I would not sell my collection, for if I did, I would cry (Part 130)...

 Today In The History Of Polt's Comic Book Collection

Today we travel back 40 years (dear GOD, how can it be FORTY years ago???) and DC's The Watchmen #1. 

This was a HELLUVA year to be a collector of DC comic books!  Return Of The Dark Knight (Feb to June) and Crisis On Infinite Earths (Apr 85 - Mar of 86) were both out that year, and then in fall, this series started with the above issue. 

It was like NOTHING I had ever seen before.  The art was by Dave Gibbons, and kinda cartoonish, but that didn't diminish the impact it had.  And the story...laid out slowly over 12 glorious issues Alan Moore and Gibbons brought us to a world of superheroes, but ones we had never seen before.  And a world we had never seen before.  Every other issue advanced the plot with intervening issues basically being a biography of one of the main characters...and it still advanced the storyline too. 

The Watchmen is nearly universally acclaimed as the BEST, the GREATEST comic book/superhero story of all time. 

And it all started with this issue, 40 years ago. 

POLT

If I were a hero, I'd be Martin Luther (Part 4672)....

 Superhero Anydays

Today, by the Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons, we have, The Watchmen!

Comedian, Ozymandias, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre, Rorschach, with Dr. Manhattan above and behind them. 

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And today we also have some Batman undies on a cute sexy fella. 

POLT

If I were a hero, I'd be Martin Luther (Part 4670)....

 Superhero Anydays

These are the Watchmen sketch cards as drawn by Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons. 

Dr. Manhattan, Silk Spectre, Comedian

Rorschach, Nite Owl, Ozymandias

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And today we also have some gender bent Harley Quinn cosplay as done by internet celeb and my online friend HITCosplay (back when he was still a twink and hadn't got all buff and muscled yet).

POLT

If I were a hero, I'd be Martin Luther (Part 4443)......

 Superhero Anydays

Today by an artist named Becky Cloonan, we have an alternate cover to one of the Before Watchmen cover. 

It shows the various members of the WWII era Watchmen. 

Hooded Justice

Mothman, Dollar Bill, Silk Spectre, Comedian

Silhouette, Captain Metropolis, Niteowl

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And today we also have an attractive Black Panther cosplayer.

POLT

If I were a hero, I'd be Martin Luther (Part 4376)....

 Superhero Anydays

Today we have a beautiful collage of the X-Men Storm by the Canadian John Byrne. 

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And today we also have some Watchmen cosplayers. 

Ozymandias, Rorschach, Nite Owl, Silk Spectre

POLT

If I were a hero, I'd be Martin Luther (Part 4330)....

 Superhero Anydays

I don't know the artist, but I like his work.  And this is the Watchmen. 

Clockwise from top: Dr. Manhattan, Nite Owl II, Silk Spectre II, Rohrshach, Ozymandias and the Comedian. 

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And today we have two Marvel mutant cosplayers; Justice in back and Toad up front. 

POLT

If I were a hero, I'd be Martin Luther (Part 4125)....

 Where To Put It? 

Today, by the gone-too-soon comic book artist Darwyn Cooke, we have his versions of the World War II era hero team from the Watchmen Universe: The Minutemen!

POLT

I'll be your watchman, oh oh oh oh.....

 And in the Watchmen Universe.....

Thankfully, my circulatory system is still inside my skin, and my kitchen is empty...at least so far today.

POLT

If I were a hero, I'd be Martin Luther (Part 2963)....

 Superhero Anydays

Don't know the artist, but here's the lineup of the original X-Men. 

Angel, Marvel Girl, Cyclops, Iceman, Beast.

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And today we also have this cosplayer doing his rendition of Ozymandias from the Watchmen TV show. 

POLT

If I were a hero, I'd be Martin Luther (Part 2669)....

 Superhero Anydays

Today, by Canadian John Byrne, two of the characters he either helped create or helped make famous: Storm, of the X-Men, and Snowbird, of Canada's superhero team, Alpha Flight. 

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And today we also have some Watchmen cosplayers; Nite Owl, Silk Spectre and Rohrschach.

POLT

If I were a hero, I'd be Martin Luther (Part 2572)....

 Superhero Anydays

Today, by the criminally underappreciated Michael Golden, we have the WWII precursors of the Watchmen: The Minutemen. 

In front; Comedian, Nite Owl

Middle: Silk Spectre, Hooded Justice, Captain Metropolis, Silhouette

in the air: Dollar Bill, Mothman

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And today we also have  Nightwing cosplayer, waterside. 

POLT

If I were a hero, I'd be Martin Luther (Part 2343)...

 Superhero Anydays

Today, by the Always Amazing Alex Ross, we have Spider-Man, in the middle, surrounded by a group of his enemies known as the Sinister Six.

Clockwise from bottom left: Kraven the Hunter, Doctor Octopus, Mysterio, Vulture, Sandman and Electro.

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And today we also have actor Jeremy Irons from the Watchmen TV series, as the hero Ozymandias.

POLT

If I were a hero, I'd be Martin Luther (Part 2312)...

 Superhero Anydays

Today, by the Maestro George Perez (God rest his soul), the Flash's sidekick, founder of both the original and the New Teen Titans, and later took over the mantle of the Flash himself: Wally West, aka Kid Flash.

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And today we also have the Watchmen's Doctor Manhattan. 

POLT

If I were a hero, I'd be Martin Luther (Part 2226).....

 Superhero Anydays

This is Superman's enemy, the imp from the Fifth Dimension, Mr. Mxyzptlk.

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And today we have a gender bent Watchman, Ozymandias.

POLT

If I were a hero, I'd be Martin Luther (Part 2143)...

 Superhero Anydays

Today, we have an unusual cross company teamup: Aquaman and Black Panther fighting each other's  arch enemies, Black Manta and Klaw.

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And today we also have some pretty impressive Dr. Manhattan cosplay. 

POLT

If I were a hero, I'd be Martin Luther (Part 2109)....

 Superhero Anydays

Today, by an unknown artist, we have the  Legion Of Doom from the Super Friends.

Scarecrow, Lex Luthor, Brainiac, Rddler, Toyman, Cheetah, Captain Cold, Sinestro, Black Manta, Soloman Grundy, Gorilla Grodd, Bizarro, and Giganta

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And today we have some Ozymandias, from the Watchmen, cosplay.

POLT

If I were a hero, I'd be Martin Luther (Part 2101)...

 Superhero Anydays

Today, by the artist who made them famous, Dave Gibbons, we have The Watchmen!

Clockwise from front: Rohrschach, The Comedian, Silk Spectre II, Ozymandias, and Nite Owl II, with Dr. Manhattan in back.

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And today we also have some cosplay of the Marvel villainess, and daughter of Thanos, Nebula.

This is Nebula of the comic books not the movies, because she has hair and is not cybernetic...honestly, the only real similarity between the two is their blue skin. 

POLT

If I were a hero, I'd be Martin Luther (Part 2057)....

 Superhero Anydays

Today, drawn by Tim Levin, in the manner of the Justice League cartoon, we have a lineup of the Justice League.

Clockwise from bottom: Hawkman, Green Lantern (Jon Stewart), Batman, Firestorm, Green Arrow, Vixen and Wonder Woman

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And today we also have some Doctor Manhattan cosplay. 

POLT

Love is a bird, she needs to fly (Part 20)....

 Bird Hero Month

DC Comics' second Nite-Owl, from the Watchmen, active in the 60s and 70s. 

POLT

Love is a bird, she needs to fly (Part 19)....

 Bird Hero Month

DC Comics' Golden Age, WWII Era Nite-Owl, from the Watchmen.

POLT