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Monday, March 25, 2024

Favourite Comics: Avengers - #96 - The most expensive comic (I ) ever purchased - Neal Adams

As I mentioned in my last post the Avengers "Skrull - Kree wars" storyline (Avengers #89-97) is one of my all-time favourite story arcs. Although I read most of these strips in the mid 1970's when it was reprinted in the UK's "Mighty World of Marvel and Avengers" comic I always wanted to pick up the original US comics, especially the Neal Adams issues. I managed part of this quest when I picked up #94 in 1979, however it wouldn't be until 1982 until I tracked down my second Avengers US comic (#96) in Glasgow’s (legendary) AKA Books and Comics. Despite finally finding this issue (never an easy task in early 1980s Glasgow) it took me a few hours to eventually decide on purchasing the comic as at £15 (around $19 today) it was (and still is) the most expensive comic I have ever bought. Below are some of my favourite pages from this comic which was the first issue to feature the modern Avengers logo, enjoy.
Above: The only picture I can find of the (rough) location of the original AKA Books and Comics (ground floor) in the now demolished Virginia Galleries in Glasgow. AKA was the place that future comic book giants like Grant Morrison, Mark Miller and Frank Quitely (Vincient Deighan) would meet. ( Picture from "Glasgow Live")

10 comments:

  1. The Neal Adams artwork on this saga was amazing. I loved Sal Buscema's introduction to the storyline and it often gets little attention and I think Big John stepped in to wrap it up grand fashion, but there's no doubt that the series gets its oomph from those powerful Adams pages. Getting to read it again in a few months myself.

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    1. Couldnt agree more Rip. But that last John Buscema issue in the Skrull-Kree saga was stunning as well and contained ( for myself at least) one of his very best ever superhero strips .

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  2. You forgot to mention my name in the 'comic book giants' category, McS, as I used to frequent AKA in the Virginia Galleries as well. Gary Erskine was another, and, believe it or not, John Harrold (Rupert artist) was known to drop in on occasion also. (Of course, I'm the biggest name out of all of them and I've got better toys. And I'm the handsomest and I've got more hair. Er, why is everyone laughing?)

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  3. Lol actually I was considering adding your name but wasn't 100% if you were a regular. I loved the original AKA store and comic shops like that the big shops like Forbidden Planet are great but can be a bit impersonal. I was in Woodlands Rd last Saturday and saw the rather dilapidated shop that was Futureshock, it looked very sad indeed.

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    1. Aside from brief trips through Glasgow in a car, I haven't shopped in the City in at least a couple of years, McS, so haven't seen Futureshock in probably twice that time. (I've got mobility issues which limit my 'gadabouts'.) I've got a vague impression that it had been emptied the last time I passed it, but I'm not 100% sure. Does it still contain its old stock?

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  4. No it has been emptied for a few years now Kid with only a few old books , lyers and comics on the floor . Only a few letters from "Futureshock" banner remain.

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  5. Happy Easter Colin. Enjoy your creme eggs.

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  6. A great comic, Paul. I wonder what the story was behind having 3 different inkers (Adams, Palmer and Weiss) on the book? I'd assume due to lateness in delivering the pencils.
    Thanks for the background story about the comic shop and accompanying photo - it's those personal recollections that bring the blog to life.

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  7. I think deadlines may well have been the reason Ian. I wish I had taken photos of the comic shops from this time in the Glasgow area . Sadly I've forgotten most of them now.

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