Marvel unveiled a bunch of details last week about their next mega-event “Spider Island.” The storyline – which focuses on an infestation in New York City where everybody is given spider-powers – looks to be massive, with a number of new titles and existing ones reportedly tying into Amazing

Read More...

They say you always remember your first, and for comic book collectors, there’s nothing more important than an issue featuring a character’s first appearance. Amazing Spider-Man #41 was my first first – in this case the first appearance of Rhino, a brutish villain who had his strength and speed

Read More...

In a recent Q+A with fans, Marvel executive vice president Tom Brevoort addressed the issue of what was worse for the comic book industry: angry fans or apathetic fans. Brevoort was unequivocal with his answer; apathetic fans are worse. Angry fans sell comics: When the fans out outraged, that

Read More...

You hear me talk a lot about comic book industry gimmicks around here and why not? I’ve been collecting on and off for more than 20 years, including witnessing first-hand how speculators attempting to make fast money through comics nearly killed the industry in the 1990s. These gimmicks, for

Read More...

The Marvel universe had a major shake-up a few months ago when Johnny Storm, aka, the Human Torch, a member of the Fantastic Four, was killed. Keep in mind that killing a character in the world of comic books is about as permanent as it is on a television

Read More...

The variant cover “craze” that has seemingly swept the comic book industry the past few years is not typically my cup of tea, but yesterday’s announcement that Marvel was going to use the front of Amazing Spider-Man #666 to promote comic book shops across the country seems like a

Read More...

The Haul: ASM #9 (Very Good minus) ASM #29 (Good plus) ASM #38 (Good plus) ASM #47 (Good/Very Good) Final Tally: 23 issues left to complete the run. In an unexpected surprise, my collection reached a milestone this month as I’ve cracked the Amazing Spider-Man “Top 10” for the

Read More...

One of the great struggles I’ve always had to deal with throughout my lifetime of collecting was separating myself from the popular stereotype of a comic book collector. Whenever I mention to someone who’s a non-collector that I’m a hardcore fan of Amazing Spider-Man, I can tell their thoughts

Read More...

  Collecting comics can be fun and finding some of the older issues in the proper condition can be challenging. But buying many of these comics can also be downright scary. Personally, I’ve managed to avoid any major sticker shock through my lifetime of buying Amazing Spider-Man, but that

Read More...

In my hometown of East Rockaway, NY, at the corner of Atlantic and Centre avenues, was a candy/cigarette/general store we called “Jack’s.” I don’t know where that name came from. There was never a sign with that name anywhere — maybe it wasn’t even Jack’s. Maybe it was Jax.

Read More...