Dolly Parton (1946-2026)

 This is the letter that kids would get at the end of Dolly’s Imagination Library.

Wonder Woman #239

 

Comic: Wonder Woman #239

Where Purchased: HasBeen Collectible Toys & Comics in Wilbraham, Massachusetts

When Purchased: November 16, 2024

When Read: December 4, 2024

For most of my collecting history, it has always been about getting MORE comics.  It has always been a rare occurrence for me to part with any.  I recently shared with Nan about having to sell Amazing Spider-Man #129 during my first year at college to pay for a phone bill.  I remember an online connection losing their collection and several of us sent them books to help rebuild.  I know I sent some Legion of Superheroes issues.  I also donated some for a tax break a few years back.  And during the early days of the pandemic I would mail some to my friend Tyler but as he never mentioned getting them, I am not sure what happened to them.

Moving a collection of over 13,000 books last year made me realize that it might be time to do some thinking about all of this.  I am part of several online forums devoted to collecting and I often read stories of people selling or trading some books to work towards getting a grail or higher priced item.  Since we've moved, I have been able to trade a few hundred books for store credit at a couple of locations.

My current favorite place to do this is at nearby HasBeen Collectible Toys & Comics in Wilbraham, MA.  Located next to the famous Frame & Picture Shoppe, HasBeen opened about 6 months ago.  We discovered it on our way home from the Big E this past summer.  From the first visit, I knew I would like this store. Rik runs the place like I think many people of my generation would do so, even if he is about a decade younger than me.  He is affable, funny, and fair.  He doesn't do new books but his selection of toys, comics, and the like can't be beat.

I'm currently turning a critical eye on my collection in the hopes of trading for some early Avengers and X-Men he has in the shop.

My last visit was to bring in a small amount of books to test the waters.  I grabbed several smaller items and gap fillers, including this issue of Wonder Woman.  The cover reminded of one of my favorite Doctor Who episodes so I grabbed it and added to the pile.

Wonder Woman just misses the top ten of characters appearing in comics I own, coming in 6 issues behind The Thing to claim the 11th spot (788 appearances to 782 appearances).  She is the highest ranked female and third highest DC character.

This is a tale from Earth-2, set during the early days of World War II.  It is a part of a larger story arc, but it does a really nice job of bringing the reader up to speed through dialogue and editor's notes.  It is a little heavy-handed regarding equality but considering the era it was written, I'm impressed they tried tackling it.

It ends with a cliffhanger which I dig and has me adding the previous few issues to my want list.  I've got the next issue in my collection but I think I want to get and read the entire arc before moving on.

The Brave and the Bold #184

 

Comic: The Brave and the Bold #184

Where Purchased: Funny Book Factory in Lebanon, New Hampshire

When Purchased: July 30, 2005

When Read: November 26, 2024

When I returned to collecting comics, I made several trips to a shop called Funny Book Factory in Lebanon, New Hampshire.  The owner was a rather personable fellow and books were reasonably priced.  Another store where I purchased exactly 100 comics.   I made several visits over an  8 year period, as Nan would take courses at King Arthur Flour and I would spend time here.  I didn't get my comic collecting software until sometime in 2004, so the details of my visits in 2002 and 2003 aren't precise.

Sometime after my last visit in August 2010, the shop closed.  There is very little information about the store but this quirky little site has some details and tidbits about the owner: https://bookfactory.tripod.com/index.html

The Brave and The Bold was a Batman team up book from DC.  Like its counterparts at Marvel, this was a hit-or-miss title for me.  I never collected it outright but I would grab issues with characters I liked or if I remembered the issue being at my grandparent's house when we'd visit when I was younger.

It also became an easy title to pick up as I shopped at new stores.  I'd plug little gaps and then connect mini-runs.  I've reached the point where I no longer have any issues on my want list, as I have amassed a solid 70 issue run, beginning with issue 130 and running right up to the end of the series with issue 200, which I did purchase right off the newsstand in 1983.

This was a really fun Christmas issue.  Solid writing from Mike W. Barr, who has written 162 comics in my collection, mostly Batman related (or at least adjacent) but also a few Star Trek issues and a great series called Camelot 3000.  

I think this is the first time that Batman thinks his father might've been dirty.  There are clues you can pick up on to solve the mystery before Batman does.  I didn't.

But the big draw for me is that this issue has some art by the incredible Jim Aparo and guest stars a character called the Huntress, who is from Earth-2 and the daughter of that world's Batman and Catwoman.

There is also a back up story feaaturing a character called "Nemesis"....but I didn't read that.

Nova #19

 

Comic: Nova #19

Where Purchased: Jeremiah's Antiques & Collectibles in Putnam, Connecticut

When Purchased: November 22, 2023

When Read: November 21, 2024

Nova is one of those characters that I've been aware of but never made any effort to collect.  Heck, for the longest time I only had one copy of this series in my entire collection and it has been a part of the collection for so long, I don't have any details on why it is in my collection.  I suspect it was part of a gift pack from Sears that I got one Christmas.

I can't really recall any significant story he was in or impact he made in the roughly two dozen appearances he has made throughout the 14,141 comics in my collection. 

I've now got 4 issues of this series which is still low enough that I am not feeling a need to complete the 25 issue run but it is an easy title to look for if I am in a store and need a sympathy buy.

The funny thing is that I had thought this issue was in my collection.  Blackout was one of the first villains to fight the Avengers when I first started collecting.  I was sure I had grabbed it at some point.  But I was wrong.

It is a decent little origin story.  Solid writing for the era and I like the combination of Carmine Infantino's pencils with Tom Palmer's inks.

This issue can also count as an unofficial Marvel/DC crossover based on the conversation on the left of this panel:

The implication is that is Wally West (Kid Flash) talking about Barry Allen (The Flash).  It is doubly fun given that Carmine Infantino is the long time artist for DC's Flash comic, including "Flash of Two Worlds," the story that introduced Earth-Two to DC Comics!

I bought this comic almost exactly one year prior to reading it in the nearby town of Putnam at J&S Collectibles inside Jeremiah's Antique & Collectable Shoppes.  It is worth a stop but give yourself some time.  The selection is mostly organized but requires some patience and a keen eye.

A.X.E.: Starfox

 

Comic: A.X.E.: Starfox

Where Purchased: Comic Hunter in Montreal, Quebec

When Purchased: October 23, 2022

When Read: November 12, 2024

Starfox is another one of those characters who joined the Avengers when I started collecting.  I didn't know ANYTHING about him.  He was introduced with a little bit of a mystery that was fun to see get explored at the time.

To non-comic readers, he is the character that Harry Styles was playing in one of the post-credit scenes in The Eternals.  

Another fun thing about Starfox was when Smacky discovered a little resemblance back in 2016...

All of which leads to me seeing this particular book on the shelf with a variant cover.  It is a one shot from another event that I did not follow.

This issue was...impenetrable.  I know the mantra of "every issue is somebody's first" no longer applies at Marvel but criminy this was just too much to process.  I don't know why it wouldn't have been a part of the main event series.  Why a one-shot?

Perhaps I have been away from this character for too long.  I did find a copy of the She-Hulk issue pictured above.  Perhaps when I give that series a read I will come back to this because I did not recognize this character at all.

I bought this variant covered A.X.E.: Starfox at one of my top three favorite comic shops, Comic Hunter in Montreal.  It is such a great place to spend some time scouring the back issue boxes for great comics.  The exchange rate always helps and they offer some cool promotions during your birthday month.

They have a neat shelving system for back issues, a dollar section, action figures, and so much more.

They were able to obtain a copy of Conan #1 for me during the height of my pursuit of birthday month comics.  Knowing why I was looking for the book, they got me a good deal on a decent copy.

Looking at the stats of my collection, I have purchased exactly 100 comics from them.  I grabbed this during the last time I visited.  Before we moved, it took me a little over an hour to reach Montreal.  Now Google Maps says it is more than a five hour trip.  C'est la vie.

My only caveat for visiting is that parking is a BEAR.  But it is a great shop with the friendliest of staffs!