I could have called this post “The Wisdom of Mike” and left it blank.

§ October 23rd, 2011 § Filed under retailing § 9 Comments

So in the comments to yesterday’s post, Jim mentions

“My favorite Lobo item was the ‘wit and wisdom of Lobo’ book (or whatever the name was) that came only in a slipcase with previously released books, and then was blank.”

The Wisdom of Lobo was exactly as Jim describes, and in the linked Grand Comics Database entry there, it notes that “DC received flack for this stunt as many retailers didn’t find the joke funny and called it a rip-off.” It’s been a while, and I don’t remember exactly, but I don’t think we here at our shop were terribly offended by its existence…we may have rolled our eyes at it, but that’s about it. I have a vague memory of breaking down the per-item cost of the entire package and figuring out that, after taking into consideration the cost of the two other books included in the set, and the estimated value of the slipcase itself, The Wisdom of Lobo was more or less a freebie, give or take a buck or two.

Anyway, it’s been years since I’ve seen The Wisdom of Lobo comic around. It’s probably one of the scarcer Lobo publications now. I know I sold a lot of the slipcased sets when they were new, so I know they’re out there. Somewhere. Waiting for their moment to strike.

It’s also my recollection that the fans who bought the sets were quite amused by the Wisdom of Lobo book. …I wonder if anyone used it to draw their own Lobo story, or just used it as a sketchpad? That would be kind of a neat use for it. Well, then, not now, since it’s obviously a highly valued and sought-after collectible, worth hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

P from Sanctum Sanctorum mentions

“I really used to LIKE the Omega Men.
Ahhh… so long ago.

Although, I don’t think I made it past issue 17 before I gave it up.”

Ah, you gave up on it right before it got really good! I didn’t pick it up ’til #26, admittedly only for the Alan Moore scripted back-up, but the lead story was a jumping-on point for a new direction for the series (written by Todd Klein and drawn by Shawn McManus) and it sucked me right in. To this day it remains one of my favorite sci-fi superhero comic book series. …I eventually bought the issues prior to #26, but, while entertaining, they couldn’t compete with the high weirdness and menace of the Klein/McManus run.

(Another series that lured me in with an enticing back-up story but got me hooked on the lead story and kept me coming back…Dreadstar, which had a Bernie Wrightson back-up in issue #6 that caught my eye…and I ended up following Dreadstar all the way to its apparent end.)

MRPRSN reveals

“I like finding copies of Youngblood #1 in the quarter bins with $8 price tags on them from back in the day.”

I’m finding a few more things like this in the collection that Omega Men came from yesterday. Like a Rai #4 with the Valiant-heyday pricetag of forty bucks, or an X-Men marked with “1st Dazzler!” (understandable) or an Amazing Spider-Man marked with “1st Appearance of the Rose!” (was that really that much of a selling point?), or the solid commitment to the 25-cent back-issue mark-up with the Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special (cover price $2.39, back issue price $2.64).

9 Responses to “I could have called this post “The Wisdom of Mike” and left it blank.”

  • Tim O'Neil says:

    Just think: people born after the release of THE WISDOM OF LOBO are now old enough to drink.

  • Eric L says:

    I remember as a kid I knew something was up with that WISDOM OF LOBO book because no creative team was listed. Seems like a pretty obvious tell right there.

    Don’t know if I was ever a Lobo fan, but I did love the Giffen/Grant/Bisley books and would get a little excited when he’d show up in another hero’s book.

  • bl000 says:

    I remember 1st picking up Omega Men only because Giffen was doing the art. How did he think he was going to draw 2 books a month, particularly with that hyper-detailed art style he used back then. I think I dropped it not long after the Citadel War story ended ’cause. um, that sort of seemed to be the point of the series, didn’t it?

  • Pal Cully says:

    FYI…Dreadstar and Company show up in the last panel of Starlin’s latest issue of ‘Breed.

  • Harvey Jerkwater says:

    For what it’s worth, The Rose was a goddamned awesome addition to Spider-Man comics. A great, great period of ASM and probably my very favorite. The run against which I measure all others.

    Why yes, I was twelve at the time, why do you ask?

  • Casey says:

    Tigorr is one of my favorite comic-book designs.

  • Tom Cherry says:

    Thanks for showing some love for the Klein/McManus Omega Men! Those were good times!

  • adam says:

    The Omega Men, The Wanderers, The New Guardians… or as I like to call it, DC’s Trinity of Unreadable Team Books.

  • LaRue says:

    I picked up a copy of the Omega Men issue with Lobo’s first appearance a year or so back for a quarter. I don’t know why I did it, but for some reason, I did.