Least Collectible Comic Series? 2 2

[piper]

22 hours ago, comicginger1789 said:

Devoid? If you’ve never read Warlord you are missing out. Great stories and even better art.

Also Phantom Stranger may notnhave the best stories but the artwork is always a hit, covers and interiors.

Between Aparo and Adams, there are some very good artwork in PS.  I actually enjoyed the Len Wein scripts, but then again he's one of my favourite characters.

Next we're going to hear that Adventure 431-440 is terrible.

Thank goodness, he didn't bash away at my other favourite drek series, What If?.

[piper]

On 9/27/2020 at 10:05 AM, letsgrumble said:

I’m a run collector of many Marvel and DC mainstream titles.

With comic conventions cancelled this year, I’ve really missed digging through the bins. And with many years of doing this under my belt, I can readily see which titles are the slow movers that even I would pass over. Or which titles I am dumbfounded sitting in a bargain bin at a dollar. 

There are so many titles I would classify as bottom-tier, bargain-bin books that they need to be further classified into separate tiers. And these examples have to be restricted to Marvel and DC bronze to copper-age otherwise I'd be listing thousands of titles. So here goes:

TIER I – ABSOLUTE DREK: Titles devoid of collectability.

Examples:
All-Star Squadron (1981)
Arak: Son of Thunder (1981)
Phantom Stranger (1969)
Warlord (1976)
John Carter, Warlord of Mars (1977)
Power Man & Iron Fist (1974)
Sleepwalker (1991)
Wonder Man (1991)
X-Factor (1986)

TIER II – DREK SOME PEOPLE LOVE: Titles that would be devoid of collectability if it weren’t for some of you odd fellows out there.

Amethyst (1983, 1985)
Kamandi (1972)
Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes (1976)
Alpha Flight (1983) 
Cable (1993)
Cloak and Dagger (1985, 1990)
Darkhawk (1990)

TIER III – SO, WHOS ACTUALLY BUYING THESE BOOKS? Titles we assume as collectable but sit unsold in bargain bins.

Superman (1939), post-200 issues
Marvel Comics Presents (1988)
Mighty Thor (1966), post-200 issues
World's Finest Comics (1941)

TIER IV – THE HARD TRUTH: Titles that are and will be regular run-of-the-mill bargain bin fodder until further notice.

New Teen Titans (1980)
Avengers (1963), post-200 issues
Daredevil (1964) yes, even the Frank Miller issues
Defenders (1972) 
Doctor Strange (1974)
Hulk (1968), post-200 issues excluding McFarlane
Invaders (1975)
Iron Man (1968)
Ka-Zar (1974)
Marvel Team-Up (1970)
Marvel Two-In-One (1972)
New Mutants (1983)
West Coast Avengers (1985)

TIER V – FLICKER OF HOPE: Titles, commonly found in bargain bins, now showing some life or renewed interest.

DC Comics Presents (1978)
Avengers (1963)
Conan the Barbarian (1970)
Eternals (1985)
Fantastic Four (1961), post-200 issues
Marvel Fanfare (1982)
Marvel Tales (1964)
Master of Kung-Fu (1974)
Moon Knight (1980)
Namor, the Sub-Mariner (1968)
Sensational She-Hulk (1989)
Wolverine (1988)

TIER VI – IT’S GOLD JERRY, GOLD: Titles that have graduated out of the bargain bin and into the sanctity of collections.

The Flash (1959, 1987) late bronze to copper
Wonder Woman (1942, 1987) late bronze to copper
Amazing Spider-Man (1963) later post-McFarlane issues no longer considered drek.
Captain America (1968)
Eternals (1976)
Ms. Marvel (1977)
Uncanny X-Men (1963) post-Byrne to issue 300

Disclaimer: I’m pulling all of this out of my . I have no credibility and write this with my own personal bias. I've also rushed this list so I can get ready for today’s NFL football games.
 

The hard truth is that most folks (myself included) are only buying keys and classic covers.  I get my run fix by collecting Trades and Omnis.

Heck, I even picked up the Cloak and Dagger Omnibus over the weekend.

[MisterX]

I'm surprised no one mentioned bronze age Jonah Hex. For years I felt like I was the only person buying them. 

[FineCollector]

On 9/27/2020 at 12:05 PM, letsgrumble said:

I’m a run collector of many Marvel and DC mainstream titles.

With comic conventions cancelled this year, I’ve really missed digging through the bins. And with many years of doing this under my belt, I can readily see which titles are the slow movers that even I would pass over. Or which titles I am dumbfounded sitting in a bargain bin at a dollar. 

There are so many titles I would classify as bottom-tier, bargain-bin books that they need to be further classified into separate tiers. And these examples have to be restricted to Marvel and DC bronze to copper-age otherwise I'd be listing thousands of titles. So here goes:

 

I want to shop where you shop... where I am, I'm paying good money for a lot of this unless it's VG or less.

[Pixx_L]

On 9/27/2020 at 12:09 AM, thunsicker said:

For comics that aren’t much collected, but are fun reads, I’ll nominate American Flagg!  I loved that back in the 80’s.

I really wish Image would reprint these in HC. So many people talk about this series but it seems difficult to come by any collected volumes.

[comicginger1789]

I mean I’m not die hard hunting for Phantom Stranger or Warlord but if I find it for the right price it’s coming home with me no matter what.

[Ken Aldred]

1 hour ago, piper said:

Between Aparo and Adams, there are some very good artwork in PS.  I actually enjoyed the Len Wein scripts, but then again he's one of my favourite characters.

 

I only have the Showcase reprint book.  But, Phantom Stranger is a good read.

 

1 hour ago, piper said:

Next we're going to hear that Adventure 431-440 is terrible.

That'd be quite wrong.  One of the best series of the Bronze Age.  Classic version of The Spectre.

Edited September 29, 2020 by Ken Aldred

[F For Fake]

1 hour ago, piper said:

Isn't a Five Years Later Omnibus coming out?

It's out! Came out last week. Mine should be on the way. I can't believe it happened, and I'm pleased as punch, but the truth is if anyone wanted to go the cheap route, they could probably assemble the contents in floppy form for about half of the Omni price (or a quarter of the msrp.)

[frozentundraguy]

On 9/25/2020 at 4:03 PM, ADAMANTIUM said:

Champions

That's bronze

Maybe?

I have Champions #1, but its been so long since I read it cant remember if its good bad or indifferent.

[ADAMANTIUM]

46 minutes ago, frozentundraguy said:

I have Champions #1, but its been so long since I read it cant remember if its good bad or indifferent.

Not sure how I'd rank it, better than marvel premiere 28, maybe on par or better than marvel Feature #1

That's not saying a whole lot I know

But decent and it's still collected somewhat.....

Edited September 29, 2020 by ADAMANTIUM
#1

[frozentundraguy]

4 minutes ago, ADAMANTIUM said:

Not sure how I'd rank it, better than marvel premiere 28, maybe on par or better than marvel Feature #1

That's not saying a whole lot I know

But decent and it's still collected somewhat.....

Now I will have to drag that issue out and read it again. Its probably been a decade or so since I read it. I do recall the cover is pretty good.

[ADAMANTIUM]

1 minute ago, frozentundraguy said:

Now I will have to drag that issue out and read it again. Its probably been a decade or so since I read it. I do recall the cover is pretty good.

Been a while since I read mine and slabbed it (8.5), so feel free to report back and blast me

 

[frozentundraguy]

Will do as soon as I can pry myself away from my computer.

 

[OtherEric]

On 9/27/2020 at 1:00 PM, F For Fake said:

Huge LoSH fan here, but it's true, once you get into the 80's, there's very little that will cost you more than a buck. And that includes the entire runs of Tales, the Baxter Series, the Five Years Later series, the Threeboot/Archie Legion, and the Abnett/Lanning Legion, the Waid/Supergirl series, etc.  It really is like 25+ years of books without a single key or hot issue.

There was a time when the two Baxter Death of Superboy issues commanded a premium, but they're dollar bin books now as well. I will occasionally see those two issues in a dealers bins for $10-$20, but ain't no body paying that when you can go to the booth next door and get them for a buck.

On one hand it's a shame, because that run from the Baxter series through 5YL is one of my absolute favorite comic series of all time, and I wish more people dug it. (I also really love the Moy/Threeboot books, they were super duper fun. I'm less enamored of Legion Lost/Worlds etc and the Waid stuff.) But on the other hand, I don't mind, because I've been able to put all of those runs together a couple of times now for a buck a book or less.

 

I am as huge a LSH fan as you can get... I've got the whole run from Adventure 247 on... but agreed that nobody seems to care about the bulk of the run.  I think part of it is the fact that Legion fans have a real tendency to go big or go home; either people aren't bothering with those runs or they already have the full set.

Here's the one 80's LSH issue I recall paying more than 5 bucks for:

[piper]

11 hours ago, Ken Aldred said:

I only have the Showcase reprint book.  But, Phantom Stranger is a good read.

 

That'd be quite wrong.  One of the best series of the Bronze Age.  Classic version of The Spectre.

There’s a PS Omnibus coming out in 2021.

Edited September 29, 2020 by piper

[valiantman]

On 9/27/2020 at 11:05 AM, letsgrumble said:

Superman (1939), post-200 issues

Superman #233 would like you to reconsider. 

[F For Fake]

11 hours ago, OtherEric said:

I am as huge a LSH fan as you can get... I've got the whole run from Adventure 247 on... but agreed that nobody seems to care about the bulk of the run.  I think part of it is the fact that Legion fans have a real tendency to go big or go home; either people aren't bothering with those runs or they already have the full set.

Here's the one 80's LSH issue I recall paying more than 5 bucks for:

Cool book! I don't have that one.

It's odd because going into the 80's, Legion was on a level with New Teen Titans as one of DC's flagship books. But at some point they lost the readers. Was it 5YL? Was it Threeboot? I know Crisis threw a monkeywrench into things, and even with Zero Hour and everything else, they never seemed to "fix" Legion continuity, at least not enough to bring readers back. It's been relaunched at least three times since then, that I can think of. It just never seems to stick. It's a shame. I really love these books and these characters, but even I stopped buying them after the Shooter returned to the LoSH and that volume ended. That was it for me. I sampled the New 52 books but couldn't make myself care, and haven't read any of the newest relaunch either.

 

[Hamlet]

On 9/28/2020 at 7:32 AM, KirbyJack said:

If you want a quarter bin series to read, I suggest Alien Legion. It's really fun. If I knew a Netlix exec, I'd pitch it to him as an ongoing series.

Shh!  I'm trying to fill a long box of Alien Legion #1 out of dollar boxes before this happens

I only have like 8-9 copies so far.  The pandemic has really crimped my hoarding style.

[F For Fake]

Germane to the LoSH discussion, I suddenly recalled that there is at least ONE Legion book from the last 30 years that is worth considerably more than a buck. I got mine at cover price as a holds customer. Sold it when I sold all of my books (the first) time several years later, I think I got maybe $20 for it? It took a LOOOONG time for this book to spike. Hoping I'll find another one at a not-stupid price some day.

[OtherEric]

1 hour ago, F For Fake said:

Germane to the LoSH discussion, I suddenly recalled that there is at least ONE Legion book from the last 30 years that is worth considerably more than a buck. I got mine at cover price as a holds customer. Sold it when I sold all of my books (the first) time several years later, I think I got maybe $20 for it? It took a LOOOONG time for this book to spike. Hoping I'll find another one at a not-stupid price some day.

OK, TWO LSH books that I paid more than $5 for.  I actually paid around $20 for my copy a couple years after it came out but before it went insane.  Did you sell yours on eBay?