And I got a great deal on landmines.

I own 1650 individual issues or somewhere there about. There are times I swear that number has to be wrong, that I counted 500 comics twice or something. I never intended to be “the comic guy,” but I probably should have seen it coming. I think deep down I’ve always been “the comic guy” I just didn’t know it. I’ve always been into superheroes, now I just get them in the pure form.

A couple people have asked what my collection is worth. Truthfully, I don’t know and I don’t care. Partly because I don’t want to think about how much money I’ve put into it, but mostly because I would never think about selling even a single piece of it. My comic collection is a labor of love. My mom passed away last year and I wholeheartedly believe collecting comics is one of the reasons I made it through that time.

Through Batman RIP and Blackest Night, comics quickly went from passing interest to hobby to obsession. And as that obsession continues to grow, I find myself latching on to specific things in the DC Universe I love more than others. One of those things is the interaction and relationship between Dick Grayson and Barbara Gordon. My interest in them became pretty evident last week.

I found a copy of Birds of Prey (Vol. 1) #8 for sale on Amazon. This issue first came to my attention when Comics Should Be Good did the Top 15 Chuck Dixon stories, on which it was rated #1. The issue is simply a date between Dick and Babs, and was rated #1 not because it was dramatic or important, but simply because of how well it was done. The comic fan and the hopeless romantic in me shared a high five and a bro hug after reading that. I had to have it. The only hold up was the fact that it was $55.

Although I haven’t really kept track, I’m guessing up the that point I’d only spend around $10 - $15 on a single issue, counting shipping. I know some people will scoff at the thought of even spending $5 on a single issue, but collecting comics isn’t just what I do, it’s who I am. I would gladly pay $15 for an issue if I needed it, but $55 is a completely different story.

To put it into perspective, comics cost around $2.99 for a 32 page issue, usually about 22 pages of story, and $3.99 for a 40 page issue, around 30 pages of story. Some comics vary but you get the general idea. Trades cost anywhere from $12.99 to $19.99 and on average have about 6 issues contained. So for the price of this single issue, I could get around 18 issues worth of content in one form or another.

So I finally had to ask myself, what is a comic worth to me? How much was too much? And the answer is I don’t know. It seems it’s more than $55 at least. It came down to to value. $55 is a lot for a comic, I’m not disputing that, but there is a difference between a lot and too much. For now, I’m the guy who spent $55 on a single comic, the guy who owns 1650 comics, and the guy who owns a copy of Birds of Prey #8.


Travis, what’s on your pull list?

* Batman: Streets of Gotham #13 - I enjoyed reading The Carpenter’s Tale Pt 1 from Kris’s stack last month, that I got it and it’s sequel this week. Paul Dini rocks my world.
* Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam #17 - Based on how much she likes Tiny Titans, Tiffany wanted to try the other big DC Kids title. Continues their story from FCBD. Very funny.
* Zatanna #2 - The first issue casually introduced you to the characters. This one kicks the story into high gear.

Kris, what’s on your pull list?

* Batman: Streets of Gotham #13 - Paul Dini has always had a great take on the villain’s perspective, the Carpenter is likable, funny, but still 100% villain.
* Detective Comics #866 - WOW! This is an amazing book. With two different art styles representing present day and Dick Grayson’s first night as Robin, and Dennis O’Neil writing, this book shows how to do Batman properly.
* Dead@17 Source - Stumbled across a preview for the latest issue and decided to pick this up to see if it’s worth getting into. I love the art.
* Ghostbusters Con-volution! - Great book that really captures the feel of the animated series, with the wit of the movies.
* Green Arrow #1 - I was hesitant about this series because JT Krul hasn’t impressed me in Rise of Aresenal (Although the last one is a monumental improvment), but I was pleasantly surprised. This book shows promise.
* Green Lantern Corps #49 - New team seems to be hanging onto the momentum of the old team. And that’s referring to both the creators and the characters.
* Joker’s Asylum II: Killer Croc - Great story. I have to wonder if it was intentional that all the Joker’s Asylum 2 books so far have dealt with romance in some way.
* Jurassic Park Redemption #1 - Not sure why I pulled this, it just called to me. Don’t worry, it won’t happen again.
* Justice League: Generation Lost #4 - Hands down, the best book running right now. If you are buying comics and aren’t buying this, you are missing out. Go get it now, or try DC digital distribution and pick up the only book being released digitally and physically at the same time. This book really has it all, reluctant heroes, villainous masterminds, humor, drama, AND BLUE BEETLE!
* Justice League: Fall of Arsenal #4 - Big improvement over previous issues. Much more straight forward. I’m actually interested to see Arsenal turn up in Titans now.
* Legion of Super Heroes #2 - A little messy with 15+ characters running around, but this book is what made Paul Levitz king, so I’ll trust him and hang on for the ride.
* Power Girl #13 - Another new creative team, but Judd Winick looks to be tying this in with Generation Lost so I’m very excited. Also, totally gorgeous.
* Supergirl #53 - Sterling Gates writes Supergirl in a way that makes you constantly fall in love with her. I can’t believe it took me so long to start pulling this.
* Superman #700 - Two great stories and a preview for JMS’s new story arc. I know the writing with be great, because it’s JMS, I just don’t know if the storyline will mesh with the current direction DC is taking.
* Superman/Batman #73 - This reads like an episode of Superman The Animated Series. And that’s a good thing. Also, Lois and Clark make such an amazing couple when written properly.
* Zatanna #2 - If this book keeps climbing like it did from issue #1 to issue #2, it’s going to be something amazing.