I'm a huge fan of the output of First Comics in the 1980's. At the time, they seemed "off brand" to me. Heck, DC seemed off brand to me at one time.

But they were always seemingly of good quality. Over the past few years, I've been reading them and finding out how good they really were.

I like Grimjack, and Jon Sable Freelance. I also respect/admire American Flagg. And one day I want to read Nexus.

The IDW Omnibuseses are a good way to acquire Grimjack and Jon Sable. And Image put out a complete edition of American Flagg in one volume.

What First Comics did you like? Anybody that read them faithfully back at the time they were coming out?

I'm focusing on Jon Sable Freelance right now. It's a really good comic about a mercenary -- sort of a James Bond combined with MacGuyver character. Character driven stories, lots of intrigue and one on one combat. Art and story by Mike Grell.

I wasn't aware of them at the time, but now I've got complete runs of most of the books. Wonderful stuff.

I loved First Comics!

Badger was my favorite.

I think I bought just about everything they put out, including the Classics Illustrated line.

I had a subscription service at the time, which helped cut down on the costs. I bought
some of the First Comics, though, for my roommates. So, I read and liked Dreadstar,
but never bought too many for myself.

I have a very nice Badger original art drawing by Bill Reinhold that I bought at
a ChicagoCon auction for literacy.

Bill forgot he had done it and was happy to see it when I sent him a scan of it.

Dark Horse is releasing a Nexus Omnibus this week.

Huge fan of Chaykin's "American Flagg." I haven't really checked out much else from First.

John Sable was the only one I ever read. I liked it.

These were dark & mysterious - they were an unknown quantity, and were in this corner of the comic book store that seemed like some kind of window into another reality.....which is what comics are, I guess.

Anyway, I read John Sable at the time, even though it was crazily expensive over here, as I saw an ad for it in Comics Interview Magazine that just grabbed me somehow. I just thought "I'm gonna get this comic" and I did.

This was my favourite First title.

Jon Sable is a classic - I love 80s era espionage: KGB agents, Nicaragua, Vietnam vets, etc..it still holds up and holds an emotional punch (especially the stories set in Africa with Jon's family).

Grell's art and writing are just amazing - great action sequences.

I have always been curious about Grimjack - love Ostrander as a writer so got to check that out one day.

I'm loving Jon Sable most of all. But Grimjack has been a pleasant surprise. It's better than I always imagined it. He's sort of a hero-for-hire in an interdimensional crossroads city. The characters are like something out of the Cantina scene in Star Wars (a mish mash of bad guys and so-so guys). But then the stories are surprisingly traditional and character driven. Almost like he's Sam Spade in a private detective's office.

I think Warp #1 was my first indie comic ever. I liked a lot of First's comics.

First published Lone Wolf & Cub, which was a massive hit around 1987 or so, and launched authentic manga into mainstream comic fans' psyche. Eclipse had Kamui, Mai The Pyschic Girl and Area 88 at the same time, and there'd been some other manga published prior to LW&C, but IIRC, LW&C was the major success that launched it all (with Frank Miller covers to boot).

Here's a list of First Publishing's output, with cover images: https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?pl=F ... Publishing

Sampled some of the other First titles,but my big fave was Nexus--followed that one right to the end.