Tuesday, September 21, 2010

My Favourite Thing I've Gotten Online So Far


I have the Crisis on Infinite Earths Batman in the picture for scale, what I'm really talking about today is the Secret Origins DC Mini Comics. These were originally sold in little plastic bags with Leaf Tart and Tangy candies in the mid eighties. I believe I got every one at the time except for the Superman one, which means I had Hawkman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Batman, The Flash, Green Lantern, and the Justice League of America. Despite my love of Superman he may have been low on my list of priorities because I was already abundantly familiar with his origin but in the dark about the others, even Batman, as the Batman I grew up with was mostly the Adam West or Super Friends version who didn't like to dwell on the past much. It actually never even occurred to me that he needed a motivation to be Batman, aside from its own innate lure. What kid wouldn't want to be Batman just for its own sake?

So it was from these tiny comics, two panels a page, 16 pages each, that I got my crash course in DC history. Unfortunately, my own copies vanished at some point, so I was left to wander the earth - or my yard at least- alone, forlorn...until I found them up for auction online. Well, it was six of them - in fact the ones I'd previously owned minus Justice League. I was the top and only bidder, so for a buck I took 'em home, which actually amounts to less than I originally paid; though of course they didn't come with any candy this time. Since the older I get, the more I become susceptible to completist fever, I may have to track down the remaining two at some point. But I'm darn happy to have these, and as a collector I find it's all the bargains I get that help justify the occasional insane splurge.

8 comments:

LissBirds said...

Miniature comics?! Squee!! I love itty bitty things. That's adorable!

Too bad there isn't a J'onn J'onzz one. (Though there's the mini comic that came with the Martian Manhunter Super Powers action figure, so I could always hunt that down instead.) Sigh. I love eBay.

Where ever did you find a tiny little comics bag to fit it?

Aaron said...

Those came with the purchase! So it's a bit of a mystery where the seller got them from. You're right, a Martian Manhunter one would be cool.

LissBirds said...

Obviously there's some super-secret minature comic book supplies supplier out there, operating in the shadows. Tiny bags. Tiny boards. Teeny tiny longboxes.

rob! said...

I loved these things. Not sure why they re-wrote the JLA's origin for just this series, but what the hey. Maybe this is Earth-Candy.

Aaron said...

Right next door to Earth-Hostess, I guess! I can't remember what the JLA one was like, which might be just as well if it's an alternate history, I get it all mixed up enough as it is!

rob! said...

You can read about it on my JLA blog.

Aaron said...

Thanks Rob! I find your JLA blog a great source for reading about the back issues I haven't gotten my hands on yet, so thanks! I may do a fuller blog on some of the mini-origins that haven't gotten the treatment yet to my knowledge.

Anonymous said...

You are a LUCKY bastard. I'll BUY them from you if you ever decide to be stupid.

The art is the epitome of what comic book art has been all about for 60 years, the secret origin is a staple in the industry of comics. If you have Batman's secret origin, then you have gold.

Again, I envy you!! If you ever post a scan of the interiors let us know. I for one would be grateful. batmanpp@yahoo.com

Thanks!
Paul