Avengers #275: The first issue of Avengers I bought fresh off the stands.  The Masters of Evil siege of Avengers mansion was an exciting storyline that I fell right in the middle of as a youngster.  This era of Avengers history is one of my favorites-- probably because it was a starting point for me, right?  Nevertheless, the key kick to the artwork for many years of the Avengers was the inking of Tom Palmer.  His finishes put a realism overtop anyone's pencils.  Buying this while young was a key reason why I am a huge Avengers fan today,

Have you read the first issue of the new Brave and the Bold series?  It conjured memories of fun old 70s DC team-up comics and appropriately so, I suppose.  It's the most fun I've had reading a comic in a while.  To celebrate the new Brave and the Bold series, I selected this issue (#197) of the old series, which is one of my favorite comics from childhood.  It contains a wonderful story about the golden age Batman and Catwoman.  Although I don't remember the details of the issue (and I can't go look at it; it's stored away), I remember it being quite moving at the time...

New Mutants #41.  The New Mutants comic was one of my favorite books as a young reader.  My first issue was #45, but I was able to find recent previous issues soon after, including this one.  This solo Mirage (Dani Moonstar) story was a wonderful character study with beautiful artwork.  Mirage travels home and finds herself in a showdown with death.  I remember reading this comic on a sunny day in front of a picture window, thoroughly finding myself inside the story.  Go get it!

Here, in Captain America #224, Cap goes through disorientation as his face seems to have changed, his memory is whacky, and he has some painful bumps on his arm... what has happened?  This issue, when I was a kid, was so odd and offbeat, that it took several reads to straighten out the flashbacks (a hazard of being a kid and knowing nothing).  But, this was one of my first comics, and it has a striking cover.  We also get a guest appearance from the Avengers (did I ever mention that I love Beast as an Avenger?).  This would have been my first Cap comic too.

DC Comics Presents #97.  Another favorite from childhood-- but, frankly, many of these favorite comics will be.  I know that will make these favorite picks biased because of sentimental value.  Oh, well.  As long as you folks know that too, I suppose.  Anyway, this was the first issue of DC Comics Presents I bought and, ironically, the last issue produced.  I'll never understand why they would want to cancel it three issues shy of #100.  I enjoyed this issue because it was offbeat and rather dark (at least for a naive kid in the 1980s reading comics).  It's Superman vs. the Phantom Zone criminals in a story that was psychological and dreamlike.  I generally love the DC Comics Presents series.  I always buy a back issue if I see one, and one day in the far future, I may actually find all the issues.  If anyone has any they want to get rid of, let me know!

I want to take advantage of the blog here to show you some of my favorite comics that I own.  Completely at random, I have chosen one of my faves: Avengers #131, a comic I bought at a flea market as a kid.  Why do I love this one?  The Avengers are prisoners of Kang, who unleashes the first Legion of the Unliving.  I loved the L of the U.  I loved the old, supposedly dead characters being pulled from time to appear in the same comic.  Original Human Torch!  Frankenstein's monster!  Wonder Man! Even smaller, obscure characters.  All that and an early appearance of Mantis.  Cool stuff.  I was even lucky enough to find the following issue at a different flea market and continue the story.