We've all been there. Elbows deep in plain white boxes full of comics smelling vaguely of mildew and newsprint. For any longtime comic reader, bargain boxes are more then a cheap way to find those old issues of a comic that youve been meaning to check out; its closer to Zen.

The feeling of seeing old comics that either were torched by Mom in an effort to save your soul or ruined by pure childish carelessness borders on finding ones self. Or better yet, it gives you a strong and undeniable glance into your past. Most bargain boxes may be full of shit, but in-between those two dozen signed issues of WARRIORS OF PLASM and STARBRAND can be found a glowing nugget of your childhood.

So come with me as we look at the gems that some of the Pop Staffers dug up out of :

The Nickel Box

"I swear, EIC Scott Grunewald couldn't have picked a better week to lay this assignment on me. I'm a bargain box fiend and I just ran across three treasures in my ongoing search for "comics that Mom burned a long time ago."

OMAC: ONE MAN ARMY #1
Edited, written and drawn by Jack Kirby
Lettered and inked by Mike Royer
Sept-Oct, 1974
Amount paid for comic: 25 cents

"First Spectacular Issue!" "Are You Ready For OMAC One Man Army?" "A Startling Look Into The World That's Coming!" Man! There's more text than artwork on the cover of this baby! But, what art there is freaked my 8-year-old ass out, way back when. For those who haven't seen it, the mohawked hero is in the background throwing this box toward the viewer. That wouldn't very notable, but there's a woman in the box, encased in concrete with her legs sticking out over her head! And she's naked! I bought it then and I'm buying it now, even if the price is jacked up. ;) The story is just as crazy as the cover, too. How this ever made it past the Comics Code, I'll never know.

MAN-THING #11
"Dance To the Murder"
Steve Gerber-Writer
Mike Ploog-Artist and Cover
Frank Chiaramonte- Inker
November, 1974
Amount paid for comic: 25 cents

I grabbed this jewel for a number of reasons. One, I'm a Gerber completist. Two, I dig Mike Ploog. Three, the ads in these old comics are a great walk down memory lane. And four, the Hawkeye Marvel Value Stamp! "Clip 'Em and Collect 'Em!' Yeah, right. Even at my juvenile destructive peak, I'd have sooner given my brother another haircut than have taken the scissors to one of my comics. I'd like to get the old blunt noses after the bright light who started that advertising trend.

GHOST RIDER #7
"Zodiac!"
Tony Isabella-Writer
Jim Mooney-Artist
1974
Amount paid for comic: 25 cents

Another relic of my childhood. Not so hot a read after all these years. But, the cover is still great, with GR and the Stunt-Master smashing through a big zodiac symbol on their bikes. When youre eight years old, it doesn't get much better than a superhero, on a motorcycle, with his head on fire. It just doesn't.

Marc Bryant had binding staples in his pants and is a regular contributor to PopImage.

SHADE: THE CHANGING MAN #s 1 through 50
Peter Milligan-Writer
Chris Bachalo, Bill Jaaska, Brian Talbot, Colleen Doran, Glyn Dillon, Peter Gross, Scott Eaton, Philip Bond, and Steve Yeowell- Pencils
Mark Pennington, Mark Buckingham, Pablo Marcos, and Rick Bryant- Inks
Published 1990 through 1994 by DC and DC/Vertigo.
Amount paid for comic: All 50 issues for $22

What a deal! I lost all of these comics a few years ago when my garage flooded during a bad storm, so it was a stroke of luck to find these again, and so cheap! Fantastic reads, and what a run on a comic. We see the artistic style of Chris Bachalo evolve from a rather tame and typical artist into one of the most innovative, we see Colleen Doran and Bryan Talbot before they went off and made their own fantastic marks on the comics world.

We see one of the first gay relationships in comics unfold between Kathy and Lenny. We see Shade change from a odd, quirky and harmless hero of sorts into an odd, foul, marginally sane and sexually dysfunctional madman. Babies are born, lost children found and walking skeletons threaten to tear America apart. This is a damn good series, and its highly worth going out and finding back issues. Its a total mind fuck, and unless you want odd and bizarre dreams, I suggest that you dont read them all at once.

STEED AND MRS PEEL #S 1 through 3
Grant Morrison- Writer
Ian Gibson- Artist
Published in 1990 by Eclipse Books and Acme Press.
Amount paid for comic: All three prestige format issues for $5

I was 7 when I first saw THE AVENGERS. No, not the Marvel comic, the odd and psychedelic British television series. I loved it; it had touches of Bond with the gizmos and weird colorful characters, but lacked that odd misogyny that, even as a child, rubbed me the wrong way. Sure, Mrs. Peel wore skintight catsuits, but she kicked ass while doing it, and often times saved Steed from a hairy situation or two.

The comic perfectly captures the odd and quirky nature of the TV show. Morrison obviously has fun with these characters and lets it show as he guides up through absurdly silly adventures with master gamesmen and midget people shrinkers. Odd stuff, and perfect for fans of either the fun TV show, and fans of Grant and all his odd and weirdly sexual stories.

Well, its time to put the dusty lids back on our bargain box for now, but well be back next month with more comic gold to discuss. Be sure to share your own nickel box finds on our new Delphi Forum.

Scott J Grunewald still only costs 25 cents and is the Editor in Chief of PopImage.