One of the places I look for comics or trades at what I consider to be a good price is eBay. And on auctions that I've won recently, more and more of the sellers seem to be of the generous variety, including some freebies in with the items I actually bid on, won and paid for. Some don't, and that's OK; as long as you get what you paid for, you can't really complain about not getting more. But it's a nice surprise when it does happen, and like I said, it has been happening a little more often of late.
Once in a while the freebies might be making up for a mistake: for example, the wrong stuff was accidentally shipped to you. Then by way of apology, the seller ships out the right stuff and tells you to just keep the incorrect stuff as a peace offering. But more often than not, it's simply an extra comic or two slipped in with whatever else you ordered.
Being on the receiving end of this has prompted me to do the same when someone buys comics from me. I don't always have the extras on hand, but I try to include some extras when I can. Single one-off issues work great for this, I've found.
When I receive these freebies, I usually read them regardless of whether I've heard of the title before. It is a great way to find some gems I would have otherwise missed, although admittedly, such gems can be rare. With one recent order from an eBay seller, I was surprised to find the box contained a couple trades and half a dozen or so single issues I didn't order. Thinking my order had been accidentally packed with someone else's, I immediately contacted the seller who assured me the extras were just bonuses. This was the first time I received such bounty from one seller, to be sure. I haven't read all of the books yet, but was surprised to find several gems in the bunch that have me looking for the rest of the respective series. All of the extras in this instance were Image books, and here is just a bit about some of the ones that piqued my curiosity:
The Adventures of Apocalypse Al No. 1 (2014)
J. Michael Straczynski, writer
Sid Kotian, artist
This is a fun little book that combines detective fiction, supernatural creatures and events and no small amount of humor to very enjoyable effect. The lead character is private detective Allison Carter, the latest in a long line of investigators specializing in preventing the end of the world. In just this first issue alone, Al thwarts a would-be demon raiser, gets a tip from a dead friend, has a late-night meeting with a very creepy dude while she's in her underwear and makes a number of unscheduled jaunts to alternate realities, and this is just the set-up for this story. Yeah, more please!
The Bakers: Babies and Kittens (2007)
Kyle Baker, writer and artist
This 100-page hardcover is a whimsical little cartoon story of a family that wants to get a cat. At least Mom and the three kids do, but Dad is allergic to the critters and forbids it. But the kids think some kittens they find are cute, and Mom has seen a mouse in the house. Adorable hilarity ensues. This book is very similar to a child's picture book although there are nuances to the story that only adults will get, so I enjoyed this one with my 3-year-old daughter who agreed the babies and kittens were quite cute! This was a complete story unto itself, but I understand there are other The Bakers stories out there I might have to try.
Infinite Vacation No. 1 (2011)
Nick Spenser, writer
Christian Ward, artist
Now this tale seems like the kind of story that could make your head hurt if you try to think about it too much. The premise is that the characters here live in a world where they can buy their way into alternate realities for a price. Having a crappy day? Jump over to another reality where your day is going much better. The possibilities for change are limitless, and changing his circumstances with a few clicks is what Mark, the lead character, is used to. That is, until Mark starts to notice that his alternate selves are dying off. And not just a few of them. A whole lot of Marks are dying. What's up with that? I'm a little curious to find out.
Imperial No. 2 (2014)
Steven T. Seagle, writer
Mark Dos Santos, artist
This last one was a little more bizarre than the others because of being dropped into the story in the middle instead of at the beginning, but I think I got the gist. Imperial is a superhero looking for a replacement. Mark (Yeah, another guy named Mark.) has been chosen. But not only is Mark not very interested in the job, he's much more focused on the fact that he's supposed to be getting married to his girlfriend, Katie. That doesn't stop Imperial from showing up and bringing danger into Mark's life. This one looks pretty interesting too.
I guess all these freebies are going to cost me something after all!
===============
If you enjoy reading this blog, you can get more by liking my page on Facebook and/or following me on Twitter. And of course, if you are looking for a good deal on some of the comics I am selling off to make room in our house, please check out my main Steve's Comics For Sale site or the StorEnvy version of the site.
No comments:
Post a Comment