Posted By Dan Greenfield on Jul 14, 2020 | 4 comments

The comics-history magazine edition!

TwoMorrows is our favorite publisher of comics history books and mags, such as Back Issue, Alter Ego and RetroFan. But as you may know, the company has been fighting an uphill battle thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.

Well, here’s your chance to help keep their lights on and entertain yourself in the process. As it happens, TwoMorrows has a number of nifty, timeless magazine issues in extra abundance at cut-rate prices, so dig this summer reading list that we can recommend for those quiet afternoons on the back porch, your mask firmly in place.

And if you’d like to see our summer book-reading list – and you do – click here.

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Alter Ego #122, January 2014. Roy Thomas’ magazine explores the early history of comics fandom, focusing on the late, lamented Comics Buyer’s Guide. Regular price: $8.95 in print. Sale price: $5.37. (Click here to order.)

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Alter Ego #139, May 2016. Thomas discusses his ’90s career freelancing on projects such as Conan. There’s also a really neat archival piece from 1965 by Jerry Bails “unveiling” Bill Finger as Batman’s co-creator. Regular price: $9.95 in print. Sales price: $5.97. (Click here to order.)

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Alter Ego #159, January 2018. A full-on celebration of Stan Lee. For a taste, we published Thomas’ tribute to his mentor here at 13^th Dimension and you can click here to check it out. Regular price: $9.95 in print. Sale price: $5.97. (Click here to order.)

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Back Issue #46, February 2011. There are few things more fun in comics than thinking about what might have been and this issue of Michael Eury’s mag is all about the Greatest Stories Never Told, featuring Mike Grell’s Warlord; Englehart and Rogers’ Batman project; as well as spotlights on Aquaman, Black Canary, Galactus and more. It’s like reading an alternate history of comics. Regular price: $7.95 in print. Sale price: $4.77. (Click here to order.)

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Back Issue #54, February 2012. The “Liberated Ladies” issue, focusing on Big Barda, She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, Starfire and more. Plus creators like Jill Thompson, Gail Simone and Barbara Kesel. Regular price: $8.95 in print. Sale price: $5.37. (Click here to order.)

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Back Issue #71, April 2014. Some of comics’ most beloved series were those that tried out new concepts and characters. Some were launchpads for all-time greats, others were saddled with ideas that died on the vine. We’re talking Showcase, Marvel Premiere, 1st Issue Special and more. With creators such as Frank Brunner, Gene Colan, Steve Englehart, Mike Ploog and Herb Trimpe. Regular price: $8.95 in print. Sale price: $5.37. (Click here to order.)

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Back Issue #77, December 2014. Remember when comics were fun? Well, they still are but you gotta know where to look. But here, we’re talking mostly about the Bronze Age, with a Hembeck art gallery, a tour of Superman’s goofiest stories of the era, and a look at Marvel’s Fun and Games Magazine, among other funky features. Regular price: $8.95 in print. Sale price: $5.37. (Click here to order.)

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Back Issue #102, February 2018. Like your comics EXTREME??? This is the issue for you: a round up of mercs and antineroes, such as Deathstroke the Terminator, Vigilante, Cable – even Archie Meets the Punisher! Regular price: $8.95 in print. Sale price: $5.37. (Click here to order.)

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MORE

— It’s SUMMERTIME! Dig This Groovy Comics History Reading List. Click here.

— Dig This Swingin’ Guide to MARVEL’s Silver Age Paperbacks. Click here.