loquacious Bounty Hunter I used to know an
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Angela: Fallen Angel in the Marvel U: Part II

Essential Reading: Angela Pre-Marvel   Two days ago, I ranted about Angela's current incarnation in the Marvel Universe. I was particularly unhappy with Angela's one word dialogue in Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 3, No. 6, and her rather shallow depiction among other things.I was kindly reminded that GOTG 7 was released on Wednesday, October 16th, and that I should read it. And I promised that not only would I do so, but apologize and retract my earlier comments if I found Angela's ship righ
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ACA Comix No. 1 The Death's-Head Knight by John Byrne CGC Graded 8.5

AKA... John Byrne's Ultra Rare First Published Comic Book! Last December, on the 27th to be exact, I shared my little story of how I walked into Midtown Comics Grand Central and walked out with this ultra rare Holy Grail... for only $3. That's right... only three dollars! And the original sticker price on the comic was $5, however, MCGC was running a 40% sale on all back issues. So when all was said and done, I walked away with this piece of comic book history for just three bucks! Incredible!
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Aria/Angela: Heavenly Creatures #'s 1 and 2: The Variants Part I

I'm not a huge fan of variants. In my opinion they are a publishing gimmick to get the vulnerable comic collector into spending more cash. Variants are nothing more than a single comic book clothed in multiple shirts; honestly, it's rather foolish of us to fall for such marketing ploys. And yet, I'm probably one of the biggest fools! Aria/Angela: Heavenly Creatures is a two (2) issue mini-series published by Image Comics nearly 15 years ago. It features my favorite hellion, Angela, before she
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Heart Strings: A New Love in My Life!

"Where have I been?" That's what some of you may have been asking... others... are probably saying "Who cares?"   Well... for those who care... in the beginning of 2014, I was still a passionate comic book collector. Then in late January early February, I fell in love.Before I reveal this new love, I just want to say I am still collecting comic books and still have every interest in the hobby. I keep an eye on the market and visit the CGC journals weekly... but to my shame, I haven't been cont
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Mogo Doesn't Socialize...

The 1st Appearance of the Green Lantern known as Mogo! This little beauty was delivered to my greedy little hands yesterday afternoon. It is a newsstand bought copy of Green Lantern, Volume 2, Issue number 188. I bought it for a measly 75 cents back in 1985 and read it once or twice, maybe three times. It was graded 9.4 (Near Mint); not bad for a 28 year old comic! Lamentably, I can't remember what the main story is about... I have just a vague recollection based on the cover: John Stewart
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Speaking of Judge Dredd... Judge Dredd Unmasked!

AKA... Only a Face a Mother Could Love!   Not to steal Mikelutes thunder, but I was meaning to post this for sometime now, so his journal posting seemed liked the perfect segue......I have been a fan of Judge Dredd, ever since I first read the Eagle Comics reprint of the mini-series: The Judge Child Quest. Inspired by the release of Dredd 3-D (which was pretty good considering it was filmed on a low budget; Karl Urban rocks as Dredd!), I went on my own quest to find and purchase a high grade c
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Reminiscing about Miracleman, Marvelman, and Warrior: The Magazine of Quite Weird Heroes...

With the formal announcement by Marvel Comics (at New York Comic Con on October 14, 2013), of the publisher's planned volume reprints of the 24-issues run of Eclipse's Miracleman (hitting LCS racks sometime in January 2014), and the continuation and perhaps the conclusion to Neil Gaiman's saga of the character, I could not help but get nostalgic about the first time Alan Moore's ground-breaking sojourn into superhero deconstruction, appeared in print. Sometime in 1985, I first read the exploit
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Did Walter Simonson Murder Superman?

Back in 1992, a few months before Superman was infamously "killed" by Doomsday, DC published a one-shot special by Walter Simonson, appropriately called: Superman Special #1 by Walter Simonson.   And what is so special about this comic book?At the moment, it is the first of its kind. Not only is it the first graded example to be introduced to the CGC Census, giving it temporary OAK (One-of-a-Kind) status until others get graded, but it's also further distinguished by its triple signature provi
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Captain America: Transformation & Triumph: Kiehl's Promotional Giveaway

Once again, I'm thrilled to introduce and debut a new comic to the CGC Census and to the Collectors Society. For all you Captain America and Marvel fans, this one-shot comic was a promotional giveaway that was included as a free insert in the Thursday Edition of the Wall Street Journal on June 6, 2013. My brother, who's into the stock market, reads the Wall Street Journal daily. And he knows I'm a big comic book geek, so he calls me late in the evening (about 9ish) on June 6th, to let me know
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Taking 2nd Place!: Tales of the Zombie...

"The Blood-Hued Sun sets slowly this eve, painting the Louisiana Bayous in tones of ominous crimson. On the shore, men and women already prepare for the midnight ritual to come. Wood is gathered, a bonfire ignited! Now, the moon rises... and it begins! Drums pound out strange sensual rhythms, recalling the pulsation of hearts that once beat in primordial Africa. Clothes are discarded... and naked bodies jerk and writhe, spasmodically, held fast in the throes of ancient passions. Then, she a
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The All-New Origin of Angela

Spoiler Alert: Plot Details from Original Sin: Thor & Loki: The Tenth Realm #1 Hello Boys and Girls, tis me again, your humble Angela fanatic with another exciting installment of "For the Love of Angela". I have a confession... after Guardians of the Galaxy 10, I completely lost track of Angela. I recently skimmed through copies of GOTG 11 - 13, and All-New X-Men 22 -- 24, at my local LCS, to see what my fair lady was up to, but the whole "Trial of Jean Grey" just didn't do it for me. And
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Amazing Spider-Man Movie Rumors and Easter Eggs: Thomas Fireheart, aka The Puma

Well, I woke-up this morning to find my Amazing Spider-Man 256, 9.2 Original Owner Copy Newsstand Edition just sold on eBay! What? That was random? Or was it? Last night, before the purchase, I received an e-mail from one buyer interested in my copy asking if I could reduce the already discounted price of $49. And I thought about it and counter-offered offering $45. And I explained to the interested party, at $45 I would just break-even. Well, lo and behold, another buyer comes in out-of-now
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Pressing: Both Sides of a Much Heated Issue...

The very topic of Pressing is a much heated debate with a clear division for those who see it as a non-restorative technique and those who do and are seeking pro-disclosure. This journal entry is not intended as a rebuttal or definitive response to the "Pressing Debate", but intended to give unbiased insights on why the issue remains relevant to many collectors and to offer collectors a broader scope of understanding, education, knowledge, and awareness of our hobby. The following text is quot
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Another Kingdom Hath Risen! Rise O Rise Kingdom of the Curse of the Spawn #9

Also Known As: The Other Number 9!   Curse of the Spawn 9: The Origin of Angela!I love keys. And I love rare books. And I love OAKs. But I especially love when I am the first to introduce a comic book to the CGC Census, and one that combines all three of these virtues.And I did this once before with the very same character that I have since fallen in love with: Neil Gaiman and Todd McFarlane's angelic co-creation: Angela. That book in question is the Newsstand Variant Edition of Spawn 9: Angel
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A Pedigree Trifecta!

AKA: "It's Him! It's Him! It's Him!" Well I had to do it; I had to buy another. I have no idea what compels me to do such crazy things like buying multiple copies of comics that I love; it's probably mental illness. Since early 2013, I had been searching for another copy of Marvel Premiere #1: a key showcasing the metamorphosis of HIM into Warlock. But I wasn't searching for just any example of Marvel Premiere #1... I had to have a Suscha News pedigree graded 9.6 with white pages. Why? Beca
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Aria/Angela: Heavenly Creatures: The Variants: Part III: Blue Eyed Angela...

My sincerest apologies to the CGC for posting a picture involving a PGX graded comic book, and to anyone else who may take offense, but if it is any consolation, it is my intention to eventually crack it open and submit it to the CGC for grading. This journal happens to be my third entry (hence Part III) focusing on the numerous variants published for the Aria/Angela: Heavenly Creatures mini-series, and as I stated in the prior journals, my goal to collect them all. The pair in the picture rep
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