July 2017 Reading List: Batman, Thanos, & More

Collecting and reading comic books is one way to experience a number of different storylines in a fast and furious manner. The cool part is that several of the books can escalate in value, which gives collectors a little something to bank on. Of course, since comics are a print medium, reprinting classic and popular stories allow readers to experience some great issues without the added cost of putting together those scarce runs.

Here is a look at my top five recommendations for trade paperbacks for July of 2017. All are available at Amazon (some are selling fast), and just about all of them will likely be available at your local comic book shop. Here’s a look:

The Killing Joke

Of all the Batman stories that have been told over the years, and there are A LOT of them, “The Killing Joke” remains extremely popular among collectors and readers. The story was actually made into a grittyanimated film in 2016 for anyone trying to skip the reading assignment, but experiencing the words of Alan Moore on a new level can help readers appreciate the fine line between Batman and The Joker a little bit more (see what I did there?). After Barbara is on the receiving end of some nasty business from Mr. J, Batman embarks on a new level of brutality against a foe that just might be capable of pushing him to his limits. Simply a great read from cover to cover.

The Infinity Gauntlet

Of all the questions I get about comic books, this six issue limited series is among the most popular. “The Infinity Gauntlet” brings readers closer to the madness of Thanos and his quest to kill off half the population of the universe. With his trusty Infinity Gauntlet, he accomplishes the task with a literal snap of his fingers. With some major players in the Marvel Universe taking center stage, this story brings the Silver Surfer, Adam Warlock, and more to the front of attention for readers of all ages. Of course, with a major movie being released next year, this one is more homework assignment than anything else. The original issues are increasing in value and will likely retain those lofty levels.

The Essential Fantastic Four Vol. 1

Of all the superhero books around, there are so many characters that can trace their roots to the Fantastic Four. This series launched some of the heavyweights for sure, and the first twenty issues are combined here for the enjoyment of readers of all ages and budgets. Since putting together the actual first twenty issues will set you back like twenty grand, picking up the trade paperback for under twenty dollars is a pretty safe way to experience some of the golden age of comic book lore and set the tone for decades of great things to come.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

A lot different than the movie that received some praise and some criticism, the original “Days of Future Past” story from Uncanny X-Men 141 & 142 involved a whole lot of Kitty Pryde. While going back in time to prevent a terrifying future is one of the staple storylines of several properties (the Terminator, Flashpoint, etc), the X-Men offer up their own take on internment camps, sentinals, and the brink of extinction. The story is quite legendary in the Marvel world, and is a must read for any X-Men fan.

Daredevil: Fall From Grace (The Epic Collection)

I’m always amazed that Daredevil has achieved a level of notoriety that equals a lot of other top tier Marvel characters. It’s not that he’s a bad character, it’s that he toiled as a second or maybe even third tier character for decades, and I’m not really sure why. He’s brought several great characters along for the ride, including Bullseye and Elektra. Of course, Elektra gets reintroduced to the Marvel Universe in this race against the clock to stop the Hand from taking over the world (at least New York anyway) with a super-virus. This story is a great time for any fan of the Netflix fan, because it showcases the character in one of his greatest stories.

So there you have it folks, five great stories with some of the most legendary characters around. All available on one of the largest websites around and ready to be delivered to your door. Experiencing one or two of these trade paperbacks is something that every fan should check out. Better yet, they might inspire you to chase down the actual issues they were printed in, and that my friends is a very very good thing indeed.

Comic Books You Need to Own: The Infinity Gauntlet #1

The Infinity Gauntlet #1

Comic book crossovers can be a tedious thing. Picking up a number of issues of series that you normally would not just to continue a story is a way that companies try to expose different characters to a new audience. One of the most interesting methods to compliment this strategy is to offer a limited series in a stand alone title with a number of adventures or tie-ins offered in other books.

Without a doubt, one of the most popular limited series of the past few decades features Thanos, Silver Surfer, Mephisto, and several other Marvel characters fighting over a glove. What? That’s right, this week’s edition of Comic Books You Need to Own centers on The Infinity Gauntlet #1. This was already one of the hottest back issues of 2016 and it will likely continue that run into this year.

Admittedly this one features one of my favorite openings of any comic book in the history of comic books. However, this book is the first adventure of all the characters in the Marvel Universe banding together to fight off the threat of the Infinity Gauntlet, and it was a pretty deal then.

Now with “Avengers: Infinity War” coming to theaters in the next few years, fans have caught on to just how important this series is. It’s already difficult to find, and will likely become impossible to find. With a current value of $35, according to Comic Book Realm, the first issue is this series (with art from the legendary George Perez BTW) is pretty much the most valuable in the run. The cover is pretty amazing as well featuring a number of Marvel heavies.

Infinity Gauntlet #1 was released in 1991, and the entire series has been available a few times in trade paperback form which is a great way to experience the story, but there is nothing like owning the original. It can still be found for $10 or so occasionally, but those are rare instances. Plus, with Thanos and company making appearances in the Marvel films, this book will likely join the $50 club before the end of the year.

The interesting thing with this issue is the two part formula being used for the film. This will be the first big time two-part comic book movie release, which means things that pop up in the first part might just skyrocket in value prior to the second installment of the film. It’s always hard to say about value, but this is one comic book that is loaded with potential and ready to climb quickly in value.

All the ingredients are here: great art, great writing, fabulous characters, decent opening value, etc. This is one comic book that belongs in everyone’s collection, and it might just be the crown jewel of the collection one day.

Classic Comic Book Cover of the Week: Silver Surfer #45 Thanos & Mesphisto

Silver Surfer Vol. 3 #45

When it comes to comic book covers, the villains like to sneak in and steal the spotlight on occasion. While not a regular type of deal, because the heroes generally take center stage in their own books, sometimes the bad guys can have some seriously fun times when they jump to the front of the comic book. The Silver Surfer has some pretty powerful villains, which is necessary to balance out those terribly awesome powers of his. It does not take the power cosmic to find one of the coolest covers in the entire series.

The cover of Silver Surfer Volume 3 #45 features two of the most powerful bad guys in the entire Marvel Universe: Thanos and Mephisto along with the tag line "The Boys Are Back." The issue sets up one of the most legendary partnerships (and dangerous betrayals) in comic book history. This is one of my personal top ten covers of all time. The Ron Lim & Tom Christopher cover is simply epic in every sort of way, and the two characters look pretty much as bad ass as possible.

On the value side, Comic Book Realm lists this gem at $10, which makes it a solid investment. #44 is the first appearance of the Infinity Gauntlet and has climbed to the $50 level. After "The Thanos Quest" graphic novels, this story line is one of the most important leading up to the hugely popular original Infinity Gauntlet six-issue limited series.

If you are wondering about the volume 3 designation, don't be fooled. Volume 1 of Silver Surfer is a twenty issue Silver Age series that ran from 1968 to 1970, and Volume 2 consists of a single issue from 1982. This Copper Age (1984-1991 or even 1992) series runs 165 issues from 1987 to 1998, and is probably the best well-known of the entire run. A lot of good things happened for the Surfer in this series, and getting Ron Lim and company on board was probably one of the most important.

This book can still be found in the five dollar bins of comic book stores everywhere and can occasionally be found online for a nice deal as well. It is one of the coolest wall books out there, and really no collection is complete without some sort of villain presence. How can you go wrong with Thanos and Mephisto? (BTW Mephisto doesn't seem to make cover appearances a whole lot these days, hmmm)