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JTLarsen
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Posts posted by JTLarsen
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11 hours ago, jason4 said:
Asm 129.
Punisher >>>>>>>>> swamp thing
By what metric? Probably more popular, generally, but in TPB/HC sales? Critical acclaim? Artistic merit?
Swamp Thing had TWO epic, seminal runs that helped redefine the art form.
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On 9/16/2018 at 11:39 AM, Callaway29 said:
Well, regardless of that paradigm...179 is a low census for a bronze book. I was thinking perhaps the print runs for the UK were lower than US...
They were. Far smaller population.
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14 hours ago, ComicCollectorMatt said:
If people cared about this book, they had 20 years to buy it. Right now, its all a "pump and dump"
It’s almost as if they hadn’t heard of it or had reason to think it was special until a writer they enjoy flagged it and that piqued their interest in reading and owning it.
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8 hours ago, ComicCollectorMatt said:
WRONG. Here's what Cates said:
"When I was a little kid, my mom used to drop me off at the YMCA to be babysat while she was at work,” Cates tells ComicBook.com. “So naturally I would just sneak away down to the comic book store across the street. The store was called JT's comics in Garland, Texas, and it was there I first met Venom. And it was ALSO there that I read the scariest comic book I'd ever read. It was called Carnage: Mind Bomb (written by Warren Ellis with art by the incomparable Kyle Hotz!) and boy, oh boy, if you haven't read it, make sure you get thee to a comic book store and check it out. But read it with the lights on, because it will mess you up, man. It is brutal. And insane. And brilliant. It was there that the character of Carnage bloomed for me as a fan. He's been my favorite bad guy ever since, and to be able to write him is such a huge treat."
https://comicbook.com/marvel/2018/08/15/web-of-venom-carnage-born/
Mind Bomb has NO significance, spec-wise. People buying it up for ridiculous prices are only hurting themselves.
It may be that people are buying it because they want to own it. There’s this hobby called “comic COLLECTING.”
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10 hours ago, Howling Mad said:
"Go up in value" is a bit misleading. Similar to FF1, "exploded" in value is much more accurate. Collectors and even causal readers have known about FF48 for years. Heck, wasn't it isn't hoarded at release?
There's no doubt that some of the purchases are collectors who want to get in before it's too late (probably a few months ago at this point). However you'd have to think the vast, vast majority of purchases at this point are speculation driven.
These individuals better hope that Disney/Marvel doesn't scrap all of their plans for the next 5-10 years, otherwise they'll be sitting on books that will quickly fall form grace (FF1 withstanding--that books been undervalued for years).
"Exploded" is a metaphor. "Go up in value" is not. So, I'm comfortable with the relative accuracies there. "Doubled" or "tripled," if true, would obviously be a lot more accurate than either. Ninety-nine percent of the world has never heard of Fantastic Four #48.
I, for one, would not have to think that the vast, vast majority of purchases are speculation driven, given the meager polling that's been done on this issue. Does it make sense to point out reasons to suspect speculative motives? Sure. We just don't have the facts to draw conclusions.
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3 hours ago, Lucky Baru said:
If you were around for the 1990's (yes, a different type of speculation there) you'd know that what's been happening for the last 2 years feels a lot like what happened then. It all comes down to an opinion. I have mine and you may or may not look at it the same way. If not, please share why you feel the sudden increase in price has occurred.
Not knowing things is okay. For instance, if you were okay not knowing what I would know if I were around for the 1990s, you might not have told me what I would know if I were around for the 1990s. Which I was. I'm also not sure why you would assert what I would know...and then claim that it all comes down to opinion. It doesn't. There are facts at work here, we just don't know all of them. Which is why it's okay not to know things.
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7 hours ago, Chillax23 said:
Maybe not in isolation - but the fact that the rapid price increase happened to coincide with the Fox/Disney news almost certainly means there is speculation baked into the current prices (same with FF1's rise, Silver Surfer 1's rise, and even Hulk 181's rise). That does not mean that some of it is not end user driven - but to say there is no speculation on FF48 pricing (not saying you are saying that) would be laughable.
Which is why no one's saying it. And the same things that can fuel speculation can also fuel collectors...who want to get books for their PCs before the speculators run up the prices. I don't know how anyone would calculate what the ratio might be, but just the fact that there's a reason for a book to go up in value doesn't tell us whether that reason is motivating speculators more than collectors.
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On 8/12/2018 at 10:34 AM, Lucky Baru said:
I can't believe the explosion of what people are paying for the book. CGC 5.0 mid summer 2017 were going for 225.00 - 325.00. 2018, prices are $700.00+ - 1000.00. Holy smokes, lots of speculation going on. When will the bubble burst?
A rapid increase in prices alone doesn't tell us it's speculation. It could just be collectors who've always wanted it deciding they need to act now to get it in their PCs. Or new collectors awakening to its importance. A price run-up doesn't tell us the motives of the buyers.
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Warren Ellis, please.
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9 hours ago, kimik said:
It would be better to describe it as a dwindling number of collectors who are interested in selling and/or slabbing their raw copies that are neatly tucked away in mylars. There are a ton of raw copies still out there. As long as prices keep running up, there is less incentive for the owners to part with them. For example, I was talking with a collector friend that buys books from me at the LCS today. He is starting to part with the dozen raw copies he accumulated over the years to buy other books. He said the first two or three copies cost $5 apiece (still in the old bags) and the last purchase of his highest graded copy was a whopping $75.
As evidenced by the behavior of your friend in the anecdote you yourself describe, rising prices are actually MORE incentive for owners to part with them. That's, like, how it works.
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1 hour ago, Randall Ries said:
I don't think it is. Maybe I'm wrong, but should every 1st appearance of a given character be considered "key"?
How about the first appearance of a key character?
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5 hours ago, Kevin76 said:
Thor 337 isn't copper, it's Bronze, came out in 1983 if we are talking 1984-1991. Marvel Graphic Novel 4 came out in 1982 and Spawn 1 came out in 1992.
Definitely not bronze.
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This was a seminal re-imagining of one of the best known characters in popular fiction. By a pioneer of the form. Not a lot of mystery here.
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1 hour ago, Hey Kids, Comics! said:
My point was simply that I thought it was odd that they had kicked around the idea of doing a TV show based on a character who's been dead for 15+ years and isn't really on the radar of most of the average comics buying group's radar. If I've had 1000's of people at my booth and had zero requests for him (and I've had some crazy obscure asks), that's a fairly good indication of his current popularity. It's not a mainstream character or series is all I was saying after my initial post. I even backtracked on my own statement with "In hindsight I guess "meaningful" isn't a stretch for the time. Pretty sure that run won a few Eisner and CBG awards."
“Current popularity” has weak correlation with potential.
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I applaud and agree with not patronizing Walmart. It seems to me (a) DC should’ve given LCSes a shot at these but especially (b) the reprints should have much more variety; the classic 100-pagers had golden age reprints, I hated them but it taught me the variety that existed...it’s INSANE that these books don’t reprint anything from the animated/adventures series of Batman and Superman.
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Hawkman 4, Brave and Bold 60, and Doom Patrol 99 should see big bumps. HOS 92, too, though that’s really bronze. Strange Tales 135 eternally undervalued.
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9 minutes ago, Hey Kids, Comics! said:
Which is odd considering he's appeared in exactly one new comic issue since 2007.
He's one of those characters where they defer to the creator. In this case, Garth Ennis, who said what he wanted to with the series and then wrapped it up. Not for nothing, but it was amazing.
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30 minutes ago, thirdgreenham said:
Who wants a Big Five Information Guide? CGC 9.2
Auction ends in 50 minutes
But, but...I wanna read it!
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On 6/21/2018 at 11:55 PM, followtheleader said:
Can't believe how much Miracleman has fallen off the wagon since Marvel taking over.
So I've been grabbing them when they are nice and cheap.
Majority of my purchases at Denver Comic Con this past weekend were those.
Patrick
These are going to go ballistic when (a) movie (b) integrated into continuity, or (c) both.
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18 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said:
Stormwatch Vol 1 #37-50, vol 2 #1-11, Wildcats vs. Aliens, and the Authority #1-12 is one of the best runs in comics history, and that's saying a lot.
I'll definitely have to look for these. Warren Ellis has always been a fantastic writer, and I'm sad he doesn't get the due of a Millar or a Morrison, and he is their equal.
100%
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52 minutes ago, kevhtx said:
I've been buying Middleton covers for almost 2 years. He has talent and has been underappreciated. There is no doubt about that. I think he is finally getting his due and some attention. Imo, his covers are better than some of the current "hot" cover artists that get most of the buzz. I think this could be a step for him.
I was thinking he was a flash in the pan. Then when I went to look for some of his past work and it turned out I had already picked up some of them because they were just good covers.
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1 hour ago, NoMan said:
Um, It's an opinion re: Bill S. Like what do like better at Baskin Robbins, Chocolate or Cookies and Cream. My opinion is Bill S artwork on Elektra Assassin is a distraction cause it's over the top but in the Miller Daredevil Graphic Novel Bill S rides the razor perfectly. Also I feel Bill S was at his peak on Moon Knight 24 to 30 (or thereabouts)
It's all good. I'm gonna go to this Japanese steakhouse for dinner. It's gonna be rad.
BTW, who says EA was "ground breaking and acclaimed?"
Quick check of Wikipedia refers to its unique style and its Eisner nomination. Ground breaking and acclaimed. I’m sure you can find other examples if you’re still curious.
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On 5/21/2018 at 4:05 PM, NoMan said:
I'm reading the entire 1982 run. On #27 or so.
It started off not so good. Bill S. art was ok, Doug M. writing was ok. I think I've said it before, not sure why they were not already up to speed having stories in WWBN and back up in Hulk magazine, but whatever.
Around the time the book went to 75 cent cover price and comic store only distribution it's really started to get good. Bill s. artwork is really shinning through and you can see him grow as an artist (before he went totally went off the deep-end and was un-lookable so much so it distracts from story - think Electra Epic 8-issue limited series) Doug M stories are really picking up, too in fact so much so when a guest writer & artist step in the whole book just collapses. In previewing upcoming books I see Bill S. splits and no longer does interior art.
We'll see....
Um, Elektra Assassin was ground breaking and acclaimed. Before that Sienkiewicz was something of an Adams clone. Elektra Assassin is a milestone.
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6 hours ago, RockMyAmadeus said:
Until Miracleman/Marvelman is resolved and news stories produced, Warrior #1 will always lag. And, it's a mag, so it's got a strike against it.
If it was in comic book form, I imagine it would be a several thousand dollar book in ultra high grade.
Agreed on both fronts, making it still a great deal now. Lots of bargains to be had with UK mags, old Marvelman comics, etc.
Top 50 Copper Books in Overstreet
in Copper Age Comic Books
Posted
Replace it with Wonder Woman 72.