Avengers 147

After a two issue detour, Avengers returns to the Squadron Supreme Saga in Issue 147.  The story picks up with both teams transported to the Squadron's world.  The two teams face off and Patsy Walker who found the discarded costume of the Cat faces off with Hyperion.  The Vision takes on Lady Lark.  The Golden Archer ends up with Captain America.  The Scarlet Witch faces Dr. Spectrum and we have a battle royal. 

Vision notices that while they are fighting, Army helicopters, tanks and troops surround them.  They are back on the alternative Earth and the out of the last chopper comes President Nelson Rockefeller wearing the Serpent Crown on his head.  The Serpent Crown contains an ancient evil intelligence.  The Vision decides it is best to disappear and then he reappears to snatch the crown off the head of the President and toss it to the Scarlet Witch.

We then learn that the Secret of the Serpent Crown. "It and its twin on our Earth, and all the others scattered throughout the myriad realms of reality - are all mere infestations of a single serpentine nethermind, older than antiquity!  The are numberless, and they are one - and each and every human being who places one on his head becomes its slave for forever, in contact with all the others."  President Rockefeller contacts Hugh Jones who wore the crown on our Earth.  In the meantime, the Avengers are hiding out on the alternative world and the Scarlet Witch somehow has been exploring the crown without wearing it and discovers that all the heads of the major conglomerates on the alternative Earth have worn the helmet.  The effort exhausts her and she collapses.

Next we meet Thor, Hawkeye, Moondragon and Two-Gun Kid who has time-traveled 100 years to meet the Avengers in the Arizona desert.  I am not sure if they were legal or illegal aliens, but it is 1976, so it doesn't matter.  Hawkeye leaves the Avengers (to be seen again with Two-Gun Kid in Marvel Spotlight) to go with Two-Gun to hunt wild broncos.

The story returns to the alternative world where the Scarlet Witch has been taken over by the Serpent Crown and attacks her husband, the Vision.  The Vision chases after her after she decides to return the crown to the President.  The Scarlet Witch runs into the Squadron Supreme and is grabbed by Hyperion.  The Vision yells "Unhand her, Hyperion - Now!!"  Hyperion refuses and the Vision starts to kick some Squadron Supreme tail.   First he BWAMs Hyperion.  Then the Golden Archer shoots a Detonation Arrow at Vision which passes through him.  Then Lady Lark tries her Larksong but the Vision blasts her with solar energy forn his eyes which must have singed a few feathers.  The Golden Archer fires a Ultra Sonic Siren Arrow at the Vision and Hyperion "Crumps" him with a light pole.  Meanwhile, unnoticed, the Scarlet Witch is doing battle with the Crown.  Finally, the Vision takes out Hyperion and just when Lady Lark is about to take out Vision, Lady Lark is silenced by the ... Scarlet Witch.  Apparently the Scarlet Witch's mutant soul was able to overcome the horrible mental onslaught of the Serpent Crown or maybe it was her love for the Vision. 

Anyway, the Vision takes the Crown thinking that it won't be able to attack his Computer Mind and if he is mistaken, he too will be saved by love.  If I am Nelson Rockefeller, I think I would be a little upset that I didn't have enough love to overcome the power of the Serpent Crown.

CGC has only certified nine copies of this price variant issue.  The condition census is one 9.4, three 9.0s and two 8.5s.  The last 9.0 sold in August of 2008 for $150.

Avengers 146

We review the ever-popular Avengers 30 cent variant issues next. There are five Avengers 30 cent variant issues 146 - 150. "Heed the call, then - for now, the Avengers Assemble!

Issue 146 is the second of a two-parter begun in issue 145.  These two issues are the Assassin stories which either came before or after the Squadron Supreme/Kang saga.  The Assassin has been offered ONE BILLION DOLLARS for the destruction of the Avengers.  The Scarlet Witch is worried about Captain America dying as a result of an unknown weapon from an unknown assailant.  The Beast lets us know that "Reed Richards is working on the theory that Cap was put away by a new form of Radiation Poisoning." 

We cut to the Assassins agents gloating that "the Plan is working to perfection!  The Avengers are so concerned about Captain America that they've left their own defenses down." 

Chapter Two begins with Cap on the operating table where Dr. Don Blake is placing the counter-radiation capsules inside Cap.  Since Dr. Don is operating, Iron Man is making sure the LMD (Life Model Decoy) of Thor (we can't have people discovering the connection between Thor and Dr. Don) is working.  A nurse approaches Iron Man, Hawkeye, and he Vision with some coffee.  She thoughtfully provides Iron Man a straw so that he doesn't have to remove his mask.  Unbeknownst to the Avengers, the nurse has drugged the coffee and just when they realize the coffee has been drugged, the "B" Squad of the Assassin's Agents attacks.  Hawkeye collapses from the poisoned coffee first.  Then Iron Man is gassed before he can operate his eye-and-mouth shields.  The agents then turn their attention to Thor (actually Thor's LMD) and shoot him in the back where the LMD drops like a sack of bricks.  The Agents ask themselves "Can we have slain a God?  Dr. Don continues to operate on Cap while the Vision fights on against a seemingly endless supply of enemy agents.  The vision has turned himself diamond hard (this is before the days of Viagra, when anyone can do it) and the Assassin appears and slaps something on the Visions back which prevents him from controlling his body and the Vision collapses.  The Assassin lets us know that the drug he has poisoned the Avengers with produces unconsiousness and then when it reaches their hearts - instantaneous death.  The assassin receives a report form agent B-12 (also a good name for a vitamin) that they have killed Thor.  He goes to check and realizes that the agents have just killed a robot and that Dr Donald Blake is Thor and that while "Thor is immortal -- Dr. Blake can die and since only Blake has the ability to save Captain America, with one bullet - I kill two Avengers!"

Chapter 3 begins with the hand holding the gun secretly pointed at Dr. Black being speared with one of Hawkeye's arrows.  Apparently Hawkeye "spilled his cookies" before the poison reached his heart and of course Iron Man has a synthetic heart which the poison apparently did not work on.  Hawkeye and Iron Man then removed the device from the back of the Vision.  The Assassin gets the drop on Hawkeye and keeps Iron Man and the Vision at bay with a gun pointed at Hawkeye's head.  Dr. Blake surprises the Assassin from behind and the Vision transforms the Assassin's weapon to a useless piece of slag.  Then Iron Man used his repulsor rays to rip the costume off the Assassin - where the Avengers find that the Assassin is actually the Nurse who poisned them.  Paging Michael Turner to draw this page.  Please.  Pretty please...  The nurse has a special gas bomb hidden in the back of her tattered dress which she hurls at the Avengers to cover her retreat.  She escapes but realizes that she doesn't have her radio to call her Agents to her aid.  As she approaches the first two Agents, they do not recognize her as the Assassin and fearing that something is wrong and that they have been spotted, they blast her to her death.  The Avengers then mop up all the Agents.

Issue 146 is particularly hard to find in high-grade.  The cover is primarily black including the spine and both the top and bottom corners.  Only three copies of the regular issue have been graded at 9.8, the last sale of a 9.8 in July 2008 for $432.  Only twelve copies of the 30 cent price variant have been certified in all grades with one 9.4, one 9.2, two 9.0s and two 8.0s comprising the condition census.   One 9.0 sold in June 2009 for $103. 

Interestingly, the first page of the issue contains the offer of a special bullpen bonus: an autographed NO PRIZE for the true believer who can tell exactly where this two-part tale falls in the Avengers Continuity. I don't know who won the NO-PRIZE, but for questions about Avengers Continuity, you should go here http://www.whiterocketbooks.com/avengers/avchron2.txt

May ComicLink Sales

Here are the highlights for the May ComicLink sales. Since ComicLink does not currently report its sales to GPA, this information is important. As far as I can tell, six books were sold on ComicLink in May, three at auction and three by direct listing and in my opinion all six were bargains. ComicLink has always been a surprisingly good venue for variant collectors. The quality of all six of these books is definately Tier One with all six at or close to the top of the Condition Census (highest five graded books).

Iron Fist 14 9.2 OW/W (only 1 9.4 higher) $4625

Iron Man 102 9.0 OW/W (highest graded) $170

Star Wars 1 9.4 White (only one 9.6 higher) $4644 (a reserve might have been in order on this one, because this price is lower than GPA for 9.2s)

X-Men 99 9.2 OW/W (only two 9.4s higher) $825

Captain America 210 9.4 W (single highest graded) $275

Fantastic Four 185 9.6 W (single highest graded) $190

The last two books were in the May auction along with the Star Wars 1. I was traveling and some of the other variant collectors must have missed the auction because those books were bargains.

Ebay variant results May 2010

Here are the ebay auction results for May 2010

1. Marvel Super Action 3 (listed as VF) $50
2. Son of Satan 3 (listed as VG/F) $10.50
3. Son of Satan 4 (listed as F-) $10.50
4. Eternals 14 (listed as VF/NM) $112.50
5. Howard the Duck 13 (listed as VF/NM) 199.95
6. Thor 249 (VG+), Doctor Strange 14 (F int. writing), Marvel Adventure 4 (F--), Omega 3 (F-) $54.95
7. Howard the Duck 3 (8.0 - 9.2???) $5.13
8. Marvel Double Feature 16 $10.50
9. Marvel Two-In-One 16 (9.0) $9.00
10. Daredevil 136 (F+) $12.49
11. Daredevil 135 (VF) $18.50
12. Daredevil 134 (F+) $36
13. Marvel Team-Up 44 (VG/F) & 48 (F) $31.69
14. Marvel Super Action 3 (VF) $99.99
15. Marvel Premiere 30 (VG/F) $12.99
16. Invaders 7 (VG) $10.50
17. Invaders 6 (VG/F) $12.99
18. Champions 7 (F/F+) $12.99
19. Champions 6 (G/VG) $6.99
20. Champions 5 (F) $12.99
21. Amazing Spider-Man 155 (VG) $30
22. Champions 7 (G/VG) $6.99
23. Amazing Spider-Man 157 (VF-) $46.69
24. Super-Villain Team-Up 7 (F) $15.99
25. Champions 15 (G) $27.09
26. Ms. Marvel 6 (VG/FN) $31.99
27. Ms. Marvel 10 (VG/FN) $67
28. Ms. Marvel 9 (VG/FN) $67
29. Ms. Marvel 8 (VG/FN) $67
30. Ms. Marvel 6 (VG/FN) $67
31. Star Wars 2 (VF) $481.28
32. Star Wars 1 CGC 8.5 (old label) $2200
33. Kull 16 (FN+) $8
34. Doctor Strange 17 (VF) $8.50
35. Omega the Unknown PGX 5.0 $9.99
36. Doctor Strange 15 (VF+) $10.50
37. Doctor Strange 15 (VF+) $15.50
38. Amazing Spider-Man 155 (VG) 17.59
39. Doctor Strange 16 (VF/NM) $24.72
40. Amazing Adventures 36 (VF) $25
41. Eternals 1 (VF/NM) $29.99
42. Amazing Spider-Man 156 (VG) $30.99
43. Marvel Two-In-One 15 (VF) $32
44. Avengers 148 CGC 8.5 C/OW $65
45. Fantastic Four 169 and 170 (VF) $69.99
46. Ghost Rider 19 CGC 8.0 $78
47. Marvel Feature 4 CGC 8.0 $83.05
48. X-Men 99 CGC 6.5 $102.50
48. X-Men 99 (NM) $480 and then again at $471

Here is the total list of April CGC sales from the GPAnalysis variant sales report
1 Incredible Hulk, The (1962-1999) No.202 (9.0) $80
2 Incredible Hulk, The (1962-1999) No.200 (8.0) $77
3 Incredible Hulk, The (1962-1999) No.199 (8.5) $63
4 Incredible Hulk, The (1962-1999) No.201 (9.0) $56
5 Marvel Two-In-One (1974-1983) No.18 (6.0) $45
6 Incredible Hulk, The (1962-1999) No.198 $31
7 Marvel Presents (1975-1977) No.4 (7.5) $20
8 Red Sonja (1977-1986) No.4 (9.4) $160
9 Incredible Hulk, The (1962-1999) No.212 (6.0) $76
10 Incredible Hulk, The (1962-1999) No.214 (7.5) $76
11 Incredible Hulk, The (1962-1999) No.216 (9.2) $71

Astonishing Tales 35 and 36

The sister publication to the first Amazing Adventures series, Astonishing Tales started in 1970 as double-sized double feature book with the odd pairing of Ka-Zar stories with Dr. Doom stories. This format ran for the first eight issues and I always liked Ka-Zar. Issues 9 - 20 feature Ka-Zar on his own so they are pretty good. The next four issues are complete crap. If you don't believe me, read them for yourself. You can probably find them lining some bird cage somewhere. I am certain that Marvel produced these stories about a stone giant, IT! The Living Colossus fighting Fin Fang Foom to make the next 12 issues really stand out. And stand out they do!

The last feature in Astonishing Tales is simply Bronze-Age greatness. Issue 25 introduces us to a new character named Deathlok. Created by artist Rich Buckler and written by Doug Moench, Deathlok is a unique, original hero. He is military strategist Col. Luther Manning, a conflicted cyborg of reanimated flesh and computer circuitry. Luther is Deathlok the Demolisher, no longer a man, but a weapon of war programmed solely for destruction. Deathlok is one of the most popular characters created in the bronze-age and the stories are about as far from the Spidey stories just reviewed as you can get. Issue 25 sells for over $1000 in high grade for two reasons - the introduction of Deathlok and the two page back-up story which is George Perez's first comic art.

It is kind of amazing, but this story arc stands the test of time and predates similar stories like Terminator and Robocop. It is set in the bombed-out ruins of Manhattan in the distant dystopian future year of 1990, yes 1990. Luther Manning is a soldier who died in 1985 and whose partially decayed body is made into a cyborg.

Major Simon Ryker wants to control the country after the bombing of Manhattan (this part will really hit you between the eyes, after 9-11). It is unclear if Major Ryker had anything to do with the bombing, but it is clear that he creates Deathlok for a purpose of controlling the country. Deathlok only want to break free from Ryker's control and kill Ryker for making him a cyborg.

In terms of the story, Deathlok is in Manhattan battling several enemies but wanting a war against Ryker. There is a fight between Deathlok and Ryker in a computer network, and of course this predates The Matrix movies. The war with Ryker finally occurs in the last two issues of Astonishing Tales, Issues 35 and 35, which also happen to be available as 30 cent price variants. How cool is that? Buckler's artwork is superb, just check the cover to issue 36.

Astonishing Tales was cancelled after issue 36. Marvel was struggling financially and wouldn't be rescued until Star Wars 1 came out one year later. Marvel Spotlight 33 contains the story that would have been Issue 37.

I am speculating that Buckler and Moench missed a deadline for Issue 29 because this issue is a Guardians of the Galazy fill-in.





CGC has certified 13 copies of the the issue 35 price variant with two copies in 9.6, two in 9.4, and two in 9.2. A 9.2 sold in 2002 for $65. GPA has no recorded sales of a higher graded copy.

CGC has only certified eight copies of the issue 35 price variant with two copies in 9.4, one in 9.2, and one in 9.0. The only record of a 9.4 sales was in February of 2006 for $104.


If you have not read the Deathlok stories, collecting the series is very expensive, especially in high-grade.  Fortunately Marvel has reprinted the stories in its Masterworks Hard Cover series.   For more information about this book go here  http://www.collectededitions.com/marvel/mm/deathlok/deathlok_mm01.html

Amazing Spider-Man 159

Issue 159 is the last of the 30 cent price variant issues. It is also one of my least favorite Spidey issues of all time. Except for a couple of interesting story interuptions, the issue is kind of weak. The first interlude gives us the answer to what has happened to Spidey's sunken car. Some mysterious hands are modifying it and we learn that, "Once I put this machine in action, Spider-Man will never bother anyone again!" The second interlude is another peek at J. Jonah and his exhasparation with his temporary secretaries. Forget what I said about Michael Turner drawing these ladies - Mrs. Plumm is very large and I don't think Turner could make her hot. But this is the only issue for Mrs. Plumm as she quits on J. Jonah, who is left to opine that "you just can't find good help anymore". Two issues since Betty Brant's marriage and two secretaries gone.

The story picks up where issue 158 left off. Hammerhead has been brought back to life. Spider-Man and Doc Ock attack Hammerhead and somehow Hammerhead survives this one-sided match-up when the three bang heads together and all three fall to the ground like Rocky and Appollo Creed.

At which point, Aunt May screams and then the SWAT team commences its assault with anasthetic bullets. Anasthetic bullets? Don't ask me. Dirty Harry is still laughing about this issue. At the same time another squad of commandos drops in from the roof. You can tell the commandos aren't part of the swat team because of the ridiculous costumes that they are wearing.

Spidey is the first to wake up, but he can't tie up Doc Ock and Hammerhead because he is attacked by the commandos and then the SWAT team attacks the commandos. Everyone is fighting everyone and Doc Ock huries to rescue Aunt May, which should be the job of Spidey or the SWAT team. But alas, Hammerhead captures her first with a gun pointed at her head and he and his goons escape in a helicopter.

For some reason, Hammerhead and his men return to their old but well-known hangout. Don't ask me why. But returning to his old hangout makes Hammerhead easy to find for Spidey and Doc Ock who attack the hangout. Dispatching the guards, the two sneak into the kitchen where Doc Ock takes out the cooks by pinning them to the wall with a bunch of precisely aimed knives. Spidey takes out two more guards with frying pans, which is symbolic of this cooked-up story.

Inside his office Hammerhead is offering Aunt May a shot of whiskey. Maybe he figures if he can get Aunt May looped, he could get lucky, which makes me really want to take back my comment about wishing that Michael Turner had drawn these issues. But I digress. Back to the office, Aunt May refuses the free drink offer from Hammerhead and is about to get rewarded with a slap across her face, when he is stopped by a serving cart loaded with two of his knocked out guards. Hammerhead sees Spidey and Doc Ock entering his square office and presses a button which opens up the walls to reveal more guards. But the guards skipped marksmanship class and Doc Ock dispatches the guards while Spidey hides Aunt May in a hole in the floor.

Hammerhead hits another hidden switch and the office starts spinning like it is on a giant record player. As the room spins a single window lines up with a hole in the outer brick wall and Hammerhead escapes on the first pass. The room is spinning faster which makes it more difficult for Doc Ock to time his jump and escape the room to chase after Hammerhead. Spider-Man starts throwing furniture into the hole in the floor to jam up the giant gears that propel the room. He manages to stop the room which allows the remaining guards to regain their weapons, but Spidey easily takes them out. Unfortunately, the turntable stopps spinning when the window didn't match up with the hole in the outer brick, which is pretty similar to my experience in Las Vegas.

The story resumes with Doc Ock finding Hammerhead. Hammerhead escapes in a weird helicopter. Doc Ock begins throwing trash cans at the helicopter and manages to find the range with the third one which brings the helicopter down in an explosion in the Hudson River.

Spider-Man rescues the unconscious Aunt May to the roof. Doc Ock demands that Spidey hand over Aunt May which of course Spidey refuses to do. The police arrive and Doc Ock retreats. Spider-Man lays Aunt May near a fire truck to be rescued and makes his escape.


CGC has certifed one 9.6, two 9.4s, three 9.2s and two 9.0s. They have certified a total of 23 issues in all grades. As usual, becuase high-grade sales are so infrequent, price information for high-grade copies is sketchy. GPA records only two sales of 9.0 or higher specimens in the last five years. Further clouding the issue is the fact that both sales were for the exact same 9.0 copy, first in August 2009 for $90 and again in February of this year for $159. The last sales record of a 9.4 was in 2005 for $300. The only sales record of a 9.2 was in 2004 for $150.

Amazing Spider-Man 158

If Amazing Spider-Man 157 is the easiest of the Amazing Spider-Man Bronze-Age Price Variants to find in high-grade, its successor, issue 158 is one of the hardest. The Comics Guaranty Corporation (CGC) has certified five issues in 9.4, five issues in 9.2and one in 9.0.

CGC is the third-party grading house most accepted by comic book collectors. CGC provides a really neat feature for collectors which is their comics registry. The comics registry is a database which allows collectors to enter information about their certified collections and compete on who has the best set. To measure how popular the Spidey is, there are currently 461 registry sets for the complete Amazing Spider-Man set. There are an additional 176 collectors with registry sets of issues 100 to 200 which include the price variant issues and eighty collectors with registry sets in the complete Amazing Spider-Man set plus variants category. You can see the problem with the marvel price variants, in a sea of competitive collectors, there is only a thimble full of certified copies of the price variant issues - 21 total of this issue. The competition for high-grade examples is fierce when one shows up at auction. There have been three high-grade copies sold in the past three years - yes, one per year. In October of 2008, a 9.4 sold for $420 which would be a bargain today. In August of 2008, a 9.2 sold for $190 which would also be a bargain today. The last high-grade book to sell was a 9.0 which sold in March of this year for $300.

Issue 158 picks up where 157 left off. Spider-man is falling from a mile in the sky after Doc Ock snipped his web-lines. Spider-man could use his web-shooters to make a parachute and glide to the ground, but this is the 1970's and he quickly fashions a hangglider out of webbing and manages to land in a dumpster after misjudging his flight path.

So we next meet Petey in his apartment where he is repairing his spidey costume and he is visited by Glory Grant - a good stripper name if ever there was one. Then Mary Jane comes in and tells Peter that Aunt May's place has been trashed. Peter gets a call from Robbie Robertson about an emergency assignment, so Peter slips on his costume beneath his clothes.

When he gets to work, he learns that J. Jonah is not happy with the hapless new temp who is replacing Betty Brant while she is on her honeymoon. He also learns from Robbie that the Daily Globe is raiding the Bugle for employees. He also hears that Doc Ock is holding at Aunt May at Brookhaven Labs.

Spidey rushes to the Labs where he finds Doc Ock working on some equipment and a SWAT team (1970s, remember) gathering for a hostage rescue. Spidey fights Doc Ock which breaks the equipment and then Hammerhead appears and Spidey helps Doc Ock put the equipment back together which Doc Ock thinks will destroy Hammerhead once and for all but Hammerhead knows will put him back in phase and give him his material body back and Spidey realizes what Hammerhead knows but is unable to stop Doc Ock from hitting the button and the issues ends with Hammerhead material again. Whew...We will have to wait for the conclusion in issue 159.

I love this bronze age stuff - but am left wondering what the parade of hapless secretaries would look like if these issues were drawn by Michael Turner - not to mention Glory Grant...

This Just In.... The Variant World is Going to Get a Lot More Interesting and Competitive

According to the Durango Herald newspaper, collecting marvel price variants is going to get a whole lot more interesting and competitive. Long-time comic book researcher and collector Jon McClure was commissioned by the 2010 Overstreet Price Guide to write a three page article on variants. Instead, in the price guide to be released in July, McClure wrote a 44 page article focused on variants from 1937 through the mid-1990's.

The article quotes one of the most important dealers Doug Sulipa, “The comic-collecting world does not yet know this article is coming,...Upon submission, this article was seen as so important by the Comic Guide editors that they cleared room, and most other articles, to make room. When the official announcement is made, I expect this will be the most important, must-have, most anticipated and bestselling guide in at least a decade, if not ever."

I expect the Bronze Age Price Variants to be front and center in the article.

For the complete newspaper article, go here. http://www.durangoherald.com/sections/A%26E/2010/04/16/Holy_comic_shakeup_Collector_writes_opus/?printable=1

Amazing Spider-Man 157

Amazing Spider-Man 157 is the easiest of the Amazing Spider-Man Bronze-Age Price Variants to find in high-grade. Of course, using "easiest to find" and Bronze-age Price Variant in the same sentence is oxymoronic. CGC has certified 42 copies of this issue which is more than twice as many as issue 156. Five copies are currently tied for the highest grade at 9.6 with 12 more in 9.4, and six in 9.2. The last high grade copy to sell was a CGC 9.4 that sold in March 2010 for $675.

Issue 157 continues some of the sub-plots from the previous issues and begins a three issue story-arc. In fact, this issue finishes with Spidey plunging from a helicopter a mile in the air after Doc Ock clips his webbing. The issue begins with
Spider-Man diving into the Hudson River to try and recover his Spider-Mobile, a continuing story plot that begins in issue 126. Spidey orginally thought he would get rich with a license deal from Corona motors (great name, but drinking and driving don't mix) but now is worried about getting sued instead. Spidey only finds the side-view mirror and realizes the car is gone. Returning to the surface he has to elude two cops and then he returns home.

Peter arrives at Aunt May's house with a tub of chicken and is shocked that Aunt May has helped Dr. Octopus with a shower and some new clothes. Doc Ock tells them how he survived the explosion on a nuclear reactor on an island that Aunt May owned but is now haunted by the ghost of Hammerhead who set off the explosion. This apparently is the cue for the ghost of Hammerhead to appear, causing Aunt May to faint and Doc Oct to flee with her in his arms. Peter becomes Spider-man and chases them. Doc Ock uses a crowd of people encouraged by a bounty from the Bugle to capture Spidey to elude Spidey and escape to a helicopter. Spider-Man snags the helicopter with his webs, but when Doc Ock notices that Spidey is hitching a ride on the helicopter, he snips the webs and we will have to wait until issue 158 to find out what happens to Spidey.

Amazing Spider-Man 156

The second of the five Amazing Spider-Man 30 cent price variants is issue 156.

Returning to his apartment early in the morning from his battle with the WHO computer (issue 155), Spider-Man is trying to catch some sleep before he has to be at Ned Leeds and Betty Brant's wedding. As he lands on the roof of his building, he is attacked with a broom by his landlady Mrs. Muggins, who suspects the intruder is a pervert.

Mary Jane ties his bow tie and the two arrive at the beginning of the marriage service of Ned and Betty. Then the wedding is crashed, not by Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, but by a villain named Mirage who has the power to appear several places at once. Mirage is there to rob all the guests (pun- I am called Mirage, and I've come to rob you blind.) but Peter finds a way to change into Spider-man and defeat Mirage by crashing a chandelier into the wedding crasher. Spider-Man finds a way to change back to Peter Parker and explain his disappearance and the priest concludes the marriage of Ned and Betty.

Aunt May catches the Betty's bouquet and returns to her apartment where she finds a Bowery Derelict waiting for her inside. The bum exposes himself to her and surprise, it is Dr. Octopus, whom she almost married back in issue 131. Otto Octavius asks her for help and the issue ends.

CGC has certified only 18 price variant copies of this issue. The highest grades on the CGC census are one 9.6, two 9.4s, and six 9.2s. This issue is extremely tough and price information, particularly for high-grade copies is practically non-existant. GPA records only one sale of a 9.4 graded copy and that was back in October of 2004 for $173. That book would sell for much more today. GPA does not have a record of a VF or higher book selling in the last three years.




A great site to find reviews of each Amazing Spider-Man issue is here http://www.samruby.com/AmazingSpider-ManB/amazing_spiderman_156.htm

Amazing Spider-Man 155

I think it is safe to say that there are two Marvel Bronze-Age titles that attract more collectors than any other bronze-age titles - the Amazing Spider-Man and the Uncanny X-Men. There are five 30 cent variant titles for the Amazing Spider-Man issues and we are going to look at them in order.

You want a challenge? Find all five Spidey 30 center in VF/NM or better.

Issue 155 begins with District Attorney Blake Tower holding a press conference to unveil the new Worldwide Habitual Offendor (note the initials, they are important) Computer. The door to the computer room is locked and when it is finally opened, Dr Armstrong Smith, the developer of the computer is found dead in the room. Peter Parker is part of the press contingent and comes back to investigate the crime scene. He uses the computer to determine Smith's murderer, and the computer offers up three candidates. You have to remember that this book was written a few years before the advent of personal computers, when computers had kind of an aura of infallibility.

Anyway, after tracking down the three candidates (the last has been dead for years), Peter realizes that he has been tricked by the computer. Apparently Armstrong discovered that the computer had gained artificial intelligence and was killed by the computer when he tried to delete the program. After confessing to Spider-Man, the computer attacks Spidey with a laser beam. Spidey squirts his webbing to plug the cooling vents, which causes the computer to overheat and explode. Now that I think about it, Spider-Man must have jacked with my first computer too. As usual, Spidey makes his getaway before the police arrive on the scene.

And did you get it? All this work on a story to deliver the pun - WHO dunnit. Ouch, Ouch, Ouch!




There are plenty of high-grade Amazing Spider-Man collectors. Unfortunately, there are not plenty of high-grade Amazing Spider-Man 30 cent variants. In fact, issue 155 is the only one of the 30 cent price variant issues with a copy to be CGC graded in 9.8 - and there are two 9.8 copies of this issue.

CGC has certified 31 copies of the price variant issue including two 9.8s, two 9.6s and three 9.4s. There are just not enough high grade copies to go around and high grade copies are rarely offered for sale. GPA does not have a record of a sale of a 9.8 price variant of this issue. In September of 2007, a 9.6 sold for $660. There are three recorded sales of a 9.4, the last in July 2006 for $500.


One of the most entertaining reviews of each Amazing Spider-Man issue is Samuel Smith's which can be found here
http://www.spidervillain.com/SpiderManCovers/Amazing/ASM155/ASM155.htm

Another great resource for comics book information can be found here
http://www.comicvine.com/the-amazing-spider-man-whodunit/37-16243

And the Marvel Wikia site for this issue can be found here
http://marvel.wikia.com/Comics:Amazing_Spider-Man_Vol_1_155

Amazing Adventures - A very underappreciated title

First, some really neat comics history is in order. In June 1961, the first Marvel series bearing the name of this title was introduced to fans of science fiction and monster stories with artwork by Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko. The first issue introduced Doctor Droom who is Marvel's first Silver Age superhero and remains largely unremembered. And, importantly, the third issue of the series is the first comic book labeled Marvel Comics. The series was updated as Amazing Adult Fantasy with issue 7. Most importantly, for the series final issue, the title was shortened to Amazing Fantasy and the one and only and final issue of Amazing Fantasy was issue 15. Yes, that is correct, the book that introduced the Amazing Spider-Man.

Marvel recycled the title in August of 1970 and the series lasted 39 issues ending in November 1976.

The first ten issues are double feature books featuring both an Inhumans and a Black Widow story. I love these books - the Inhumans were always cool stories in Fantastic Four and let's face it - the Black Widow is simply HOT. I am over half way to collecting the first 10 issues with double covers, but that is the subject for another day. If you can help me out with a double cover Amazing Adventures book, please drop me a note.

The next seven issues were Beast issues and because they are early Beast issues including his origin, they are expensive to collect in high grade. Honestly, compared to the Inhumans/Black Widow run before and the greatness to come after, they are the worst issues of the series. And I am a huge X-Men and Beast fan.

The last twenty-two issues contain one of the "classic" Marvel bronze age science fiction stories - War of the Worlds. At the end of the War of the Worlds, the Martians are decimated by human germs. The Martians return to Earth and enslave its people. The main protagonist, Killraven, is one of the slave-people bred by the Martians as a super-warrior. He frees himself and starts a rebellion to free Earth from the Martians. These issues get off to a terrific start with art by Neal Adams and Howard Chaykin. If that isn't enough, in issue 27, P. Craig Russell takes over and delivers bronze-age genius.

Fortunately. Amazing Adventures 36 and 37 contain P. Craig Russell art and were also printed as much rarer 30 cent price variants. This is the best of both worlds for me. Issue 36, "Red Dust Legacy," is an interesting story where Killraven and his Freemen arrive at a Martian incubation base where they must make a decision about whether to kill the young Martians. The CGC condition census for this issue is this lone 9.4 followed by four 9.2s. Thirteen copies of the 30 cent price variant have been certified.


Issue 37 is titled "Arena Kill!" Apparently there are people in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge who have managed to avoid enslavement by the Martian Masters. I saw the movie "Deliverance" and find this plausible. After discovering these people and beating their leader Brother Axe in battle, Killraven and the Freeman are invited to dinner where he begins a tale of his days in the Martian gladiator arenas. The condition census for this book is a single 9.6 which sold in 2003 for $103 followed by four 9.4s. The most recent sale of a 9.4 was in June of 2009 for $155.





To read Stronguy's review of the entire bronze age series, go here.

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3409154&fpart=4

Invaders 6 Highest Graded

This Invaders 6 30 cent price variant just brought a $300 hammer price in the recently ended Pedigree Comics Grand Auction. This book is the single highest-graded of the issue followed by two 9.4s and three 9.2s. There is more sales history on this issue and in particular this book than almost any other 30 cent variant

This book first sold in October 2006 for $229. It sold again in January of 2009 for $250 and now again for $300.

The last CGC certified 9.4 of this issue sold in 2005 for $200.

Adventures on the Planet of the Apes or Charlton Heston Bronze-Age Goodness

We might as well start at the beginning with the 30 cent variant issues of Adventures on the Planet of the Apes. Planet of the Apes is one of the classic early science fiction movies. It was well received by moviegoers and critics alike when it debuted in 1968, and is widely regarded as one of the best movies of 1968 and is noted for its use of prosthetic make-up and its soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith. It also starred Charlton Heston and a script originally written by Rod Serling.

In 1975, yes, seven years after the movie first appeared, Marvel released an eleven issue comic book series that showed adaptations of the Planet of the Apes movie and its sequel, Beneath the Planet of the Apes.

The first 30 cent price variant in this series is issue 5. CGC has certified nine copies of the book. The condition census grades are 9.6, 9.2, 9.2, 8.5 and 7.5. I think that issue 5 is the easiest to find of the three price variant issues.

Issue 6 is the second of the Adventures on the Planet of the Apes price variant issues. The issue contains the conclusion to the Planet of the Apes movie. CGC has certified seven books of the issue. The condition census grades for the issue are 9.4, 9.0, 9.0, 7.5, 6.5.

Issue 7 is the last of the three Adventures on the Planet of the Apes price variant issues. CGC has certified six books of the issue. The condition census grades for the issue are 9.4, 9.4, 9.4, 9.0, 8.0.

The books are very hard to find and high grade certified examples almost never come up for auction. GPAnalysis does not record a single sale of a certified copy of any of the three issues in the last five years.

___________________________________________________

One of the neatest threads on the CGC forum site is my friend Stronguys review of the Marvel Bronze Age books. He has collected every bronze age book (but not the variant issues) and he helped me with a couple of the almost impossible to find 30 cent westerns and the impossible to find Weird Wonder Tales 15. Here is his review of Adventures of the Planet of the Apes. You can find the rest of his great thread here. http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3409154&fpart=3

Adventures On The Planet Of The Apes
Issues 1-11
October 1975 - December 1976

Rating: 2/5

Not a lot to report on this one. If you saw the movies then you could have saved yourself $2.95 (or $3.10 if you lived in one of the 30¢ variant cities) and not bought the comics.

Issues 1-6 follow the original Planet Of The Apes movie pretty much scene for scene. George Tuska and Mike Esposito turn out some pretty bland art with only 1 memorable page -- the 2 page splash of Taylor and Nova in front of the destroyed Statue Of Liberty. But even then it's not that great. Issue 6 has a pretty decent Jim Starlin cover. I don't know that you can really credit Doug Moench with "writing" -- more like watching the movie and remembering. One thing that seemed strange was, you know how Hulk 168 has that Overstreet note about Betty being nude when she's really just standing behind a bunch of bushes presumably nude, well issue 1 has 2 panels with some interracial bare-assness and there's not one single mention in Overstreet about it.

Issues 7-11 follow the Beneath The Plane Of The Apes movie... once again, scene for scene. Taylor disappears into a mysterious wall of ice, rescue pilot Brent shows up and hooks up Nova (damn tramp!), they meet some telepathic zombie looking guys and Taylor blows up the planet. Alfredo Alcala took over as the artist for this run and the art takes a nice step up (if you like the Filipino art style... and I do).

April ComicLink Prices Realized

Comiclink is one if not the most important sales venues for high-grade bronze-age comics. Comiclink does not report its sales to GPAnalysis. GPAnalysis is a subscription service which tracks sales of CGC certified comic books from most of the major auction houses and many of the largest dealers. Since Comiclink has regularly sold some of he most significant price variants, it is helpful for collectors to have this information which is why it is listed here.

Recent Comiclink sales

1. Amazing Spider-Man 157 CGC 9.6 W $795


2. Amazing Spider-Man 159 CGC 8.5 OW/W $90


3. Astonishing Tales 35 CGC 9.2 W $50


4. Conan 63 CGC 9.8 W $451


5. Conan 65 CGC 9.8 W $405


6. Conan 65 CGC 9.6 W $200


7. Conan 75 CGC 9.2 W $160


8. Eternals 1 CGC 9.6 W $165


9. Eternals 15 CGC 9.6 W $357


10. Fantastic Four 170 CGC 9.0 W $100


11. Fantastic Four 117 CGC 9.0 W $117


12. Howard the Duck 3 CGC 9.6 W $95


13. Howard the Duck 4 CGC 9.8 W $484


14. Inhumans 4 CGC 9.8 W $352


15. Invaders 7 CGC 9.4 W $69


16. Iron Fist 4 CGC 9.6 W $170


17. Iron Man 102 CGC 8.5 OW/W $87


18. Nova 13 CGC 8.5 OW/W $100


19. Spectacular Spider-Man 9 CGC 9.0 OW/W $65


20. Star Wars 1 CGC 9.2 OW/W $4950


21. Star Wars 2 CGC 9.0 OW/W $650


22. Star Wars 3 CGC 9.0 OW/W $1200


23. Star Wars 3 CGC 8.5 OW $550


24. Star Wars 4 CGC 9.2 OW/W $2200


25. Tomb of Dracula 45 CGC 9.0 OW/W $77


26. X-Men 99 CGC 6.0 W $125


27. X-Men 107 CGC 8.5 W $375

Other recent notable CGC certified price variant sales

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey 7 CGC 9.4 $249


2. 2001: A Space Odyssey 10 CGC 9.4 $199


3. Amazing Adventures 36 CGC 8.5 $16


4. Amazing Spider-Man 157 CGC 9.4 $675


5. Amazing Spider-Man 155 CGC 9.0 $300


6. Amazing Spider-Man 158 CGC 9.0 $300


7. Amazing Spider-Man 159 CGC 8.0 $115


8. Avengers 146 CGC 5.5 $34


9. Avengers 147 CGC 6.0 $34


10. Daredevil 135 CGC 9.4 $369


11. Daredevil 136 CGC 9.0 $90


12. Defenders 35 CGC 8.5 $10


13. Defenders 38 CGC 3.5 $10


14. Star Wars 1 CGC 5.0 $680


15. Star Wars 4 CGC 7.5 $813


16. Thor 249 CGC 9.4 $175

Comiclink is a tremendous marketplace for high-grade comic books. I have purchased many books from them and recommend them. http://www.comiclink.com/

GPAnalysis is simply an indispensable resource for the high-grade comic collector. It is well worth the price.http://comics.gpanalysis.com/

Variant Prizes Realized

Good price data is hard to find on Marvel Price Variants. The Overstreet Price Guide doesn't really have a clue about these books. I track most of the auction results and will post the results of auctions in an effort to help collectors value their collections. The best resource for variant sales history is the Stl Comics forum which can be found here. http://forum.stlcomics.com/viewforum.php?f=40&sid=7260ef285e8f07ea626edba1c7472aa9

Harry Miller, one of the godfathers of the variant mafia regularly tracked ebay sales results of price variants and posted them to this site. Unfortunately, the site crashed in 2009 and the back up was only successful up to 2008. Harry did not resume posting the auction results. With the usual caveats and expectations of raw ebay grading, here are the current results of properly listed marvel price variants.

Ebay results for April 2010

1. Godzilla 2 (listed as F+) $105
2. Ms. Marvel 6 (listed as VG/F) $64.50
3. Fantastic Four 169 (listed as 7.5-8) $28
4. Iron Man 88 (listed as G) $3.51
5. Warlock 13 (listed as VG/F) $7.83
6. Thor 249 (listed as F+) $42.52
7. Thor 248 (listed as VG) $17.50
8. Thor 247 (listed as VG) $13.63
9. Incredible Hulk 216 CGC 9.2 (Qualified due to a popped staple) $71.12
10. Incredible Hulk 214 CGC 7.5 $76
11. Incredible Hulk 212 CGC 6.0 $76
12. Incredible Hulk 202 CGC 9.0 $80
13. Incredible Hulk 201 CGC 9.0 $56
14. Incredible Hulk 200 CGC 8.0 $77
15. Incredible Hulk 199 CGC 8.5 $63
16. Incredible Hulk 198 CGC 5.0 $31
17. Incredible Hulk 200 (listed as VF/NM) $66
18. Incredible Hulk 201 (listed as VF/NM) $30.05
19. Marvel Presents 12 (listed as F/VF) $70
20. Godzilla 2 (listed as VG/F) $40
21. Godzilla 1 (listed as G/VG) $40
22. Marvel Two-In-One 29 (listed as F/VF) $55
23. Marvel Two-In-One 30 (listed as VF-/VF) $70
24. Kull 21 (listed as excellent) $125
25. Marvel Adventure 4 (listed as G/VG) $3.99
26. Tomb of Dracula 44 $10.49
27. Omega the Unknown 2 $3.25
28. Iron Man 87 $3.30
29. Iron Man 85 $6.52
30. Doctor Strange 14 $8.58
31. Doctor Strange 13 $8.09
32. Champions 4 $6.99
33. Black Goliath 2 $7.11
34. Red Sonja 4 CGC 9.4 W $160
35. Incredible Hulk 202 (listed as VG+) $8.09
36. Marvel Presents 5 (listed as VF) $47
37. Astonishing Tales 36 (listed as VF-) $25
38. Tomb of Dracula 44 (listed as VF-) $27
39. Black Goliath 3 (listed as VF-) $20
40. Marvel Team-Up (listed as VF) $35
41. Marvel Spotlight 29 (listed as VG with moisture damage) $6.09
42. Marvel Spotlight 29 (listed as VF) $48
43. Marvel Chillers 5 (listed as VF/NM) $60
44. Super-Villain Team-Up 7 (listed as VF+) $55
45. Skull, the Slayer 5 (listed as VF) $40
46. Kull 16 (listed as VF) $40
47. Champions 6 (listed as VF) $35
48. Son of Satan 4 (listed as VF/NM) $40
49. Black Goliath 2 (listed as VF+) $40
50. Marvel Two-In-One 16 (listed as VF+) $50
51. Howard the Duck 4 (listed as VF/NM) $35
52. Eternals 2 (listed as NM-) $45

The buyer of books 36 through 52 (with the exception of 41) is going to be disappointed in the books as, in my opinion, the seller is a serial overgrader.

It also appears that three really nice 30 cent variant books from a very reputable ebay seller who inherited a phenomenal 30 cent variant collection (but that is a story for another blog) were taken down off ebay and sold in a private transaction. The books were

1. Werewolf by Night 38 CGC 9.4 W $240
2. Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos CGC 9.4 W $180
3. Tomb of Dracula 44 CGC 9.4 W $180

And finally,

Skull the Slayer 7 in CGC 9.4 W for $83. Here is how the seller described the book. "This listing is for one CGC slab, as described in the title of this listing. This is the rare 30 cent price variant cover. For some reason CGC did not mark it as a variant cover, but this is the rare variant version. This issue has a very tough black cover. It is very hard to find the regular issue in high grade, let alone the variant cover. Plus this copy has amazing WHITE pages and a perfectly centered cover." The only problem is that CGC did not mark it as a variant because Skull the Slayer 7 is NOT a variant edition.

X-Men 98 CGC 9.6 Off-White to White

In the January 2010 Comiclink auction, this terrific copy of X-Men 98 set the record for a X-Men 30 cent price variant bringing a final price of $1875. This copy is currently one of two 9.6s on the census followed by a single 9.4. Here is the Comiclink scan of the book.

Of course the NEW X-Men first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men 1 followed by X-Men 94 and just four issues later, in X-Men 98, the phenomenon was still just starting to catch on. These bronze-age x-men issues are particularly prized by numerous X-men collectors.

CGC census numbers for the regular edition are currently 10 9.8s, 34 9.6s and 91 9.4s. There have been a total of 602 copies of the regular edition certified by CGC versus 53 of the variant edition. In comparison a regular edition X-Men 98 in 9.6 would typically sell for $350 in an auction. The 12 month average price for a regular edition X-Men 98 is $1700. If a 9.8 copy of the variant edition ever showed up at an auction, I wonder what it would fetch?


CGC census data for this book can be found here. http://www.cgccomics.com/census/grades_standard.asp?title=X%2DMen&publisher=Marvel%20Comics&issue=98&year=1976&issuedate=4%2F76

Long live the KING!

In ComicLink's November 2009 auction, a sizzling copy of Star Wars 1 achieved the record price for a Marvel Price variant. The auction for the CGC 9.6 white paged copy ended at $26,250.


The Star Wars 1 price variant holds a unique place for Star Wars collectors. The comic book is the only Star Wars collectible that was released prior to the release of the movie. Marvel Comics Group was struggling financially as evidenced by the need to try a price increase and the tremendous popularity of the movie and the tremendous sales of the Star Wars comics books helped save Marvel from financial ruin.

Currently, there have been 81 unrestored Star Wars 1 books graded by CGC. This 9.6 book is the single highest graded followed by two 9.4s and six 9.2s. Compare this to the 1735 regular issues that have been graded by CGC with 104 9.8s and 458 9.6s and 439 9.4s and you get an idea of the rarity of the marvel price variants. A regular edition of Star Wars 1 in 9.6 would typically sell for around $130 or half of a percent of the variant edition. Because of the huge print runs for the Star Wars 1 book, the Star Wars 1 price variant is the most common of all the price variants books and because of the popularity of the Star Wars franchise, one of the most desired.



The CGC census data is a tremendous resource for comic book researchers. To view the census data for Star Wars 1 go here.
http://www.cgccomics.com/census/grades_standard.asp?title=Star%20Wars&publisher=Marvel%20Comics&issue=1&year=1977&issuedate=7%2F77

The Big Comic Book Database is a great resource for Comic Book Collectors.
http://www.comics-db.com/comic-book/1061698-Star_Wars_1.html

To read more about how Star Wars 1 saved Marvel Comics Group go here.
http://www.starwars.com/episode-iv/bts/article/f20070601/index.html


The book was originally sold by an ebay seller who inherited a collection which included a number of high grade 35 cent variants including multiple copies of Star Wars 1. The book was originally sold on ebay in a CGC 9.4 holder for $10,000. You can find more about the story here. http://www.comicspriceguide.com/blog/post/2009/10/26/Star-Wars-1-35-Cent-Variant-CGC-94-Hits-2410000-on-eBay!.aspx

A Neat Little Kid Colt 218 Western story

Kid Colt 218 is one of the keys to the series. Until earlier this year, there were only two copies of this book known. Terry Hall, who is the only person to complete the 35 cent variant set has one. Harry Miller, who only lacks two books to complete the set and will be the next person to complete the set has one.

And then a noted hunter of hidden variant comics on ebay who I call Sherlock Holmes found an auction lot titled KID COLT OUTLAW COMIC BOOK (BRONZE AGE) 9 ISSUES accompanied by the above picture. If you look closely, right in the middle of the picture, is the third known copy of Kid Colt 218. And Sherlock paid $12 bucks for the lot.

After receiving the books from the original seller, Sherlock listed the book correctly on ebay and not surprisingly the auction results were much different for the Kid Colt 218. The hammer price was $408.28 for this correctly listed book. I have not seen the book in hand, but the grade can probably be best described as "beater".

The remaining question is what is the cover price on the Kid Colt 220 in the top picture? And who says that searching for price variants isn't fun?

A little bit about me.

I grew up an avid comic book reader and collector while I was in school in the 70s and early 80s. I remember biking to the 7-11, buying books off the spinner rack, and reading the great bronze-age classics like Cockrum and Byrne’s New X-Men, Frank Miller’s Daredevil, and Dave Steven’s Rocketeer. After graduating from college, getting married and having kids, I stopped buying comic books because of the demands of my new responsibilities and home budget constraints. Fast forward to a couple of years ago with my own kids in high school, some spare time, and settled in a bigger house with some extra storage space, I started working to complete some of the comic runs that I never finished as a kid. Searching for these books led me to the CGC website where I discovered a thread on Marvel price variants of the same books that I collected as a kid. That thread led me to the STL comics site where I met up with the Variant Mafia. You can't complete a set of marvel price variants without help from the mafia. Anyway, I became hooked on the price variants. Hard.

As of 2010, I have completed the 30 cent set. I am actively working on completing the 35 cent but so are several others and the competition for the last twenty books that I need for the set is pretty fierce.