Wednesday Open Forum

Wednesday

Wednesday, the best day of the week, new comic book day. It is like your birthday in the middle of each week (well, one where you buy your own presents.)

We open things up to hear from you. A free for all.

The 195th edition of the open forum!

As always we also want to hear about your weekly pickups.
So, What were your pick ups?
What had disappeared off the shelves?
What was sitting on the shelves?
What back issue deals did you grab?

53 thoughts on “Wednesday Open Forum”

  1. Many of the shops in my area had their books delayed (Much of Michigan) due to some UPS shipping SNAFU. Hoping they are all able to get it sorted out & into their shops tomm as I know it is their lifeblood.

    1. When batgirl 23, Ms. Marvel 31 and moon girl 32 all came out one Wednesday I hit up a couple shops about an hour after they had opened…they were still sorting through their mail and filling out pull lists and said they wouldn’t have the books on the shelves till the afternoon….I was so frustrated! I like shops that put the books out he night or morning before as hot books go fast…and I get there when they open!

      1. Well as a comic shop guy, I will say that Diamond and UPS have a lot to do with that. We usually get the books Tuesday morning, but sometimes, like this week, we aren’t getting them until this morning.

  2. Anybody planning on picking up the Cable 159 1:25 variant? All stores around me are selling it for 30 bucks. Too rich for my blood.

    1. I was hoping to pick up the 1:25 Cable variant but my reg. shop didn’t get it (not ordering enough copies). I don’t think any of my backup shops will get it either…bummer b/c I like the artist. I suspect it will be a ghost in my area…but I will still try to call around.

  3. Small week for me

    – Infinity Countdown #5 – Kuder variant : I’m a sucker for connecting variant covers. My OCD just loves it when they don’t quite match up due to the fold

    – Batman #51 Variant

    – Harley Quinn #46 – Cho variant . Love Harley & love the Cho covers

    As it’s been a quiet few weeks I’ve decided to go back and pick up back issues of Paper Girls and Descender because I dropped both at the end of the last story arcs

          1. Agreed. The last story arc didn’t grab me as much as the previous ones. Was going to complete the series with just picking up the future trades but went back to single issues so they look nicer on my shelf

            Plus it’s got TV series written all over it and just waiting for that day to offload them from my shelf

    1. Yes! Another connecting variant sucker. I thought I was the only one. Check out the Hunt for Wolverine #1 minis, Connecting Nuack variants. I think they were awesome. It was like a Wheres Waldo with Marvel characters. Good stuff.

      1. Missed them…will check them out

        I know Ramos is doing the connecting variants to Infinity Wars so will be getting them

        I wish DC did more

  4. I was hoping to pick up the 1:25 Cable variant but my reg. shop didn’t get it (not ordering enough copies). I don’t think any of my backup shops will get it either…bummer b/c I like the artist. I suspect it will be a ghost in my area…but I will still try to call around.

  5. Going today to clear out my pull from my LCS before I head over to the Con tomorrow. The only book that I am looking for is the Teen Titans GO! to the movies #1 for my boys. Other then that, I need to get some books together for Danny Cates to sign. Which will make the Con worth it for me.

  6. Picking up:
    Invader Zim 32
    Rat Queens Special

    Maybe:
    Shaolin Cowboy: Start Trek HC reprints the Burlyman run. I think I bought the SC edition in 2014 but don’t remember offhand.

    Note:
    It is about that time of year when I try to figure out which books I want to submit to get graded and slabbed this year. Thinking I may want to submit this early Frank Cho cover.

      1. I think this is the first ever Frank Cho cover. Amryl Entertainment still lists this book as available, but I don’t think the website has been updated in a while. I would be very surprised if they still had copies. Limited to 1000. $28. I ended picking up the Shaolin Cowboy HC. Flipping through it, I don’t remember reading it, though I do have copy of the issue with the dinosaur cover signed by Darrow.

  7. Great week for books!

    Pick ups this week:
    Star Wars #51 (action figure variant)
    Darth Vader Annual (Rahzzah variant)
    Gideon Falls #5
    Thor #3 (Christopher Tyler variant-BTW why wasn’t this the cover to Life of Captain Marvel? I like it better than the Artgerm cover. I really like his action figure variants, but this gives me new appreciation for his other cover work)

    Spec pick ups this week:
    -Was able to get Batman #567 for $25 and Legends of Batman #120 for $7-go Cassandra Cain!
    -Found a stack of Akira (Epic Comics) later issues and bought #32, #33 for $10 each. These are very hard to find and I might just keep them due to the beautiful artwork of the greatest anime movie of all time!
    -Skyward #1 X2 cover price

    PC pick up:
    Was finally able to get a very high grade copy of Grendel #2 (1983 Comico B&W). Best looking copy I’ve ever seen in person. With that, my Grendel collection is done. For someone that was just getting into comics in the 80’s these books cemented my love for the medium and also publishers that were/are outside the big two.

    Good hunting everyone!

    1. Eric, I too have a complete Grendel collection. Grendel and Mage were two of my favorite books when I was growing up. The back up “Grendel Tales” story in the back of issue #40 (second series) inspired me to get my own Grendel tattoo on my chest. For the longest time, Comico Primer #2 was a grail for me. When I finally got one years ago I felt like I had hit a collecting milestone.

      1. Anthony:
        The storyline at the end of the Comico color series that had Las Vegas vampires and the 1st Grendel Khan storyline was one of the best stories I’ve ever read. Surprisingly, I re-read that and the War Child stories and found they hold up pretty well now.

        Best Grendel find was about 5 years ago, looking through a box of old Graphic Novels at a local show and finding the Devil By Deed Graphitti Designs S&N hardcover for $3! Couldn’t get the money out of my wallet fast enough.

        1. That’s an awesome grab. I love the Hunter Rose story line, of course Hunter is my favorite, the Eppy Thatcher saga is still damn near the top for me. I had John K. Snyder do an Eppy Thatcher sketch holding up the “God hates me” sign. John is incredibly approachable, and ironically enough, I met him and Matt Wagner at a bar about 20 years back before an early Baltimore Comic Con. I bought them drinks and have been on great terms with them ever since. Vivat Grendel.

  8. Batgirl 25 has a new Middleton cover and it looks like it’ll fly off of the shelves…plus if anyone is interested the Scout comic book ” The Mall” had a comicspro ashcan and a FCBD release.

    1. Only thing that sucks is that FOC reopened for Batgirl. Hopefully shops are too busy with SDCC to notice.

      1. I saw that some places are selling batgirl 25 in 5 packs. I wonder if this is a sign that there might be a tasty ratio variant for the book coming next.

      2. The book was supposed to come out next week….but looks like they changed the cover (he original posted was horrible) pushed it out three weeks and reopened the FOC. Guess they’re going to make some cash like they did with TT20.

        It’s not BG23B…I did order a copy weeks ago but now my entire order is going to be shipped late because of this 3 week slide.

        Oh well!

  9. anyone have any success with the unknown comics variant bundles in the past? Their ultimate bundle was on sale earlier this week and now their grand bundle is for sale. Are these cash grabs or worthwhile picks?

    1. At the end of the day any collectible is only worth what someone’s willing to pay regardless of what a guide says or what a copy sold for a week ago on ebay. I’m sure that alot of these bundle books were either returned because of a defect or were just sitting in a storeroom because they werent moving at the sticker price. I think that there won’t be many if any that you could just flip instantly to recoupe your initial investment(I feel like the hot books wouldve sold already). I think that going into it with a long term hold mindset might be the best line of thinking buying a bundle if this nature. If it were my money I’d say that you could probably piece together a nice haul of cheapish keys and spec worthy books with $250 to spend….plus it would be alot more fun.

    2. I would take Saltys advice on this. The only reason they have these bundled is either they are slightly damaged or are collecting dust. Not a great speculation opportunity. Imo.

      1. Yep I use to like Unknown then my order of 100 Lenticulars was never shipped and passed their stated time they ship comics out in, asked to cancel it and the guy was rude and cancelled all my other orders with them as well didn’t want my money. I wouldn’t buy squat from them ever again, all their store variants look like the same shit by Tyler.

  10. I’ve emailed my LCS my Previewsworld orders for September. Is there any titles you guys are preordering for that month? Hoping I didn’t miss anything good. A few that looked really good to me are:

    Cemetery Beach
    From Hell Master Edition
    War Bears
    Batman the Maxx by Sam Keith
    Batman the Damned
    House of Whispers
    Heroes in Crisis by Tom King
    Elric White Wolf
    Thanos Legacy
    Phantasmagoria
    Fearscape

    So many great titles coming our way. It’s hard to pick.

  11. I’m considering using a few different internet auction sites to sell some books. Does anyone have any experience with “My Comic Shop” or “Pedigree Comics”? Any advice? Thanks.

    1. Use Mercari and or eBay unless your selling Golden Age keys or high grade SA 1st appearances. Mercari is a flat 10% and good for shipping bigger items like a box of comics with decent rates. For example I sell a $20 book with free shipping I get $13.75 after 4.25shipping and fee. Money is received after buyer reviews item all refunds require returns with free return shipping so it’s good for sellers. Ebay will charge 10% + PayPal fees but money is immediately available which is nice, however eBay sides with buyers in most cases and sometimes for different reasons someone can get you for a book and the refund without every returning the item. It happens. If you are selling golden age keys or high grade SA first appearances I would suggest Heritage Auctions or Metropolis Comics. If your giving out good deals then maybe my comic shop is good for you, as there are people that hunt that website 24/7 for newly listed deals but if your stuff is reg or overpriced it will sit for a decade. Also they grade in favor of the buyer in my experience buying from them, overly strict and don’t like to give raw copies of anything more than a VF+ grade to save them from dissatisfied customers. Which is good when your buying but Undercuts you when selling.

    2. I have sold through Mycomicshop before. It’s not a bad experience. They can actually bring in more money than eBay at times (through their auctions). Never sold through Pedigree.

  12. I picked up the Cable 1:25 variant for $20 today. I love the cover and the artist but passed on it Wednesday because I didn’t think it would grade as a 9.8. A 9.6 at best. However, after seeing the prices on EBay I went back to my lcs this morning and it was still there. Go baby!

    1. Congrats on getting the Cable variant. I called around and thought I found one at a backup shop but it had been set aside for a subscriber. Bummer! My reg. LCS is still hunting one for me, but I have very low expectations. They were also seeking a replacement Venom #3 1:25 variant for me, but I just learned yesterday they were unsuccessful. I hate when the limited variants come in damaged. Same thing happened with Marvel Rising Alpha #1 1:25 variant…crappy condition. I get more good ones than bad ones, but it still stinks when it happens because once the hotter ones are gone, options are sparse.

  13. A quick in-and-out at the LCS, so I didn’t check out the items that were hot this week. I did miss out on Analog #4, but maybe they didn’t receive it. This week’s pull:

    Batman #51 (Cover B Olivier Coipel)
    Batman Sins Of The Father #6 (Of 6)
    Batwoman #17 (Cover B Michael Cho)
    Damage #7, $2.99
    Green Lanterns #51 (Cover B Chris Stevens)
    Harley Quinn #46 (Cover B Frank Cho)
    Injustice 2 #30
    Justice League #4 (Cover B Jim Lee & Scott Williams)
    New Challengers #3 (Of 6)
    Gideon Falls #5 (Cover A Andrea Sorrentino)
    Magic Order #2 (Of 6)(Cover A Olivier Coipel)
    Stellar #2
    Vs #5 (Of 5)(Cover A Esad Ribic)
    Weatherman #2 (Cover A Nathan Fox)
    Star Wars #51 (Cover A David Marquez)
    Star Wars Darth Vader Annual #2 (Cover A Mike Deodato Jr.)
    Star Wars Poe Dameron #29
    True Believers Fantastic Four By John Byrne #1
    True Believers Fantastic Four By Walter Simonson #1
    True Believers Fantastic Four Coming Of H.E.R.B.I.E. #1

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