The One That Got Away: 52 #5

52 #5: The Missing Issue

When I'm not surfing the interwebs or reading the adventures of villains and heroes I work as an assistant librarian. Part of my job is taking care of our single-issue comic collection which I'm very proud of. As the price of comics continue to rise it's not always easy for comic readers to keep up with their favorite series. I also like the idea of making these comics available to kids who may become lifetime comic fans. They may become better readers as a result.

Here's a little inside dope: We don't keep every issue. I have to weed issues every 6 months, otherwise things get messy. And sometimes there are issues that get damaged, which makes me sad. When it came time to start pulling 52 from the shelf I made the decision to wait until the series was over. 52 is such a serialized story. It's like a novel. Clearly it's meant to be one complete story. So when 52 ended in 2007 I found myself with a nearly complete run of issues. Now I'm not really a collector, but I decided to grab them. I had enjoyed the series and liked the idea of being able to grab my favorite issues when I want. Unfortunately the only issue that was missing is #5. It's the only one I don't have. It'd probably be easy to find in a back-issue bin, but that's not something I feel compelled to do. So this week I'll be working from the trade paperback. At least there's no ads.

Up Next: 52 #5 Recap! Look for it soon!