Legion World Forums LEGION COMPANION Dr. Gym'll's Cultural Rarities Tell your story about ONE purchase of a comic book!

Here's another story:

In the mid-90s, I was following very little DC because I hated what they did to Superman, Batman, and Hal Jordan. And Batman: Shadow of the Bat had gone into a quality spiral when Norm Breyfogle left after the first arc. Alan Grant is one of my favorite writers, but I've always felt that his Batman run, while his best-known and most lucrative run, was not his best-quality work.

Fast forward to 2010. I'm browsing in a used bookstore and they have a small selection of used comics. And I found this:



Grant & Kitson? The L.E.G.I.O.N. team supreme reunited? Gimme!

Now, the story wasn't that good, neither Grant nor Kitson delivering one hundred percent, but there's a very special kind of tingle that one feels when they see one of their favorite creative team's names on a book. So, just for delivering that tingle, this one is special to me.

I was all about Shadow of the Bat when I was a kid. From Zasszz to the Catman / Calendar Man/ Killer Moth team up to the Ugly American. That's when I began to associate "Alan Grant" with "must read". I remember that issue too Fanfie--by then the magic was kind of gone but I was still totally dedicated to the series!

Thanks to Alan Grant, even Lobo's solo ongoing had its moments!

"The Fragnificent Seven" -- come on, what's not to love?

Kind of a funny story about that book -- Keith Giffen got pissed off at Alan Grant for agreeing to write the Lobo solo ongoing, and Alan's defense was, "Well, DC's gonna do it with or without me, so why should I let them turn some crap writer on him?"

The western Lobo annual was a highlight of the 90's!

This was an issue I always wanted to get. Ultra Boy being my favorite character from the "Adventure Era" Legionnaires. I remember saving up a bit of money to take to a convention, this was in the mid 90's sometime, and I knew this issue wasn't going to be cheap. Anyway, I trekked to the local comic con, which happened to have a Mr. Curt Swan as a guest that year, and began my search.

Long story short, I found several copies for a variety of prices. Some above what I was willing to pay, and the others were pretty shabby copies. I had gotten several books signed by Mr Swan, and was pretty happy with other things I had found that day. I had a little money left and was getting ready to leave when I decided to check out one last vendor.

Searching through the books, I realized he had some very reasonable prices...and then I came upon the issue. Superboy *98, and it was in really good condition...not mint by any stretch of the imagination, but a nice relatively clean copy.

I checked my pocket...I had $10 left. I turned the book over slowly, dreading what I was going to see on the price tag that he had affixed to the back of the book.

I left the convention that day with a signed copy of Superboy #98, and three dollars still in my pocket.

Have you read any of Alan Grant's Judge Anderson stories yet, Cobie?

EDIT: Sorry, Dev, our posts overlapped. I loved your story about Superboy #98. Warmed my heart.

I am not ashamed to admit I was a WIZARD fan, in its heyday. I enjoyed their brand of humor very much and it probably influenced my own writing/posting style to many degrees. Though WIZARD and I parted ways once I realized I wasn't as into it anymore, and comics had just hit like $2.50 for regular titles not just independent titles and I realized the $5/month I was spending on WIZARD would be better-spent on 2 comics... we didn't part before it introduced me to THIS independent gem:




The small write-up on their back-issue price guide told me all I needed to know-- a hardcore warped crazy spin on the Teen Titans, or words to that effect.

I was fascinated by the cover depicted... I found and still find it both grotesque and extremely erotic. It said to me, "This sidekick is worried about getting older-- and possibly being booted out by his superhero mentor." which led my mind down all kinds of twisted paths. But I was officially BP-curious...

I **HAD** to find out... I **HAD** to have it.

Next time I went to my CBS, I was totally shocked and delighted to find the entire miniseries in the back-issue bins for only a bit over cover price. I snatched them all up.

For the record-- this mini is NOT for the squeamish... these teen heroes are absolutely AWFUL people, thanks to their equally awful mentors (the exception being the Robin analogue, who pays for being the only nice guy on the team-- repeatedly).

I don't "get" Brat Pack.

Where's the entertainment value in wallowing witlessly in such ugliness?

Or is it just that Rick Veitch's sense of humor doesn't click with me?

It definitely isn't for everyone. This was the 90s and the utter height of GRIM n GRITTY though, and honestly the Teen Titans ARE a concept that would easily lend itself to this kind of pitch-dark tale.

I didn't find BRAT PACK humorous at all... I found it utterly horriffic... DISCLAIMER: This does NOT mean I did not enjoy it. Again though, NOT for everyone, or even most people

I haven't read Brat Pack so I can't comment on that, but perhaps a thread on How dark is too dark and When does gritty just mean dirt might be interesting?

I agree that the Teen Titans concept does lend itself to a warped perspective, I just thought it could have been done differently, not just wall-to-wall grossness.

Hmmmm...this might make a good thread in the Titans forum.

Make it so, Patricia!

What he said.

No, Fresh Trish, I'm the muse and you're the thread starter.

Fanny and I have teamed up on you, Toots! I mean-- Teeds! Maybe Fanny herself should do the honors?

Glad to. I'll just need a couple minutes.

HOORAY! Meanwhile, I have ONE more tale to tell about a Wizard recommendation...

so I'll be back shortly... *prepares*

I read Wizard when I was getting back into comics about a dozen years ago. It may not have been completely to my taste, but it helped bring me up to speed on things and I enjoyed the spoof covers and recommendations sprinkled through the price guide (which was funny in its own way). After I got home 'net access, it wasn't telling me stuff I didn't already know, so....

I JUST LOST A HUGE, HUUUGE POST on Sandman # 20... and my whole perspective on Vertigo, and it was the wittiest bestest post EVER and it is GONE because PHOTOBUCKET IS BEING AN ASSWIPE.

I am inconsolable.

Awwww, Lash.

It wasn't meant to be.

But we can still talk about it. You know I feel the same as you about Vertigo in general and Sandman in particular.

I just Googled Sandman 20. The Element Girl issue. I hated it. Let's hate it together.

GIRL, I HATED IT!!!!

Ramona Fradon drew Element Girl with beauty vivaciousness and love of life, and Sandman # 20 made her a hideous suicidal monster.

I tied all that in with why I just never "got" Vertigo, though I tried to, mainly to be cool like the cool-looking, hot sexy boys who were buying it and probably secretly deriding me for buying Legion of Super-Heroes.

Nowadays, I *might* give those guys a mercy make-out session-- IF they brush their teeth and buy some new shoes first.

Dev, I missed your story before... I **love** that you met Curt Swan. I wish your other stories were still here!

ps/ re: Element Girl... DCnU is bringing her back and putting her in JLA, I hear... I am hoping she leans more toward her original version (the images I've seen of her by Jim Lee are certainly pretty enough, though she looks quite different).

Early 90s: a friend of mine had several Sandman trades. I borrowed them, and tried the Death mini, but...not for Teeds. Nope. Nope, nope, nope.

Testify!

I too hated the pseuderies and pretentiousness and weirdness-for-its-own-sake and ugliness-for-its-own sake of Sandman.

I, too, wasted money on Sandman because I wanted to be cool. In my case, cool like the poser chicks who were into Tori Amos and Sandman, even though I couldn't stand Tori Amos OR Sandman.