July's (Belated) Haul

Life is a strange journey.

I got my house, now I have that horrific feeling that my comic buying budget means that I have to spend money that doesn't include things that have a masked vigilante drawn into thirty (or so) pages...

Oh come on, this is the Batman Quest I have to weigh up the pros and cons of most things. Should I buy a vacuum cleaner, or a microwave oven or blow it all on comic books?

Can I do both?

Can I do this while buying paint, Ikea bookcases all the while trying to seduce the simply stunning Bethan who frequents my workplace? This is a woman that needs a war chest, she needs to be spoilt: With Krug, With Pizza... She's really purrr-fect. I mean this is a chick who's nearly a decade younger than me, but there's something about her that makes me think that she would look rather good in a Catwoman catsuit.

Er... Did I just go there, like online?

Fuck it, I'll never be found here.. in the backwaters of the Blogosphere...

So let's get July out of the way..

Let's think here... I bought a handful of Nightwing, specifically #146 and about 18 issues of Batgirl..Yes, this buying house stuff is really rubbish when you are trying to kit a house with electricity, furniture and vegetarian food. Hell, I'm having to abandon a TV license (in the UK, in case you are wondering. to watch the TV, you have to buy a TV License for £150ish- all to subsidise the BBC's dominance in the UK's media market) all to sort my finances out. But I need Huntress and Azrael back issues!

Which means a guaranteed time to actually read things. To be truthful, this was always the plan, I knew that all this stockpiling of comics was going to be a great thing once I abandoned the soul destroying world of British TV. And would make me buy more freaking comics.

While we are here then can I give you my Dark Knight Rises review?

For what it's worth, it was awesome.

Up there with my favourite movies; above Predators, but below Hiding Out and Tremors 2.

The big flaw, and it's best feature in the three hours is the half-way Bane/Commisioner Gordon Half-Time speeches. This was a glorious cliché, but I think this was Christopher Nolan's clever way of letting me piss out two pints of coke, as they prattled on into the finale.

Bale's Batman was excellent, as usual. While Bale's Bruce Wayne was, and I mean this as a compliment, an annoying rich-boy quitter. Bruce Wayne, in this movie, was a total wanker who had the testicular fortitude of a eunuch, until the threat that his fortune and standard of life might be threatened.

Bane was awesome. As was the twist in the, er, back. If you know what I mean...

As for Selina Kyle: This was as good as a performance by a female comic villain as any. Yes, while that statement means that you'll rack your brain trying to find a comparable, I'll go one further, it is now THE benchmark female villain in ANY movie. Selina Kyle's portrayal by whatever-her-name is simply awesome and her performance transcends the screen. This is a woman who knows exactly what she wants. And is softy ruthless in getting there. She is the one that haunts when you breath the cold air of the the Monday night.

But, she ain't Catwoman. She's acting out the Selina Kyle in Frank Miller's 'Year One' who decides that by dressing up as a cat, might be a better way of becoming a cat-butglar. She's fucking awesome doing it. But, Catwoman, isn't mentioned in the movie. There is no whip...

While I own 'Catwoman' (featuring Halle Berry- and that ticks a few of my boxes, I might add), I have asked my closest friends. It's official...

Michelle Pfeiffer. Is still THE Catwoman.

You can have your Hepburn's Breakfast At Tiffany from Ikea, I'll take a full blow up of Pfeiffer put it onto wall, and I don't give a flying monkey of how pervy it might appear to my 90 year old Grandmother.

Regardless of watching Pfeiffers performance in a mental breakdown in becoming Catwoman, her perfect delivery of great lines in Tim Burton's 'Batman Returns'. Yes, this is the first Tim Burton's first auteur film and Devito's Penguin is deviant beyond, but it is Michelle Pfeiffers film. Pfeiffer, who must've been beaten into the vinyl (and what the hell is vinyl?) with a spatula owns the film. She actually stole a place in my heart. And my puberty, if I'm truthful... Women that are this dangerous, this individualistic, this whip-carrying-ist are the women that I have always been drawn too...

Now here is the confession, and I'm only being honest, but you've already noted that this wasn't you standard what-i-got-blog, I was a thirteen year old boy when I saw this Catwoman on glorious cinematic wide-screen, and her physical appearance had/has/will continue to have a last impression on my psyche. Yes, shiny black 'vinyl' is a simply wonderful thing... And the various women (that I liked enough) I have been involved with might attest to this issue.

If I met Michelle Pfeiffer and had to say something to her; I wouldn't even batter an eyelid (and hope that the burly bodyguards won't carry me away with immediate effect).

“Thankyou Ms. Pffeiffer, I'm not mental or anything, but You've greatly influenced my sexuality. And I mean that in a good way”. Then I'd be beaten up by the bodyguards...

And I know that amongst my friends, some of them married, I am not alone. It's just that they won't admit to it online.

Because they are not idiots.

And should Bethan ever stumble upon this blog:

Croissants are a morning pastry.

The Batman Quest: Year One Haul

Here is the big year end, Year One of the Batman Quest...

And to be sure, I am quite proud of myself. I knew that this little quest would be more than do-able, and once I went beyond four longboxes I knew that this project was coming along nicely. Other than boring you guys with all the ins and outs of the individual nonsense of the issues here is where this collection currently stands... Basically, I'm halfway there:

Batman 371 of 713 = 52%
Annuals 11 of 30
Detective Comics 365 of 881 = 41.4%
Annuals 8 of 14
Shadow of the Bat 94 of 94= 100%
Annuals 7 of 7

Legends of the Dark Knight 214 of 214= 100%
Annuals 7 of 8

Batman & Robin 23 of 23= 100%
Batman Incorporated 10 of 10
Chronicles 23 of 23= 100%
Confidential 44 of 54= 100%
Gotham Knights 73 of 74
Streets of Gotham 21 of 21= 100%
Batman Dark Knight 5 issues of 5= 100%

Azrael volume 1- 100 issues of 100= 100%
Azrael annuals- 4 issues of 4= 100%
Azrael volume 2- 11 issues of 18
Batgirl volume 1- 47 issues of 73
Batgirl Annuals- 1 of 1
Batgirl volume 2- 6 issues of 6
BoP volume 1- 3 of 127
Catwoman volume 1- 94 issues of 94= 100%
Annuals 6 issues
Catwoman volume 2- 20 issues
Gotham City Sirens-3
Gotham Knights 40 issues of 40= 100%

Harley Quinn- 6 of 36
Huntress volume 1- 4 of 18
Nightwing 119 issues of 153
Nightwing Annual- 1 of 6
Red Robin- 3 of 18
Robin Mini Series 15 of 15
Robin 76 of 183
Robin Annuals 5 of 9

I'm sure I've forgotton more than a few titles but I don't care as I'm over the self-imposed target of 1700. Add to that is the fact I've definately picked up over a thousand Batman comics in one calender year. It's also rather cool to be able to state that I collect Batman books, and when a person asks, 'how many'? I can say, 'Oh about twenty-two years worth'. Except, and lets face it, that conversation isn't going to happen.

Especially with attractive women.

So, it seems that The Batman Quest can be done. I reckon I have another twelve months of 'easy pickings' until the whole thing becomes both expensive and difficult.

April's (pathetic) Haul

Yes, these two 'Key Books' and five copies of Nightwing, were the limits of April's Batman Quest. Bit sad, I know. But I did get to do a lot of reading. Including reading the quickly forgotton Year Two.

Which was nice.

Don't worry, though, I plan on ending Batman Quest Year One with an enormous bang. And then I can see how much of a dent I have made into this project!

Monthly Haul: March Musings

It's all starting to become a little bit expensive this month.

I'd started to notice last month that the price of Batman back issues especially 'Key Books' had started to rise. At first I though it was the result of the upcoming 'The Dark Knight Rises' affecting the market.

Of course, it certainly has helped the value of Vengeance of Bane #1. But the real culprit is the highly addictive, and really good video game, 'Batman: Arkham City'.

Yes, I bought it this month. And spent way too much time playing the blasted thing. So it's good. In a 'I've-lost-three-hours-looking-for-riddles' kind of way. To hell with it, I was hooked.

I reckon, and this may be fleshed out with a bit of research, that since 'Arkham Asylum' game was released there was a slow rise in prices of all the those key books that have been referenced in that game. And I think this has happened again since the release of 'Arkham City'.

It's a theory at the minute, but I'm reliably told that the 'Arkham City' toys/figurines (especially Catwoman and Poison Ivy) have been unbelievably great sellers by those who sell them. And logic dictates that when something becomes collectable, the source material value also rises.

Now, how did this affect me this month?

Well, I managed to pick up three #360-ish 'Batman' books on eBay and had to pay over £5 for each of them. Usually, there are a few bidders for these books, but the aggressiveness of the bidding was truly astounding. It got so cut-throat that more than one sniper was present at the end of each auction.

Best expample was a NM Batman #366 (1st Jason Todd as Robin) which finished at £13 after 29 bids! This was proper mental for a UK auction. Once it went past £10, I decided to pick it up Near Mint from a proper dealer for less than a tenner included the p+p, while it stinks of panic buying (and believe me, the British went panic buying in spectacular manner over the potential Petrol Tanker Strike this month), I have this horrible feeling that this might turn out to be a shrewd purchase. And a clever investment, should I ever be interested in that part of the hobby.

Oh, and while I am on a Key Book rant... and after last months bemused statement about what the hell is so important about Detective Comics #871, I was able to get a copy (thanks to an eBay 'Second Chance'- the original buyer bottled the purchase!). It is said that this will be a modern key due simply due to this being the first written work on Batman by Scott Snyder.

I'd heard that this Snyder character was getting a strong fanboy following (there was a ridiculous forum on CBR wondering if this guy was going to be the next Alan Moore. No pressure then...), now I've since read the entire 'Tec run. And I haven't made up my mind whether it is as great as people believe it is. I'll have to cogitate that one, I think.

Fortunately to off-set this Key-Book Bubble nonsense I have been able to pick up one copy of Harley Quinn and several Nightwing issues for a snip. Maybe I'll concentrate on the periphery titles until all the furory over the film and game dies down.

However...

I wonder...

Already hinted in 'Batman: Arkham City' there is a suggestion that follow-up will heavily feature Hush and The Ventriloquist (as in the Albert Wesker incarnation). Both characters debuts are relatively recent, neither are considered 'rare' but I have a feeling the value of these books will start to rise, as of this moment.

Just watch, and blame the The Batman Quest, for starting the panic buying.

Rehab is for Quitters

Well, being pure and be-having didn't really work. Well, I tried. I really did.

Then I started to notice things on Ebay that were screaming at me to be bought.

And I kicked out of the cold turkey into buying a long run of Batgirls, Nightwings and then promptly started to (and this is my biggest problem, trying not to start another run) pick up all but a few issues of Garth Ennis' Hellblazer run.

By and large the biggest thing I have noticed this month is the serious uptake in prices of the key Batman titles. Seriously, I was watching a CGC 9.8 Vengeance of Bane #1 (for educational purposes, you understand) sell for £140! One of the reasons I thought the Batman quest was do-able was that unlike the Marvel titles (where there are key books scattered throughout their titles numbers, that command serious coin), Batman and the other DC hero titles generally do not provoke this kind of premium, even in key books. Therefore, I thought, it will be cheaper for me to complete this collection.

I know that there is a price link between a comic book hero and its upcoming, related movie franchise that causes speculative prices of key books to jump through the roof. But, I cannot believe how much more expensive some later Batman books have become in less than six months.

Somebody ought to start a rumour that Azrael is secret addition to The Dark Knight Rises cast, and watch what happens to that Sword of Azrael #1 book value!

Yeah, this could be interpreted as a rant of fan, that is a little bit aggrieved that a lot of other people are jumping on his hobby bandwagon. But I am genuinely curious to see what happens when this Batman comic market bubble rises, and inevitably pops.

Oh and while I am ranting. What the Hell is so important about Detective Comics 871!!!?? Did I miss the CBR posting that announced that this book was bound by staples made of platinum...

Final Tally this month: About sixty books (and thank God, for Travelling Man's bargainous 50p back issue boxes for picking up the less fashionable series).

And I am not proud of myself.

Monthly Haul:

To be honest the entire cunning plan to collect every single Batman title hit a brick wall during this month. And this is all down to one simple factor, moving house.

When you have to deal with Estate Agents, Solicitors and Surveyors (and the rest of the fuckers that think you're a human cash machine), there is little cash left in the pot to buy comic books.

Well, that would be the normal response to dealing with the above situation, especially if you were a responsible person. So, I got to the last week of January by only buying two books: 'Tec 871 and Batman 399 and then I got that tingle back.

That tingle (and other collectors must know that feeling too) that says: I NEED TO HUNT DOWN MORE.

And to accomplish this I had to visit Warrington's ever expanding Millenium Comics and promptly became ridiculously irresponsible.

Less than 30 minutes later I was walking back to my car with two crappy plastic bags full of Legends of the Dark Knight Annuals, a shedload of 'Tecs and most of the #370-#398 Batman run.

Best of this splurge bunch was picking up Detective Comics #393. Which is right up there with some of the earliest books I've managed to get my hands on so far. So the trip was thoroughly worthwhile and economically viable, if a bit ill-advised.

And as I drove away, it dawned on me that this might be the last time I might be able to go this mental in a comic shop for a while. That I might have to go Cold Turkey for a month or so... That the thrill of the Batman hunt, might have to stop if only for a little while.

You see, since I've set this ridiculous collecting goal, my actual comic collection has grown to a point where an increasing proportion of it has never been read. And these include one-offs and mini-series that really have nothing to do with post-Year One Batman continuity. Hell, I figure, what's the point of having these books, if I'm not going to read them.

This large stockpile of Batman pulp fiction must be enough to get me through this self-enforced sabbatical (and a few bits of business that have just been completed will turn up in my letterbox over the next few weeks, as to ease this buying sobriety). Comic Book Buying De-Tox may cause grinding teeth, ithcy skin and vomiting but I will not... and must not... be arrested by the Rozzers ram raiding Krpyton Komics.

It can't be harder than quitting smoking (twelve years and counting).

Can it?

Monthly Haul: November

Batman Confidential: 22 to 40
Gotham Knights 29
Harley Quinn #1

Catwoman volume 2: 2+3, all but one issue of the 74-94 run
The Entire Battle for the Cowl sub-series (16 issues)
Batman: Blackgate- Isle of Men
Tec, 785-799, 809-815, 846, 878
Azrael Volume 2: 6-9
Batman Annual 24

Okay, I'll admit it... I've been incredibly slack this month.

Blame the economy...

No really. Due to the closure of American book sellers Borders a local chain of discount booksellers named Bargain Book Time, that seem to be based here in the North West of England, have bought its entire Marvel TPB stock. And I felt obliged to immerse myself with more Hardback books than I know to do with.

Seriously. Can you leave Garth Ennis' 'Welcome Back Frank' Punisher arc for less than a fiver? No, of course you cannot. And it would be criminal to leave a Hardback copy of Leifeld's run on X-Force for £1? Nope! And what about Warren Ellis' forgotten Thor arc? It was frickin cheap!!! And then there was a whole smegload of softcovers that I have always wanted to read but could never justify stumping up the full asking price.

So I veered away from the righteous Gotham City path. Heavily. And as a result, have nothing interesting to say about Batman.

Well that isn't entirely true. I'll have to wait for the Ebay refund to be go through in order to explain an interesting story...

Monthly Haul: 'Quiet' October.

A quiet month? It was, until an auction was finishing and I had a glass of red wine in my hand...

Batman
374, 434, 435, 708, 709, 710, 711,

Detective Comics:
753-761, 764+765, 767+768, 774 to 781, 783, 840 to 842

Batman & Robin 17+19. Thus completing this series! I wonder how many other comic buyers stopped picking this title up, like me, immediately when Grant Morrison finished his run on the title?

Assorted 'Batgirls', 'Nightwings' and other auxiliary titles. That are too all over the place to really bore you with.

I know that spending a lot of money on funny books based around a man that jumps around, beats people up and wears a cowl isn't (what's the word?)... cool. But I have to admit that I am slowly getting past a lull in the Batman Quest. Yes, I haven't blogged enough. But I work on the impression that if I've not got much to say, then it ain't worth wasting your time.

I was trying to have a quiet month this month. And that went out the window when I got the opportunity to fill out a lot of the collections holes with cheap and helpful deals. Of course, with a glass of cheapo Pinot Noir in my hand the need to expand my Batman stuff was intensified. For example all the Batgirl issues were on a 5 for £1 gig- which was incredibly attractive (at the time)! Then, I got a sniff that I was able to finish the Batman (1940) run from Year One, I thought to hell with that too... Couple of days later, I was filing the run all together, in order, and it made me think that all of this Quest nonsense was really starting to make me a happier person.

Hell, it even inspired me...

So then I was able to scratch off the Batman & Robin books off of the Quest. Then went for the missing Detective Comic titles (from the Grant/Wagner run to the finish) like a starved polar bear. And I'm pretty sure that before the dawning of the apocalyptic (according the Mayan calender) 2012, I ought to nail a few of the other large numbered titles. By my mid-November break, I ought to get the opportunity to actually read these things.

The other thing that dawned on me, that when I start taking out the later titles (and bear in mind that ever since 1989, the Batman family of titles have proliferated to a ridiculous number and I'm at a point that I think they are do-able), the real fun part of hardcore collecting can take place. And that means that I have to learn all about the pitfalls of Silver Age and, even, Golden Age comics. Which means that at some point, my rudimentary levels of grading are going to have to get honed, that and my knowledge base will have to improve. In short, I go from being merely an 'avid collector' to 'slightly obsessed'.

So, if there is a moral to this blog: Kids, don't go through the internet with your wishlist when you have access to a credit card and are slightly pissed. At The Batman Quest, I'd like to promote a sober approach to comic collecting. No really, I do.

Oh and it looks like the 'Animal Man' run is also in the bag...

The Batman Quest: The Haul September 2011

This month the buying got out of control. Basically, I went to the Manchester Con, with one tactic: Burn as much cash as I could afford. There was also a lot of really good deals on the Bay that needed to picked up. Definitely over a hundred comics have been picked up this month, and I truly don't want to know the exact amount for fear that I might actually invoke a bit of buying guilt.

Also, I managed to get myself sidetracked, in a classic bit of impulsiveness, I decided that my collection actually ought to be enhanced with another completed series (I reasoned and justified, that it takes a really special kind of guy to try and pick up all the Animal Man books). So I went on a bit of a rampage trying to pick them up as well. Stupid, and a total waste of cash. But hey, life is to short not to try these things.

Impulsiveness. A dangerous villain to this Batman Quest.

There's definitely more than this, but these are the highlights:

Batman: 591-599, 607, 642, 654, 683, 684, 688-690, 712
Detective Comics: 510, 512, 513, 519, 538, 540, 541, 573, 802-805
Gotham Knights: 40-46, 56-58, 60-71
Batman & Robin: 18, 20-26
Azrael: 32-34, 49, 65
A shedload of Catwoman volume 2 and Robin.

Next month will be a bit more reserved and then I'm planning for another binge in November.

Well, that's the plan!

The August Haul

Results are as follows...

Batman 577 to 581, 584 to 590, 602, 713
Detective Comics 728, 747 to 752,
Gotham Knights: 50 to 55,
Batman Incorporated 8
Gotham City Secret Files & Origins #1
Huntress volume 2: 1, 3,

What with the other things that I have been up to this month, his has been a really quiet month. Around 30 comics get added to The Batman Quest. There has been a focus on bridging gaps in the B(1940) and 'Tec, which are coming on nicely...

Sure, there are a few other things that are finding their way to me via eBay, but they won't get counted as being as part of this months tally, but that seems to be the way of least resistance right now!

I think that there will be some caped crusader vengeance next month...

The Batman Quest: The Haul July 2011

Batman: 561, 562, 696, 697, 698, 703, 704, 705, 706, 707,
'Tec: 716, 819, 820, 824. 836, 865, 866
LotDK: 182, 188, 194, 199, 200, 202, 208 COMPLETED!
Batman: Street of Gotham:1-21 COMPLETED!
Batman Inc: #7:
Red Robin: 6
Bruce Wayne The Road Home: Red Robin
Huntress (vol1): 1, 2, 3, 4,
Robin: 135, 136, 138, 163, 164, 166, 167, 168, 169, 170, 171, 172, 175, 176, 180,
Robin Annual: #7 (2007)
Nightwing: 35, 107, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 147, 148, 149, 151,

There were more than a few milestones in the Quest this month:

1. I finished the longest comic book series I've ever attempted: The Legends of the Dark Knight. I started this book during the early nineties with Issues 2, 3, 4, and 5. Over the years I've trawled eBay and comic shops to finish it. And now I have proof that it is possible to pull together nearly 20 years of a title.
2. Using the last of my eBay+ points (and this little incentive will be greatly missed by me) I was able to pick up a complete 21 issue set of Batman: Streets of Gotham, a load of Nightwing, Robins and Huntress for a very decent price.
3. By visiting the Manchester Comic Con over the weekend, more on that tomorrow, I was able to push my longest consequential B(40) run up to 150 issues, while my uninterrupted Detective Comics run is pushed up to 151 issues. Sad, I know, but for me these cricket score facts make me believe that I may actually be making progress in this Quest.