peter john rios

Covers of comics that are (or have been) in my collection at one point or another.

#129

Defenders: The first Defenders issue I pulled off the shelf at the time of its release. I also pulled my first New Mutants issue in this same cover month, so I wonder if that’s why I pulled the Defenders issue? Or maybe it was the bright yellow background? Who knows? (1984)

Flash (1997)

Hellblazer: As we’ll see, I collected the Paul Jenkins storyline that preceded this Garth Ennis story. I’m not sure why I picked it up? I don’t think I was reading Preacher by this point - so maybe I was just into Hellblazer for a brief moment? (1998)

Hulk: I think I read this issue, a coverless copy from my uncle’s collection. The synopsis - the Leader, the Glob - sounds really familiar. And the few images I’ve seen online seems to trigger a memory. So I’ll include it. (1970)

New Titans (1996)

New X-Men (2002)

Nightwing (2007)

Wonder Woman (1998)

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From the never read/never owned file:

Amazing Spider-Man: First appearance of the Punisher! (1974)

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Green Lantern: Judd Winick comes to super-hero/mainstream comics and starts a long run on GL. (2000)

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From the read but never owned file:

Uncanny X-Men: First appearance of Kitty Pyde and the Hellfire Club! Sebastian Shaw! The White Queen! Claremont and Byrne comics changing the face of Marvel for a long time! (1980)

Covers of comics that are (or have been) in my collection at one point or another.

#183

Cerebus (1994)

Conan: Proof that I really was reading just about everything back in the mid-80s. This was the final issue that I picked up though at the time. I have no recollection of the interior story though. Interesting to note that Jim Owsley, otherwise known as Christopher Priest, is the writer on this issue. (1986)

Daredevil: Child’s Play. This story was originally scheduled to be released over a year earlier but the Comics Code Authority squashed it. Reworked and finally released, this story is the first meeting between DD and the Punisher. (1982)

Green Lantern: John Stewart takes over the GL cover gig for awhile (he becomes Earth’s official GL an issue earlier). Even before his time on Watchmen, Dave Gibbons did the “light source from below” thing very well (in reference to the way the shadows and light play on John Stewart’s domino mask). (1984)

Iron Man: The first IM issue I ever picked up on my own at the time of its release. It didn’t even phase me at the time that I was reading about Rhodey rather than Tony Stark. (1984)

Justice League of America: It’s another JLA/JSA team-up, this time bringing Jack Kirby’s Fourth World to the DCU in a major way. Kirby had long left the characters by this point, and although Mr. Miracle found some play here and there outside of New Gods-related titles, this is their first major interaction with the heavy hitters of the DCU. I wonder what the reaction was at the time? This also marks the final issue of artist Dick Dillon’s incredible 115 issue run. In all that time, since issue 64 in 1968, he only missed five issues. Incredible. (1980)

Superman: The final issue of the Jeph Loeb/Ed McGuinness run. I’m about to get my hands on these issues once again and I can’t wait. They were big, fun Superman books and would lead the way to the great Superman/Batman series. I’m looking forward to reading these once more. (2002)

Uncanny X-Men: Another fantastic standout issue, from the opening scene between Kitty and Colossus talking about his time on the Secret Wars planet, to the Rachel/Selene subplot to the bar fight between Colossus and Juggernaut over a misunderstanding. Characterization galore, great art, the kind of story that made the X-Men stand apart from other titles. (1984)

Wonder Woman (2002)

Covers of comics that are (or have been) in my collection at one point or another.

#202

Amazing Spider-Man: Another random issue from my uncle’s collection. Back when the Punisher was primarily a Spider-Man foe. And well before he became overused. (1980)

Avengers: Although he didn’t do the cover, George Perez pencils the interiors of his final Avengers issue - one of the last Marvel issues he would work on as he moved over to DC. There was a point in my comic collecting where I was trying to get every issue he ever worked on, interiors or cover art (or both). Not sure how far I actually got in that endeavor before I started to sell comics regularly. (1980)

Green Lantern Corps: Truk. The guy’s name is Truk. Yikes. (1986)

Justice League of America: Speaking of Perez, this is an interesting cover, pushing the claustrophobic nature of the satellite back to a point behind the heroes. And then the detail of all the mechanics and tech around them. It’s ambitious Perez at the stage where he was throwing it all in before finding a style and level of detail in his work that is far more comfortable to the eye. This to me is a transitional era that’ll lead to Perez at his height with third/fourth year New Teen Titans, Crisis…, History of the DCU, Wonder Woman, etc. (1982)

Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes (1974)

Superman (2004)

Uncanny X-Men (1986)

Wonder Woman: The earliest WW issue I own purchased at a con along the way. This is during her mod white jumpsuit era. Yup - that’s Catwoman she’s fighting on the cover. (1972)