My Reading Pile: December 1978

I haven't done these in a while, but I've been reading and re-reading from this era a lot in the past couple of weeks so I thought I would see what I actually read back then as a 6 year old.

I don't recall how this Scooby-Doo issue came into my life, but I did end up reading quite a few of the Marvel/Hanna-Barbera books back then. I know that I had some Laff-A-Lympics, for sure. Scooby-Doo #8 is the only issue of the Marvel version of this series that I remember owning. I think that the Gold Key creative team of Evanier and Spiegle was still in place as Chase Craig remained as editor. I'm not sure what happened to these titles. Maybe the licensing got too pricey?

Godzilla #17 is what inspired meto revisit this month as someone posted the cover on an internet group and I dug out my old copy. How could I not have picked this up as a 6 year old. I was absolutely nuts for dinosaurs and Godzilla (I would soon be a proud owner of a Godzilla Shogun Warrior). This remains a very fun book as S.H.I.E.L.D. uses Pym particles to turn Godzilla into the cutest little thing that you ever did seen. Gabe learns that those teeth as still sharp, though.


Back in the olden days, kids like me learn about major events in Peter Parker's life through reprints such as Marvel Tales #98. I surely couldn't afford an original back then and there were no Essentials or Masterworks so I did a lot of Spidey reading via Marvel Tales. It was just fine to learn about Gwen's death a few years late as I was not exactly plugged into the fanboy network as a 6 year old.

If you know me at all, you'll know that Brave and the Bold is my all-time favourite series so you will usually see an issue during these entries. Brave and the Bold #145 remains near and dear to my heart as it introduced me to The Phantom Stranger and contained some of Jim Aparo's finest B&B artwork, in my humble opinion. It was also one of my first experience with a voodoo-based story. That kind of thing leaves an impression on a boy!

My Reading Pile: February, 1993

I was 20 years old, trying to survive a frigid Montreal winter in my second year as an undergrad. I did not have a ton of money, but I still managed to get mys hands on a few funnybooks every month. Here's a scattering of what I bought that month.

Justice Society of America #8 - Ever since I was a little kid, I have been a big fan of the JSA. One of my main concerns coming out of Crisis was that DC would put the Earth-Two characters out to pasture. At times, it seems like that might actually happen but the early 90s revival gave me hope that there was a place in the DCU for Rex Tyler, Charles McNider and the rest of the gang. This is not a particularly notable issue but for the fact that, like all of them, it features amazing artwork by Mike Parobeck. It still makes me feel unbelievably sad that Parobeck passed away at such a young age.

Green Arrow: The Wonder Year #3 - As I may have mentioned a hundred times or so, I am a big Green Arrow fan. I could not get enough of the regular series, so it was a real treat to have some extra Ollie stories to read for a few months. This was Mike Grell's attempt at a Year One. While this was not at Miller's level, it is still a pretty solid read and Gray Morrow inking Grell's pencils is a sight to behold.

Flash #75 - I will fully admit that the whole Return of Barry Allen storyline had me hook, line and sinker. Like Wally, my jaw dropped when he showed up. It might have something to do with the fact that I grew up admiring Barry much in the same way Wally did. This was one of the first times I remember noting Mark Waid's name. Barry's erratic behaviour had me a bit worried but, like Wally, I was in deep denial. A fun, charming cover by Ty Templeton.

The Spectre #5 - I was a fan of this series from the get-go. Sure, the glow in the dark covers were cool, but what really got me was the characterization of The Spectre. John Ostrander took much of what was good about the Doug Moench series and added a whole new layer to it. The characters were more fully fleshed out and the storyline were much more memorable. All in all, it just resonated with me. This issue is a good example of the mixture of occult and crime fighting offered by the series.

The only thing I regret missing that month was the initial issue of Sandman Mystery Theatre. It would take me a few months to get caught up on that series, which was my favourite of the decade.

My Reading Pile: August, 1979

I'm returning to these posts about what I read during any given month at various junctures in my life. This time around, I am looking at comics that would have been on spinner racks in August, 1979. I would have been two months shy of my 7th birthday. Again, I must give kudos to the Amazing Mike and his Newsstand: http://www.dcindexes.com/features/timemachine.php?site=

I have always loved Mysterio and I have to think it has to do with the fact that I read so many great Mysterio comics as a kid. He was also featured in the 60s cartoon, which was in heavy rerun rotation in Toronto at the time. Amazing Spider-Man #198 still holds up today, with a ton of good background on the 2nd Mysterio and very solid work by the Buscema/Mooney team. Great cover, great book.

As I have likely mentioned a million times on here, Justice League of America was one of my 'go to' books for years. From the house ads I'd seen, this storyline seemed to be so earth shattering. In reality, the outcome in Justice League of America #172 did not blow my mind. The question I was asking wasn't really 'Who Killed Mr. Terrific?' but rather 'Who the heck is Mr. Terrific?'. In the end, the story didn't have much punch, but I'm still a sucker for JLA/JSA crossovers.

 

UFO & Outer Space #23 would have been at the top of my reading pile that month, as I absolutely loved that series. The covers were usually fantastic and the stories was all very intriguing and sent a shiver up my spine. The Reader's Reports were such an innocent and charming way of presenting these stories. I'd like to find out where the stories came from. Actual letters? Tabloid mags? Or just made up by the writers? I still feel very nostalgic about the old Gold Key gems.

Must like the JLA, I could not live without the Avengers as a kid. Avengers #189 features one of those super dramatic covers that I loved so much, the cover to #181 being an all-time favourite. Who is in? Who is out? I loved that stuff. I also loved the Hawkeye being mad at the Falcon angle that played out over the entire year. This one is almost a Haweye solo book, and that's just fine by me.

Cool books I totally missed the boat on that month include Daredevil #161 and Iron Man #128. Oops.

My Reading Pile: October, 1989 Pt. 2

Ugh! Looking back (thanks to Kang's Time Platform at Mike's Amazing World of Marvel Comics), I see that while Marvel was cranking out a ton of titles back then, very few of worthy of note. That's likely why my pickings were slim and I steered clear of most Marvel from this point onwards.

I was getting pretty solidly hooked on the Silver Surfer at this stage. I had always liked the character and, while I wasn't truly on board at the time this volume launched, I was a dedicated really for 80 consecutive issues or so. For anyone who has complained that the late 60s series consisted of too much navel gazing, they will be pleasantly surprised by the inter stellar adventures here. While the series was good at this stage, it wasn't until Thanos' return (in just two issues' time) that things really started cooking!

I loved the Avengers as a kid, and stuck with them for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. If memory serves, Avengers West Coast (I always preferred it as WCA) was actually quite a bit better than the main title during this era. I think John Byrne was doing really good work at this stage, and I really liked the return of the original Human Torch a couple of issues earlier. This was a weaker issue as I was not such a huge fan of the whole Acts of Vengeance thing.

Avengers #311 is another Acts of Vengeance tie-in. Overall, it's pretty uninspired but you've got a pretty good roster at this point. I always enjoyed the interplay between She-Hulk and Starfox, but they did not even appear in this one. This is a pretty forgettable issue and is surprisingly uninspired considering the fact that it involves an attack by a horde of robots. I would stick with this title on and off for a few more years, but it was more out of a sense of duty than anything else. What did I miss that month? Not much.

My Reading Pile: October, 1989 Pt.1

At this point, I am in my penultimate year of high school and a knee injury has taken me out of the second half of the football season. I had a lot more time on my hands and was really getting back into comics after taking quite a few years off. Here's a look at some of the DC Comics I picked up that month.

I had read the Longbow Hunters, but wasn't really 100% into the ongoing series just yet. With Green Arrow #26, I became truly hooked and didn't leave the series until it ended with #139 (I didn't even mind Connor Hawke). Oliver Queen quickly became one of my favourite characters of all-time. I'd always liked him with Green Lantern and as a JLA member, but he always seemed a bit one-dimensional. This was a strange one, but it managed to really open my eyes.

Detective Comics #609 was a good one for me. I was really digging the two main Bat books during this period but, to be perfectly honest, I didn't love the Mud Pack story arc. I was quite intrigued by the Anarky character in this initial story, as he seemed quite unique. I was also just head over heels for Norm Breyfogle's artwork. Everyone I knew was talking Todd MacFarlane all the time back then, but I would sing Breyfogle's praises. Those praises fell on deaf ears.


I scooped up Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn #1 when I saw it on the shelves. Was I a sucker for #1 issues at this point? Maybe a little, but I remember really getting into this miniseries. Green Lantern was always second-tier for me as a kid, but I found Hal to be much more interesting here. I'd like to revisit it, and I'm sure I've got most if not all of the floppies somewhere. I never did read the second Emerald Dawn. I heard that I didn't miss much.

What did I miss that month? Well, I wasn't reading cool stuff like Animal Man, Doom Patrol or The Question and I also missed the launch of Legends of the Dark Knight. Next Time: my Marvel books.

My Reading Pile - March, 1983 Pt.2

Wow! Looking back at what was for sale that month, it seems that I was moving away from DC just as much as Marvel. I purchased a grand total of 3 DC books on the racks that month, skipping long-time favourites including the penultimate issue of Brave and the Bold and the Atom gone wild issue of Justice League of America.

I very rarely read Legion of Super-Heroes back then. I think I was a bit intimidated by the continuity and the sheer volume of characters. Something about Legion of Super-Heroes #300 appealed to me, though as I bought it and it remained the only Legion book in my collection for years. I was likely just a sucker for these Anniversary Issues that DC published in the 80s, and this cover didn't hurt at all. At the time, I did not realize just how much work went into putting this cove together. I lost my copy somewhere along the way, and I have got to remind myself to keep an eye peeled for a replacement.

I had been with the Flash pretty consistently since 1979, and was a huge fan of storylines involving Professor Zoom, so Flash #322 issue was a natural fit. I hadn't bought a Flash issue since the first issue in the Goldface story. To be quite honest, I was not a big fan of Carimine Infantino's artwork during this time period (I'm still not). I understood that he was the original Flash artist, but it just didn't work for me on the 80s Flash (nor did I like it on Star Wars or Dial H For Hero). I didn't know who they were by name, but I really missed Irv Novick and Don Heck. I did not stick with the series through the whole Trial of the Flash storyline and , to be honest, I don't even recall this one have a Creeper back-up.

As I've likely mentioned on here a few times before, I love Green Arrow. I was also a big fan of the mini-series format which was really taking off at this time. I somehow missed the first issue of this one (since purchased), but the cover to Green Arrow #2 really caught my eye. I thought Vertigo was a pretty interesting villain and the time, and this storyline actually holds up quite well. Sure, we're not quite at the Mike Grell version of Ollie just yet, but we are certainly on our way. I don't think I was enamored with Trevor Von Eeden's artwork at the time, but I have come to appreciate it a bit more over the years.

What did I miss that month? Some really great stuff. How about some awesome Evanier/Spiegle Blackhawk? How about the 500th issue of Adventure Comics? I'd also moved completely away from Charlton at this stage, and was complete ignorant when it came to indie stuff like Nexus.

My Reading Pile: March, 1983 Pt.1

As winter turned to spring in 1983, I was 10 and a half years old. I must have thought it was time to 'grow up' as my comic book reading seems to have tapered off quite a bit. Here's a look at what I picked up that month (books are cover dated either June or July).

Amazing Spider-Man #242 is a really fun book, but for some reason it was the final Spidey issue I would purchase until I was in high school. I had been reading it quite consistently for years, but had somehow missed the Hobgoblin introduction. The Green Goblin was never my favourite Spidey foe, so this new version had no appeal. Marvel Team-Up was another one of my go-to titles as a kid, but I had given up on it at this point as well. This issue holds up quite well, as I dig the Thinker and you probably know that I like robots. Then again, who doesn't?

I was never a huge Conan fan. I have always liked the character, but have never picked up the issues on a regular basis. I am not sure what made me purchase Conan, the Barbarian #147. I'm guessing that the Conan movie played a role in my renewed interest. When was the initial VHS release? This would have been nearly a year after the theatrical release. As it stand, it was also the last Conan story I would read for years. I don't know whatever happened to my copy, but this cover really reminds me of the 'Garden of Fear' story from Conan #9. Is there any link?

Link any child of my generation, I was nuts about Star Wars and had been reading the series off and on since the very beginning. I had taken a break before buying Star Wars #72, and the next one and I imagine the impending release of Return of the Jedi had stoked my fires. The cover was also very compelling, with Luke and Lando surrounded by the bounty hunters. How could I resist? The next issue would be my final purchase from this series, but I did pick up the Return of the Jedi miniseries over the course of the summer.

What did I miss at Marvel that month? The final issue of Master of Kung Fu, some Byrne Fantastic Four and a Wolverine appearance in Daredevil.

My Reading Pile - September, 1995

Big changes were in store for me at this point in time. I was about to turn 23 and and had begun my first month of law school. I was getting to know a brand new city (Halifax) and meet new friends. Luckily, I was a mere 10 minute walk from Strange Adventures, a truly terrific shop. My student loan hadn't gone through so money was tight, but I still managed to buy a good number of books. Here's a look at some that I grabbed that month:

Sandman Mystery Theatre #32 was the closing chapter of the Hourman arc. This was another fine storyline in an excellent series. It was great the way various JSAers were bought into this series. I had come to Sandman Mystery Theatre a year or so late, but had managed to pick up the entire run on the cheap via back issue bins as they were selling for well below cover price. I bought this series religiously until cancellation, and continue to miss it dearly.

Earlier in the decade, I had started delve into the world of non-Big Two publishers (although I never got into the likes of Image, Valiant or Acclaim etc...). By this time, Dark Horse had taken over the Madman title (under the Legend imprint) and it was one of my very favourites series at the time. I couldn't really explain why it worked, but it was certainly unlike anything I had ever see up to that point. It was both new and retro and the character designs were amazing. The publishing schedule drove me crazy and I eventually fell off the bandwagon.

The was the time of the 'Year One' annuals at DC. I recall that these books were very pricey, but that many of them were quite good. The Scarecrow origin in the Batman Annual was very strong, and I retelling of the Green Arrow origin was quite good. I'm not the world's biggest Superman fan, but the outer space adventure from Action Comics Annual #7 struck a chord with me, as I often find the building of the Superman mythos to be more intriguing that the man himself. If memory serves, this was also the only year for a Spectre Annual during the Ostrander run.

Kurt Busiek's Astro City #4 was the 2nd Astro City book that I ever bought, and I was completely hooked. I had grown up on superheroes, but this series made everything new again. I really liked the way he built a universe from the ground up, but at the same time dropped the reader right into the middle of the action. It allowed us to learn about this world as it was happening, allowing for some of the blanks to be filled immediately while we'd have to wait patiently for other details. Over time, frustration over the publishing schedule got the better of me, and I drifted away from Astro City. I still have a lot of fondness for it - mainly because it made me feel like a kid again without insulting my intelligence.

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Power of Shazam was also another series I was loving big time. It was a really fresh take on the residents of Fawcett City. I was now at the point in my comic book enjoyment where I didn't really care where characters and stories fit into continuity (Zero Hour burst that bubble for me), and I was only concerned with enjoyable stories. I don't recall issue #9 being a real standout, but I was loving the reintroduction of Captain Nazi and I've always loved the design of Black Adam. Jerry Ordway was obviously having a blast on this series, and it is unfortunate that not enough fans went along for the ride.

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So - what did I miss that month? You may have noticed that there wasn't a single Marvel title. Looking at Marvel's schedule that month, I can understand why. The only book I regret not buying was Waid's Captain America - the rest looks like junk. There was plenty of great DC and Vertigo stuff I missed. I was not reading Starman, or the Invisibles or Sandman or Hellblazer... well, you get the point. It would have taken a millionaire to keep up with all of the great stuff DC put out back then. Marvel wasn't even in the same league.

My Reading Pile: December, 1981 Pt. 2

Here's a rundown of the DC books I bought that month:

Batman #345 was a great book, I still have my copy and it is not in bad shape considering how many times I read and re-read this one. I don't think that I had much exposure to Gene Colan prior to this book (Night Force perhaps?) and I really dug it. This is a very engaging story by Gerry Conway, and Dr. Death comes across as a particularly sinister bad guy. The back-up Catwoman story was also superb. I was nuts for Batman as a kid (still am), and this book was one of the reasons.

On the opposite end of the spectrum was Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew #1. This book was definitely unlike anything else on the spinner rack that month, and although I wasn't typically much of a funny animal fan, I could not pass it up. I'm certain that a good number of the jokes and references sailed way over my head, but I really enjoyed it. I even remember taking it away with me on a family vacation. I lost my copy to the sands of time, but have since picked up a good chunk of the series in bargain bins, as I think it will make a great entry point to comics for my kids.

I don't think that I full appreciated the awesomeness of Justice League of America #200 at the time. Sure, I loved anniversary issues because they were, more often than not, giant sized but I really was not tracking creators as a 9 year old so did not realize that a Hall of Fame calibre line-up was at work on this book. Looking back, Gerry Conway's story is not spectacular, but it serves its purpose. Each chapter has its own look as the baton is passed from Aparo to Kane to Bolland etc... I only wish that they'd been able to bring Mike Sekowsky in to contribute. I still have my copy and it's in remarkable shape considering how many times I've read it.

As a child, I only bought horror comics on an intermittent basis. My parents never really censored anything, but they'd likely steer me away from something if they thought it would result in nightmares. Based on the cover alone, there was certainly could no way that I could pass up on Unexpected #220. I wrote about this one a couple of years back as a Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby segment, and it remains one of my favourite Christmas-themed comics. Each of the four stories is entertaining and very charming, each with its own mood and atmosphere. It is too bad that this series wasn't long for the comic book world, because they were still doing great horror work at DC.

Looking back, I find it odd that I did not either Brave and the Bold or New Teen Titans that month, as both were regular purchases for me. I had also apparently turned my back on both Gold Key/Whitman and Charlton at this stage but, then again, do did everyone else.

My Reading Pile: December, 1981 Pt.1

Here's another installment of my semi-regular look at what I was reading at various points of my life. This time, I'll be looking at books that were on spinner racks in December, 1981. I would have just turned 9 years old, and was liking wondering what Star Wars stuff I'd get for Christmas. Here's what I read from Marvel that month:

The Spidey reprint saga was rebooted with Marvel Tales #137, and I remember reading this one over and over again. I don't think it was my first exposure to the Ditko Spider-Man, but I can't quite pinpoint where I would have seen it otherwise. Obviously, it's an awesome story - but this book gets extra points for the unpublished cover to Amazing Fantasy #15 and including Dr. Strange's first appearance from Strange Tales #110. I still have this one.

Ghost Rider #66 is a bit of a weird one. I was reading a lot of Ghost Rider during this period, and a lot of the stories were quite strong and memorable. I do not, however, remember a single thing about this story. When I skimmed over an on-line cover gallery, I recognized it immediately, but I have no recollection of the Wind Witch. She was probably as lame as the Weathermen in the Avengers. I don't remember what happen to this book, but I don't seem to have any of my Ghost Riders from back then.

I missed a lot of great series during their initial publication, but I was definitely on the Daredevil bandwagon from a fairly early stage. Daredevil #181 came out this month, and it was probably the most intense comic book I had read up to that point. I'm not actually a huge Elektra fan, and was not really invested in her relationship with Matt (what can I say? I was 9), but it was still pretty mind blowing to see someone killed. To be honest, I likely a lot of the post-Elektra stuff better than the stuff leading up to this issue. I've still got this one, along with all of the other Miller issues.

In the regular Spideyverse, Felecia Hardy was around and confusing me. I always had trouble with the love/hate relationship with the female villains (same goes for Catwoman). It's really not fair for comic book companies to send such confusing signals to young boys. I still think pretty highly of this stretch of issues, and Amazing Spider-Man #226 is no exception. I recently sold a bunch of mine and surprised by how much interest they generated. I was also surprised that I was able to keep them in such nice shape for 25+ years.

While I was still reading Master of Kung-Fu, Avengers and Power Man and Iron Fist on a fairly regular basis at this time - I did not pick them up this particular month. I also completely missed the boat on Marvel Fanfare and Byrne' Fantastic Four (only read an issue or two) and I think I'd stopped buying X-Men.

My Reading Pile: June, 1991 Pt. 2

I'd say that I was more of a 'DC Guy' at this stage. I'm a huge Batman fan, and there were plenty of high quality Bat-titles to go around. Still, I am ashamed to admit that I was not reading Doom Patrol, Swamp Thing, Sandman etc... (you get the idea).

Yup, I love Batman. Always have, always will. I particularly love Batman of this era. The late 80s and into the early 90s was a great time, as the stories were quite intense and Norm Breyfogle showed me that Jim Aparo wasn't the only Batman artist worth following. I remember thinking the 'new' Robin was a pretty big deal, as Tim Drake seemed so much more appealing than Jason Todd. It's hard to believe that he's been around nearly two decades now. I haven't held onto every book I bought back then, but I'm pretty sure I've still got all my Batmans and Detectives from this era.

Much like Batman, I was buying everything Justice League at the time. Much like the Avengers, I'd followed the JLA since I was a kid. Unlike the Avengers, however, the Justice League seemed to improve with age. There were so many great story lines at this stage (Break Downs was very impressive), and some great new characters (the whole General Glory bit really cracked me up). It was a great time for this team, and it's hard to believe how far it fell a few years later. That being said, I did actually once spend hard earned cash on a copy of Extreme Justice. Yikes!

If you were to ask me to name my favourite comic book series during my high school years, I'd answer Green Arrow without hesitation. From the Long Bow Hunter onwards, there was something about Ollie and Dinah's life in Seattle that really resonated with me. Keep in mind, this was still a few months before I heard 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' for the first time. It seemed fitting that Ollie's title would hit an anniversary right around my high school graduation as it gave us both a few more pages to contemplate our places in the world.

Legends of the Dark Knight was a real revelation to me. I realized that taking a bit more time to constructed a story and to place it at varying points in Batman's history made for some amazing comics. I was totally hooked (pun intended) by the 'Venom' storyline. I realize that it eventually led to all sorts of Bane-ality, but as a standalone story arc, it is still very strong. At this point in time, I had already read Dark Knight Returns and Killing Joke, and while I would never put this story up there with the former, it really isn't all that far behind the latter. It was just a great piece of storytelling, perfect for the mature high school graduate that I had become.

My Reading Pile: June, 1991 Pt. 1

Mike is indeed amazing - and his DC and (now) Marvel websites are a great resources. I thought I'd use his sites as a tool to figure out what I was reading in certain random months. June of 1991 was my final month of high school (we used to do grade 13 here in Ontario - don't ask). I would have finished my exams somewhere early in the month and attended graduation ceremonies towards the end of June. I actually had a lot of free time back then so I was reading a good number of comics, probably evenly split between the Big Two. Here's a sample of what I bought that month. You should see all of the great stuff I wasn't reading back then. How humiliatin'!

Avengers #335 - I was a huge Avengers fan as a kid, and I forgave them for a lot of trespasses over the years. It was still a monthly buy from the late 80s right into the early 90s. I can't say I was loving it, but it was comfort food and I'm sure I thought they were just fine at the time. Looking back at the cover, I must admit that I cannot remember a single thing about this storyline. I also realized that I had totally forgotten about Rage and the white version of the Vision. Not exactly the jewel of my collection. In fact, I'd be shocked if I still had my copy.

I was much, much more into Silver Surfer back then (even had a letter printed in issue #49). This was a heavenly time when Silver Surfer was published twice a month. I don't truly think I ever realized how lucky I was to have one of my favourite books hitting my LCS every other week. This was a particularly good stretch for this title, with Thanos fully out of control and various intergalactic guest stars popping up all over the place. This series provided a home for great characters like Firelord and Drax, as can be seen from the cover to Silver Surfer #52. I really think Ron Lim nailed the 'look' for this series. As much as I love Marshall Rogers, I really got into once Lim stepped on board.

Speaking of Thanos, the Infinity Gauntlet miniseries was well underway that month. At the time, I was totally wrapped up in it and I loved the fact that all of my favourite characters from the Surferverse were getting greater exposure in the larger MU. I just loved everything about this miniseries and could not wait for each issue to be published. I kind of miss that feeling of anticipation, as I generally don't pick up any new comics these days. I haven't revisited this one in 15 years, but I'm guessing that it won't be as good as I remember.

As I've mentioned before, I really dug Ghost Rider circa 1991. I have no idea why Marvel decided that a batch of those issues deserved the reprint treatment as The Original Ghost Rider Rides Again, but who was I to complain? I remember buying this book at a local convenience store (remember when they had comics?) and really feeling a sense of nostalgia. Is it health for an 18 year old feel nostalgic? Whatever the case, I enjoyed re-reading this one as much as any other 'new' book at the time. Great, great cover.

Next: my DC books from June, 1991

If you haven't checked out Mike's Marvel and DC sites - here are the links:

http://www.dcindexes.com/

http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/marvel/index.php