Doctor Doom Appreciation - 2021

[Iron Maiden]

Thanks for both choices there. I'll be taking a look, most assuredly.

Hi there and welcome. For the history of this thread, and there have been 4 o5 iterations, we've been using the first page of this thread as an intro page to new fans. There is info there that has recommended readings by Doomscribe and myself. Just click here

In the early days of the internet, Doomscribe created one of the first, if not the first, fan page for Doctor Doom called the Den of Madness.

By the way, he happens to have the most spectacular collection of Doom statues, action figures and other memorabilia. I don't know if he has made any updates lately.

You can't go wrong with K7PV5 and Doom'n Gloom's recommendations but I will add for more recent reading The Bendis/Maleev series Infamous Iron Man and the Doctor Doom series by Christopher Cantwell / Sal Larocca - even though I'm not crazy about how that series ended.

[Iron Maiden]

[center]In agreement with you about Jae Lee being DA BOMB, and I'm hoping there will be more projects from him in the near future.

Another favorite artist who seems to have reached his full potential, and seemingly has a bright future ahead of him would be...

Patrick Zircher

I like him a lot too but I would consider him more of an an seasoned professional by now. He's been around since the mid 1990s. Did you catch his work on Savage Avengers? He's having a good run on that.

[Iron Maiden]

I saw an alert about this on Bleeding Cool.....An issue of Doom's first solo story in Marvel Superheroes #20 (1969) graded 8.0 just sold on Heritage Auctions for $810. I have to check around to see if I have a copy. I think I bought a reader copy years ago. My brother for sure has the one that my Dad bought.

[DoomScribe]

Whereas not super rare, an 8.0 is a very fine grade and in the tally below (Comics Grading, this counts only those issues that have been sent in for grading/slabbing - note that folks that have beat up copies don't generally pay the $50 or more to have it slabbed), there are a few out there. Note that there are none graded 9.9 or above, which would be par for a 50 year old comic book, I'd think. I've taken reasonably good care of myself but doubt that I'd grade above a 7.

I think I have two copies of this book. One is pretty rough, the other probably around a 5. I'm not a speculator though, I buy them to read and admire, not to resell or for status.

CGC Census - Search Results
Title
Marvel Super-Heroes
Issue No. 20
Issue Date 5/69
Year 1969
Publisher Marvel Comics

Key Comments Doctor Doom story., 1st appearance of Valeria., Diablo appearance.
Art Comments Larry Lieber and Roy Thomas story, Larry Lieber and Frank Giacoia art, Larry Lieber and Vince Colletta cover
Country/Variant
-
Grade Universal Qualified Signature Series Restored Total
Mint 10.0 0 0 0 0 0
Mint 9.9 0 0 0 0 0
Near Mint/Mint 9.8 3 0 0 0 3
Near Mint + 9.6 11 0 0 0 11
Near Mint 9.4 18 0 2 0 20
Near Mint - 9.2 14 0 1 0 15
Very Fine/Near Mint 9.0 17 0 2 0 19
Very Fine + 8.5 22 0 0 0 22
Very Fine 8.0 35 0 4 0 39
Very Fine - 7.5 28 1 3 0 32
Fine/Very Fine 7.0 16 0 1 0 17
Fine + 6.5 43 0 2 0 45
Fine 6.0 19 0 0 1 20
Fine - 5.5 17 0 2 0 19
Very Good/Fine 5.0 5 0 0 0 5
Very Good + 4.5 16 0 1 0 17
Very Good 4.0 13 0 0 0 13
Very Good - 3.5 8 0 0 0 8
Good/Very Good 3.0 2 0 1 0 3
Good + 2.5 1 0 0 0 1
Good 2.0 0 0 0 0 0
Good - 1.8 0 0 0 0 0
Fair/Good 1.5 1 0 0 0 1
Fair 1.0 0 0 0 0 0
Poor 0.5 0 0 0 0 0

Total 289 1 19 1 310

The table doesn't paste well here on the board. The First number is the grade, the next four numbers are the number of comics of that grade that have been graded under the four criteria - Universal, Criteria, Signature Series and Restored. The fifth number is the total number of graded comics of that grade.

[Iron Maiden]

As a long time collector like me....don't you sometimes wonder how those comics stay white or near white to get a higher grade? When we had comics as kids, there were no bags and boards to keep them in. We just kept them in an old wooden cabinet in our basement. It was about the size of an armoir (but not fancy!) with about 4 shelves. Even comics that I bought later as an adult didn't stay in that pristine in bags/boards. Sometimes I am very suspicious to see an old comic from the 1960s with white pages, even when knew. Newsprint-grade paper ages fast IIRC. Do they "cheat" somehow by treating them with something?

[DoomScribe]

Beats me. My old comics were thrown in a box (and sometimes thrown away). No bag, no board. Who even knew when we were ten that bags and boards and acid-free backs and special boxes were even a thing? Not like I could have even convinced a parent to pay for such a thing (all my money for comics was money I earned - my parents felt like a library card was all the reading opportunities I needed). Even in college, I was reintroduced from a cardboard box filled with a myriad of comics thrown in. I don't think anyone who was a casual reader thought of them as possibly valuable (other than the very first Superman comic) until the 80's or 90's. And the money to keep them that way, plus the space to store, was always a limiting factor for me until well until adulthood. I've lost as many or more books than I've even managed to keep.

I imagine though that there were dealers and retailers and maybe even a few creators, and some nerdy collectors in the 50's and 60's and on who knew how to keep and store them. Any book that is a 9 or higher was probably never even read, maybe handled once. That's why they are so rare. And so expensive. But comics are supposed to be read. And re-read.

I don't know about treating the paper with anything. I have heard of restoring old comics, but that is a risky proposition that won't always bring value. But you're right, newsprint ages to yellow very quickly and with seemingly little encouragement. Minor creases in the spine also degrade the value. But I always read my books, that's what they're for.

[Iron Maiden]

Me too. But lately my purchases have dropped way off. Covid is part of it but also lacking the room and interest quite frankly,. I was debating the other day whether or not to weed out comics that IMO have no value to me and then maybe check if they've been sold on eBay or mycomicshop. The ones that would probably never draw any interest will go in with my paper recycling. I've been using Marvel Unlimited for quite a while and a series that I really like, I end up buying the TPB. I have one or two of the omnibus but I find them too bulky so haven't invested much in them. I have all of the Masterworks volumes of the Stan Lee/Jack Kirby Fantastic Four. I bought the Byrne Fantastic Four Visionaries, the TPB of Fantastic Four 1234 and others. I have two versions of Triumph and Torment, the orginal from 1980s and the new edition which includes bonus features like the story from Astonishing Tales #8, which was Roger Stern's inspiration. I'm sure you have a large library of those as well. I feel they will hold up in the long run and perhaps be passed along to nieces and nephews if they are interested.

[DoomScribe]

I don't have very many of the trades, a few. I think the abundance of collected versions in trade and digital form have contributed to the overall decline in resale value of the comic books. That's ok by me, like I said, I like to read them. I can see the allure of trade paperbacks in order to read and re-read without worrying about loss in value though. I've not yet got into digital though. I spend enough time in front of a computer screen. Stepping away to immerse in paper is much more relaxing.

ds

[K7P5V]

I like him a lot too but I would consider him more of an an seasoned professional by now. He's been around since the mid 1990s. Did you catch his work on Savage Avengers? He's having a good run on that.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/xq90/923/SGZKv8.jpg

Thanks for the update. Glad to know you like him. And who could've predicted another team-up with Dr. Strange, truly astonishing (IMHO):

[The_Last_Czarnian]

Hi there and welcome. For the history of this thread, and there have been 4 o5 iterations, we've been using the first page of this thread as an intro page to new fans. There is info there that has recommended readings by Doomscribe and myself. Just click here

In the early days of the internet, Doomscribe created one of the first, if not the first, fan page for Doctor Doom called the Den of Madness.

By the way, he happens to have the most spectacular collection of Doom statues, action figures and other memorabilia. I don't know if he has made any updates lately.

You can't go wrong with K7PV5 and Doom'n Gloom's recommendations but I will add for more recent reading The Bendis/Maleev series Infamous Iron Man and the Doctor Doom series by Christopher Cantwell / Sal Larocca - even though I'm not crazy about how that series ended.

My apologies - I never even thought to check the first page! I'll be sure to do so.

Started on Books Of Doom last night and am already loving it. I am definitely curious about Infamous Iron Man - didn't that spin out of Secret Wars/Civil War 2?

[Iron Maiden]

My apologies - I never even thought to check the first page! I'll be sure to do so.

Started on Books Of Doom last night and am already loving it. I am definitely curious about Infamous Iron Man - didn't that spin out of Secret Wars/Civil War 2?

Yes it did. It has it's drawbacks, purely from my standpoint but I think others might agree. I thought there was too much of the Hood and his fellow thugs as the Infamous Iron Man's adversaries. But I always give credit to Bendis for doing the logical follow up to the ending of Hickman's Secret Wars. I wish it has lasted a bit longer but I liked this phase of Doom's story where he really tried to make a change.

[DoomScribe]

Clobberin time NOT so fast Doom by Kirby.jpg

Sometimes the originals are all you need to bring a smile to your day.

Doom takes on the Thing and bests him (courtesy of some power cosmic).

[Iron Maiden]

I just love the energy that Jack Kirby puts into this panel.

Doom really hates the Thing for messing up his hands. Including this panel, I think he's brought it up several times over the years.

[K7P5V]

I just love the energy that Jack Kirby puts into this panel.

Doom really hates the Thing for messing up his hands. Including this panel, I think he's brought it up several times over the years.

And yet, he was willing to help Ben many years later (even though it was all a part of Doom's scheme). The Dichotomy is so overwhelming (IMHO):

[DoomScribe]

I just love the energy that Jack Kirby puts into this panel.

Doom really hates the Thing for messing up his hands. Including this panel, I think he's brought it up several times over the years.

Yes, exactly. The other thing I love about the early works is how they speak and how well that defines their character. Thing uses quaint colloquialisms (kids today may not recognize "sock it to me baby" as 60's hip speak), and conjunctions, whereas Doom always uses a kind of high English. It's this characteristic that separates them almost as much as their antagonism.