Date: January 1980 Publisher: WaRP Graphics Cover Price: $1.25 Stats: 33 color pages Writers: Wendy and Richard Pini Artist: Wendy Pini Notable Notes: A new story arc begins in the lives of the Elves!
This issue feels very much like the first episode of season two… if Elfquest were a TV series! Some time has passed, and we are given glimpses into the lives of the characters and what is happening now. It is fun to be back, but I still feel a little disappointed that we didn’t get to see and experience what had happened in the interim! I’m guessing it was all normal “life” stuff, and the creators wanted to plunge us back in when things had gotten interesting again. Read the rest of this entry »
Date: October 1983 Publisher: Marvel Comics Group Cover Price: 60¢ Stats: 22 color pages plus ads, Bullpen Bulletins and “Devil’s Advocate” letters page Writer: Denny O’Neil Artists: William Johnson, Danny Bulanadi, Bob Sharen and Joe Rosen Notable Notes: Daredevil battles ninjas… in Japan!
I am fascinated by Japan. Back in my first year of college I took a year of Japanese, then actually spent a few weeks in Japan with some native students. It was a truly wonderful experience! The ancient capital of Kyoto is one of the coolest places I have ever been. Now-a-days, China, and to some extent Korea, are the really big players from Asia, but when I was growing up in the 1980s the Japanese were the up-and-comers that were causing people here to worry about their jobs. But also there was a general fascination with ninjas, samurai, Japanese business practices and Godzilla movies! So it was with great pleasure that I read this issue – where my favorite superhero travels to my one of my favorite countries. And with the superb writing and art it certainly didn’t disappoint! Read the rest of this entry »
Date: July 1974 Publisher: Marvel Comics Group Cover Price: 75¢ Stats: 20 black and white pages (Skull River story) Writer: Roy Thomas Artists: Jim Starlin and Al Milgrom Notable Notes: Conan gets a new horse!
What is the longest you have ever gone without water? I once went about 30 hours, and it was terrible! I am a big water drinker, even now, since it is suppose to be healthy , and I do prefer it to the overly sweet sugar drinks that are so prominent these days. But I wonder if we, like Conan in this story, had gone a long time without anything to drink, would be prone to blackouts or agreeing to take on stupid jobs. Hmm, hopefully I’d die before fighting a rich prick and then giving all his gold to manipulative villagers! 😉 Read the rest of this entry »
Date: August 1979 Publisher: WaRP Graphics Cover Price: $1.00 2018 Price Range: $3 – $30 Stats: 33 color pages plus editorial and Elfquotes letters page Writers: Wendy and Richard Pini Artist: Wendy Pini Notable Notes: The end of the first Elfquest chapter.
Whenever I see a herd of stampeding horses, or other grazing beasts, in movies or read about them in books, I always recall the movie Gandhi . It is there that the title character urges people to lie down, saying that the horses won’t step on them if they are prone. For some reason I have often thought about that part of the movie. Although I am not sure if that is true or not, it does seem logical that horses wouldn’t want to step other living creatures. I guess we are kind of like that too – how many of us would run across of carpet of cats, for example? Anyway, there is a part in this comic book where I thought the characters should heed Gandhi’s words and all lie down. However, the award winning movie didn’t come out until three years after this book was published – so I guess I can’t fault them! Read the rest of this entry »
Date: March 1972 Publisher: Marvel Comics Group Cover Price: 20¢ 2018 Price Range: $3 – $35 Stats: 21 color pages plus ads, Marvel Bullpen Bulletins and letters page Writer: Gerry Conway Artists: Gene Colan, Syd Shores and Jon Costa Notable Notes: DD battles The Gladiator in the sky (on a 747!)
Last year, as I was flying home from San Francisco on United airlines, I heard the news that the coolest passenger jet ever was being retired from service. I was a bit sad to hear that, because I liked 747s. I only flew on one a few times, but it was always fun to see them parked in terminals, with their big double-decker bubble heads. Anyway, this comic book was a blast to read because nearly the entire issue takes place on one of those iconic jets! I think it would have been cool if the last 747s left in service would have ordered a bunch of copies of this issue and distributed them to passengers – you know, as a kind of farewell gift! Read the rest of this entry »
Date: May 1979 Publisher: WaRP Graphics Cover Price: $1.00 2018 Price Range: $3 – $30 Stats: 32 color pages plus Bearclaw and Joyleaf pin-up art, Laugh “Wolf” and Elfquotes letters page Writers: Wendy and Richard Pini Artist: Wendy Pini Notable Notes: 1st appearance of Madcoil!
Have you ever been spurned by a rival? I’m talking about when you finally decide to play nice, and so you make a reconciling gesture only to be scoffed at, turned down or ridiculed? This can lead to even higher tension between rivals. I remember one case, in particular, when I was in high school where “my nemesis” and I elevated proverbial blows until we were ready to kill each other. Ah, the good old days of teenage testosterone! Nowadays I usually (emphasis on usually) laugh and let things blow over, because I am older and wiser… or is it older and weaker? One of those. Anyway, in this issue we see some male-rival-spurning going on, and I’m sure it will lead to more aggression in later issues. I can’t wait! Read the rest of this entry »
A gift for you, dear readers! Here is a list of high quality Batman comics that you can read online for free! It took me a long time to scour the web and compile this list, so I hope you enjoy it and make great use of it! Presented in alphabetical order, here are what I believe to be 24 great Batman comics to read online for free: Read the rest of this entry »
Date: December 1978 Publisher: WaRP Graphics Cover Price: $1.00 2017 Price Range: $3 – $30 Stats: 32 color pages plus Rayek pin-up art, Meet the Wolfriders and Elfquotes letters page Writers: Wendy and Richard Pini Artist: Wendy Pini Notable Notes: Cutter and Rayek battle for Leetah’s love!
Would you fight, literally fight, to win the heart of your sweetie? What about your job? Or your family? Or your home? Or your comic book collection? 😉 Sure, we’ve all heard of fighting for true love, but as I read this comic I asked myself “What do I consider worth fighting for?” It gave me a little bit to ponder… but not for too long, because I had the rest of the comic to read! Here is a great comic – beautifully rendered and fun to read! Read the rest of this entry »
Date: September 1978 Publisher: WaRP Graphics Cover Price: $1.00 2017 Price Range: $3 – $40 Stats: 31 color pages plus pin-up art, welcome and Elfquotes letters page Writers: Wendy and Richard Pini Artist: Wendy Pini Notable Notes: The first book from WaRP Graphics
Ah, love at first sight… does it really exist? I tend to think that it should more accurately be called “lust at first sight” – at least in the real world. But in the world of fiction perhaps love at first sight is a thing that actually works out. In this issue of ElfQuest the Wolfriders’ leader, Cutter, is so smitten with a beautiful woman that he kidnaps her! But that works out OK for him – and that is another way to tell that we are in fictional world! Read the rest of this entry »
Date: March 1973 Publisher: Marvel Comics Group Cover Price: 20¢ 2017 Price Range: $5 – $75 Stats: 20 color pages plus ads, Marvel Bullpen Bulletins and letters page Writer: Steve Gerber Artists: Jim Starlin, Mike Esposito, Charlotte Jetter Notable Notes: The origin of Ichabod Rasputin
My daughter is really into rollerblading right now. She even got me to go with her yesterday, and now I have sore legs! Anyway, I was telling her that when I was a kid it was roller skates that were the big thing. Why am I telling you this? Because this issue of Iron Man starts out with him zooming around NYC on his jet powered roller skates! Yes, it is quite ridiculous! Iron Man himself even admits that he feels like a kid. Heaven knows he sure looks like one! Read the rest of this entry »
Date: April 1978 Publisher: WaRP Graphics Cover Price: $1.00 2017 Price Range: $4 – $50 Stats: 31 color pages plus forward, pin-up art and Elf-olution Writers: Wendy and Richard Pini Artist: Wendy Pini Notable Notes: A spruced-up reprint of ElfQuest’s first appearance!
Some comic book series just really fly through the publishing companies. Astro City is one that comes to mind. ElfQuest is another one. Beginning in the late 1970s the Elf saga started off in Fantasy Quarterly #1 by an independent publisher, then it switched to the Pini’s homegrown company WaRP Graphics. Years later both Marvel and DC would pick up licenses to it, and so would Boing Boing and Dark Horse! Sheesh! Oh well, at least it is a good series, and one that deserves to be published – regardless of who is doing that publishing! Read the rest of this entry »
Date: October 1972 Publisher: Marvel Comics Group Cover Price: 20¢ 2014 Price Range: $3.00 – $42.00 Stats: 20 color pages plus ads, Marvel Bullpen Bulletins and “Meet Doc Savage” page Writers Roy Thomas and Steve Englehart Artists: Ross Andru, Jim Mooney and John Costanza Notable Notes: 1st issue – based on the pulp fiction story “The Man of Bronze”
OK, I’ll admit it – this was the first Doc Savage story I have ever read! Of course I’d heard of him, and being the big SF fan that I am you’d think I would have read one of the many novels about him – but no. So after reading this cool comic book that was given to me by my sister several years ago, I looked up some information about this classic character. It turns out he started in story form back in the 1930s, and has been featured in a variety of media since: magazines, novels, comics and even movies. He has quite the interesting history and a cool gang of side-kicks. I think I’ll have to delve more into some of the Doc Savage stories . See – comics are still a great medium for introducing people to new characters and properties! Read the rest of this entry »
Date: December 1970 Publisher: DC Comics Cover Price: 15¢ 2014 Price Range: $15 – $350 Stats: 22 color pages plus ads, “Letters to the Batman”, Direct Currents, 1 page Casey the Cop story and Daily Planet Extra. Writer: Denny O’Neil Artists: Irv Novick and Dick Giordano Notable Notes: Batman rescues Alfred’s niece!
Last fall I decided that I wanted to collect and read some of the Batman issues in the early 200s. I started with #224 and worked my way up from there. This one, #227, proved the most difficult and expensive to get so far. I didn’t realize it before, but it has a few things going for it that makes it so collectible. First, the awesome cover art is a swipe from Detective Comics #31 , which itself is the classic “Batman over castle” image from 1939. Second, the cover is by the great Batman artist Neal Adams. And third, there is a wonderful classic Batman story inside by none other than legendary scribe Denny O’Neil! Put those three things together and you can see why I spent weeks on eBay bidding for copies, and finally ended up paying $50 for a mid-grade copy. And you know what? I am totally happy with it too!
Read the rest of this entry »
The Comic Prospector is a place for readers who want thoughtful, unhurried takes on comic books from any era, whether the story first hit spinner racks in the golden age or rolled out last week from a modern publisher. The site treats every issue as a small artifact worth examining, looking past hype to consider how a comic actually reads today. Reviews aim to balance nostalgia with honest criticism, helping readers decide what belongs in a personal collection and what is better suited for a curious browse at the local shop rather than a long-term investment on the shelf.
Collecting comics from the bronze and silver ages carries its own particular joys and headaches, since readers often discover series through reprints, trade paperbacks, or family collections before tracking down original issues. Finding affordable copies of notable entries sometimes becomes a small adventure, with cover condition and page quality shaping both price and reading pleasure. The Prospector enjoys documenting that hunt, sharing notes about which issues feel essential, which stories still hold up after decades, and which obscure back issues quietly reward the patient reader willing to dig a little deeper into long-running series.
Beyond the big publishers, independent titles and unexpected gems from smaller imprints often receive attention here, from fantasy adventures like ElfQuest to quirky Archie-style stories set in places like Riverdale. The site appreciates artists and writers who shaped the medium, including figures such as Wendy and Richard Pini, along with creators whose work on iconic characters like Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Captain America helped define the look and feel of superhero comics. Independent publishers, Japanese and futuristic imports, and even short-lived series from the late twentieth century all find a place in the conversation.
Reading older comics offers a unique window into the culture of their time, from the advertisements and letters pages to the editorial bulletins and the way characters spoke across panels. Issues from the 1970s and 1980s often feel like time capsules, mixing soap opera plotting with bold cover art and colorful ads for toys, movies, and upcoming storylines. Reviewing these issues lets the Prospector trace how storytelling techniques evolved, how artists developed their styles, and how a single issue can still deliver a complete, satisfying experience even decades after it first reached readers.
Date: December 1983 Publisher: Marvel Comics Group Cover Price: 60¢ 2014 Price Range: $2.00 – $18.00 Stats: 22 color pages plus ads, “Postbox: The Pit!” letters page and Bullpen Bulletins Writer: Larry Hama Artists: Mike Vosburg, Jon D’Agostino, Edward Norton, George Roussos Notable Notes: Joes and Cobra invade Coney Island!
Have you ever encountered an old, abandoned amusement park? I have, once, in Guam! I remember seeing it from the highway – all the rides overgrown with tropical vegetation. It was downright spooky! I did think it would be fun to play hide-n-seek or some sort of war game in though. Can you imagine how fun that’d be – running around and hiding amongst all the old rides and game booths! I’ve haven’t thought of that old amusement park in a long, long time – but this issue reminded me of it because both the G.I. Joes and Cobra head to a famous amusement park to carry out their plans.
Date: November 1970 Publisher: DC Comics Cover Price: 15¢ 2014 Price Range: $6 – $80 Stats: 22 color pages plus ads, “Letters to the Batcave” and 4 page backup story Writer: Frank Robbins Artists: Irv Novick and Dick Giordano Notable Notes: Origin of The Man with Ten Eyes!
Would being blind be so bad? I’m not saying I want to try it, just that blind people seem to live incredibly full lives – especially in comic books. I’ve mentioned before that when I was a little kid I would wrap a blindfold around my head and play for long stretches of time while pretending to be blind. And Daredevil doesn’t do too bad does he? In this issue Batman is temporarily blinded, and has a tangle with another blind man – but the other man has a secret that Bats doesn’t know about!
