Set Description:
Welcome to the fine collection - truly one of the finest collections you will ever find. Everything about this collection is fine - not good, not fair, and certainly not poor - but fine. Occasionally, if I am feeling exceptional, something might be very fine. One a similar note, we don't like mint. Mint is a terrible flavor and we won't be having even a hint of mint anywhere. Mint is not fine.
Part of my objective here - and part of the fun as well, is putting together a set that is complete and attractive but specifically avoids higher graded books. Just to show what an awesome set can be put together with mid-grade books, especially those in the F/VF wheelhouse. I know that issues 1-10 will likely all be F- of F and that's okay. It's about putting together a beautiful set, not a minty-mint set. I'll leave that to those with bottomless wallets.
Not to put too fine a point on the matter, but points for the books in this set are whack!
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| Slot: |
My Greatest Adventure 1 |
| Item: |
My Greatest Adventure 1 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1250535002
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Owner Comments
"My Cargo Was Death!" First issues are hard, and DC didn't have a clear vision for what they wanted the series to be - the first half dozen issues were standard adventure fare. As a result, after issue 1 they are difficult to secure in mid to high grade. But, let's not focus on that, and take a look at this beautiful cover by John Prentice. Wow - there's a name that doesn't pop up often, huh? Really - it's a sweet cover - awesome use of color to both show that the scene happens at night, and that our nitro-runner is driving sans headlights, so he's trying to slip by these banditos (you can tell because of the hats & bandoleers). I'm not sure that I would use a red GMC (?) to sneak in the jungle - but you use what you have at hand. And the reddish pink color on the overwhelmingly dark and cool colored cover really focuses the attention on the truck. I do like our protagonist - but only because he must be eight feet tall in order to have a hand on the wheel, a foot on the accelerator, and his other hand out the passenger window - Just because the cab of a 50s American pickup is really wide - like as wide as the state of Kansas. Big. The other thing that's really cool to me is the contradiction of the roadway - in front of the truck its wet, wet enough for puddles to be visible; but behind the truck its dry, dry enough for a dust cloud.
I know I'm giving the cover art some grief, but really, I do love it for its use of color and the very clean design.
Overall - yeah, take my thin dime and give me this cover story. I kinda need to know.
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| Slot: |
My Greatest Adventure 14 |
| Item: |
My Greatest Adventure 14 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
3870445001
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Owner Comments
"I Was a Prisoner in a Human Zoo!" One of the common threads of 50s DC science fiction books - the humans in a zoo or as pets for creatures that look like earth animals. See Strange Adventures 52, 108, 130...This iteration is nothing special. Although, I must admit I can't determine what those apes are supposed to be, gorillas? baboons? they are really weirdly drafted on the cover. Additionally, the colorist really chose weird, washed out colors without going all in and doing a washtone cover. Honestly, I don't know if giving this the Adler treatment would have saved it. It's just boring in composition and boring in the use of color.
Overall - boy, I don't know. I just can't see blowing my hard earned dime on this as a youngster. I'm going to give this cover a big, fat no.
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| Slot: |
My Greatest Adventure 23 |
| Item: |
My Greatest Adventure 23 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
2092317025
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Owner Comments
"I Found the Tribe of Tomorrow!" I have a particular affinity for these 50s DC books that don't quite know what they want to be - this one is part adventure story, part sci-fi, and part Indian tale - but it is 100% silver age. See also, Strange Adventures 61 (albeit a golden age book), which is also maybe a cowboy story and maybe a sci-fi book. It's too much fun. On this cover we're doing a weird Bob Brown mix-up with the "primitive natives" and some hi-tech accessories, oh, and a standard "adventure guy" who we will see a lot over the full run of covers. For me - the cover is pretty boring. Very static. Which is hard, because there's a lot going on, but movement - particularly quick movement - isn't part of that. It's meant to be quiet. And I think Bob does an okay job with that. Certainly he isn't afraid to delve into the huge palette of colors available - and that give the cover some dynamism and interest. Plus it sets the scene well, even if it is a quiet scene.
Overall? Damn...I don't know. I can respect the quality of the cover now, as an adult and an artist, but I just can't see this cover separating me from my hard earned dime. There really has to be something more in my wheelhouse on the spinner rack.
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| Slot: |
My Greatest Adventure 24 |
| Item: |
My Greatest Adventure 24 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
3849858001
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Owner Comments
"We Battled the Space Giant!" Just look at this 50s beauty! Awesome wash background/sky, ridiculous 4-armed, pink giant in purple panties, parachutes, rockets, jet planes, army dudes - its got it all. Early Nick Cardy work on that cover - but I'm 100% sure someone else washed in the sky, Adler or Grandinetti - but unattributed. So...knowing what I know know about DC and aliens - like there's a 10,000% chance that the big pink guy is a policeman, right? Green Lantern? Hawkman? Pinky. But even if I knew that in 1958, I gotta say this is too damn awesome to pass up. How is it pre-hero Marvels are so in demand with their dumbass white background covers and stupid monsters all named "Thunk" and "Swaggo" and this multi-colored giant of badassery is not madly loved? This is soooo much better.
Overall? Are you frigging kidding me? This thing is awesome with a big ol scoop of badass on top. Take my dime, give me the "Space Giant!"
Spoiler alert: He's a cop. Idea to be rehashed 11 months later in Showcase 22.
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| Slot: |
My Greatest Adventure 28 |
| Item: |
My Greatest Adventure 28 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1054081003
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Owner Comments
"We Wore the Forbidden Masks!" One of eight issues with Kirby art. This is more of what I think of as a typical early silver age sci-fi cover - it's a little busy and it is difficult to really get at what is going on. The focus of the cover story is clear and evident with the man in the elaborate mask controlling some big cats that appear to have gotten loose at carnival? a masquerade? Mardi Gras? I'm not sure - but there are a lot of people in simple masks in the background indicating that something is going on, but also that the elaborate mask is the important mask, even if the title is plural. There's so much going on with the details of the scene and the huge number of colors that the eye really focuses on the woman and on the nasty look on the leopard's face. This does create an interesting tension in the scene, and you can feel the loathing emanating from the leopard and the fear from the woman. This is solid. But does it sell? I don't know.
Overall? - I'm just not sold on the book based on the cover art and the title - I think this one is going to have a hard time prying my dime from my tight little grip.
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| Slot: |
My Greatest Adventure 30 |
| Item: |
My Greatest Adventure 30 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
3727520005
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Owner Comments
"We Were Trapped as Human Puppets!" Boy this is a tough one because I really want to like this cover for its great color, but it is really a little baffling to me. I get that the rays are like puppet strings and while I'm not totally sold on the two people facing us, I totally dig the lighting on the one that is in the foreground with the big orange gemstone, but what is the blob thing that's controlling them? The big compound eye is cool. If it is an eye - but the rest of it just looks like a blob that needs some cream for its spots. Not terrifying, not really interesting. I just can't get 100% behind the cover art and I'm not sure I would have spent my hard earned 10 cents on this offering from the spinner rack I just can't see this competing with Strange Adventures 103 or Showcase 20 and successfully catching my eye.
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| Slot: |
My Greatest Adventure 33 |
| Item: |
My Greatest Adventure 33 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
3727520007
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Owner Comments
"I Was Trapped in a Cosmic World!" Sometimes when you see a book, you just gotta have it. Like seriously you now have a need that you never knew you had. And this book - it's one of those books. I mean, seriously. Look at this masterpiece of mash-ups and ask yourself: Exactly how high was Bob when he came up with this? We have our protagonist riding around on a horse-sized fairy beast with the head of a seahorse, the legs of an insect, and faerie wings, attacking a radially symmetrical (?) five armed giant that looks like a confused grimace far more than Thanos does, with a sling like some weird David v. Goliath deal. And yet there's more - there's at least five faerie-insect-seahorses flying around helping confuse Big Gimace; Big Grimace himself has some cool blue underbelly that looks like it could be stretchy, to offset his generically orange skin tone (spray tan?), all against this chartreuse sky.
Overall? Are you nuts? this thing is 100% awesome. Take my damn dime.
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| Slot: |
My Greatest Adventure 34 |
| Item: |
My Greatest Adventure 34 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
2092317016
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Owner Comments
"I Was Earth's Strangest Prisoner!" No, really, I was - pay no attention to the totally ordinary man on the cover, I assure you, I'm Strange. In truth the cover is a pretty awesome job by Dick, with Charles Paris. The absence of Shelly must be the reason the alien has more than three hand digits. No, I promise, look at Shelly's covers for this run. So many 3-fingered or 3-clawed monsters. It's weird how common it ends up in his art. Ignoring that though, this is a sweet cover, amirite? Good looking alien helmet/breather combination, ray guns, cool foreground plants - even a pretty bloom for a splash of color. Then there's totally ordinary man (yeah, he's supposed to be an everyman, so it does do exactly that) with his rucksack, and his perfect, cleft chin - I like him. Really, the only things I don't like are the helmet's shadow not being on the harness/bandoleer, and the grossly overstated manacles. Like - we see them, they're white, you don't need to highlight them as well.
OK, the word balloon is not needed either, but it doesn't break the lines of the art, so it isn't hideous either.
But there's good use of color and form to set a place and a scene, and I'm interested.
Overall? totally. I think this cover is a win, and successfully does what it is supposed to do, separate me from my dime.
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| Slot: |
My Greatest Adventure 38 |
| Item: |
My Greatest Adventure 38 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
2092320025
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Owner Comments
"I Was Captive of the Bird-Men!" Did I mention that points for this set are whack? Because seriously - 1950s DC, in 7.5? and we're at what? 46 points? Sheesh. And while some mass produced, over printed mutant crap from the 80s is hundreds of points? Barf!
Enough! Look at this beautiful cover by Dick & Shelly! Is it okay if I call them Dick & Shelly? There's nothing 'new' or innovative about a large winged creature flying off with people, with or without the birdcage, but this is so superbly rendered that you don't even notice that the story isn't fresh. Ginger Birdman looks awesome. His skin is just that right shade of pink to pair up naturally with the orange/red hair, the wings are super detailed and look like wings - 100% I believe this dude is a giant ginger with wings. I am disappointed that the wings and the feet are exactly the same shade of yellow, but I am happy that someone didn't go all crazy with colors and patterns in the feathers, because that would have made it all too much.
Hapless man child in the birdcage has a pointless thought bubble - I'm sure no reader needed that to help, he's in a cage. I'd like to know how he got in a birdcage. But he's so ordinary I really don't have any empathy for him. I'm more interested in taking his place and having an adventure. Maybe even a Great Adventure. HAHA! I make myself laugh.
The strong diagonals, all going the same direction really make this image move in my eye - I can feel that we are traveling at a rapid pace. I also kinda like the house(s) in the background, filling in the spaces and providing a sense of normal - although there is no way from the image to tell of they are man sized or ginger giant sized. But, the feel of the image changes if you think about the house being each of those sizes. Kinda cool. Wish I knew if it was intentional.
Overall? I gotta admit - this is too sweet a cover to leave on the spinner rack. Guaranteed this image separates me from my hard earned dime.
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| Slot: |
My Greatest Adventure 39 |
| Item: |
My Greatest Adventure 39 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
3760020005
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Owner Comments
"I Was Bodyguard to a Beast!" So, I have to ask the question: Can a cover, can the cover art, be both good and heinous at the same time? Because. Well, because of this cover. Word balloons are bad and make everything worse most of the time. This one is no exception, in that it is too wordy - maybe if it just said "Don't shoot!" it'd be okay. I think we can all agree that the monster is horribly drafted, as if it was taken from the sketch of some bored preschooler and dropped in an otherwise kinda good cover. The face, the hand-feet, the shapeless body, the lack of any menacing features, he's just boring and then colored pink. And I usually think pink is pretty awesome - even on monsters. But this is a travesty that is so bad it completely overwhelms an otherwise pretty solid effort by Dick & Shelly. Right? Look at the slack-mouthed cops, the victim in the air with his really awesome plaid cap, even the fact that the lamp hangs in front of the masthead - it's pretty cool. I like the lighting and the use of color (except the beast) - it's just a pretty good cover. Except.
Overall? We get this? After the pretty awesome cover we had last issue? I just don't know that the details that stand out to me today, as an adult, would have been interesting to me as a kid - and well, the monster is just dumb. So, no. I can't see this separating me from my hard earned dime.
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| Slot: |
My Greatest Adventure 43 |
| Item: |
My Greatest Adventure 43 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1106278014
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Owner Comments
"We Were Ruled by the Emperor-Beast!" Okay, first off this all kinds of Sheldon Moldoff and Lee Elias coolness, and I know I've seen those twisty arms on some other beast cover from the early silver age - I'll have to chase that down. Just look at that hairy, purple bastard with his goatee and his three clawed hands sitting on a building without a care in the world and nicely set off by the yellow background color. As silly as he looks with his twisty arms, he still looks real enough, the right amount of detail, the malice in his smile, the little pot belly of I don't have to do physical labor. I'm not entirely sure about the three dudes in the foreground, like the beast only has two arms and you guys couldn't run three different directions? I'm sure there's a reason in the story, but it seems a little forced on the cover. Actually, I kind of want the one guy's red plaid coat. I'm sure I'd look good in it. The cover does a nice job of capturing a time and a place and introducing a big ol monster into it.
Overall - yeah, this is a pretty solid monster cover, I'm going to say it would have separated me from my hard earaned dime.
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| Slot: |
My Greatest Adventure 44 |
| Item: |
My Greatest Adventure 44 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1972730008
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Owner Comments
"We Fought the Beasts of Petrified Island!" Okayyyy...this could be the least weird cover in the entire run. There's no freaky monsters or weird-ass aliens. Just some petrified early mammals, that died out some 4 to 11 thousand years ago. Hey - shouldn't this be labeled as a "partial sketch cover"? Sorry, random intrusive thought. Anyway, as I was saying, not exactly the level of weirdness I am used to from MGA covers. But - oddly, a pretty solid cover image, right? The strong white and blue diagonal division of the field is interesting. The red & green masthead stands out strongly against the blue sky, and the one word balloon sits mostly against the white background, so it doesn't startle the viewer. It's just dumb. "prehistoric" - wrong. But we didn't know as much in 1960 about the eras of early mammals, and we certainly didn't know yet that the mammoths lived well into the Holocene Epoch (the current one).
Overall? Oh gee, I don't know. Maybe. Early mammals were not as interesting to me as dinosaurs - so I might not have picked this one up from the spinner rack.
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| Slot: |
My Greatest Adventure 49 |
| Item: |
My Greatest Adventure 49 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0040093011
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Owner Comments
"I fought the Last Dragon!" Dick & Shelly are at it again with their cover art - this time we're treated to a fire-breathing T-Rex with a pink unicorn horn. "Dragon" Yeah- you gotta say that in Eddie Murphy's voice. I don't know what this is, with its 3-clawed paws that look about as deadly as Barney. I mean - it isn't a bad composition for a 'cave opening composition' which is so common on adventure comics that its actually cliche - but the dragon (Eddie Murphy voice again) is silly beyond description. The two adventure dudes look pretty ordinary at first glance - high boots with pants tucked in, button down shirts, and brimmed hats - but what's with blue shirt's forearms? Did he swipe them from a gorilla somewhere? And where's there gear? It's like they're really not that into spelunking. That being covered, I do have to say how much I love yellow shirt's over-exaggerated pose - that really sells the fear, knee-jerk reaction to the flames. I'm going to give some credit where credit is due.
Overall? I just don't know. It just doesn't feel that engaging to me. I gonna call this one a no. The cover art failed to get me to spend my hard earned dime on this comic, dragon or no dragon.
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| Slot: |
My Greatest Adventure 50 |
| Item: |
My Greatest Adventure 50 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0746299018
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Owner Comments
"We Tracked the Beast from the Deep!" Umm, yeah - soooo, the guys in the foreground are really awesome and have great lighting and detail even though their backs are turned to us, and the equipment is pretty sweet too - lots of dials and shit - right? feels very sci-fi and I love it. And then they managed to take last issue's monster and make it even more ridiculous looking. Ohh, look how big it is compared to the ship - but don't look at its googly eye. It looks like it want to offer the ship a big hug and thank it for showing up to his house-warming party. C'mon Dick & Shelly - you're better than this.
I just don't know - and there's not really a lot to say about the cover image other than "Thank you for participating in our mail-it-in-to-work competition, one winner will be selected completely at random to be on the cover of a Major Comic Book, later this year"
Overall - no. Just no. I'll keep my dime, you keep your bug-eyed seaweed monster.
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| Slot: |
My Greatest Adventure 53 |
| Item: |
My Greatest Adventure 53 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
2072210001
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Owner Comments
"I Was Referee of the Alien Creatures!" Not really a lot going on in this cover image to talk about - is there? Both the aliens are bipeds and it looks like they are no larger than the human, in totally not dynamic poses - so, yeah, some seriously boring choices there by Dick & Sheldon. I think what bothers me the most is the absolute failure with color. How lazy can you get? The red dude with a yellow fin growing out of his head is wearing gloves and shorts of the exact same shade of yellow - bullshit. And the same goes for the dude with the kinda cool patterning on his flesh - his few garments are the exact same shade or purple as his lips/horns/eye area - again - bullshit. Put that craptastic coloring job up against a background of "I don't want to draw bubble(?) forcefield(?), so I'm just making some vague-ass lines" and you have a cover that fails on just about every level.
Overall? This crap? Separate me from my hard earned dime? Hell no. Although March 1961 wasn't exactly a banner month for cover art - Strange Adventures 126 is kinda poor, Tales of the Unexpected 59 is a word fest, House of Mystery 108 is crap; Probably if I only have one thin dime to spend - Mystery in Space is the winner with a kinda cool cover - but with awesome glass helmets.
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