I know, nothing screams cards more than 21 Jump Street. However, the set is notable for having the first cards with some kid named Johnny Depp. It was probably the first cards of Peter DeLuise too, but it's not like folks are clamoring for him today.

In the show, a group of cops went undercover as high school students, often uncovering bigger crimes than they were expecting. Watching it today, it's corny but not horrible. Filmed across the water in Vancouver, I still get tripped up by recognizing the locations.

Here's my pack:

I think that's Johnny Depp on the wrapper, or at least it's supposed to be him. On the wax wrapper scale of pop art, pretty bland.

Here's the stickers:

Three of the five cards feature Johnny Depp. That's good, I guess. Really, though, even as a moderate fan of the show, this set ranks with Three's Company and Joe's Apartment as some of the most pointless sets of all-time. From this pack, the backs are pretty lazy too. Those that aren't puzzles all feature the same cast photo. The saving grace is that the card backs actually offer some depth on the show's stars and creators.

Packs of 21 Jump Street trading cards can be found pretty cheap. I should note that the gum indentations reached all the way down the pack. Other than the staining on the top card, it's not horrible, but when held up, you can clearly see the angle the gum was sitting.

Here's a guide to Drive autograph cards:

Christina Hendricks

Known primarily for her role on Mad Men, Christina Hendricks appeared in Inkworks' Firefly set back in 2006. She's not in Drive for long, but it's unforgettable. I don't suggest bargain buys very often, but this is definitely one. Hendricks' star is on the rise and is one big role away from being among Hollywood's elite actresses. Could it come as Wonder Woman?

Ron Perlman

For the past couple of years, I've been following Ron Perlman as a biker gang leader on Sons of Anarchy. After faltering last season, this season I've enjoyed it more than ever. Perlman is probably best known for his roles on TV's Beauty and the Beast and as Hellboy.

He has three certified autographs, the best being from Inkworks' Hellboy. He's also in Star Trek Nemesis and The Complete Highlander, both from Rittenhouse Archives.

Albert Brooks

Best known for his comedies (the best of which were many years ago) and his writing, Albert Brooks does a major turn in Drive, playing a thug leader. He has been in several celebrity-themed sets from Donruss (Panini) such as 2009 Donruss Americana and the Baseball Americana Autographs insert set in 2008 Donrus Threads Baseball, presumably to connect with his role in The Scout.

Russ Tamblyn

Russ Tamblyn has long been a character actor in Hollywood. He had an autograph in Star Pics' Twin Peaks set some 20 years ago. Like every autograph in the pricey set, they're notorious for forgeries so be careful. All must have the Star Pics hologram, but even those have been taken from less valuable sets and put on forged Twin Peaks cards. The cards were also signed on the back.

Here's the trailer for Drive:

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWX34ShfcsE[/tube]

Don't get me wrong, I went there with no expectations. This is hockey country and I'm not terribly interested in a lot of the newer hockey stuff. The stuff I'd be interested in wasn't in my budget. I approached the show hoping to find one table with a box of baseball stuff I could dig through. Anything beyond that would have been a bonus. As I mentioned to someone on Twitter right before I left, I went with the same expectations I try to have with Hollywood movies - low. That way things can only be better. Today, they were. And even with a strict budget of $20, I was able to bring home a trio of treasures.

Entering the hall, I immediately saw the eclectic mix this "card show" was going to offer. The first tables that greeted you as soon as you walked in the door had more toys and comics than they did cards. That's cool. I like looking at those things too. The room had about 20 tables. Most were cards or had mostly cards, but there was also some unexpected things like dishes, dolls and even a couple of dealers with West Coast aboriginal art.

Ever since my first card show, my routine has been pretty much the same. Quickly go to every table, scan items, get a handle for the prices (if there are any) then make a second trip to start buying. This was especially important with the small budget. If I got too excited, I could have been done in a couple of minutes.

As expected, there was lots of hockey. Not much wax, but lots of singles. Canucks, Upper Deck Young Guns and a nice amount of vintage (and by vintage, I mean old). The biggest surprise was the love in the room for In the Game products. They were very prominent with the modern card sellers.

Three tables had baseball. Two had prices on half the cards and half without. I hate this. I want to know how much a dealer wants. The third dealer simply had a few baseball cards mixed in with everything else. He also had some gorgeous 1952 Topps Baseball just lying loose on top, no protection or anything. And by gorgeous, I mean near mint. I didn't even ask about them because I thought they might have been reprints. But after chatting with him for a bit, I knew they weren't but I also knew that he wasn't going to let them go cheaply. One card he had that I really wanted to grab was a Rickey Henderson rookie. It looked very good, save for one corner that was a little dinged. Still, it was in-hand and would have been great for the set I'll eventually build. Knowing I didn't have enough today, I was curious for when the next show ran next month. When I asked, he had to "check the Beckett." I rolled my eyes a little in my head but whatever. Guess what? No Beckett. So the guy goes from table to table asking the dealers if they had one. Nope. Nope. Nope. When he came back I told him it was probably $80-100. That's what he figured too. That was about the most action I saw in the 45 minutes I was there.

I ended up buying three things today, none of which are modern. In fact, the newest of the three is from 1954. So without further ado, here's what I found:

1. Scoops 14. President McKinley Shot (Topps, 1954)

This is a set I love and find myself picking up a couple here and there on eBay. It's more or less a time travel through significant events. The front have awesome artwork and the backs are excellent, reading like mini newspapers. What caught my eye was the condition. It looks great. Even better, the price. When I asked the dealer, he said everything in the binder (which was mostly old nature-themed tobacco or tea cards) was $1.50. Sold.

2. A really beat up 1953 Topps Chuck Dressen

Yeah, it's beat up. I'll say well loved. The illustration on the front is gorgeous. The colors almost have a sepia feel to them. Amazing stuff. Knowing how pricey this set is, I honestly haven't given it a ton of attention. I paid $5 for it. Maybe a little more than I would have online considering how rough it is, but I'm very happy with it.

And finally:

It's not a baseball card, but it's still AMAZING. According to the postmark, the postcard was sent in 1910 and includes the greeting, "O you kid" and the word "swell." I love the history behind it and may even try and figure out a little more of the background of the sender. We have an excellent online archives in BC that may turn something up, which will make this even cooler.

Oh yeah, there's the risque picture on the front. It's safe by today's standards but there's some seriously dirty undertones that can be read into it. Even my wife got a chuckle out of it. The dealer originally said it was $20 (no price tag) but quickly knocked it down to $10 when it was obvious I wasn't paying that much.

I am very pleased with how I made out today. I got to surround myself in a card world, see some things I hadn't seen in person and added a couple of items to my collection. I really could care less about what they're "worth." Each caught my attention for their own reason. And at $16.50, they're likely more interesting than anything I would have pulled if I spent the same amount on a couple of packs instead.

Check it out!

I honestly never thought I'd see this set released. I previewed it a few years back for Non-Sport Update when it was first supposed to be released. But the fine folks at Dynamite Entertainment got too busy with their comics that the set was delayed. Then it was delayed some more. Before you knew it, it was like the Weinsteins got hold of it and Project Superpowers was launched into the trading card abyss.

Enter Breygent who used some superpowers of their own to rescue it. Unfortunately, the release plays out as though it were a few years ago and the end result, although beautiful, falls a little flat.

Released as another of Breygent's premium box sets, Project Superpowers encapsulates the first year of the Dynamite comic book. From what I can remember, the comic brought back several classic super heroes and villains who have fallen into the public domain. The stories brought a more modern feel to the costumed characters and every issue had a gorgeous Alex Ross cover.

The base set is a collection of the comic art, so if you read the books, there's probably not going to be much new material. However, if you're new to the story, it's not a bad way of seeing and experiencing the comic's initial story arc. And get some pretty Alex Ross artwork to boot.

Most of the inserts look as though they were printed up years ago, carrying only the Dynamite trademark. You've got your Chrome cards, which are essentially shiny versions of the base cards and Chrome Puzzles that are essentially shiny versions of the base cards done like a puzzle. Again, the artwork is fantastic and makes for great cards but doesn't do much in the way of imagination. Finally, there's the Fighting Yank's War Journal, which are 18 character cards. These are the only inserts that carry both the Breygent and Dynamite logos.

Each set also has two premium inserts, usually both sketch cards. One in five sets has one sketch and one Ross autograph. I managed to pull two rare autographs. The first was a mysterious one that wasn't signed. However it was numbered out of 38 on the pack. A little hunting revealed it to be Clint Hilinski. The second was an Adam Archer numbered to 50. So here we have two rare sketch cards. In the world of sketch cards, numbering doesn't matter much, though. The sketch cards were done back when the set was originally solicited - several years ago. Several years ago, sketch cards were normally just that, sketches. Today, collectors have come to expect more intricate pieces of work. So while these particular sketches are very solid, they're a little late to the game. It also doesn't help that the Project Superpowers property isn't hugely known so character recognition is also hurt.

So while there's nothing bad about Project Superpowers, it's not a standout set either. I give Breygent tons of credit for making it happen and doing what they can with the release. Unfortunately, the property doesn't seem to be nearly as hot as it was when it first came out. This is a set with very limited appeal. The combination of obscure characters and more simplistic sketch cards make it a lot less enticing. The base set is beautiful but for those on a budget, it'll be a lot cheaper to track one of those down rather than going for the full package.

Box Breakdown:

Base Set (72 cards): 72
Doubles: 0

Inserts:

Sketch Cards: 2
Autographs (2 cards): 0
Chrome (9 cards): 2
Chrome Puzzle (9 cards): 2
Fighting Yank's War Journal (18 cards): 5

Card Gallery:

Up front, Vampirella won't be for everyone. The risque and sometimes graphic content and themes aren't exactly everyone's thing. It's actually not my thing. That being said, this set is fantastic. Brimming with beautiful art and oodles of care, Breygent's resurrected Vampirella is pretty much all fans could ask for.

This set (or something like it) was intended for release by Dynamite Entertainment several years ago. Known more for their comic books than trading cards, the set was met with delay upon delay. In a prime example of where companies can help one another out, Breygent stepped in and made Vampirella happen. Sticking with Breygent's recent format of premium box sets, the release's configuration comes as a 72-card base set, nine inserts, one sketch card and either a second sketch or autograph.

The base set is stunning. And we're not just talking about Vampirella's amped up chest and slinky clothing either. Bringing together several artists' styles and interpretations, it's very similar to the Star Wars Galaxy line. Card fronts come in both horizontal formats. Card backs state the artist and, when applicable, give the background or source of the art. Don't expect to learn a lot about the comic vampire with the set. Rather, it's a celebration of the character and the varied takes she's had.

Equally stunning are the inserts. The lenticular cards feature some of the best 3D I've seen on cards. The artwork selected for the set has great depth and makes them pop. The Best of Jusko cards don't use fancy technology or shiny foil. Instead they celebrate the art of one of the most iconic Vampirella artists. Although I'm not a huge fan of cards that are just puzzles (I like puzzle backs), the backs of these inserts offer lots of great Vampi trivia.

Finally, there's the hits. The sketch cards feature a massive list of artists, almost all of whom poured a lot of time and effort into their creation. Like the base set, they highlight tons of different styles. It also shows how high the bar has been set in sketch cards. Many of the artists could have saved time and done simpler and more repetitive works. Instead, almost all of them are little masterpieces. The autographs are a fun mix of Vampirella models and notable creators. Most, if not all, seem to have black and red ink variations. Hits fall two per box, one of which is a sketch. Some sets get additional sketches as Breygent has kept all multi-piece sketch sets together.

The set I opened went exactly as expected. Besides the base set and nine inserts, I got a full-color sketch by Kimberly Dunaway that's a lot of fun. The one card I was hoping for prior to ripping the set open was a Joe Jusko autograph. Although plentiful and reasonably priced, the guy's a legend. What do you know? I got one. In red too, which, at a glance, makes Miss. Vampirella look as though she's just had some lunch.

Even though the subject matter is close to my thing, Breygent's Vampirella is a fantastic set. Sure, the appeal may be a little more limited than most, but so is the print run. Breygent sold out of these at the factory level very quickly.

Box Set Breakdown:

Base Set (72 cards): 72
Doubles: 0

Inserts:

Sketch Cards: 1
Autographs (6 cards): 1

Best of Jusko (3 cards): 1
Lenticular 3D (15 cards): 4
Puzzle (9 cards): 4

Card Gallery:

Marvel Comics has been well represented in the hobby over the years. While I wouldn't define myself as a big-time chaser of the crossover products, I've put a few sets together and have my eye on one day going after a couple of the vintage sets. That being said, since I first heard about Upper Deck's Marvel Beginnings, I've been intrigued. The plans for the set is ambitious: three different 180-card series to make up one massive 540-card master set. So you've not just getting Spider-man, Captain America and the Fantastic Four here. There was also the promise of holograms, something I freely admit to having a bit of a fanboy glee for (although this later turned to dismay when further details were released and the combination of tough odds and a massive hologram checklist made it clear I wasn't going to be building the set). A handful of other fun inserts and sketch cards only confirmed my interest in the set. And now that I've busted a box, I can say that although I encountered a couple of quirks, my thoughts of this being an ambitious release were certainly confirmed.

The Marvel Beginnings series is a trading card encyclopedia of Marvel characters. All 180 cards in the base set are focused on the heroes, villains and personalities that populate the comic books. While there's plenty of big names, there's also a lot of B- and C-list characters as well. Although some of the bigger names aren't here (the classic Spider-man comes to mind), it shows Upper Deck's planned the thing out.

Card fronts have two different pictures of the highlighted character. The first is a bold modern incarnation, while the smaller inset picture shows them as they first appeared. For most, this offers a cool balance between modern comics and nostalgia. Card backs are cleanly laid out with a cover picture from the character's first issue, key "stats" and a short bio. All the essentials are here. At 180 cards, it's impossible to get a full base set out of a box. But there's enough going on with the overall release that multi-box purchases are fun. Plus, it might help the set hold a bit of value and encourage trading.

As great as the base set is, it's the huge mix of great insert sets that really makes Marvel Beginnings stand out. The combination of tough odds and huge checklists have made some rather pricey. From a collecting standpoint, I'm partial to a couple of the easier inserts.

Falling one per pack, Breakthrough Issues highlights some of the most important comics in Marvel's long history. I'm not a big fan of the borders on the front the anchor the cover shot, but the card backs give the perfect amount of the issues' stats and a brief synopsis. At 45 cards in the set, it'll take a couple boxes and a little luck to finish a set. Many of the cards in the set also have an autographed parallel with the signatures from different creators. The autograph cards come in a penny sleeve with an additional card that acts as a certificate of authenticity, complete with matching hologram.

My two favorite insert sets were also two of the easiest ones to get. Every pack contains either an X-Men Die Cut or a Micromotion card. Both sets look great and both are huge. So even with the easy insertion rates, they're difficult to put together. At 45 cards, the X-Men set would take four boxes without any extras, while the 60-card Micromotion set would take five boxes.

As I've already mentioned, I'm a sucker for the hologram. They're what grabbed my attention when they were first announced. That said, at 42 cards in the set falling one in three boxes, I was expecting something pretty special. Instead you get a standard character shot with a generic tiled Marvel Beginnings background. The look all right, but not something I'm about to gush over. And for those handful brave enough to go after the set, you've got my respect.

Besides the Breakthrough Issues Autographs, other hits include sketch cards, printing plates and Ultimate Panel cards, featuring actual panels from historic issues. Think of them as the comic card equivalent of a game-used jersey card in baseball. I didn't get one, nor did I get a printing plate, but I did get a sketch card. It's a nice sketch card with a penciled Havok done by Jake Minor. It's a standout card with one problem. A major problem. It's from the wrong set. The card stock is from one of Upper Deck's earlier Marvel Masterpieces sets. Sure, a character's a character, but it's a bit deflating on a couple of fronts. First, how did it make its way into packs. Yes, cards are held back for replacement purposes. But it's a different thing to have it put into packs. It brings the limited nature of cards into question, even if official numbers aren't released. Hopefully this was an isolated incident and I haven't heard of it happening elsewhere. So while it's a great card, I'd just have preferred it be from the set I busted the box of.

Completists are bound to be completely frustrated by Marvel Beginnings. Me, I love it. I'm not a huge Marvel collector and normally wouldn't buy a full box of one set, let alone consider a second or even third. The combination of a set that's a challenge to put together, yet attainable, and a big mix of insert attractive sets make this one of the most value-laden entertainment card releases in some time. With so many Marvel-themed sets battling it out for shelf space right now, Marvel Beginnings is a definite standout.

Box Breakdown:

Base Set (180 cards): 118
Doubles: 0

Inserts:

Breakthrough Issues (45 cards, 1:1): 24
Breakthrough Issues Autographs (45 cards, 1:72): 0
Holograms (42 cards, 1:72): 1
Micromotion (60 cards, 1:2): 12
Printing Plates: 0
Sketch Cards (1:72 packs): 1 (although it's not from this set)
Ultimate Panel Cards (1:72 packs): 0
X-Men Die Cuts (45 cards, 1:2): 12

Card Gallery:

Note:

• Cards distributed as part of two factory sets.
• Each set limited to 500 copies.

Notes:

• All 46 players participating in the game had their photograph taken and cards made at the event. Topps also had players sign cards to be included in packs once they become professional players. These will be foil stamped and serial numbered.
• Players given their own copies of cards and additional copies were given out to those in attendance at the game (not numbered, foil stamped).

Five actors with key roles in the movie, including the two biggest, have both signed autograph cards before. James Franco was a part of Rittenhouse's lineup for Spider-man 3 in 2007. Although one of the key cards in the set immediately upon its release, the card's standing in the hobby (and its price) have risen. Academy Award nominations and co-hosting gigs will do that.

The other biggie in this DIY set is a man whose face rarely appears on screen. In fact, unless there's some hidden cameo I didn't catch, he's not seen in human form at all in Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I'm talking about Andy Serkis, the person behind the CG for Lord of the Rings' Gollum and Peter Jackson's King Kong remake. Here, Serkis again steals the film as Caesar, the ape who would trigger an uprising. Serkis has two autographs from his time muttering about pieces of jewelry.

James Franco as Will Rodman
Spider-man 3 (Rittenhouse Archives, 2007)

Andy Serkis as Caesar
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Update (Topps, 2003), Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Topps, 2003)

Tom Felton as Dodge Landon
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Update (Artbox, 2007), Harry Potter - 2008 San Diego Comic Con Exclusive (Artbox, 2008), Harry Potter Memorable Moments - Second Edition (with Jason Isaacs) (Artbox, 2009), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (with Daniel Radcliffe) (Artbox, 2009)

David Hewlett as Hunsiker
Stargate Heroes (Rittenhouse Archives, 2008) (two versions)

Ty Olsson as Chief John Hamil
Battlestar Galactica: Premiere Edition (Rittenhouse Archives, 2005)