Book Description: Ultimate comic book heroes like Superman, Batman and Captain Marvel take center stage in this comprehensive guide to Golden Age comics. Collectors and dealers are sure to seek out a reference devoted to the era that began in 1938 with Superman and concluded in 1956 with the debut of Barry Allen as The Flash.
This companion reference to Comic Book Checklist and Price Guide offers collectors an affordable and portable resource for use at conventions and within their own library. A collection of 1,000 comic book covers of hundreds of Golden Age comics featured in this resource, which also includes an easy-to-use tab reference for identifying and pricing. This is the one "Golden Age" guide collectors will look to again and again!
-1,000 photos assist with quick identification
-Contains pricing and information on comic book legends like Superman and Batman
-Updated values help collectors accurately assess issues
INDISPENSIBLE GUIDE FOR GOLDEN AGE COLLECTORS The first question that one may ask about The Standard Guide to Golden Age Comics is why would you need it if you have an Overstreet price guide. Good question, one which I will answer soon enough. The Standard Guide to Golden Age Comics is the 2006 edition from Krause Publications, who have been publishing outstanding books about collectibles for many years. This guide to strictly the Golden Age of comics covers titles from 1938 to 1956 with some 30,000 prices and is edited by Alex Malloy and Stuart Wells III, the same men who edit the Comics Values Annual.
The book is laid out cleanly and neatly with a comprehensive index of artist name abbreviations. The listings are exhaustive with their notations of first appearances, notable appearances, origins, etc. Only a near mint price is listed but a condition and grading guide is included to calculate prices that are not in the top condition. Also important to note that the price is based on strict grading guidelines such as CGC which is why the prices will probably seem higher to collectors familiar with the Golden Age market. This is perhaps the only issue I can find fault with. While CGC is becoming more and more prevalent every day, I still think the average collector would prefer just traditional grading, although dealers may differ with me on that.
So what makes this book worth purchasing if you already have an Overstreet? First, being dedicated to just Golden Age comics, as opposed to everything, this book doesn't have to use a minute font that you need a magnifying glass to read. Sorry, these eyes aren't as young as they used to be and a large typeface is appreciated. Second, it address a growing segment of collectors who ONLY collect Golden Age books and don't need a price guide with a bazillion different X-Men titles and variants to navigate through to find the book they want. Personally, I'd love to see Krause do a Silver and Bronze age price guide as well.
The next great selling point is the over 900 cover reproductions in full color. You just can't beat color! I also love the fact that the editors didn't just reproduce covers of the usual superhero titles but also included many more obscure funny animal, war, and romance titles. The kind of books you just don't see every day.
Finally, the book isn't padded at the back and front with dozens of pages of ads that I frankly don't care about. It's a trimmed down, streamlined guide that gets right to business and doesn't annoy the reader with a lot of fluff they'll never use. An indispensable guide for the Golden Age comic book collector or fan!
Anything Goes Trivia
Trevor
Megaton Man
