I was watching the September 22 episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit earlier this week—though describing what I was doing as “watching” may be overstating the case. I really don’t have the time to focus my attention on the TV and literally watch. Except for some special programs that are near and dear to my heart, such as Breaking Bad or Mad Men (or Deadwood or The Wire or Treme), I tend to treat TV like radio, and simply have the set on in the evenings while I continue to work, work, work.

Anyway, at one point in the episode, the detectives visit a foster home and come across a very special guest star—the stack of comics pictured below.

Sorry I couldn’t grab a crisper shot off the screen!

I recognize the comic at the top of the pile as being The Eternals #1 from October 1985, but I can’t identify any of the others by the little we see of their covers.

But a few questions come to mind.

1) How much does that 25-year-old premiere issue go for these days? Can someone check a price guide for me? Which leads into the next question …

2) If that comic turns out to be expensive, is it a comic that a little kid, maybe 8 or 10 years old, living in a group home with other kids in 2010, could possibly afford to own? That is, does it make sense in terms of the story, or did a set dresser grab a pricey comic without thinking?

3) Finally—anyone recognize any of the other comics sticking out of the stack?

As you can tell, whenever I see comics appear in the context of a TV show, I start over-thinking it …