Cyberspace Comics market report, reviews and more

May 19, 2010

Glow in the Dark Comics #4 Superman

Filed under: Glow in the Dark Comics — Doorman @ 10:11 am

During the speculator boom in the 1990s comic book market, publishers enhanced comic covers to increase sales. These gimmicks included shiny foil, holograms and even pop-ups! But, one of the coolest enhancements was the glow in the dark cover. Let’s shed some light on the subject, shall we?

Superman vol. II #123Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Date: May 1997
Cover Price: $1.95
Cover Artist: Ron Frenz

In the 1990s, DC Comics put Superman through some interesting developments. They killed him off, replaced him with four different stand-ins, brought him back, married him off … and gave him a new look with all-new powers. To celebrate this move to make Superman “ready for the next century”, they published the new look’s debut with a glow-enhanced cover. Watch out, though! There’s a newstand variant of this with a different cover that doesn’t glow. But … it had the same cover price! Doesn’t seem right to me, folks.

On Ebay: Superman

May 18, 2010

Comic Book Cover Swipes Exposed #7 X-Men

Filed under: Swiped: Comic Book Cover Swipes Exposed! — Doorman @ 9:02 am

After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.

In the mid-1970s, an all-new team of X-Men took over the series starting with Uncanny X-Men #94. Soon enough, it seemed like a great story idea to have the new team square off against the original team. Providing the cover art (and interiors) to this landmark issue, I doubt Dave Cockrum even considered how iconic this cover would prove to be!

In a unique move, Marvel Comics presented their early-1990s quarterly investment reports in the format of a comic book. And, at a time when the X-Team split up into two teams (X-Men Blue & X-Men Gold), it seemed an opportune time for Tom Morgan to utilize the groundwork already laid by Cockrum years prior to display the two teams on the cover of their second quarterly report of 1992.

Interestingly enough, Dave Cockrum swiped himself when asked to provide the cover art to Justice League Quarterly #8. Five years later, the Troublemakers also paid homage to this cover with issue #8, when their publisher (Acclaim Comics) decided every book it published that month would have a cover swipe.


Uncanny X-Men #100
August 1976
Dave Cockrum
Marvel Quarterly Report 1992 #2
June 1992
Tom Morgan

Justice League Quarterly #8
September 1992
Dave Cockrum
Troublemakers #8
November 1997
Kontbal

On Ebay: X-Men | Dave Cockrum | Justice League | Troublemakers

May 17, 2010

One-Shot At Greatness #7 Amazing Spider-Man: Fear Itself

Filed under: One-Shot At Greatness — Doorman @ 7:05 am

Because publishers want you to buy their product every month, comics are typically serial in nature. However, occasionally (and more often nowadays than ever before) publishers launch a comic title that is only meant to last for one issue. While ongoing series often have multiple chances to hook in new readers, the comics highlighted in this ongoing investigations only had One-Shot At Greatness!

Amazing Spider-Man: Fear ItselfPublisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Date: March 2009
Cover Price: $3.99
Writer: Stuart Moore
Artist: Joe Suitor

*Warning! Plot Spoilers Below*

Spider-Man ventures down to the Florida Everglades to put a stop to the Man-Thing‘s rampage. In the process, he gets infected by the muck-monster’s strange mix of supernatural vegetation and Super-Soldier Serum. Months later, the mix of the Man-Thing’s residue and radioactive spider-powers begin to transform Spider-Man into a floral being. Doctor Connors halts the process by giving Spidey injections of his lizard serum but, the only true cure lies at the source of the infection: the Man-Thing himself!

The Bad: There’s no real explanation of why the Man-Thing is going on a rampage. Something he’s not normally prone to do.

the Good: Something about this muck-monster just appeals to me. I’m always a sucker for a book with him as a prominent force. Suitor draws some very cool-looking monsters (the Lizard and the Man-Thing) but the cover by Mico Suayan takes the prize. Man-Thing has rarely looked more detailed!

The Verdict: It’s a fast read that offers very little actual sense of danger. I mean, c’mon! There’s no way Marvel would allow Spidey to come out of this story part plant-monster! But, the resolution is handled in a neat way and ends with a little nugget of wisdom from Aunt May.

On Ebay: Spider-Man | Man-Thing

May 15, 2010

Minimate Spotlight #2 Ambush Bug

Filed under: Minimate Spotlight — Donny B @ 3:56 am

Action figures have long been a perfect compliment to comic books, since every kid (or kid at heart) has that natural desire to act out adventures with their favorite heroes off the drawn page. Every so often, a unique style of figure comes along that breaks the mold, so to speak. Each Saturday, Donny B will be showcasing various offerings from Art Asylum’s take on the ‘block figure’, with a weekly spotlight on Minimates.

Minimates don’t exactly have a huge corner on the action figure market. In fact, when most people see a minimate, they just assume it’s a Lego figure. Since Art Asylum is fighting an uphill battle for recognition (and therefore, sales), they have to rely heavily on recognizable characters that will catch the eye of the casual buyer. However, the addition of a couple big names in a wave is enough to carry the occasional obscure character that only appeals to the more hardcore collector.

Last week’s photo featured two very high profile characters from Marvel Studios’ Iron Man 2 movie. This week, we’re taking a trip to the opposite end of the spectrum with a look at Ambush Bug.

DC Comics’ off-the-wall character, known for breaking the 4th wall and displaying whacky antics, is far from being a household name. However, Ambush Bug has gained a cult following from his sporadic slap-stick appearances over the years, and apparently Art Asylum felt that they would do well to honor those few proud fans.

A far cry from the detailed look of the Iron Man Moviemate sculpts, Ambush Bug sports the basic Minimate body, with only one small sculpted piece. Not only is this week’s Minimate an antithesis of the high recognition factor of last week’s featured ‘mates, but it also represents the “minimalistic” look that Minimates became famous for.

Behind the Image:

As is my usual technique when photographing small objects (remember that minimates stand at a mere 2 inches), I set my camera to macro mode to belie the small scale. Then, to enhance this photo’s overall look via post production work, I ran it through some Photoshop filters that intensified and contrasted the color scheme.

On Ebay: Ambush Bug

May 14, 2010

Retro-Read #6 Marvel Action Hour: Iron Man

Filed under: Retro-Read — Doorman @ 8:52 am

With years spent reading single issues here and there, juggling storylines of dozens of titles, I decided it was time to find a better way to read comics. So, it was off to the back issue bins armed with the longest want list you’ve ever seen! Putting together series after series and reading them in their complete goodness, I was reborn as the Retro-Reader!

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Number of Issues: 8
First Issue: November 1994 ($2.95)
Last Issue: June 1995 ($1.50)
Writer: Eric Fein
Artist: Anthony Williams

*Warning! Plot Spoilers Below*

Published in 1994 by Marvel Comics, this title only lasted eight issues and adapted the 1990s Iron Man cartoon. Eric Fein scripted the series pitting Iron Man (and his pals, Force Works – War Machine, Hawkeye, U.S. Agent, Scarlet Witch, Century, Spider-Woman) against the Mandarin and his minions (MODOK, Fin Fang Foom, Blizzard, Whiplash, Whirlwind, Grey Gargoyle and a new character named Hypnotia). Anthony Williams provided the very capable 90s-style artwork.

I found it interesting that the series maintained a sense of continuity within itself. It wasn’t a one-in-done type of series where the characters forgot everything that happened previously. The latter half of the series delved into the origins of Iron Man and the Mandarin. Curiously enough, Tony Stark suffered a back injury (not heart trouble) and, while captured in Vietnam, he created the Iron Man suit as a means of escape (not to heal his health conditions).

The Good: The first issue came polybagged with an animation cel from the cartoon that this is based on and the artwork was on par with the real Iron Man comics of the time (although, it’s inferior to the level of art that creators are capable of today).

The Bad: Unfortunately, with so many characters there’s very little room to develop character beyond Iron Man and the Mandarin, which is a shame because I like some of those other guys and gals …. But, what can I expect from an eight issue series, right?

The Verdict: In the end, I find this series a bit redundant. After all, this comic book series is an adaptation of a cartoon series that adapts a comic book. I’m kind of left wondering why Marvel didn’t suspect that fans of the cartoon would just go and buy the Iron Man and Force Works series that existed at the time, instead of these rehashes of the cartoon. Which, it seems, is exactly what happened since this series couldn’t even last a year. Skip this and go read some in-continuity Iron Man.

On Ebay: Iron Man | Marvel Action Hour

May 13, 2010

Famous Fan Mail #6 Walt Simonson

Filed under: Famous Fanmail — Doorman @ 8:21 am

You may not be surprised to learn that most people in the comic business grew up reading comic books. However, you might be interested in knowing what they were reading. Here’s a look at “Famous Fanmail”!

Walter Simonson‘s worked on almost every big-name Marvel & DC super-hero along with his own creator-owned work. His run on Thor in the 1980s (wherein he introduced Beta Ray Bill – one of a small group of characters who can wield Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir) is still upheld as some of the best work the book’s ever seen. More recently, he served as the writer for Wildstorm Comics’ World of Warcraft. But, before he even graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, he had written the following letter to Iron Man. It was published in the letters page (then-named “Sock it to Shell-Head” – oh that wacky Stan Lee!) of Iron Man #10 (cover date – February 1969).

Iron Man letters page with Walter Simonson

On Ebay: Walter Simonson | Iron Man

May 12, 2010

Glow in the Dark Comics #3 Daredevil 321

Filed under: Glow in the Dark Comics — Doorman @ 8:57 am

During the speculator boom in the 1990s comic book market, publishers enhanced comic covers to increase sales. These gimmicks included shiny foil, holograms and even pop-ups! But, one of the coolest enhancements was the glow in the dark cover. Let’s shed some light on the subject, shall we?

Daredevil #321Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Date: October 1993
Cover Price: $2.00
Writer: D.G. Chichester
Cover Artist: Scott McDaniel

In the early 1990s, changing the status quo of your favorite comic title was “the thing” to do. Superman died. Spider-Man was a clone. Batman’s back was broken. The mantle of Thor was passed on and many other heroes went through some interesting changes. As for Daredevil, he got himself some new armor because of the events of the Fall From Grace storyline. I think the curious thing about this enhancement is that it was placed on the second chapter of the storyline. Now, I’d think placing the enhancement on the first chapter would suck more people into the story but what do I know? Anywho, if you’re looking for this issue, make sure you pick up the enhanced cover because the other version (cover price of $1.25) doesn’t glow. Take note: this is a wraparound cover … and both sides glow!

On Ebay: Daredevil

May 11, 2010

Comic Book Cover Swipes Exposed #6 Casualties of War

Filed under: Swiped: Comic Book Cover Swipes Exposed! — Doorman @ 8:59 am

After looking at hundreds of comic book covers, it becomes quickly apparent that not every cover is 100% original. Whether done intentionally or even underhandedly, there’s something about uncovering these “swipes” that adds a new element of fun to reading and collecting comics.

Marvel Comics’s Civil War split its super-hero community down the middle. It made them choose between registering their superpowers and identities with the U.S. government, or becoming an enemy of the state by keeping that information to themselves. On the one side, were the Mighty Avengers – pro-SHRA (Super Human Registration Act) heroes led by Iron Man. Opposing the SHRA were the New Avengers (or Secret Avengers) who rallied around Captain America and stood by their belief that the government had no right to pry that far into their lives.

The comic shown here features a secret meeting that took place between Iron Man and Captain America, where they discussed the legality and morality of the SHRA. Over the course of the issue, the debate heats up and turns into a fight between the two long-time Avengers. The book was published with two variant covers, each featuring a different potential outcome of the battle.


Civil War: Casualties of War
February 2007
Jim Cheung
Civil War: Casualties of War [variant]
February 2007
Jim Cheung

The cover on the right will flip horizontally to better show you how close the two images are.

On Ebay: Civil War | Captain America | Iron Man

May 10, 2010

One-Shot at Greatness #6 Iron Man: Golden Avenger

Filed under: One-Shot At Greatness — Doorman @ 7:45 am

Because publishers want you to buy their product every month, comics are typically serial in nature. However, occasionally (and more often nowadays than ever before) publishers launch a comic title that is only meant to last for one issue. While ongoing series often have multiple chances to hook in new readers, the comics highlighted in this ongoing investigations only had One-Shot At Greatness!

Iron Man: Golden AvengerPublisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Date: November 2008
Cover Price: $2.99
Writer: Fred Van Lente & M. Blankier
Artist: Juan Santacruz

*Warning! Plot Spoilers Below*

Pepper Potts’ assistant, Callee, is getting tired of her boss winning Stark’s “Employee of the Month” award so much. So, to put herself in the good graces of the company, she’s set up a situation where she’ll look great. By sending security home early and contacting four super-villains (Blacklash, Jolt, Plantman and Spymaster), she’s engineered a hostile situation which she intends to diffuse. Unfortunately for her, things get a little out of hand and it’s up to Iron Man … and Pepper? … to save the day!

I’m interested in this issue for a number of reasons. First of all, the photo cover and indicia date make me assume that this one-shot was among a number of Iron Man releases that were intended to catch the increased interest in Iron Man due to the release of the first movie.

After getting past that thought, my brain wandered towards the look and choice of the four villains. Jolt‘s presence (as far as I knew she stayed behind on an alternate Earth a while back in an issue of Thunderbolts) and Plantman‘s look (which is drastically different than his appearance in Marvel Next Inhumans title) indicate that this is probably not in-continuity with the mainstream Marvel Universe. Due to the writing presence of Van Lente, I’d assume it to be more linked with the Marvel Adventures line of books.

Finally, Blacklash’s appearance really caught my eye. Here’s the deal: Mark Scarlotti was the original Whiplash (first appearing in Tales of Suspense #97). His costume and weapons were later upgraded by Justin Hammer and he changed his super-villain name to Blacklash. “Wait a minute!” – shout all the Iron Man fans who only know about him through movies. “Isn’t Whiplash really a guy named Ivan Vanko?” And, the answer to that is a very big “no”. Y’see, Anton Vanko (Ivan’s father) is certainly an Iron Man villain but, his alias is really the Crimson Dynamo.

Anyway, back to the actual book in question. The art is a bit unpolished for an Iron Man book but it’s a quick, fun story (although it’s recommended that you check your brain at the door). There’s no way that the four of these villains would have left an unarmed Tony Stark alive as long as they did.

On Ebay: Iron Man | Fred Van Lente

May 8, 2010

Minimate Spotlight #1 Iron Man Moviemates

Filed under: Minimate Spotlight — Donny B @ 7:04 am

Action figures have long been a perfect compliment to comic books, since every kid (or kid at heart) has that natural desire to act out adventures with their favorite heroes off the drawn page. Every so often, a unique style of figure comes along that breaks the mold, so to speak. Each Saturday, Donny B will be showcasing various offerings from Art Asylum’s take on the ‘block figure’, with a weekly spotlight on Minimates.

Marvel Comics’ vast library of heroes and villains has provided Art Asylum with enough source material to produce “the longest running collector line in toy history”, with 35 currently released waves (that’s just from their Marvel line). Of course, the market is always favorable of high profile characters, and with the theatrical release of Marvel’s Iron Man 2 this weekend, it just made sense for us to see an Iron Man themed wave. So, to kick off this feature of Cyberspace Comics’ blog, I decided to feature the heavy hitters from AA’s Iron Man 2 movie wave (dubbed by collectors as “Moviemates”, since they are based specifically off of the movies rather than the original comic book material).

Behind the Image:

When taking photos of minimates, I usually try to get as creative as possible with placement and lighting. These two figures, however, needed very little work on my part to show off their incredible sculpting. The massive amount of detail crammed into these 2″ figures isn’t very common for most Minimates, though in this case, it lends itself beautifully to dynamic photo taking – so much so, in fact, that the above photo required no post production work (in Photoshop) aside from the glow effect for the eyes and chest piece.

On Ebay: Iron Man | War Machine

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