Giant Superhero Holiday Grab Bag

The phrase 'Holy Grail of Comics' is used quite a lot lately amongst comic book collectors. Oddly enough, it's perhaps the most un-nerdy of films that coined the phrase. The film in question is a little gem that my wife just loves called 'Coyote Ugly.' In the film, the lead character meets a guy and for a date works at a fish market. For payment, the guys received a bag and is very secretive to let her know what's inside. After she accuses him of buying drugs, the guy pulls out a mint copy of Amazing Spider-Man #129- the first appearance of the Punisher, proclaiming that the book is the "holy grail of comics.

   Whether that particular issue is the holy grail has been up for debate. But now, fans of all ages will tell you of that one special book that would make their collection complete or at least until the next holy grail pops up. For me, it's Action Comics #252- the first appearance of Supergirl. It's not that I'm a huge fan of the hero but when I was younger, I actually got that issue for my 12th birthday. I've since lost it but would love to have my hands on it again one day.

   Action Comics #252 is expensive. I probably won't be getting my hands on it anytime soon. But a couple of months ago, I had the chance to purchase what many readers consider their holy grail. The book in question is the 1974's Giant Superhero Holiday Grab Bag.

   The book isn't so much hard to find as it's almost impossible to locate in good condition. There're several reasons for this. First, the book, published as part of the Marvel Treasury Series, was gigantic. It was about 3x the size of a normal comic. Roughly about the size of a Life Magazine, it was not easy to store. Finding a plastic bag in which to store it was even harder to find and most bags at the time weren't air tight or treated to prevent it from the elements or light. Secondly, the pages were stapled, but the stack was glued along the spine. After 40 years, that glue has all but dried up and to find a copy of the Grab Bag with the cover still attached without new glue or added tape is rare as well.

    The copy I found was in beautiful shape. The cover is pristine but also is no longer attached to the spine. Plus, the papers inside are nicotine yellow in color. For only $8.00 plus shipping on Amazon, it was a tremendous deal. When I got it in August, I shared some pics of it with my now jealous friends on Facebook and made a goal with myself to hold out on reading this book until Christmas Eve.

     The Marvel Grab Bag contains 5 stories, but they're not all holiday themed. This is actually forgivable even amongst the staunchest of collectors. By 1974 standards, a Christmas themed comic was rarely done by Marvel, but not unheard of.

    The first story is a Christmas-themed reprint of Marvel Team-Up #1 starring Spider-Man and the Human Torch who're both on the trail of the sinister Sandman. Then in a classic Daredevil story, the Sub-Mariner seeks Matt Murdock to represent him in a court of law in hopes of suing the human race for taking over all of known dry land. Then we get back to the holidays with a Black Widow story about a teen who seeks her help in fleeing a cult. That story is a bit of a downer, but the art was quite good.

     The final story was a two-parter from Fantastic Four issues #24-25. This story teams up the Avengers with Marvel's First Family against the might of the Incredible Hulk. For years, this issue was sought after just for this tale which was reprinted here for the first time ever.

    Lots of fans I know want this issue because it was under their tree when they were kids. I wasn't quite born yet for this issue to have been a gift, but I dreamed of this book as a kid, seeing it at conventions, shops, and in ads in back issues. There are a few other books in this format from both DC and Marvel and I want them. So what if not every story is holiday related or that I've read a couple of these stories before. This book brought back memories and above all, made me feel like a kid again.

     Hopefully, if you'll ever get your hands on this collection, you might get to enjoy some of that Christmas magic that I enjoyed when reading this.

  Worth Consuming

  Rating: 9 out of 10 stars.