He’s a pro’s pro; the work is done well and on time. Any book Peter David takes over is instantly 20% smarter and 30% funnier, and he’ll do it forever if you just leave him alone and let him run.
Here’s what I think of when I think of Peter David:
His Hulk run is one of the finest in the history of superhero comics. He used to get a lot of run for that, and it seems like too many have forgotten. It was epic in length, and it never got dull, partly because David would simply re-define the Hulk as a character every now and again and make it all new. It was partly because he’s just a good plotter and builder of characters. You came for the Hulk, but you stayed for Rick, and Betty, and Marlo, and a host of villains who were all smarter and more interesting than the villains in other books. The only superhero comic runs I place next to this work are Waid’s Flash and Simone’s Secret Six. It’s really good. If you haven’t indulged, you must.X-Factor # 87, “X-Aminations” is one of the greatest single issues I’ve ever read. Val Cooper brings in Doc Samson to evaluate the entire team psychologically, which makes sense because it’s a Peter David book, so most of the characters are pretty much shit nuts. Quicksilver was already a standout character in the book, an insufferable ass that you still couldn’t take your eyes off of.
“You know that feeling you get when there’s an old lady in front of you in line that can’t get her change straight, or can’t figure out how to use the ATM? That’s every minute of my existence. How would you deal with that?” And BAM!, just like that, you have to re-evaluate everything you know about Pietro Maximoff, and just people in general. That’s Peter David.
Peter David is insanely loyal. He’s still working with Madrox and Strong Guy, back from that aforementioned X-Factor run that started in 1993. He’s brought Rick Jones along to most books he’s written. He wasn’t done telling Linda Danvers stories, so he just imported his Super Girl into Bete Noir and Fallen Angel.
Peter David made his Captain Marvel certifiable. You think I’m kidding. I’m not. He brought Rick Jones into that one, too, which makes sense since that’s Mar-Vell’s history. The guy was crazy, and he was the book’s lead. You must read it to believe it.
I remember making fun of Peter David’s teeth a lot on Chronic, which is regrettable. But that’s kinda what that show was for, saying things that made us laugh in the short term and made certain we could never show our face in public in the long term. Sorry, PAD.
My favorite character in comics is Layla Miller, who is quintessentially Davidian. Forget the resurrection and precognition stuff – her super power is the ability to defeat M in a Smart Ass contest.
But mostly I just think of the years and years of laughing and thinking that Peter David has injected into my life. He doesn’t know me at all, but his writing has been with me so long he feels like a friend. I’m a better person than I would have been without him, and that’s a fact.
If you haven’t heard, Peter David recently suffered a stroke. It’s played havoc with the right side of his body…and he’s still working. He’s editing stuff with Axel Alonso, and he’s making the nurses laugh. Yeah, that sounds about right. This is the guy that wound up a whole convention doing “X-Men sketches” when John Byrne didn’t show up and an unruly mob was demanding that somebody draw for them. It’s classic Peter David. The guy is a classic.
He has medical coverage, but you know how that goes, right? The best way to help PAD right now is to help yourself to some of his books over at Crazy 8 publishing. Buying any of his Marvel work in collected form will help a little, but he’s getting a much bigger cut from the Crazy 8 stuff, so I recommend going that route. You can get them instantly on the Kindle or Nook at really attractive prices. Me, I’m a printosaurus. I just ordered me a copy of Darkness of the Light. Stop reading this blog RIGHT NOW and go buy a Peter David book from Crazy 8. You will not regret it.
And thank you, PAD…for everything.
Market Spotlight
How about a little bonus Market? Here’s some stuff that might be lying about that you can purchase, and then re-sell for more than you paid. It sounds crazy, I know. But it’s fun, and it works, and you can use the profit to buy some Peter David novels if you’re feeling guilty about it. But you shouldn’t feel guilty about it. Here’s what you’re looking for:
Hawkeye # 1-3
There’s a lot of heat around this book. People who read a lot of comics are saying this is the best thing Marvel is publishing, and that Aja is pressing boundaries in the most delightful of ways. It’s not just a tiny cadre of Froofies, either. Lots of different folks continue to stroke the shaft of Hawkeye with a fervor normally seen only in the Born Again.Last time I saw a reaction like this I finally broke down and started buying Waid’s Daredevil. So yes, I’m going to buy the first TPB when it hits in March. And in the meantime, I’ve been making money selling Hawkeye back issues to crazy-interested throng that just can’t force themselves to hit Comixology or wait for said trade coming in March.
So what can you get for early Hawkeye stuff? Well, as per usual in a fevered market, the results are all over the place. I sold my copy of Hawkeye # 1 for $28, but right now you could snap one up for $15-$25. I’ve sold a whole pile of issue # 2 for $15 per, and # 3 trades for about $10. Sometimes you can get a premium for having an unbroken run. People would rather get it all in one chunk than chase down each issue separately. Point being, at $3 an issue you buy anything you can find for cover price at your LCS.
Of course, the reason why you can get $28 for a new comic on eBay is because your LCS probably didn’t order very many. But you never know. It’s worth looking.
Deadpool Vol 10: Evil Deapool
I’ve sold five of these in hardcover form in the past three weeks for $40 apiece. Incidentally, Marvel is really ratcheting down the production on the premiere hardcover editions. They are producing fewer, and have turned off the tap on what product was available. What this means for a cult favorite like Deadpool is that all of the ‘Pool hardcovers are pretty good purchases in the long term.
In the short term, Volume 1, Volume 2, and Volume 10 are immediately profitable. Condition is important, and factory-sealed makes for a much easier sale. The softcover version of Evil Deadpool is also profitable, with nice copies trading at $30+ and going up. There’s no reason why one or both couldn’t be collecting dust at your local shop right now.Also be watching for Deadpool Classic Vol 2. It’s the only book in the series currently out of print, and it’s trading at some fairly insane levels right now. I posted mine for $80 last night, before I did that the Amazon min was $120. I find it difficult to believe that anybody is actually buying the book at those levels…but it does happen from time to time. It’s absolutely worth picking up for cover price, if you can find one.
Zatanna Vol 1: Mistress of Magic
I’ve been watching this one simmer for a couple of months waiting for it to pop….and there it went, simultaneous with the New Year’s champagne! I just sold my copy for $50 within 24 hours of posting it, which tells me I probably undersold it. I would expect that volume 2 will be profitable soon as well, but it hasn’t hit yet.
What else? I keep selling Guardians of the Galaxy # 1 (the Abnett/Lanning version with Rocket Raccoon) for $20-$30 depending on condition. It goes quickly when I have one. I also just sold a copy of Assassin’s Creed: After the Fall # 1 for $30. Video game properties are hit-and-miss, but the hits are delicious. Gears of War seems to just lay there and whine, but I’ve had good success with stuff like Image’s Dead Space material, getting $10-$30 a pop on those. That’s it for this week – happy hunting, degenerates!
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