Captain America #2 (Vol. 3)

• Date: Februrary 1998
• Publisher: Marvel Comics
• Cover Price: $1.99
• Current NM Price: $3.00
• Stats: 22 color pages plus ads and "American Graffiti" letters page.
• Writer: Mark Waid
• Artists: Ron Garney, Bob Wiacek, John Costanza and Joe Rosas
• Notable Notes: Cap loses his shield!

Honoring Veterans:

Today is Veterans Day here in the USA, and I figured what better time to read and review Captain America! This is a good issue for it too, because Cap saves several soldiers in a submarine. In fact, one of them is heard to quip about the Captain, "I don't get it! Ain't he Army?" Ha! I found that to be the funniest line in the whole book.

The Amazing Spider-man #246

• Date: November 1983
• Publisher: Marvel Comics Group
• Cover Price: 60¢
• Current Price Range: $1 - $10
• 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 and Bob Sharen
• Notable Notes: The "Daydream" issue!

Ahh, If Only...

Who doesn't like to daydream? I know I sure did as a kid - heck, I still like to do it! I remember thinking what it would be like to be Daredevil - how cool it would be performing amazing feats without sight and what not. Anyway, this issue explores some ideas of what comic book characters might fantasize about.

Sif #1

• Date: June 2010
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Current NM Price: $4.00
• Stats: 22 color pages plus ads and Marjorie Liu interview
• Publisher: Marvel Entertainment
• Writer: Kelly Sue Deconnick
• Artists: Ryan Stegman, Tom Palmer, Victor Olazaba, Juan Doe and Joe Sabino
• Notable Notes: A Women of Marvel one-shot

Thor's Girlfriend!

I love Marvel's Thor comics and have read quite a few. Sif is usually a fun character to read about, so when I heard about this one-shot I jumped at the chance to get it. It proved a fun read, even if the ending was unusually accelerated. Oh well, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to Thor fans, and people who appreciate beautiful warrior women.

Fantastic Four #287

• Date: February, 1986
• Cover Price: 75¢
• Current NM Price: $4.00
• Stats: 22 color pages plus ads and bulletins
• Publisher: Marvel Comics Group
• Writer/Penciler: John Byrne
• Other Artists: Glynis Oliver, Jim Novak
• Notable Notes: I don't know, but it does have the worst "beauty parlor" scene I've ever seen!

I Tried to Like It:

Oh, Fantastic Four, how I've tried to like thee! Seriously, every few years I give "The World's Greatest Comic Magazine" a try, and I really do want to like it, but it never grabs me. I don't know what it is either. I mean, I *do* realize the historical importance of the FF, and the characters seem likable enough, but I guess it just isn't meant to be. Well, at least not until the next time I try!

ElfQuest #7 (Vol. 2)

• Date: February 1986
• Cover Price: 75¢
• Current Price Range: $3.00
• Stats: color; 22 pages plus ads and letters column
• Publisher: Marvel Comics Group (Epic imprint)
• Creators: Wendy and Richard Pini

A Bit of History with this issue:

As a kid I read a lot of comics, but I only knew a few other people who read them. One such person was my good friend Peter, and his favorite series was ElfQuest. He liked it so much that he got me to try a few issues, and I enjoyed them too. I only ended up buying one issue (because I read all of his instead!) which was this one. I thought it was high time to give it a try again - and I'm glad I did!

Prince Namor, The Sub-Mariner #14

• Date: June, 1969
• Cover Price: 12¢
• Current Price Range: $3.20 - $35
• Stats: color; 20 pages plus ads, bulletins and letters
• Publisher: Marvel Comics Group
• Writers: Roy Thomas
• Artists: Marie Severin, Joe Gaudioso, Sam Rosen
• Notable Notes: First modern appearance of, only modern appearance of, and death of Toro!

How I came by this issue:

Years ago my sister found a suitcase of old comics at a yard sale in Las Vegas, NV.  She bought them and then wanted me to look through them to see if any were valuable.  How fun that was!  I determined that a few of them were worth a few dollars, but the majority of them were not very valuable at all.  Once she heard that she told me to keep them.  Ok!  I quickly bagged and boarded the ones that I thought had value, and placed the rest in my general comic stack.  Anyway, this gem was one of the comics in that find, so I thought I would finally give it a read.

The Amazing Spider-man #245

• Date: October 1983
• Cover Price: 60¢
• Current Price Range: $2 - $15
• Stats: color, 22 pages + ads and Bullpen Bulletins
• Publisher: Marvel Comics Group
• Writer: Roger Stern
• Artists: John Romita Jr. and Dave Simons, Joe Rosen, Bob Sharen
• Notable Notes: 4th appearance of Hobgoblin, Lefty Donovan gains powers of Hobgoblin

My History with this issue:

In 1983 I was 12 years old, and our family was going camping.  My mom, quite thoughtfully, picked up a few comic books for me at the local 7-11 and this awesome issue was among them.  This was one of my earliest ventures into Marvel comics and superhero comics in general, and I was immediately captivated by Spider-man!  Now, 29 years later, I am still captivated by this issue!

Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge #211

November 1986
Gladstone Publishing, Ltd.
75¢, color, 32 pages
Writers: Carl Barks, Byron Erickson
Artists: Daan Jippes, Carl Barks, John Clark, Ken Feduniewicz

The Comic Experience:

I retire to the quiet solitude of my room and pop the scotch tape off the back of my mylar bag. After carefully removing the book, I gently flip through its pages, inhaling that slightly musty scent that only comes from old comics. Ahhh!