Since we spent the last month pretty much firmly entrenched in the world of Superman, I thought it might be fun to look at some of the other non-Superman titles that I collect.  This will almost always be a Superman-centric journal, as that is where my main interest lies these days, but I'll allow myself the occasional diversion as I see fit.

As I mentioned way back in my first journal post, the first title I started collecting back in 1985 was The Avengers.  So the very first back issue I ever bought was The Avengers #138 from August 1975.

The Vision soon became my favorite character, so I specifically started collecting his key issues and cool covers.  I remember I had to pay a whole $5 for The Avengers #134-135, featuring the revised origin of The Vision!  

That was quite a princely sum back in the days of having to rely on allowances, and not summer jobs, for my funds.  Even so, I was soon able to fill out the run from issue #134 up to current.  I started buying off the racks at that same time with issue #256, so that was a solid 120 issues of back issue collecting that I set for my first goal.  I've since eBayed off #211-402 and the awesome Busiek/Perez volume three run.  The selling off was all post-Marvel Cinematic Universe, so I was able to get a nice price for a couple of runs filled with non-key after non-key.

I still have my run of #8-210, but it's pretty spotty for issues before #100.  I don't really actively collect the title anymore, but I'll still pick up the occasional issue if the price is right or it has The Vision standing tall with arms crossed in the upper left!

This issue cost me a whole $8 back in 1985.

I vividly remember standing in front of the glass case at Reader's Comics in Westland, Michigan staring at The Avengers #57 from October 1968.  My friend and I were going back and forth on wether or not it was worth the eight bucks, or if I was going to be paying too much.  As you can see from the scan above I did buy it, and it has been a valued book ever since.  I've sold an awful lot of books over the last ten years, but this one will more than likely be one of the last to leave my collection.

The Avengers #16 from May 1965 was always out of my price range growing up.  I never did come across a copy until a few years ago when I snagged this copy for $5 at the Oddball: Emporium of the Weird show in Akron, Ohio in 2015.

It's beat to hell, but I don't care...look at that cover!  That's a keeper in any condition, and I just wanted a copy for the collection.  The same goes for Kang's first appearance in The Avengers #8 from September 1964.

This was one of my last purchases as I was leaving the Motor City Comic-Con in 2013 and cost me $10.

Something else that I just noticed while filing these issues away, this run also contains my first ever tape pull!

Increasing the value of everyone else's comic book collection one book at a time since 1986!

So those are my personal favorites from my Avengers run.  Tomorrow, we'll take a closer look at the other Marvel title I still maintain a collection of.