Nope. Just a person who grew up on 80s X-books!

 

What a great, interesting thread!

I know I read comics very early in life from the age of five or six, mostly from Christmastime gift stockings (which in the 80's used to have sweets, maybe a small, cheap toy and one or two comic books) or trips to the newsagent.

These covers stand out in my memory very clearly.



This Mad magazine definitely came from a pre-packed gift stocking. I learned how to read from panel to panel from the comics in this magazine.



I recall looking through this Ducktales comic in a newsagent while my Dad was buying a car magazine (in all likelihood a Street Machine magazine with an article about him or an interview with him inside.) He asked if I would like to take this comic home with me to read, and bought it for me. That's the very first time I can remember electing to buy a comic book.



This Camp Candy issue was my first single issue (not a magazine or an annual) and was certainly my first Marvel comic.

In this comic I saw full-page ads for products in a comic for the first time as well as seeing images of superheroes in ads for Mile High Comics. This was the first time I ever held what we consider to be a regular, monthly comic book.

I don't recall ever gravitating to superhero books, though - at least, not until closer to the mid-90's, following the premiere of the X-Men animated series.

This was my first exposure to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fiction (not counting the little origin comic strip on the toy backing card.)



Without any context whatsoever, I had picked out a Michelangelo toy in a department store while on a road trip through the centre of Australia. A few weeks later, after returning to school I was given this collection of TMNT comics.
In addition to making a lifelong Turtles fan out of me, these comics informed a lot of my tastes and interests in comics.

This was my first, and for a disproportionate amount of time only, exposure to Transformers comics.



I loved Transformers toys, but the comic didn't have enough of what I was familiar with from the cartoon, so I just didn't get into TF comics on a regular basis until midway through the IDW run.

The first comic I ever deliberately collected every issue of was Topps' four-issue Jurassic Park adaptation.



Buying all four issues of Jurassic Park led directly into my buying Uncanny X-Men #304 from a newsagent.



I knew what the X-Men were, from seeing them on TV, weekdays on Cheez TV, and this was my first step into trying to understand the impenetrable Mexican soap-opera that is X-Men comics.

I think, unlike Transformers earlier, the X-Men comics felt similar enough to what I saw on TV and the toy store shelves, so I was able to connect with the '90's X-Men comics.

Man, that's a long answer to a simple question. Thanks to everyone who joined me on this trip back in time.

~L~

 

First two, bought at same time:

 

I can’t remember which issue, but it was Fantastic 4, it had a special cover that I think folded out, and at the back of the book was one of those classic cutaway drawings showing the interior of the Baxter Building. It was cool. Can’t remember what the story was about though.

 

Was this it?

 

Thanks to Shattered Trousers for reminding me, this was indeed my very first comic book. Purchased for me after I saw the movie on VHS and wished to know more, I still have it - though the cover is held on with masking tape. It remains a treasured piece of my childhood and sole remaining artefact of Turtles arcana.

 

Did your copy come from Venture, as my copy did?

My copy of vol. I was given to me and I had no idea if there were any more until an after-school trip out to the shops.

I stumbled across vol. II, III and IV in Venture, though I have to point out that none of the remaining 3 books were bought for me.

I had to trade other comics to kids at school to collect the whole series.

I traded a copy of 'Ghost Rider' vol. 2 #19, from a showbag, to get my copy of 'TMNT' vol. II.



All these years later, I still feel pretty chuffed at that trade.

~L~

 

At least you traded a comic you can rebuy for 10 cents. I traded as a kid the he-man and superman crossover (first print) for a $1 Spider-Man comic as a kid! 

 

Not my first, but the most memorable:



I went with my father to a pawnshop.

They had this issue sitting in a glass case.

The rest as they say is history.

It also explains why this is my favorite look for the character.

 

There was a comic inside.

 

They need to republish more of those comics. Boom tried by releasing a trade of the Darkwing ones alongside their ongoing, but only one before they lost the license.

 

I remember going to the comic book store as a kid and picking up issues or Spidey 2099. Been a fan of Miguel most of my life. This is the first issue I got.

 

First comic I ever got....Iron Man #200. First apperance of the Silver Centurion armor.

 

In retrospect I'm not sure if it was the best way to start out in comics but I enjoyed it. After Reign of the Supermen I quickly transitioned to Amazing Spider-Man, in time for the Clone Saga....

 

Wow, look at that US$4.95 cover price! Talk about affordable!

~L~

 

That w

that was the trade price too.

 

I know! A TPB of six (or was it seven?) full issues.

Single issues can cost as much (or more) these days. Incredible.

~L~

 

That time Judge Dredd took the piss out of a bunch of food mascots, got taken to court and couldn't reprint those episodes for almost 40 years -



Which also produced possibly the most facetious legal apology in comics history -

 

They spoofed Ronald vs the burger king in that story also!

 

My dad surpised me with this when I was kid. Funny thing is I have ZERO memory about what the comic was about but was fascinated with the art work. I remember bringing it to school and showing my friends and it eventually got destroyed bc of all the mishandling lol.

It really tripped me out when the Movie/trailer was announced as I didn't remember a Raccoon or Tree Character in the comics.