Bargain Bin Diving!

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

So lately I've been going through all of the $1 bins at a comic store that opened up a couple of miles away. Over the last 2 weeks I've gone through about half the bins, so there are a lot, and it'll take another 2 weeks to finish them all as the store is, for now, only open on Saturdays.

Anyway, I figured I'd start this thread to post random thoughts no some of the stuff I've pulled out of those bins, stuff that maybe doesn't need a separate thread.

I'd encourage anyone else into diving through bargain bins to post here too, I always find it interesting what people are able to find in these bins.

In addition to a bunch of Swamp Thing and a few Captain Victory issues covered in other threads, here's what I grabbed last week.

Night Music #7 (Eclipse Comics) - P. Craig Russell adapts Rudyard Kipling's Red Dog.

Spacehawk #1 (Dark Horse Comics) - reprints some of Basil Wolverton's seriously wacky Spacehawk stories.

Solo - Scott Hampton (DC Comics) - compiles a bunch of Scott Hampton stories. The Solo series was really cool, everyone should own a copy of the Richard Corben issue.

Nexus #1-3 (Capital Comics) - The color series. Rude and Baron create such a fun and quirky sci-fi superhero series with these early issues and the art is killer.

Mr. Natural #3 (Crumb Comics) - Because Crumb.

Doom Patrol #101 (DC Comics) -Because you don't leave silver age Doom Patrol issues in the bargain bin.... you just don't.

Plop #6 (DC Comics) - Wolverton art again, fucking weird cover.

Star Reach #5 (Star Reach) - Grabbed this one for the Howard Chaykin 'Gideon Faust - Warlock At Large' cover story but it's also got some Frank Brunner and Joe Staton artwork in it.

Justice Inc. #1 (DC Comics) - Rad Joe Kubert cover, cool Denny O'Neil story and hey, a bronze age 1st issue so why not.

New Gods (DC Comics) #6 - this is the reprint edition from the 80s that was done on glassy paper.

Weird Worlds #10 (DC Comics) - Chaykin artwork in side and a nice Kaluta cover on the front.

Skull Kickers #1 (Image Comics) - It's a Zub book!

All Star Western #1 (DC Comics) - the new 52 series, I figured I'd give it a shot because I like Jonah Hex. Haven't read it yet.

Rat God #2,3,4,5 (Dark Horse Comics) - Some of Corben's best work from recent years.

Silver Surfer #1 (Marvel Comics) - the Dan Scott/Mike Allred series, because I like Allred's art. Didn't love the story here but if I find a few other issues in coming bargain bin dives I'll probably grab them for the art.

Silver Surfer #1 (Marvel Comics) - the Pak/Segovia series, again, I liked the art.

Space Riders #1 (Black Mask Comics) - because it had a fucking Sweet Matt Allison does Steranko cover on it. Also this series is awesome.

[Mark Tolch Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Mark Tolch]

I wish that I was more into comics. Bargain hunting for comics looks more fun and has a better payoff than bargain hunting for records.

[agent999 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close agent999]

I don't have any comic stores anywhere near me these days. They were all over the place like a rash in the early nineties then they started thinning out and selling more merch, and now have almost completely dried up except for very large towns and cities. I've always wondered where they get those bargain bin comics from, I guess they buy up the stock from shops that have closed down.

In the UK as a kid, only really big newsagents carried US comics. It was so exciting to see those colour comics as opposed to the crappy black and white ones published over here. As a result I never used to follow titles, but just pick up random stuff based on how cool the artwork was. There was no point in trying to follow multi issue stories, you could never guarantee you'd be able to get the next issue.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

I wish that I was more into comics. Bargain hunting for comics looks more fun and has a better payoff than bargain hunting for records.

As someone who does both, yes, you're typically correct.

[Andrew Monroe Pallid Hands Find all posts View Profile Close Andrew Monroe]

I love diving into the bargain bins! That's almost exclusively where I get comics these days. The newish store very near my house has boxes and boxes of them. I picked up several runs of Legends of the Dark Knight, including a cool 5 issue story by Archie Goodwin, James Robinson and Marshall Rogers. Also some Denny O'Neill and Garth Ennis runs too. I also fill in Geoff John's JSA series (he is by far the best writer of modern JSA stuff, really gets and respects the characters). I also often find various DC 100 pagers from the 1970s. The owner bought a big run of those recently, in great condition and priced 100 bucks or more per issue. He couldn't understand why I preferred the ones from the $1 bin, maybe a little ragged but very readable. I'm not going to plop down a hundred bucks for a comic, sorry.

Oh, and some good finds there, Ian!

[Gary Banks Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gary Banks]

I'm so old I remember quarter bins. Sigh.

There is a real thrill in digging through the cheap stuff and finding a gem. Back in the late 80's I found a coverless Daredevil #1....for a penny. Also nabbed an ASM 129 (1st Punisher) with a detached cover and it may have been pissed on. Scored it for 25 cents and flipped it for $11.

Having no LCS, I miss digging for bargains.

[agent999 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close agent999]

Used to like it when they bundled a load of issues together, so you got multiple lots of shit instead of just one, like when I got a bundle of Marvel's Toxic Avenger. I once got a bundle of Alan Moore Miraclemans which was pretty good.

[Andrew Monroe Pallid Hands Find all posts View Profile Close Andrew Monroe]

I have also scored a decent span of the Catwoman series by Brubaker, Cooke and Allred. Those are really good comics.

Gary, I remember 50 cent boxes from the 1980s, where you could find tons of Silver Age books.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

When I was a kid I'd always dig through the $0.25 bins. It wasn't common to find silver age stuff in there but, as it was the 80's the bronze age stuff was common enough.

[Andrew Monroe Pallid Hands Find all posts View Profile Close Andrew Monroe]

There is a flea market out past the airport here, and back in the mid-80s there was a used comic and paperback book stall. They had tons of comics, and they were 3 for $1.00. My friends and I used to go out there every Sunday afternoon, I scored some long runs of Batman and Detective - they were fairly recent issues too, Doug Moench and Tom Mandrake were on one of the two. Those two were really good together, they created a few new villains like Black Mask. Also was able to get lots of All-Star Squadron by Roy Thomas. Still have a complete run of that one.

[Paul L Scholar of Sleaze Find all posts View Profile Close Paul L]

I have also scored a decent span of the Catwoman series by Brubaker, Cooke and Allred.

Your comment reminds me, Andrew, that I still need to finish reading Brubaker's GOTHAM CENTRAL comics. Those were/are darned good.

[Andrew Monroe Pallid Hands Find all posts View Profile Close Andrew Monroe]

Your comment reminds me, Andrew, that I still need to finish reading Brubaker's GOTHAM CENTRAL comics. Those were/are darned good.

Gotham Central is absolutely fantastic, Paul. Brubaker is at his best writing the type of crime stories you find in that series (as well as Criminal), and Greg Rucka is an equally fine writer. You've put it my head that I need to reread Gotham Central, it's been a few years.

[Scott Intellectual Carrot Find all posts View Profile Close Scott]

I reread Gotham Central once a year. I wish there was more of it. I wish Renee and Crispus stayed human. It's so odd to me that DC has completely ignored all these characters since it ended, save for a small smattering of appearances.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Went back for more dollar bin action today. I've been through about 80% of the dollar bin stuff at this point, which means next weekend I'll probably finish it all off. Was hoping for more Swamp Things to fill in some gaps but only found 1 issue.

Anyway, here's what I dug out:

1963 # 1-3 - Yeah, it's Moore and Bissette and Vietch and Gibbons so kind of a no-brainer. Never picked these up when first released for some reason.

Will Eisner's 3-D Classics Featuring The Spirit #1 - because it's Eisner and The Spirit in 3-D. You don't just leave that there.

Swamp Thing #11 - the Vaughn run. Only issue I have from that run.

The Rocketeer - the IDW reprint of the Eclipse single issue. Stevens' art is so damn good.

Morlock 2001 Midnight Men #3 - Steve Ditko pencils, Berni Wrightson inks.

Cerebus #31 - I'll grab any early Cerebus issues from the dollar bin.

Rom #21 - I liked the cover and thought it was the issue Ditko penciled but I was wrong. Still, no regrets.

Silver Surfer #3 - the Pak/Tolibao mini-series. I liked the first issue enough. Guess I should now get the 3 issues I don't have.

Marvel Superheros Contest Of Champions TPB - I remember liking this as a kid, sold my originals years ago. $1 for the trade is ok by me.

Epic: An Anthology #1 - early Robert Kirkman work and a Hellraiser story.

Deadman #1 - the 80's reprint of the classic Neal Adams run.

Grimjack #1 - I like Truman's stuff and never gave this series a chance.

Eerie #1 - the Dark Horse revamp, it's got Lapham and Corben art in it.

Devil Dinosaur #1 - the 'True Believer' reprint. Kirby. Nuff said.

Albedo #7 - I thought this might have a Usgai Yojimbo story in it but it did not. Probably should have looked in it before buying it.

Savage Sword Of Conan #1 - the Marvel reboot from a few years ago.

Blade Runner 2019 #1 - been reading this digitally and love it so I figured why not.

Ge Rouge - I'll buy any piece of shit Verotik comic if it's $1 and I don't know why.

The Abline Spider Of Dajette - See above.

Strange Cerebus #1 - Great Dave Sim art.

Space Riders 2-4 - I bought issue #1 a week or two ago and loved it, now I grabbed the other 3 issues. This series fucking rules.

[Newt Cox Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Newt Cox]

When I go into a comic shop for the first time I head to the cheap bins. If they don't have cheap bins I leave.

The comic shop in town had great cheap bins if you are into indy comics. The owners only know the big 2. So I have gotten some great finds for a buck or less like.

The final miracleman issue eclipse published.

Tick original run issues 6,7,9,10,11 first prints