The Flash #105 - A piece of Comic book history

I always enjoy just seeing a Flash #105, it is one of those issues I just always keep an eye for in the hopes that one day I will own a copy.

At Special Edition: NYC I saw an in graded copy for $800. Then as I was walking around Wizard World - Philadelphia ther was a 5.0 (Very Good/ Fine condition) for $1,550, the vendor has had this copy for over a year. Guess I'll save my pennies.

Released in March, 1959, this issue is important because it was the first self titled issue of The Flash in the Silver Age, which by the way the Flash actually started with his first appearance (Barry Allen)in Showcase #4. The Flash began the new age of Superheroes and they were now mixed with science fiction.

The Flash getting his own title just confirmed superheroes were back. One might asks why issue #105  not #1, to answer that question you have to look back to the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick.

Jay Garrick was the original Flash and his comics, yes he had multiple titles and they sold extremely well during the Golden Age of comics. As the age came to an end so did Flash Comics with issue #104. Keep in mind comic publishers saved money when they used existing postal licenses so #105 made sense, kind of.

The Flash #105 had art by the late great Carmine Infantino, story by John Broome, both had worked on the Golden Age Flash as well. There were two separate stories in the first issue.

The first story was titled Conquerer from 8 Million B.C.  The villain was Katmos, who never appears again. Katmos is is the sole survivor of a metallic race that ruled the Earth 80 million years ago, who uses his mind control gun on an archeologist to free him. His plan is to try to take over the world, but he needs to steal some devices to do so. The prehistoric humanoid battles the Flash, who he captures and places in sealed tube which will cause Flash to be 1,000 times heavier than normal. The Flash gets free, battles Katmos and wins. Yes the Flash wins.
Lots of science fiction in this first story, time travel, scientific devices and prehistoric man (huh).

The second story introduces a new criminal who would become one of the Rogues, a group of Flashes greatest villains. Mirror Master robs a bank using his special mirrors the he found in prison. Barry Allen, the Flash, happens to be in the bank at the time and he notices something strange. Mirror Master has used his mirror technology to duplicate the bank manager, who is acting strange.
The Flash follows the manager and soon finds the Mirror Master's various mirror traps, he battles some creatures that he defeats. The Flash then finds the Mirror Master. Who he battles and defeats. He quickly captures the crook and turns him over to the police.
Same as first story regarding the use of science and technology. This story is the better of the two especially because Mirror Master will become a key villain throughout the Flashes history.


This issue contained what made the Silver Age so much different then the Golden Age, the introduction of science and technology made superhero comics popular again, we owe this resurgence to the Flash.  So if you have some extra cash lying around, go on a hunt and find this key issue for your collection or as a gift to me for bringing you all this comic information.

Good luck in your hunt!
#jointhehunt.

Wizard World - On the hunt in Philadelphia

Yesterday we spent the entire day at Wizard World Philadelphia, a comic book and pop culture convention. Wizard Worlds is held at the Philadelphia Convention Center and the show floor is HUGE! Vendors, artists and celebrities side by side on the same show floor.

We were there the entire day, I was hunting for comics and collectibles to add to the trophy room and the kids were getting autographs from Doctor Who stars Matt Smith and Karen Gillian, plus Darryl Dixon himself, Norman Reedus. And yes it was awesome. I quote "Best day of y life!"

The actual hunting part was okay, there were plenty of vendors selling all types of comics, toys and art. Prices were medium range, vendors attributed that to high cost of table space.

The spoils of the hunt

Hit the dollar bins first and some great success, found Superboy #148 and #149, bought issues had original cover price of .12, cover date June and July 1968. Both were in fine condition. These two to good to be true I actually had to ask the vendor if it was a mistake. He said they were new boxes they just bought and had not gone through the yet. SCORE! Moral, check dollar bins, there is hidden treasure there.

 Also picked up an X-Force #1 from the dollar bin. When this issue first came out it was a big seller. Written and drawn by Rob Liefeld and packed with superhero team action.

 

Another great dollar bin find that brought back some fond memories, Alpha Flight #1. John Bryne is one of my favorite artist and Alpha Flight was a big deal when it came out way back in 1983. Exploding from the page of X-Men, the team of mutants were like X-Men Canada. John Bryne at his comic best, great cover, great art and great story. An awesome find and a great re-addition to the collection.



Filled in some of the titles that I have been gathering, The Flash Vol. 2 #205 (Feb 2004) guest staring Batman. Justice League Europe #21, 23, and 26 (1990-1991) Only 15 more issues to go. Final Crisis: Rogues Revenge #2 and #3,(2008) Final Crisis by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins starring the Flash Rogues, My favorite villains in the DCU.  Finally picked up another gem, I have begun collecting some older titles, Shazam #18 (1975) My first Shazam! comic, in fine condition and steal for $1 even if it is written for kids. Aren't we all just little children inside.

 



Also went to the variant cover bin, a regular stop on all our convention hunts, picked up three more The Flash New 52 issues #4, 5 and 7 each one was only $2.50. Variant covers contain art by different artists then the usual artist. #4 was done by Eric Basaldua, #5 by Gary Frank and #7 awesome Dale Keown art.



Finally the big bang of the hunt, The Flash #142 for $25. Adding another one of the Barry Allen Flash issues to the collection is always a priority for every hunt we are on but it is getting harder and harder to find any o my missing issues, only 40 left. Also came across a Flash #105 which will be highlighted in an upcoming post.

We left the con, after waiting till 9:30 to get an autograph from Norman Reedus   so it was pretty empty (see photo of floor). A fun day was had by all not the greatest hunting grounds but the best day of my daughters life.

Wizard World Philadelphia Grade = B-

More news on WW Philly, original commissioned art up next.

Good luck on your hunt.
#jointhehunt #comiccon #superboy #normanreedus #mattsmith #dollarbin

'Twas the night before comic con

'Twas the night before comic con and all were filled with glee.
The fanboys were excited thinking of Stan Lee.
The wants lists were printed, with issues so rare.
The hope was Wil Wheaton would surely be there.

The cosplayers were dressed with breastplates engraved,
while collectors were ready with money they saved;
And Trekkies in their red, while troopers in white,
Both started arguing it was time for a fight.

When out in the hall there was such a cheer,
We all started running Joss Whedon was here;
Away to the panel to hear about Ultron,
This time Quicksilver is Aaron Taylor-Johnson;

He spoke not a word, he was Kick-Ass after all,
Then out from the side all 6 feet tall,
It was Chris Hemsworth carrying the hammer of Thor,
None of the us fans could take anymore;

So back to the floor we all went to hunt for our treasure,
We do it for fun, for profit or pleasure,
This day was going to be out of sight
"Happy Convetion to all and to all a good-night!"

Enjoy your convention, try to have fun.

The beauty that is Detective Comics #27

When you walk around a comic convention hunting for some hidden treasure you may actually come across a magnificent piece of history. Recently as myself and my two daughters walked around the Special Edition: NYC comic convention we happened to come across a copy of Detective Comics #27 along with its own personal armed security guard (REALLY). The rarity of this issue was not only in its scarcity but also that this particular copy is graded a 9.4, which is almost gem mint. Basically it looked like it came right off the shelf o. Wednesday at your local comic shop.
 It's estimated value is $500,000. Yes a five and five zeros.

You might ask why this is such a rare and expensive comic book. Detective comics #27 is the first appearance of Batman, a character who would become one of the most recognizable fictional characters in the world.

Released in May of 1939 after creator Bob Kane was asked by DC comics ( yes named after the very title of the comic) to create a character that would be as popular as Superman who was selling a million plus issues a month, so not an easy task for Mr. Kane. History would soon tell us that he did not disappoint. Batman quickly became a huge success for DC comics, he was even given his owntitle  shortly after his introduction. He to started selling a million plus issues a month, becoming the perfect addition for Superman and making DC comics a publishing powerhouse.

Since his introduction in Detective Comics #27 Batman has had his own TV show in the 1960's, 7 block buster movies and a number of successful cartoons. He has been featured on almost every item you could think of. He is an pop icon.

Although my budget doesn't allow for me to own such a historical piece it was nice to just to be able to look at it up close and share the experience with my daughters.

Next we would like to see Action Comics #1, hunting is not always about actually buying the treasure.

Good luck on your hunt.
#jointhehunt.

Special Edition :NYC- TheSilver Age Edition

In this final installment of our review of the successful hunt at Special Edition: NYC we take a look at the more expensive Silver Age comics that were hunted down. If you attended the convention you are well aware that the show contained many dealers that carried Silver Age comic by the bundle.

Many of the vendors had 1/2 off on all Silver Age issues, which is a great savings for those of us that collect Silver Age issues.

The hunt netted us  5 Silver Age Flash issues, I am a trying to complete a full run of the original Barry Allen Flash.  I need only 40 more to finish the long hunt.

The Flash #140 (paid $7.50) - Flash battles Captain Cold and Heat Wave. Flash wins.

The Flash #165($10) -Professor Zoom tries to ruin Barry Allen and Iris Wests wedding.you guest it Flash wins.

The Flash #169 ($5) - 80 page giant, reselling of earlier Flash stories. He wins them all.

The Flash #190 ($5) - Flash battles the Muscle Man Mob and donates to the Flash Museum. Oh yeah he wins.

The Flash #195 ($7)- Captain Cold and Heat Wave battle each other then the Flash. Yet again the Flash wins.


One of the best things about good comic book conventions in general is they have a lot of Golden and Silver age comics at reasonable prices, they had a Flash 105 for $800. These older issues are much rarer then newer issues. They make for a good hunt and are always fun to look at.

Good luck on your hunt.
#jointhehnt

Special Edition:NYC - The spoils of the hunt, Flash variants $3 bin edition!!

Today in our continuing review of the Special Edition hunt, the little brother of a convention that was a big success (See previous posts of the .25 bin and $1 bin finds). Spent some time going through the $3 variant bin. This bin contained only variant covers from the last couple of years. Variant covers are a trend started in the early 1990's to help sell more comics, basically an issue of a comic comes out with multiple covers. In recent years there is a common cover found at every comic shop, a second cover with different art that is available in lower quantity usually 1 for every 25 of the common cover and finally an extremely limited black and white cover usually 1 for every 100 common covers. I only collect variant covers from the Flash. The 1:25 sell for between $10-$15, while 1:100 sell for over $50. $3 a piece is a GREAT deal for these so I couldn't resist.

Hunted down 11 variant covers, total spent $33.

The Flash:Fastest Man Alive #1 (2006), The Flash: Brightest Day #1, 2, 3, 4 (2010), The Flash:Rebirth #7, 8, 10, 12 (2011), The Flash: New 52 # 8, 9

Yes over the last 8 years there have been 4 different Flash titles each following a different storyline.

The Flash: Fastest Man Alive began in June 2006 shortly after the cancelation of The Flash Vol. 2. The story arc focused on Bart Allen (Impulse) taking over the reigns of the Flash. The variant #1 cover was done by Andy and Joe Kubert.

In 2009 The Flash: Rebirth hit stands if brought Barry Allen back to the DCU, he ws killed diring Crisis of Infinite Earth in 1986. This series  by Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul started as a tie-in to DCU crossover Brightest Day, later issues focused on another DCU crossover with Flash as the central figure, this was called Flashpoint. #1 variant cover by Tony Harris, #2  by Ryan Sook, #3 Scott Kolins, #4 by Greg Horn, #7 cover by Darwyn Cooke, #8 Stanley Lau, #10 Ed Benes, and #12 Francis Portella.

Following the outcomes of the monumental Flashpoint storyline, which retooled the entire DCU,The Flash was again in a new title. this one has Barry Allen as the Flash and was anchored by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato. Variant covers we found at the convention were done by #8 Bernard Chang and #9 Tony Daniels.

As you can see variant covers are just another way to enjoy different artists interpretation of a comic character.

Next up the big money Silver Age bins.

Good luck on your hunt.
#jointhehunt

Special Edition: NYC - The spoils of the hunt, dollar bin edition!!

Continuing the review of the very successful hunt at Special Edition:NYC. We are going to look at what came out of the dollar bins, a bunch of vendors had a bunch of dollar comics. I have always loved the dollar bins, because I have always scored some good comics and for only a dollar, $1.00.

Scored 37 comics from the dollar bins. So spent $37.00, what a deal!

$1 bin breakdown: The Flash Vol. 2 #173 (2001), The Invaders #16, 17, 19, 20 (1977),
The Invaders Vol 2 # 1(1993), Justice League Europe #22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 31, 33, 34, 47, 53, 55, Annual 1, 2, 3 (1991-1993), Mister Miracle Vol 2 # 11-26 (1989-1991)

Was able to fill in another issue of the Wally West run of the Flash for $1, I actually purchased the India version of this issue a couple of years back (more on that in a future post). I having been working on putting this version of the Flash together for three year. It is the perfect example of the quirky comic book writing of the late 1980's/early 1990's.

I loved the Invaders when I was a kid, it was a nostalgic look back at the early days of Marvel Comics, called Timely back then. If you don't know this World War II superhero team,pick up an issue(at the next convention in a dollar bin). It stars Captain America, Submariner, Hman Torch (original) and sidekicks, Bucky and Toro. Great WWII references. Have decide to recollect the run but only at minimal cost. Good start!

Justice League Europe is another great example of the 1980's stories, funny and with some political meaning. Also stars Wally West as the Flash. Lots of comedy throughout these issues. If you like the fridge DC heroes this is a title you should read or re-read if you are old enough to be able to remember it when it first hit the spinner racks.

Finally 16 issues of Mister Miracle, the trifecta in the comedy laced titles of the 80's/90's (as you can tell I have a fondness for this time period in comic history. Mister Miracle is not a very popular character, he is the son of Darkseid but is a good guy. He is married to Big Barda a former assassin for Darksied, lots of couples humor (more relavent to me now then when I was a kid). Lots of New God references. Worth every dollar I spent. Used to buy this every month at Ye' Olde Comic Shop (that's what we called comic shops in the 1980's).

Hope you enjoyed my travel back in time but this is what $1 bins are good for, old titles which time forgot. Still good titles and worth taking the time to hunt down and read. $1 are for both hunting and gathering.

Next up the $3 bins, which are a bunch of variants.

Good luck in your hunt.
#jointhehunt