Comics from the Good Ol' Days

[Batman]

Hey guys [and girls! we live in the 21st century now]...I was wondering if anyone knew how I could get my grubby little hands on Golden Age/Silver Age comics, e.g. pre-Crisis DC stuff, especially since I'm guessing they're no longer commercially available from their respective publishing companies. I'm not looking to buy rare copies and put them in a secret, vacuumed vault 2000 miles under the ground. As a young'un around comic veterans I get lost whenever I hear people talk about how Hal Jordan is still the REAL Green Lantern for them, or about X-men heroes whom I've never heard about.

Perhaps there is some sort of abandonware depository, either online or off, that I could go to in order to view these comics? I'd much rather read them than read summaries...that's like reading a spoiler before watching the movie. Ick.

Money isn't TOO big of an issue...for example, if they're available in PDF format, I don't mind shelling out a bit of cash to get a copy.

And I DO know about the...er...less-than-legal avenues for obtaining comics online. But it's just way too much time and effort for me...anyone know any LEGAL channels?

This would also help me in my gaming too...some people I know want to do a game based on "Silver Age" comics, but since I wasn't born till about...oh...10 years after the Silver Age, it makes it a bit hard to come up with a campaign.

Thanks beforehand to any advice you guys [and girls] can give me!

P.S. I'd especially would like to know where to get "iconic" comics that have had huge world-changing [literally] effects...e.g. The Death of Superman.

P.P.S. I'm not too terribly exposed to the published comic universe, so any tips on "If you're going to read ONE line of comics about [insert superhero name] then read THIS" would be great too.

P.P.P.S. My first post! And I can't believe no one claimed my handle already...so just in case...to the DC secret police patroling these discussion boards looking for copyright infringements, read my signature!

[Arkham]

May I recommend the DC Comics Archive editions.
They are available in color for about $50 for a HUGE number
of pages of classic re-printed comics of all the comic Icons.

They are hard cover and well worth it.

[Supreme Serpent]

Welcome!

You can get collections of reprints for some things. Try your local comics shop, explain the kind of thing you're looking for, and they can probably point you in the right direction. If they give you good leads, but don't have them in stock themselves, try someplace like Mile High comics online.

The best thing you can really do is pump your players for more info. What do THEY mean by "Silver Age"? Which comics do they feel best represent this? Do THEY have any of them you could read, or suggest other sources (ie "show X is what I want)? What specifically do they want to see, in terms of villains, events, themes, etc. ? What do they NOT want to see?

Otherwise, you may spend all this time researching and making a great star-spanning Green-Lantern-esque masterpiece of a campaign, and then have your players show up saying "Hey, I'm really going to enjoy this Silver Age game! Running into those corny theme-villains like Riddler will be a blast!" You'd have to either shoot them, or yourself.

[JmOz]

Welcome!

You can get collections of reprints for some things. Try your local comics shop, explain the kind of thing you're looking for, and they can probably point you in the right direction. If they give you good leads, but don't have them in stock themselves, try someplace like Mile High comics online.

The best thing you can really do is pump your players for more info. What do THEY mean by "Silver Age"? Which comics do they feel best represent this? Do THEY have any of them you could read, or suggest other sources (ie "show X is what I want)? What specifically do they want to see, in terms of villains, events, themes, etc. ? What do they NOT want to see?

Otherwise, you may spend all this time researching and making a great star-spanning Green-Lantern-esque masterpiece of a campaign, and then have your players show up saying "Hey, I'm really going to enjoy this Silver Age game! Running into those corny theme-villains like Riddler will be a blast!" You'd have to either shoot them, or yourself.

OR you could ask the nice guy who pointed you in the right direction if HE could order you some of those archieves, giving HIM or HER the buisness, supporting your local comic store & rewarding the lowley shopkeeper for either his helpfullnes or good sense in highering a helpful individual...

[Batman]

Well, my players have a variety of tastes...I know one who's a big BatFreak [like me], others who're more into cosmic comic genre. One thing I'm intrigued about running is something comparable to an old Green Lantern type of deal, where the universe is your plaything. I remember hearing about how pre-Crisis Superman used to romp around different alien worlds almost every other issue, as opposed to the Superman I'm used to hearing about now, who doesn't leave Earth unless its because he's some alien's slave/he's boffing Lois Lane in an asteroid/whatever.

I just have the feeling that as long as my players can run around with names like "Melta Man!" and have characters who can wear long white tights and elf boots, everything will be a-ok.

Of course, being the good GM that I am, I'll ASK them what they want first.


And I just realized that the subheading under my screenname says "Incompetent Normal." Oh, the irony.

[RDU Neil]

May I recommend the DC Comics Archive editions.
They are available in color for about $50 for a HUGE number
of pages of classic re-printed comics of all the comic Icons.

They are hard cover and well worth it.

Archive editions are tremendous... but quite pricey. On the flip side, the Essential Marvel collections are dirt cheap, but they are B&W reprints of classic (mostly Silver, some Bronze) age Marvel comics. DC, unfortunately has not done a lot to make collections cheap and easy. They have, in fact, gone the other direction. Their collections and action figures and the like all tend to be on the higher side of expensive. Luckily, for my money, DC didn't become worth reading until AFTER Crisis, and I own 90 percent of what they published between then and say, 2003.

Speaking of which... tangential here... next year is the 20th Anniversary of Crisis, and I'm hearing hints that another one is in the works. I've been pretty bummed by what DC puts out (as far as their main supers universe) lately, so it will be interesting to see if they decide to do some new, big shake up.

[RDU Neil]

Of course, being the good GM that I am, I'll ASK them what they want first.


And I just realized that the subheading under my screenname says "Incompetent Normal." Oh, the irony.

Don't worry. Just reflects your post count. It is kind of insulting to newbies, though. Welcome to the boards.

[Batman]

OR you could ask the nice guy who pointed you in the right direction if HE could order you some of those archieves, giving HIM or HER the buisness, supporting your local comic store & rewarding the lowley shopkeeper for either his helpfullnes or good sense in highering a helpful individual...

That's the thing...I'm here at Berkeley to go to college, so I'm not too familiar with the East Bay Area. We have bookstores, and we have Games of Berkeley, but neither really caters to the graphic novel fan. I figured that I could get some names of good old fashioned graphic novels/reprints/whatever, and then go to Ebay or Amazon to make my purchases.

[Unless, of course, someone knows of a Friendly Local Comic Shop within walking distance from the Berkeley campus...]

[JmOz]

Well I know there use to be one (ohh ten years ago now) within walking distance, if nothing else look in the phone book, or IM me, as I run a store in ND...

[Batman]

I think I know which store you're talking about. If it's on Telegraph, past Dwight...I think its a squatter joint now. *Shrug* That's Berkeley for ya.

Essential Marvel Collection...hmm. I've never really gone into Marvel...not too big a fan of the movies...I did watch the X-Men cartoon series from the 90s though. I've just always been more exposed to the Batman/Superman line of DC.

Is there anything specific from Marvel that you'd reccommend?

[JmOz]

It's actualy a current book, but Thunderbolts is great.

The essentials is a good way to get a handle on any specific characters ancient past

The DC Archieves are quality products, no doubt. However some of the stories in them our not. I would strongly suggest you take a look at the Previews catalog and talk to your local comic guy...

[Arkham]

The Essential Dr. Strange is great for that surreal Mystic thing...

I also have Essential Silver Surfer #1 and Incredible Hulk #1 which have their first origins and such.

For the DC Archives, I only have the Superman: Action Comics Archive #2. In the stories in that one book you see the first appearance of Luthor ( not called Lex yet ), a second appearance of the first supervillian, Ultra-Humanite, and Supermans progression from Leaping Tall Buildings, to straight out flight. There is also DC Comics reaction to the start of WWII where they have fictional countries going to war. It was very interesting and a fun read.

Marvel does have color hardbound copies of their Essential series, also going for around $50. I don't know if they have all of their Essential books in the color/hardcover format, but they do have quite a few.

[Batman]

I remember watching "In Brightest Day..." which is the episode from the Superman animated series with Kyle Rayner's Green Lantern cameo. It was the first time I've ever heard of the Green Lantern, and I when I saw the episode I went:

Thats...frickin'...AWESOME.

I know that a lot of pre-Crisis DC stuff are generally regarded as subpar compared to a lot of Marvel and indy comics from that era. Is Green Lantern an exception? I'd definitely would like to know more about him.

And as for the Essentials Collection...Dr. Strange, gotcha. I'll check it out.

Keep the suggestions coming!

[Eyendasky80]

There's an award winning store in Berkely, let me google. Found it, can't believe you havn't heard of it. It one the very first Eisner Spirit award.
The Comic Bookstore (Comic Relief)
2138 University Ave
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 843-5002

I've been, it's nothing special as far as atmosphere but it's literally filled to the ceiling with comic books. To the ceiling.

Just found an article that said they're losing their lease and intend to move after New Year's or sooner so you better call first.

[phydaux]

I don't know about DC, but for Silver Age Marvel stuff there is the Marvel Essentials series.

For $15.00 a pop, Essential Spiderman vol 1-6 will take you from Spidey's origin in the mid 60's to the death of Gwen Stacy (the birth of the Bronze age in the Marvel Uni).

Essential Avengers 1-3 covers the Avengers in the late 60's to about 1970.

I've never been a Fantastic Four fan, but Essential Fantastic Four 1-3 will do the same for the FF.

Essential Uncanny X-Men 1 covers the Silver Age beginnings of the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby X-Men in the mid 70's (not to be confused Essential X-Men 1, that covers the best stoylines of the Chris Clairmont/John Burn X-Men, all solid Bronze Age stuff).

Stuff is also available for The Hulk, Iron Man

I would say that, for under $50.00, you could pick up Essential Spiderman 1, Essential Fantastic Four 1 and Essential Avengers 1 and get a good introduction to the Silver Age of the Marvel Universe. Add Hulk and Iron Man to taste.

BTW, I'm using Essential X-Men 1-5, Essential Wolverine 1-3 and Essential Punisher 1-3 to brush up on my Marvel Bronze Age.