THE MEGA GI JOE Comic Run!
THE MEGA GI JOE Comic Run!
THE MEGA GI JOE Comic Run!
For anyone that has chased a comic run in single issues that has any size in the run, you know that it’s a long and hard grueling process. After realizing that I’d rather have the 1982 Marvel GI JOE series comics to read in classic floppies I started the run at the Raleigh Comic book show on April 3, 2022 with a $100 purchase of issue 1! It’s a major key in the run and has a most amazing cover of the OG 13 (Original 13) Joes jumping into action.
Much like them, I took the leap! I started scouring local comic shops and anywhere with comics for GI JOE books. I was buying books left and right and logging them into my CLZ Comics app so I didn’t buy doubles. The picture on the right is a screenshot of what I have as of Yesterday! 66 issues into a 155 issue comic run, I had learned a few things. Not many people took care of there comics. I found more tattered and worn GI JOE comics everywhere I turned!
I knew that this was going to end up like my Marvel Star Wars run collection, stuck in a box and given up on. I mean Star Wars comics aren’t cheap! Neither are GI JOE comics! But about a month ago at my LCS (Local Comic Shop) Ultimate Comics Cary NC I got asked by Sienna (If you know Sienna you know she is a wealth of comic knowledge and happy energy) what comics I was currently reading. I said the normal, Batman and Star Wars current issues but what I was really hunting for was Marvel GI JOE! I asked why they showed no love to GI JOE and the answer was simple, not many had a heavy interest for it at that shop. That’s ok, I get it. There is a ton of other things to be into and if you weren’t born in or before 1982 you probably didn’t have a big thing for GI JOE! I did though because I grew up loving my GI JOE 3.75 action figures and vehicles and watching the Sunbow animated series! I loved playing “Army” as the son of an 82nd Airborne paratrooper and I was obsessed with the Desert Storm conflict as a kid.
Anyway, Sienna dropped a bomb on me that Ultimate Comics had come into the possession of a GI JOE MEGA SET consisting of Marvel GI JOE 1-155, 1-4 of the Order of Battle, and 1-28 of the GI JOE Special Missions issues! I was excited and wanted more info but didn’t really get much feedback other than it’s in great condition and they wanted top dollar for it! I paid for my books and left that day thinking how cool it would be to buy that set!
My hunt would be over. I could start reading it right away! But I never heard anything of it and figured that I just missed my opportunity. Well, maybe a month later I see this picture on the left posted on the ULTIMATE Comics Live Show Facebook page! For a Tuesday Night Live show with the GI JOE MEGA SET! I perked up and added a reminder to my phone that I had to watch to at least see who goes away with such an amazing set!
So Tuesday night rolls around and I told the wife I had plans to watch this livestream and disappeared into my Comic and Toy room aka my happy place! I pulled up the livestream on my large screen TV and on my phone so that I could comment! And after their hilarious previews the show started, this one hosted by the Ultimate Comic man himself, the owner, Alan Gill! Him and Jen were slinging comics on this claim sell! I keep dropping some “YO JOE!” In the chat and asked when the Mega Set was going to be up and they confirmed it would be that night! So I was happy just to see this go down. Finally Alan got to the good part, rattling off the keys and some issues with the collection.
Overall it was a VF to NM collection! I was super curious on the price as I had done my research and knew the Special Missions 1-28 run was worth about $250 on Evilbay and that the 1-155 run was on there for $2,500 plus shipping! Yikes! Let’s see what their price was going to be and also be happy for who gets it! There were a few others asking for it so I know I wasn’t the only person there just for that run. There were probably 50+ people watching and claiming comics on the Live Show! Alan drops a price of $2,000 and they would do it as a single item for layaway. My internal kid is freaking out now dancing in my head to the GI JOE theme song from the cartoon. Should I just get the dang thing? I typed out “GI JOE MEGA SET Claim” and watched the comments as a guy was trying to talk himself into buying it. There I was, phone in hand hovering my finger over the send key! And it him me, YOLO, JUST DO IT! I smacked that send button! I went all in BABY! I got me some PORK CHOP SAMMICHES! (Look that up, GI JOE Pork Chop Sammiches! 😂) I had just laid claim to the ENTIRETY of the GI JOE run I had been pursuing for over a year! No more digging, no more asking, no more wondering if I would ever complete it. For $2,000 it would be mine!
My first thought, “Holy Sh!t my wife is gonna be PISSED at me!” And after filling out their invoicing form, I was out with a YOOO JOOE In the Live Sale chat! RUN Acquired!
Mission somewhat complete, I still need to read them!
And just like that, I made the largest single buy of comics in my life. I did tell the wife, I’m not in that much trouble. But I have decided to trim down my collection of comics and let go of some collectibles to help cover this large buy. But overall I couldn’t be happier. That’s how this long time GI JOE fan acquired my ULTIMATE GI JOE comic collection! What’s the largest comic purchase you have made? Do you still have it? Was it worth it?
My MEGA Grail has to be Hulk 180 and Hulk 181 first prints! First cameo (180) and first appearance (181) of Wolverine! One day, it will be mine! Now you know how I made my largest buy so far, and knowing is half the battle! YOOO JOE!
-Trey Gillon aka Toyomicdisplays on Facebook and Instagram! Long time comic and toy collector! 4/26/23