Date: November 1982 Publisher: Marvel Comics Group Cover Price: 60¢ 2013 Price Range: $3 – $25 Stats: 22 color pages plus ads, “Postbox: The Pit!” letters page and Bullpen Bulletins Writer: Larry Hama Other Artists: Don Perlin, Jon D’Agostino & Mike Esposito, Jim Novak, Stan Goldberg Notable Notes: Cobra tries to steal a tank!
Have you ever seen a parade with a tank in it? I don’t think I have. All the parades I’ve been to have the boring military vehicles – like the troop carriers, the ambulances, the fire trucks and such. I would totally love to see a state-of-the-art tank roll down the road in front of me! Oh well, here is a story where that exact scenario happens. I didn’t see them throwing any candy though!
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Date: December 1983 Publisher: Marvel Comics Group Cover Price: 60¢ 2013 NM Price: $6.00 Stats: 22 color pages plus ads, Bullpen Bulletins and “The Hammer Strikes” letters page Story & Art: Walter Simonson Other Artists: John Workman, Jr., George Roussos Notable Notes: Two worthy warriors duel for Mjolnir!
Don’t you love a really good game? A great fight? An evenly matched competition? I do! This issue gives us one of the best fights to take place in the Marvel Universe – and probably one of the few times that Thor gets really worried!
Date: February 1984 Publisher: Marvel Comics Group Cover Price: 60¢ 2013 Price Range: $2.00 – $16.00 Stats: 22 color pages plus ads, Bullpen Bulletins and “The Spider’s Web” letters page. Writer: Roger Stern Artists: John Romita Jr., Dan Green, Joe Rosen, Bob Sharen Notable Notes: The Kingpin saves Spider-man?!
Have you ever had a really good friend that has stood by you through thick and thin? One who knew the pain you’d been through and stuck with you through terrible mental anguish? Harry Osborn sure has a friend like that in Peter Parker! This issue shows what a good pal Peter is – and that is especially significant considering what will eventually happen!
Date: July 1998 Publisher: Marvel Comics Cover Price: $1.99 2013 NM Range: $3.00 Stats: 22 color pages plus “American Graffiti” letters page, Bullpen Bulletins and ads Writer: Mark Waid Artists: Dale Eaglesham, Scott Koblish, Joe Rosas, John Costanza (and new creative team of Andy Kubert, Jesse Delperdang, Jason Wright and Todd Klein) Notable Notes: Captain America finally resolves the Skrull crisis!
It seems like whenever Cap gets beaten down he always comes back in a big way. The story in this issue (the last 3 actually) is no different, but this one has a little bit more subdued (depressing?) ending. Not sure I really like it that way.
Date: November 1983 Publisher: Marvel Comics Group Cover Price: 60¢ 2013 Price Range: $2.00 – $18.00 Stats: 24 color pages plus ads and Bullpen Bulletins Story & Art: Walter Simonson Other Artists: John Workman Jr., George Roussos Notable Notes: 1st appearance of Beta Ray Bill!
There is something compelling about a story featuring an unbeatable (or nearly unbeatable anyway) enemy. Whether a movie, a novel or a comic book a story that has an enemy do something amazing and nearly unimaginable keeps us on the edge of our seats! Here is a great story – and a great beginning to an even longer story arc – about an alien who gives Thor a true run for his money!
Date: January 1984 Publisher: Marvel Comics Group Cover Price: 60¢ 2013 Price Range: $1 – $10, depending on condition Stats: 22 color pages plus ads, Bullpen Bulletins and “The Spider’s Web” letters page. Writer: Roger Stern Artists: John Romita Jr., Ron Frenz, Brett Breeding, Diana Albers, Bob Sharen, Terry Austin, Joe Rosen, Christie Scheele Notable Notes: A double story issue!
I feel kind of bad for the younger readers who may not truly understand the references to magazine and newspaper clippings. It seems that is an all-but-vanished art in this age of electronic media. Did you ever clip articles about anybody or anything? I did – and I remember cutting pictures out of magazines to hang on my bedroom walls too! That’s not something you really see now-a-days. Oh well, in all reality there probably won’t be too many younger readers reading this comic book anyway – and that is even more sad.
Date: October 1982 Publisher: Marvel Comics Group Cover Price: 60¢ 2013 Price Range: $3 – $25 Stats: 22 color pages plus ads, “Postbox: The Pit!” letters page and Bullpen Bulletins Writer: Larry Hama Other Artists: Herb Trimpe, Jack Abel & Jon D’Agostino, Diana Albers, George Roussos Notable Notes: The Joes foil a nuclear bomb plot!
After reading a review of G.I. Joe A Real American Hero #1 over at Comics Bronze Age I was in the mood to read me some G.I. Joe comic books! I had forgotten (or, more likely, didn’t realize) that these books reflected the right-leaning political sentiments of the day. I had to smile at the contents, but it was a great walk down nostalgia’s lane as I recalled not only one of my favorite comic books of my childhood but also my some of my favorite toys!
Date: January 1981 Publisher: Marvel Comics Group Cover Price: 50¢ 2013 Price Range: $11 – $200 Stats: 30 color pages plus ads and “Let’s Level with Daredevil” letters page Writer and Artist: Frank Miller Other Artists: Klaus Janson, Dr. Martin, Joe Rosen Notable Notes: Origin and 1st appearance of Elektra, 1st Miller scripts
I enjoy collecting comics – you know, the actual tracking down, haggling and finally obtaining an issue that I have long sought after. And creating this web site gives me the perfect excuse to get some issues I have wanted for a long time – like this one! To be honest ebay is the route I mostly take for used comics, and I put in many bids on many different DD #168 auctions before I finally won this one. It cost me $50 (that is 100 times its original price!) but I think it is in much better condition than advertised, and I was very pleased with the purchase. Hopefully one day I can sell it for at least a little bit of a profit – but if not then no big deal, because it was totally worth buying just to read the classic story inside!
Date: June 1998 Publisher: Marvel Comics Cover Price: $1.99 2013 NM Price: $3.00 Stats: 22 color pages plus ads, Bullpen Bulletins and “American Graffiti” letters page Writer: Mark Waid Artists: Dale Eaglesham, Scott Koblish, Joe Rosas, John Costanza Notable Notes: A fake Captain America causes quite a stir!
Is it just me or do only bad things seem to happen at the Empire State Building in all forms of entertainment? I mean c’mon – this issue aside the only time I ever see the famous NY building in a movie it is always being destroyed, used as a base for evil or breaking someone’s heart! Surely there has to be some uplifting portrayals of the Empire State Building – doesn’t there?
Date: January 2013 Publisher: Marvel Comics Cover Price: $2.99 Stats: 21 color pages plus ads Writer: Mark Waid Artists: Chris Samnee, Javier Rodriguez, Joe Caramagna, Paolo Rivera Notable Notes: Daredevil battles Coyote while headless!
Did you ever see the cartoon series Futurama? It features several famous, dead celebrities whose heads have been preserved in jars of fluid – and they are still sentient. It was quite funny to see some famous US Presidents chewing out people in the 30th century! Anyway, this issue has a bit of a different spin on the whole headlessness thing, and it is well played too!
Date: December 2012 Publisher: Marvel Comics Cover Price: $2.99 Stats: 21 color pages plus ads and “Letters Without Fear” letters page Writer: Mark Waid Artists: Chris Samnee, Javier Rodriguez, Joe Caramagna Notable Notes: Daredevil loses his head (both figuratively and literally!)
Usually I tune out advertisements in comic books (or anywhere else for that matter) but this issue had one that I not only noticed but actually read carefully and enjoyed – gasp! It was the mini-story about breast cancer awareness featuring Iron Man and Captain America. Have any of you noticed it? It totally reminded me of those old Hostess ads from the 1970s, and it had an important message and was pretty cool to boot! Anyway, it was just one more cool thing in this already cool issue.
Date: November 2012 Publisher: Marvel Comics Cover Price: $2.99 Stats: 21 color pages plus ads and “Letters Without Fear” letters page Writer: Mark Waid Artists: Chris Samnee, Javier Rodriguez, Joe Caramagna Notable Notes: Matt begins hallucinating?
Have you ever been good friends with some one, maybe even best friends, and then had a bit of a falling out? I have. And you know what is even more unpleasant? Needing to deal with that ex-friend again because he or she is the only one who can help you. Yeah, I’ve been there too! Here is a story where Matt and Foggy are upset with each other but still require each other’s help. The bright side to all of this, however, is that it usually leads to a renewing of the friendship – let’s see what happens here shall we?
Date: September 1982 Publisher: Marvel Comics Group Cover Price: 60¢ 2013 Price Range: $3.00 – $25.00 Stats: 22 color pages plus ads and Bullpen Bulletins Writer: Larry Hama Artists: Herb Trimpe, J. Abel & J. D’Agostino, Diana Albers, George Roussos Notable Notes: A giant robot attacks the Joes’ compound!
As a kid I loved playing with the G.I. Joe toys. In fact, the first one I had was the 12″ variety, with the “look-through” eye and stubbly beard. I remember when the 4″ action figures came out, and I was blown away by how cool they were! Of course it didn’t take long for the G.I. Joe marketing machine to kick in and a comic book of the popular brand to appear in Marvel’s line-up. I have fond memories of reading these comics, and it was those tugging heart strings that made me want to re-read them. Here’s how it stood the test of time.
Date: July 1983 Publisher: Marvel Comics Group Cover Price: 60¢ 2013 NM Price: $5.00 Stats: 22 color pages plus ads, Bullpen Bulletins and “The Hammer Strikes” letters page Writer: Alan Zelenetz Artists: Mark Bright, Vince Colletta, George Roussos, Janice Chiang Notable Notes: Sif falls for Dracula!
Ha-ha – see what I did there? But really, I have never been a fan of the vampire. Bram Stoker’s original book was ok, but that is about the only vampire / Dracula story I have ever liked – the rest have been disappointing. I was hoping that his appearance in this comic would be more to my liking (I don’t know why) but, alas, it was not. So suck it Dracula!
Date: May 1998 Publisher: Marvel Comics Cover Price: $1.99 2013 NM Price: $3.00 Stats: 22 color pages plus ads, Bullpen Bulletins and “American Graffiti” letters page Writer: Mark Waid Artists: Ron Garney, John Beatty, Andy Smith, Joe Rosas, John Costanza Notable Notes: Cap and Thor battle Hydra!
The last few issues have been hinting that the new “Sensational Hydra” leader has an evil plan, and is working towards its fruition. Now we, as patient readers of this 14-year-old story arc, finally learn what the terrorist organization is up to – and it ain’t pretty!
