Ed Gosney's Blog, page 37

The Far-Out Forever People!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 98, where we take a nostalgic look at comic books I currently own, and in some sad cases, ones that I let get away.

For each of the comic books I include in this blog, I list the current secondary market value. This is according to the listings at the website www.comicbookrealm.com. They list out the near mint prices, which are on the comic book grading scale of 9.4. If you go to the website to look up any in your collection, you can click on the price and see the value at different grades. Not all of my comics are 9.4. Some are probably better, and some are worse. But to simplify it, that’s the grading price I use here. And remember, a comic book is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Have you considered being a guest host for Cool Comics? You can do a theme or just pick any of your comics for inclusion (this blog is for all ages, so please keep that in mind), with a maximum of seven issues. Repeat guest hosts are permitted and encouraged. Send your completed blog to edgosney62@gmail.com.

If you have any questions or comments, please scroll to the bottom of the page to where it says, “Leave a reply.” I hope you enjoy seeing these as much as I do writing about them. And now, Episode 98…

 

Cool Comics News!

That’s right, friends, it’s time for me to rip open another DC Walmart 3-Pack and see what’s hidden under The Flash comic that’s on top. On a personal note, my wife and I celebrated 30 years of marriage this week. I’m blessed to have someone put up with me for so long. And she even likes comics, cartoons, and superhero movies! But she especially loves our Funko Pop! Collection.

 

Cool Comics

Cool comics in my collection #469: The Flash: Rogues Reloaded #1, July 2017.

The Flash: Rogues Reloaded, is another number one labeled variant from a DC Walmart 3-Pack. This issue is actually #14 in the ongoing Flash Rebirth series. I now have issues 1, 9, and 14, all with variant covers, and all have been decent jumping on points for new collectors. Sometimes I complain on here about some of the comics stuffed into these 3-packs, but DC has been making some good choices as far as the variants go. They’re probably hoping that fans of the TV show gravitate towards this one, with Captain Cold on the cover. Smart marketing decisions can breed new comic book buyers. I think people familiar with Flash and the DC Universe in general will have fun with this comic, considering the rogues gallery included. The bummer with buying only these 3-Packs instead of ongoing monthly titles is that I miss out on a lot of story. But still, it’s fun to buy these when they suddenly show up at my local Walmart and to get a peek inside. The cover price of The Flash #14 is $2.99, while the current value of this variant is $5.

 

Cool comics in my collection #470: Green Lantern #35, December 2014.

When I was collecting comics in full force from 1993 to 2003, variant covers were rampant, and some people complained that they were actually ruining the hobby. Here we are over a decade later, and variant covers are still a thing, like them or hate them. Every once in a while I get one in these Walmart 3-Packs (besides the top copy for the DC collections, which are always variants). This Green Lantern variant cover isn’t more valuable than the regular cover, but this makes it easier to find at a decent price for those Green Lantern lovers who must have them all! To be honest, this cover is quite freaky, especially those pointy teeth. Looks like Hal Jordan needs a better dental plan, that’s for sure. I’ve never been a total Green Lantern fanatic, and maybe that’s why I actually enjoyed the early exploits of Kyle Rayner, back when Hal went a little off the deep end…many years ago. So in this comic I find out that Kyle is referred to as the White Lantern. Okay, too many changes since I last tuned in! The cover price of Green Lantern #35 is $2.99, while the current value is $3.

 

Cool comics in my collection #471: Animal Man #28, April 2014.

Time for another exciting episode of Manimal! That’s what I thought of when I looked underneath the Green Lantern comic book and saw Animal Man. Although I must admit that I don’t think I ever saw an episode of the 1983 TV series. To add to that, this is my first ever issue of Animal Man. It was a Vertigo title during my last collecting phase, and I never picked it up to try it out. So this comic was really new to me, and being that it’s issue 28 of 29 total, I realize I missed out on a whole lot. Are there any fans out there who love Animal Man? Seems like it would be fairly easy to collect most of the Animal Man volumes since he entered the comic book scene in the Eighties and has had just a few short runs. The cover price of Animal Man #28 is $2.99, while the current value is $3.

 

Cool Comics Classics

Cool comics in my collection #472: The Forever People #2, May 1971.

During a recent trip to my local comic shop, I had a few goals in mind of back issues I wanted to get. But you know how that goes. More often than not, none of what we’re looking for is available. And when they are, they’re quite often out of our price range. I had The New Gods #1 in mind, the original 1971 issue, especially considering that Jack Kirby’s birthday is at the end of this month. No surprise that I struck out, but I did manage to snag a really cool cousin of the comic in The Forever People #2. This short series lasted just 11 issues, and now that I’ve read this one, it would definitely be fun to get all of them (eventually). When you read The Forever People, there’s no doubt it’s early Seventies, so if you like that time period, you’ll enjoy this comic. By the way, Darkseid is in this issue, along with the first appearance of Desaad and Mantis, and of course, a Mother Box, along with some far-out ad pages. How can you resist? The cover price of The Forever People #2 is 15¢, while the current value is $55.

 

Recently Read Digital Comics

If you’re a fan of Batman: The Animated Adventures, whether the cartoon or comic book, then Batman: Gotham Adventures, is right up your alley. It takes place in the same universe, and features art that matches. I got this number one issue from comiXology for free, so it’s a great way to see if you want to read the series. This issue dates back to 1998, and the title ran through 2003, with DC putting out 60 issues. These are nice introductory comic books for younger readers, and if little Tommy, Betty, Johnny, or Sue has a tablet and is growing tired of playing Fruit Ninja or whatever, maybe it’s time to introduce them to some cool comics, so help them load the comiXology app and grab this one while it’s free. There are some more mature titles on the app that can be downloaded free, so you may want to give the kiddie tablets an occasional audit.

Who Dies in Spider-Man vs. Wolverine?

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 97, where we take a nostalgic look at comic books I currently own, and in some sad cases, ones that I let get away.

For each of the comic books I include in this blog, I list the current secondary market value. This is according to the listings at the website www.comicbookrealm.com. They list out the near mint prices, which are on the comic book grading scale of 9.4. If you go to the website to look up any in your collection, you can click on the price and see the value at different grades. Not all of my comics are 9.4. Some are probably better, and some are worse. But to simplify it, that’s the grading price I use here. And remember, a comic book is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Have you considered being a guest host for Cool Comics? You can do a theme or just pick any of your comics for inclusion (this blog is for all ages, so please keep that in mind), with a maximum of seven issues. Repeat guest hosts are permitted and encouraged. Send your completed blog to edgosney62@gmail.com.

If you have any questions or comments, please scroll to the bottom of the page to where it says, “Leave a reply.” I hope you enjoy seeing these as much as I do writing about them. And now, Episode 97…

 

Cool Comics News!

This week I’m diving into another collection from Walmart. Only this Marvel Comics 3-Pack cost nearly double the $5 that I’ve grown accustomed to buying. Still, it wasn’t a bad deal, since the cover prices (not to mention taxes) add up to nearly $14. Unlike the previous two Walmart packages from Marvel I talked about here that that cost just $5 and were pretty loose in the bag, these were sealed tight, much like the DC 3-Packs from Walmart (ahem…they’re still just $5…who doesn’t like to get a bargain?). Also, for the third consecutive week, I’m featuring another issue that gets a little more attention by being classified as a Cool Comics Classic.

 

Cool Comics

Cool comics in my collection #465: Champions #1, December 2016.

One of the titles from the Seventies I’ve been attempting to get a complete run of is The Champions. You remember, the one with Hercules, Black Widow, Ghost Rider, Angel, and Iceman. I never bought any issues when they originally came out, but during comic book collecting phase three (1993-2003), I picked up a handful of Champions (alas, it lasted just 17 issues), and since have found all but issue #2. So it was interesting getting this copy of Champions in the 3-pack, a new team with the same name, and some characters I thought I recognized, but didn’t, it turns out. I thought I knew the Hulk, only it wasn’t Bruce Banner, but instead a guy by the name of Amadeus Cho (and as far as I know, he doesn’t compose music!). Sam Alexander is Nova, instead of Rich Rider, and Kamala Khan is Ms. Marvel. And the Vision has a daughter. I’m not quite sure how that came about, but that’s what you get when you’ve been away for 14 years. It wasn’t a bad comic, but it certainly wasn’t the Champions from the Seventies that I love. The cover price of Champions #1 is $4.99, while the current value is $5.

 

Cool comics in my collection #466: Howard the Duck #2, February 2016.

I used to own Howard the Duck #1…not this newer volume, but the one that’s cover dated January 1976. Unfortunately, I sold it when I was in college, even though it had Spider-Man in it and Howard was based in Cleveland, Ohio, which is practically my backyard. And forty years later, here’s Howard once more, in my possession. The cover for this issue looks kinda weird, doesn’t it? That’s because the Walmart 3-Pack gave me a variant cover. Currently it’s not listed as being more expensive on the secondary market, but who knows what the future will bring? Still, it’s got this character on both the cover and inside called Gwenpool, a strange cross between Gwen Stacy and Deadpool. There’s also a Spider-Gwen. Really. But she’s not in this comic. Folks at Marvel, you killed her off in the Seventies, resurrected her a few years later as a clone, and continue to do strange things with her. Then again, the title of this comic is Howard the Duck, and he’s not at all an ordinary hero. The cover price of Howard the Duck #2 is $4.99, while the current value of this variant is $5.

 

Cool comics in my collection #467: Secret Wars #7, January 2016.

For our next Cool Comic, there’s no doubt in my mind that you’re seeing a definite theme in this Walmart 3-Pack I bought, and set to music it’s “Everything Old Is New Again.” Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars hit the scene in the spring of 1984, and while I wasn’t buying comic books at that time, I was aware of it. And remember the toy line? I’m sure some of you probably own a bunch of those action figures. The problem is, Marvel gave comic buyers of this 3-Pack issue #7 of 9 (sounds Borg-ish, doesn’t it?), plus it’s a second printing, to boot. But this isn’t just any second printing. The “front” cover, which usually contains the price, issue number, etc., is on the back. The cover has the same art, but no words. Which is just plain weird, in my opinion. Okay, let’s take a quick step back. This is a limited series, and they give me a #7. What happened in the first 6 issues? Why are these people fighting each other? Why should I care when I can’t figure any of this out? Marvel, please note that if you’re going to do this and you want people to read the series, at least give us issue #1 (even if it’s a third printing!), because then your readers who are interested might want to buy a trade paperback or hunt down the original issues. A lost marketing opportunity, in my opinion. The cover price of Secret Wars #7 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

 

Cool Comics Classics

Cool comics in my collection #468: Spider-Man versus Wolverine #1, February 1987.

This Cool Comics Classic came out between collecting periods for me, and I grabbed it out of a 50¢ bin in Atlanta during the Nineties. Just looking at the cover and seeing both Spider-Man and Wolverine, I knew I had to have this one-shot, but it ended up getting filed away in a box for a couple decades, and I finally cracked open the cover. And I was shocked to find out that this issue features the death of Ned Leeds! Supporting casts come and go in the world of comics, and I guess I didn’t even realize he was gone when I was reading Spider-Man from 1993 to 2003. Anyway, this is a pretty cool issue, though some people at Marvel weren’t too happy that the writer killed off Leeds. It also features Spider-Man get tricked into doing something pretty shocking. I won’t reveal that one, in case you hunt this comic out to read for yourself. The cover price of Spider-Man versus Wolverine is $2.50, while the current value is $28.

 

Recently Read Digital Comics

I finally made my way through the long digital comic I mentioned a couple weeks ago. Punisher Max: The Complete Collection Vol. 1, contains the mini-series Born issues 1-4, and The Punisher 1-12 from 2004. A few weeks back, Amazon had some great sale prices on Marvel digital collections, and I enjoyed making some fantastic purchases. The Punisher came into being when I was first collecting comics as a kid, so he holds a mythic place in my childlike heart. The only problem is, I didn’t realize just how graphic these Max comics are. I guess they’re like R-rated films, as far as comparisons go. And with that being said, just because you can say R-rated words doesn’t mean they at all improve the story. When you use them too much, the shock value drops out the window and it gets to a point of ridiculousness. Off course this is just my opinion, but since this is my blog and my opinion, I think these stories could have been told just as well without all the Max stuff. That being said, the story and art are good, so if the Max factor (see what I did?) doesn’t offend thee, you might just enjoy this long digital comic.

Eating Freakies and Reading Comics!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 96, where we take a nostalgic look at comic books I currently own, and in some sad cases, ones that I let get away.

For each of the comic books I include in this blog, I list the current secondary market value. This is according to the listings at the website www.comicbookrealm.com. They list out the near mint prices, which are on the comic book grading scale of 9.4. If you go to the website to look up any in your collection, you can click on the price and see the value at different grades. Not all of my comics are 9.4. Some are probably better, and some are worse. But to simplify it, that’s the grading price I use here. And remember, a comic book is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Have you considered being a guest host for Cool Comics? You can do a theme or just pick any of your comics for inclusion (this blog is for all ages, so please keep that in mind), with a maximum of seven issues. Repeat guest hosts are permitted and encouraged. Send your completed blog to edgosney62@gmail.com.

If you have any questions or comments, please scroll to the bottom of the page to where it says, “Leave a reply.” I hope you enjoy seeing these as much as I do writing about them. And now, Episode 96…

 

Cool Comics News!

My love of comic books goes beyond my personal collection that’s stored away in white boxes. Both my father and mother-in-law would tell stories of buying and reading comics in the late Thirties and into the Forties, and hearing about these early issues of Superman, Wonder Woman, and even Bulletman would leave my mouth watering. I wanted to know more about comics through the ages, and found this book on a clearance table several years ago, and decided to finally read it. Filled with wonderful art, Great American Comic Books paints a picture of comic book history that is rich in the telling. Ron Goulart gives us a wonderful look at the fascinating history of the earliest comics, the coming of the age of heroes, the horror comics that Fredric Wertham pointed out were ruining the youth of America, and much more, up to the beginning of the 21st Century. If you’re looking to dive a little deeper into the history of this industry, it’s a worthy place to start.

 

Cool Comics

Cool comics in my collection #461: Green Arrow #1, July 2017.

At long last I got to read a Green Arrow Rebirth title. This number one issue is part of a Walmart 3-Pack, and as longtime readers of this blog know, I’ve been reporting on these for a while now. What’s so special about these Walmart 3-Packs? First off, the price is just $5, and for a fella who dates back to 20 cent comics, I appreciate that the average price per issue is $1.666666 (well, you get the idea). Second, the top comic in the packs are variants. Now some people love variants, and others hate them. I can take them or leave them, but it’s been kind of fun buying these three packs just to get a chance to explore Rebirth and the other comics inserted with them (most of which come from the New 52 line, which I hadn’t read when they were originally published). If you watch the Arrow TV show on The CW, expect some differences if you aren’t familiar with the comic book. I’ve yet to read a Rebirth comic I didn’t like, and I’m happy that DC is putting out such a great product. The cover price of Green Arrow #1 is $2.99, while the current value of this variant is $5.

 

Cool comics in my collection #462: Batman Eternal #11, August 2014.

This is the fourth issue of Batman Eternal I’ve read since I started buying the Walmart 3-Packs, and, unfortunately, I haven’t been able to read them in chronological order (for example, this is number 11, and I’ve already read issues 22 and 30). But that’s the price you have to pay when your purchases aren’t regular monthly buys. It’s rare to read a comic book that has a beginning, middle, and end, and even when they do, new characters get introduced, things happen in past issues that influence the current story, and companies want to give you a reason to keep coming back each month. I see people complaining online about this at least once a week, that they want one or two issue story arcs. Which in some ways is a great idea, but even most mini-series go three issues or more, and big events take even longer to unfold. And that brings up another problem: the big events that cross into just about every title makes it nearly impossible for the average comic buyer to get the complete story. Some readers are fine with this, but some don’t want to miss out, and then they blow their budget. Personally, I like the idea of a big event that stands on its own, not running into regular monthly titles. So Spider-Man gets a new black costume that’s really an alien that has a symbiotic relationship with him. The good old asterisk that tells me I can read all about it in Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 works for me. I know, not as effective financially for the company. We can’t always get what we want, just like me reading these Batman Eternal comics out of order. By the way, Batman is hard to find in this issue, even though his name is in the title. The cover price of Batman Eternal #11 is $2.99, while the current value is $3.

 

Cool comics in my collection #463: DC Universe vs. Masters of the Universe #1, March 2014.

He-Man, Skeletor, and Evil-Lyn are once more invading the DC Universe, and even though it was issue #4 in this 6 issue limited series and I hadn’t read the proceeding three, it was a fun trip down memory lane. Back when I was in college in 1982 and started my second phase of comic collecting, I decided I needed to explore the DC Universe a little more than I’d done in the Seventies. And what more perfect way than to get a monthly anthology? I bought three successive issues of DC Comics Presents (45, 46, and 47), but I’m pretty sure I sold them at a garage sale several years ago when I started running out of space. I gave my kids some of my comics, and obviously kept some that I really loved, but DC Comics Presents wasn’t that close to my heart. Stupid me. When I got this Masters of the Universe issue in my Walmart 3-Pack, I discovered that #47 of DC Comics Presents, from July of 1982, was none other than the first appearance of He-Man in comics. It cost me 60 cents plus tax. Today the value is listed at $90. It’s not like I threw away $90, but it is disappointing that I sold if for less than what I originally paid and it’s so valuable today. Oh well, someone somewhere is very happy about my garage sale. The cover price of DC Universe vs. Masters of the Universe #1 is $2.99, while the current value is $3.

 

Cool Comics Classics

Cool comics in my collection #464: Action Comics #443, January 1975.

Regular readers of Cool Comics in My Collection know that the “DC 100 Pages for 60¢” comics that came out in the mid-Seventies are near and dear to my heart. I have great memories of buying these at the drugstore chain where my father worked, and reading them in the evenings at the kitchen table, sometimes while eating my Freakies cereal. Back in those days, most of my comic book purchases were Marvel, but I just loved these thick comics DC produced, and it allowed me to read about different characters and fun team-up stories. This issue is not one I had as a kid, but I bought it in a back-issue box several months ago for just $4. And reading it did the trick of transporting me back in time. Granted, I didn’t love all the stories in this comic, but the art, dialog, and general thought of what I was reading was all I needed to be twelve years old again. The cover price of Action Comics #443 is 60¢, while the current value is $60.

 

Recently Read Digital Comics

Last week I mentioned that I was reading a digital collection that is several hundred pages long, and unfortunately, I didn’t get it finished. But since this week is all DC, I decided to read a shorter digital comic via my comiXology app that ties in with the Walmart variant above. Arrow #1: Special Edition, came out in July 2012 as a promotional comic for the upcoming Arrow TV show, which premiered in October of that year. It’s short, just 16 pages, and very different from the regular comic book version of Oliver Queen. And it was free. I’ve mentioned this here before, but if you aren’t sure whether or not you’d like digital comics, you can get a number of issues for free to see for yourself (comiXology, Marvel, DC, and Archie all offer freebies on their digital apps, and I’m pretty sure there are a few others out there doing the same). When you can read them a panel at a time and get nice close-ups, it gives you a different perspective and reading experience. Give it a try sometime and let me know what you think.

And Now, Cool Comics Classics!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 95, where we take a nostalgic look at comic books I currently own, and in some sad cases, ones that I let get away.

For each of the comic books I include in this blog, I list the current secondary market value. This is according to the listings at the website www.comicbookrealm.com. They list out the near mint prices, which are on the comic book grading scale of 9.4. If you go to the website to look up any in your collection, you can click on the price and see the value at different grades. Not all of my comics are 9.4. Some are probably better, and some are worse. But to simplify it, that’s the grading price I use here. And remember, a comic book is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Have you considered being a guest host for Cool Comics? You can do a theme or just pick any of your comics for inclusion (this blog is for all ages, so please keep that in mind), with a maximum of seven issues. Repeat guest hosts are permitted and encouraged. Send your completed blog to edgosney62@gmail.com.

If you have any questions or comments, please scroll to the bottom of the page to where it says, “Leave a reply.” I hope you enjoy seeing these as much as I do writing about them. And now, Episode 95…

 

Cool Comics News!

Last week I announced here that for the first time in 14 years, I’ll be purchasing new comics from my comic shop, and covering them here in Cool Comics. This blog started off with me focusing on older comics, and then I did a few months with particular themes, such as Harvey, Saturday morning cartoon comics, TV show comics, Westerns, etc. When I discovered the DC 3-Packs at Walmart, I bought them and added them to Cool Comics, too. I’ve been enjoying reading some of the new stuff, particularly the DC Rebirth issues. And Archie comics also make occasional appearances here, because I have been reading some of their newer offerings. So what makes a cool comic? That’s for the reader and collector to decide…on an individual basis. What I like you might not, and vice versa. When I made the decision to write about all the comics that come inside sealed 3-packs, I knew there’d be some issues I didn’t consider that cool. But you might. And so, I’ll continue to cover all the issues when I break open a 3-pack.

What is all of this leading to? I’ll cut to the chase: I’m creating a new heading, which will appear from time to time. I’m keeping it simple and calling it Cool Comics Classics. Again, you may not always agree with me on my choices, but some comics deserve a little more recognition, and some I just like that much to specifically call out. However, I won’t be numbering these separately. They’ll be part of the regular Cool Comics numbering system, regardless of what the pundits at DC and Marvel think I should do.

 

Cool Comics

Cool comics in my collection #457: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #1, December 2015.

The first three cool comics listed here all came in a Walmart 3-pack for just $5. You get your money’s worth when you consider the cover price of all three, but as always, buying comics this way is sort of like getting a pack of baseball cards, because you don’t know what’s going to be inside. Except for the comic on top. And I know, baseball cards come in wrappers and you can’t see the first card, in most cases. I remember when I was younger and they had packs of baseball cards that had three sections, all wrapped up in clear plastic, with a hole at the top so that stores could hang them on hooks. If you’re old enough to remember these, you probably remember how much fun it was to search through to try to find some of your favorite players on top, and then the excitement after you bought them of opening the three sections and going over all the cards. None of this has anything to do with Squirrel Girl. This is just the second comic with the character I’ve read, and I can’t say I’m much of a fan, but I understand that lots of people enjoy her exploits. Yet I bought this 3-pack and I could see through to this comic, but I’m willing to give new things a try. The cover price of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

 

Cool comics in my collection #458: Star Wars: Vader Down #1, January 2016.

I’m not the biggest Star Wars fan on the block (I tend to lean more towards Star Trek…and I’ll take Dune over Star Trek), but I found this comic, which introduces a multi-part storyline, quiet intriguing. Darth Vader is both loved and hated by millions, and just by looking at this cover you can’t help but recall some of his great movie scenes. Heroes need villains, and good villains are worth their weight in gold. So, while I wasn’t overly excited with the Squirrel Girl comic, this Star Wars issue made me feel young again, bringing back memories of the summer before my senior year of high school, driving to the theater with my friends (in my dad’s giant Mercury Marquis station wagon with the groovy wood paneling) to see The Empire Strikes Back. Good times and good memories. The cover price of Star Wars: Vader Down #1 is $4.99, while the current value is $5.

 

Cool comics in my collection #459: Wolverine #2, April 2014.

I thought this comic might be fun, seeing as how Spider-Man is on the cover with Wolverine, but what I didn’t know was that Wolverine has basically lost his powers, and that this isn’t the “real” Spider-Man. What? Exactly. Superior Spider-Man? What in the world have they done with MY Spider-Man! I had to Google it to find out just who or what this whole Superior thing was about, and found out that it’s basically Otto Octavius—aka Doctor Octopus—in Peter Parker’s body. This may not be news to all of you reading this, but for me it was a “WHAT THE?” moment. And Wolverine? Yes, it seems as if he’s a bad guy. Although with comic books, things can change at the whim of a creative team, so who really knows? It sort of makes me yearn for the past. But then, when it comes to comic books, that’s never a bad thing. The cover price of Wolverine #2 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

 

Cool Comics Classics

Cool comics in my collection #460: Fantastic Four #51, June 1966.

It’s my first Cool Comics Classics entry, and I’m starting it off with a bang! If you’ve never read Fantastic Four #51, “THIS MAN…THIS MONSTER!” then you need to find a way to get your hands on a copy or a reprint (Essential Fantastic Four, Vol. 3, also contains this issue), because this is what comics are all about. A reluctant hero, a villain with a nefarious plan, and a man who trusts his friend with his life…but at what cost?! I was three years old when this issue hit the newsstands, so no, I didn’t buy it for the 12-cent cover price. But I did pick it up recently at my favorite local comic shop, Kenmore Komics, for a great price. The condition isn’t the best, but it’s mine at long last. I love the classic Sixties cover, and with the art by Jack Kirby and script by Stan Lee, it’s like holding a piece of history. But perhaps the coolest part for me and this comic is that I had never read it in a reprint or “Best of” issue, so it was like new to me. And this story, a timeless classic, is worth every penny. What are some of your favorite Cool Comics Classics? Tell me in the comments section below, and maybe you’ll see it in a future episode. The cover price of Fantastic Four #51 is 12 cents, while the current value is $525.

 

Recently Read Digital Comics

Just a quick note that I’m partway through a large collection that’s several hundred pages long, and I’ll cover it once I’m finished.

Faster Than a 3D Motion Cover!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 94, where we take a nostalgic look at comic books I currently own, and in some sad cases, ones that I let get away.

For each of the comic books I include in this blog, I list the current secondary market value. This is according to the listings at the website www.comicbookrealm.com. They list out the near mint prices, which are on the comic book grading scale of 9.4. If you go to the website to look up any in your collection, you can click on the price and see the value at different grades. Not all of my comics are 9.4. Some are probably better, and some are worse. But to simplify it, that’s the grading price I use here. And remember, a comic book is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Have you considered being a guest host for Cool Comics? You can do a theme or just pick any of your comics for inclusion (this blog is for all ages, so please keep that in mind), with a maximum of seven issues. Repeat guest hosts are permitted and encouraged. Send your completed blog to edgosney62@gmail.com.

If you have any questions or comments, please scroll to the bottom of the page to where it says, “Leave a reply.” I hope you enjoy seeing these as much as I do writing about them. And now, Episode 94…

 

Cool Comics News!

New comics lurk in my future. With all the noise concerning Marvel Legends, I’m going to try out some of the issues and see what I think. I haven’t bought any ongoing comics from my local comic shot (Kenmore Komics & Games in Akron, Ohio) for 14 years, but I’m taking the plunge and will be sure to report my thoughts in the coming weeks. Now on to today’s blog in which I’m covering the start of another set of eight Walmart DC Special 3-Packs.

 

Cool Comics

Cool comics in my collection #454: Wonder Woman: Year One #1, July 2017.

What? Another issue pulling the wool over my eyes! This is actually Wonder Woman #2 of the current series. So, will the Walmart variant be worth anything in the future? Probably not, but it was a good story. Unfortunately, it’s the same story that was in the Free Comic Book Day Wonder Woman issue I read via comiXology and covered in my Recently Read Digital Comics just last week. I guess these things happen. Again, it is a good story. But I just wish it had been something different. The older I get, the more I start to realize that my time is limited (in more ways than one). That’s how this Walmart 3-pack started, leaving me a bit disappointed. Yet I can’t complain, based on the two comics hiding underneath this one in the package. The cover price of Wonder Woman #2 is $2.99, while the current value of this variant is $5.

 

Cool comics in my collection #455: The Flash: Futures End #1, November 2014.

The Flash: Futures End #1 was the next comic in this Walmart 3-pack. For the first time, I received one of the Futures End comics with the 3D motion cover. Groovy. It originally cost consumers one dollar more than the regular cover, but I’m more than happy that they put it in this $5 package. This was an interesting issue, especially for those who are regular watchers of the Flash live-action show on The CW. So, with discussions of the Speed Force and what the future holds in five years, it was easier for me to understand, considering I don’t read this comic monthly. I read Flash comics during my third phase of comic buying and collecting (1993 to 2003), and just realized that I didn’t buy any of his comics in the Seventies or Eighties. I do remember some of the Justice League of America 100 pagers that contained Flash in some of the stories, but for some reason I put him off for years. If you’re a fan and you don’t have this issue, you may just want to see if you can find a copy. The cover price of The Flash: Futures End #1 is $3.99, which the current value is $4.

 

Cool comics in my collection #456: Harley Quinn #11, December 2014.

Last week in my blog I mentioned that I had a doozy of a surprise, and this is it! Though I was a little disappointed about the Wonder Woman issue, this more than made up for it from a collector’s point of view. Why? Because this issue of Harley Quinn that I found at the bottom of my $5 Walmart 3-pack happens to be sporting an Incentive Amanda Conner Variant Cover. So what does that translate too? An additional $24 above the current value of the regular cover. I’m not really a variant cover type of collector, despite all these Walmart 3-pack variant purchases I’ve made lately. But if you want to load up my purchase with some additional value, I’ll take it. As for the comic, it was so-so. I appreciate Harley Quinn humor to a point. This one pushed some boundaries, and I typically would rather have comics that people of all ages can enjoy. So maybe if the price of this one continues to head north, it will eventually go in my “to sell” box. The cover price of Harley Quinn #11 is $2.99, while the current value of this variant is $28.

 

 

Recently Read Digital Comics

I finally finished the three-volume set of Moon Knight that I bought a while back on Amazon during a nice digital sale. This collection contained issues 13-17, and was published in September 2015. These last stories were a little darker and bloodier than the previous two volumes, and I must say that I did enjoy the first volume the best, which was written by Warren Ellis. The 17 issues making up the three sets are listed as Volume 7 of Moon Knight. It’s funny how some comics have incredibly long runs, while others have shorter arcs but several volumes. After reading digital comics for over half a year now, I can still honestly say that with a 10-inch tablet, there is no easier way to read a comic book (especially considering that some of the collections I’ve bought are over 300 pages long!). You save lots of money, you save lots of space, and you can conveniently take a huge collection with you anywhere you go without a hitch. But there is no secondary market. If you purchase an expensive comic and don’t want to touch it (especially if it’s a graded comic in a sealed container), then you can always buy the digital edition (if available) to read.

21st Century Archie and Friends

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 93, where we take a nostalgic look at comic books I currently own, and in some sad cases, ones that I let get away.

For each of the comic books I include in this blog, I list the current secondary market value. This is according to the listings at the website www.comicbookrealm.com. They list out the near mint prices, which are on the comic book grading scale of 9.4. If you go to the website to look up any in your collection, you can click on the price and see the value at different grades. Not all of my comics are 9.4. Some are probably better, and some are worse. But to simplify it, that’s the grading price I use here. And remember, a comic book is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Have you considered being a guest host for Cool Comics? You can do a theme or just pick any of your comics for inclusion (this blog is for all ages, so please keep that in mind), with a maximum of seven issues. Repeat guest hosts are permitted and encouraged. Send your completed blog to edgosney62@gmail.com.

If you have any questions or comments, please scroll to the bottom of the page to where it says, “Leave a reply.” I hope you enjoy seeing these as much as I do writing about them. And now, Episode 93…

 

Cool Comics News!

Though DC and Marvel dominate in the comic book market, Cool Comics likes to add fun to the mix from time to time, so this week is all Archie comics, from regular sized to digest sized to digital. And for those who can’t get enough of the superhero set, next week I’ll be starting coverage of yet another collection of eight different Walmart 3-packs that contain variant covers. Approximately every other week I’ll update you on each of the sets (and the first pack I opened this week had a doozy of a surprise!).

 

Cool Comics

Cool comics in my collection #451: Riverdale #3, July 2017.

Riverdale is a nice companion piece for fans of the CW TV series. And like the TV show, it’s definitely an edgier Archie cast of characters. Having read the exploits of everyone’s favorite teenager while growing up, it’s interesting to see him and his pals done a different way. Not that there’s anything wrong with the Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica from the past. Along with the comics, they had a few Saturday morning cartoons I loved to watch, and I even learned some history from the gang on “U.S. of Archie.” But the world is a different place, and now, so is Riverdale. At least in this iteration. The next season of Riverdale is a long way off, and this comic will help you get through those many months of waiting. The cover price of Riverdale #3 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

 

Cool comics in my collection #452: Afterlife With Archie #10, October 2016.

And talk about Archie done differently! This series really ups the ante, with Riverdale facing a zombie apocalypse, and no one—I mean no one—is safe. This issue takes a look at some characters we hadn’t yet met in this alternate Riverdale: Josie and the Pussycats. So would these innocent girls fall victim to the monsters wandering the streets and woods? That’s yet to be seen. Instead, we are given a look at how the band formed. This comic starts off with Josie being interviewed, and when the reporter asks her to start at the beginning, she goes back to her birth…in 1906! What? Yes, Josie and her musical cohorts are more than meets the eye. By the end of the comic, the three are on an airplane bound for Riverdale. When warned that the town is undergoing mass riots and other unknown problems, they insist on landing. Looks like things are really going to get interesting now! The cover price of Afterlife With Archie #10 is $4.99, while the current value is $5.

 

Cool comics in my collection #453: Riverdale Digest #1, June 2017.

Following the success of Afterlife With Archie, the teen from Riverdale got a facelift in his own “Archie” title, modernizing both his look and the way the stories were told. Next up was his best pal, Jughead, and soon Betty and Veronica, Josie and the Pussycats, and even Reggie himself were all sporting new titles for the 21st Century. And with the advent of the Riverdale TV show and the Riverdale ongoing comic series, Archie Comics packaged together the five new titles into a nice little comic digest series, calling it Riverdale Digest, with a subtitle to attract TV viewers that states, “Stories that inspired the new show!” Comic books aren’t cheap these days, and for new readers, this is a great way to follow these stories for just $5.99. Not bad for all five of those titles. If you have old eyes like me, it can be a bit of a challenge due to the small print (maybe I need to invest in a magnifying glass). But I grew up reading Archie digest comics, and even though the stories are so different, just holding it and knowing what I’m reading brings back great memories. The cover price of Riverdale Digest #1 is $5.99, while the current value is $6.

 

 

Recently Read Digital Comics

For years, Betty and Veronica competed for Archie’s attention. Then in 1982, Cheryl Blossom made her debut, and Archie added a redhead to his possible love interests. In December 2013, in Archie #650, his band, The Archies, is on a world tour, and he meets Bollywood star Amisha Mehta. And it seems that Archie is in love yet again. This is the first of a four-part series, which was free via the Archie Comics App, so I have no idea how things end up for Archie. While I appreciate that Archie Comics offers the app and digital comics (especially some free ones, which allows consumers to give them a try), it isn’t nearly as user friendly as the comiXology app. I really don’t like using it, but I wanted to have an Archie comic to go with this themed week. You can read Archie comics through comiXology, but not the issues they offer free from their own site. I can only hope they update the technology sometime in the near future.

Cool Comics & Some Super News!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 92, where we take a nostalgic look at comic books I currently own, and in some sad cases, ones that I let get away.

For each of the comic books I include in this blog, I list the current secondary market value. This is according to the listings at the website www.comicbookrealm.com. They list out the near mint prices, which are on the comic book grading scale of 9.4. If you go to the website to look up any in your collection, you can click on the price and see the value at different grades. Not all of my comics are 9.4. Some are probably better, and some are worse. But to simplify it, that’s the grading price I use here. And remember, a comic book is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Have you considered being a guest host for Cool Comics? You can do a theme or just pick any of your comics for inclusion (this blog is for all ages, so please keep that in mind), with a maximum of seven issues. Repeat guest hosts are permitted and encouraged. Send your completed blog to edgosney62@gmail.com.

If you have any questions or comments, please scroll to the bottom of the page to where it says, “Leave a reply.” I hope you enjoy seeing these as much as I do writing about them. And now, Episode 92…

 

Cool Comics News!

World Domination: A Supervillain Anthology, is live on Amazon! You can purchase it for Kindle (the current launch price is just 99 cents, so grab it before the price goes up) or get a trade paperback. Seriously, this is such a cool collection of stories that you won’t want to miss out on this fantastic display of creativity by some awesome authors! Oh, I have a story in it, too, but I’ll let you readers decide if it’s worthy or not. And after you’ve had enough with the bad guys, you can also pick up It’s A Bird! It’s A Plane!: A Superhero Anthology. These twin anthologies are already proving quite popular and are climbing the charts on Amazon. If you have any questions about them, please feel free to ask!

 

Cool Comics

Cool comics in my collection #448: Batman & Robin Eternal #19, April 2016.

I’ve finally reached the end of this batch of Walmart $5 DC 3-packs. Unfortunately, I didn’t keep them grouped by package, so none of these three are variant covers. However, the next batch of eight are out, and I will be presenting them every other week by package. This particular comic is a little confusing to a new reader, especially when it’s issue 19 and we’re well beyond the starting point. I looked up some information about the timeline going back and forth from past to present, and that helps a little. For those who love these characters, all I can say is to start from the beginning. For me, there was no choice in the matter since it was part of the 3-pack. Probably not the best marketing ploy by DC. Maybe they had some larger print runs and that’s how they decided what to contribute to each pack. If you know the answer, please enlighten me in the comment section below. The cover price of Batman & Robin Eternal #19 is $2.99, while the current value is $3.

 

Cool comics in my collection #449: Star Spangled War Stories #3, December 2014.

I really liked this story, even though I have no history with the characters, and it was issue #3. Something about G.I. Zombie struck a chord with me, and I wouldn’t mind exploring him a little further. I guess it goes hand-in-hand with my later in life love of monster comics. When I was a kid in the Seventies, even though I was a fan of the old horror movies…especially Universal and Hammer movies…I wasn’t a buyer of monster comics. I seemed to put my focus mostly on superheroes when it came to comic books. Now that I’m older, I enjoy picking up monster titles from the Sixties and Seventies, and this comic hearkened back to that period. The cover price of Star Spangled War Stories #3 is $2.99, while the current value is $3.

 

Cool comics in my collection #450: Sinestro: Futures End #1, November 2014.

This is the sixth Futures End comic I’ve found stuffed inside the 16 sets of Walmart DC 3-packs I’ve opened to this point. I’ve never been a fan of Sinestro, but this issue was pretty good. Futures End gave the creators an opportunity to show possible events five years into the future, allowing a lot of leeway. The art is attractive and pulls you in to the flow of events. I certainly didn’t understand everything that was going on since I don’t read new comics regularly, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying this interesting story. Buying these Walmart variant packs reminds me of when I started my second phase of comic collecting in 1982. I’d been out of the hobby for several years, then jumped back in when a college roommate got me interested by showing me some of his awesome collection. It’s not easy to climb onboard and know which direction the train is running, but learning is half the fun. Back then I was willing to try comics and characters I wasn’t familiar with, and these 3-packs put me in that same position. I’m really looking forward to the next set of eight. The cover price of Sinestro: Futures End #1 is $2.99, while the current value is $3.

 

 

Recently Read Digital Comics

Unless you’ve been living on Themyscira (or Paradise Island for us more seasoned folks!), then you know the big movie of early June was Wonder Woman. DC published a special Free Comic Book Day Edition, along with a Wonder Woman Day Special Edition. I missed out on both at my local comic book shop, but comiXology offers both as free downloads, and if you missed out on these, I recommend you download them and get reading. If you enjoyed the movie but aren’t really much of a comic book reader, comiXology is a great way to introduce yourself to the world of comics since they have lots of free comics to download. All you need to do is download the app from your app store and you can start reading on your tablet or—if your eyes can handle it—phone. And it’s possible to read on your phone, because comiXology allows you to read one panel at a time. Of course, you can always go to the website on your PC, sign up for a free membership (you can do it with your Amazon account), and read them on your computer. Wonder Woman has been around since 1941, and if you’ve never read any of her comics, why not start with these?

Marvel 3-Pack Fun!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 91, where we take a nostalgic look at comic books I currently own, and in some sad cases, ones that I let get away.

For each of the comic books I include in this blog, I list the current secondary market value. This is according to the listings at the website www.comicbookrealm.com. They list out the near mint prices, which are on the comic book grading scale of 9.4. If you go to the website to look up any in your collection, you can click on the price and see the value at different grades. Not all of my comics are 9.4. Some are probably better, and some are worse. But to simplify it, that’s the grading price I use here. And remember, a comic book is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Have you considered being a guest host for Cool Comics? You can do a theme or just pick any of your comics for inclusion (this blog is for all ages, so please keep that in mind), with a maximum of seven issues. Repeat guest hosts are permitted and encouraged. Send your completed blog to edgosney62@gmail.com.

If you have any questions or comments, please scroll to the bottom of the page to where it says, “Leave a reply.” I hope you enjoy seeing these as much as I do writing about them. And now, Episode 91…

 

Cool Comics News!

Over the last few months I’ve been giving lots and lots of love to DC for their Walmart 3-packs, which include a variant cover, for just $5. So, I decided to give the Marvel 3-packs a chance. That’s right, Walmart has Marvel comics too, and this one was also just $5. It didn’t contain a comic with a variant cover, but I enjoyed all three in this package. What Marvel did instead was to include randomly inserted Bronze, Silver, and Modern Age key issues. Over 500 of them, according to the plastic package. I bought the two different packages they had at my local Walmart, but neither contained Silver or Bronze age comics. Maybe one of mine is a Modern Age Key issue? If so, I probably wouldn’t know at this point, since I’m fairly old school with my comics. And again, time will tell if any of these end up being key issues. And that’s what this week is about, all three issues that came in the package pictured here.

 

Cool Comics

 

Cool comics in my collection #445: Hercules #1, January 2016.

My first exposure to Hercules was the 1960’s cartoon. Anyone else remember it? As a young child, I was entranced by the heroics of the Greek hero. It’s probably why I have a place in my heart for the Marvel version of the character. I was first introduced to that Hercules in a reprint comic titled Marvel Spectacular. I have issues #2 and #3 from 1973, and Hercules is on the cover with Thor. By that time, Thor had replaced Herc as my strongman hero, because Thor had that cool Marvel cartoon with the not-so-great animation. I don’t believe I saw Hercules in any other Marvel comics until the 1982 limited series, Hercules, Prince of Power. If I’d been a savvy comic book reader, I would have bought The Champions in the Seventies (I’ve rectified that as an adult), but alas, we all make mistakes. Anyway, this comic came in a three pack from Walmart, and I’m glad for the purchase, because Hercules always entertains me. The cover price of Hercules #1 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

 

Cool comics in my collection #446: Wolverine #4, June 2014.

I haven’t bought a Wolverine comic in quite a while, and it seems like a number of things have changed for the character (along with the X-Men themselves) since issue #189 in 2003. When more than a dozen years have passed, you can’t expect to read a comic and understand the story, character motivations, or the world they’re now living in. This comic was underneath the Hercules issue, so of course I didn’t even know it was in the bag. I’ll admit I’m not the biggest Wolverine fan in the world, but at different times I’ve really enjoyed the character. My first real exposure to Logan was the 1982 mini-series. I sold it on eBay a number of years back, and I also sold all my other Wolverine comics at a garage sale. Like I said, I’m not the biggest Wolverine fan (plus, space is limited, so sometimes I have to sell parts of my collection). I do still have my Origins run and don’t plan to sell it anytime soon. Would I buy more from this modern Wolverine series? Probably not, but it was interesting to read and see what they’ve done with the character. The cover price of Wolverine #4 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

 

Cool comics in my collection #447: Star-Lord #1, January 2016.

Peter Quill, Star-Lord, was a seldom-used character in the Marvel universe until the Guardians of the Galaxy movie in 2014. I have some older comic books that feature Star-Lord, but from what I’ve read, those adventures now belong to Peter Quill from Earth-791, rather than Earth-616, which is supposedly the Earth that really matters (though these different versions of Earth seem to be more common today, and I don’t recall mention of them during my prime comic reading days up through 2003, the idea was first mentioned in a comic called Rough Justice in 1983…and used mostly in UK Marvel comics). It was an easy way to clean up continuity problems, and this #1 issue goes back to Star-Lord’s origin. It’s different from the movie, so that may make it worth reading to you, if you enjoy the character. I’d certainly consider reading more of this series, but it probably won’t happen for a long time, as I still have too many old comics to read. The cover price of Star-Lord #1 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

 

Recently Read Digital Comics

About three years after I stopped collecting and reading comic books on a regular basis, Civil War broke out in the Marvel Universe in July of 2006. It was interesting reading the collected digital version (I got it on Amazon for the ridiculously low price of $2.60!) of all seven issues of Civil War on my tablet via the comiXology app. I guess I could say it’s always interesting to read comics that came out after 2003, because I’d been on a steady diet of comic reading for over ten years, and read several monthly industry magazines. I really felt like I knew everything that was going on. And now when I read comics after 2003, I’m kind of lost. Anything older, and I feel comfortable. Especially Seventies comics, as regular readers of this blog know. But Civil War certainly turned out to be interesting, with lots of differences from the Captain America: Civil War movie. Although it did have the same basic premise, which is certainly an interesting one. I think one of the most difficult things for me was Spider-Man’s weird costume. The one with all the extra arms…or were they legs? To be honest, I wasn’t too fond of the direction Spider-Man had been going around the turn of the century. I like Seventies Spider-Man stories the best, but that’s to be expected, considering it’s when I started buying comics. I guess I’ll have to read Civil War II now.

The DCU Invades Cool Comics!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 90, where we take a nostalgic look at comic books I currently own, and in some sad cases, ones that I let get away.

For each of the comic books I include in this blog, I list the current secondary market value. This is according to the listings at the website www.comicbookrealm.com. They list out the near mint prices, which are on the comic book grading scale of 9.4. If you go to the website to look up any in your collection, you can click on the price and see the value at different grades. Not all of my comics are 9.4. Some are probably better, and some are worse. But to simplify it, that’s the grading price I use here. And remember, a comic book is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Have you considered being a guest host for Cool Comics? You can do a theme or just pick any of your comics for inclusion (this blog is for all ages, so please keep that in mind), with a maximum of seven issues. Repeat guest hosts are permitted and encouraged. Send your completed blog to edgosney62@gmail.com.

If you have any questions or comments, please scroll to the bottom of the page to where it says, “Leave a reply.” I hope you enjoy seeing these as much as I do writing about them. And now, Episode 90…

 

Cool Comics News!

When I started collecting comics for the third time, in the early Nineties, Wizard Magazine and a few others were easily accessible for those who wanted more than just comics. While they are long gone, I just discovered the magazine Hogan’s Alley, which had its debut in 1994. Though it started off as a quarterly, it now comes out annually, and I found issue No. 21 at my local Barnes and Noble this week. This isn’t a typical comic book magazine, as it also covers comic strips and a mishmash of other items, all having to do with cartoon arts. If you like the art form and the history behind it, then Hogan’s Alley is worth the $6.95 cover price. You get over 140 pages (newsprint style rather than slick, which is just fine for an older fan like me), so you’ll be able to enjoy it for a while. I haven’t gotten very far into it yet, but I can tell this will be something I pick up every year.

 

Cool Comics

Cool comics in my collection #442: Harley Quinn #1, April 2017.

I’ve always been a fan who likes heroes. When Spider-Man fights the Green Goblin, I want the good guy in the insect costume to win. When John Wayne goes after bad men, you know he’ll get justice. But as the years pass (too swiftly!), I’m starting to enjoy a “good” bad guy every now and then (I guess that’s why I wanted to be in the Supervillain anthology, World Domination, which comes out June 26 via Amazon). I wasn’t sure what I’d think of the Suicide Squad movie, but I liked it, and Harley Quinn turned out to be one of my favorites. There’s just something deliciously entertaining about a funny supervillain (If you’ve read my novel Prometheus Stumbles, then you’re familiar with the crazy antics of Fred Wichman…a character I grew to love so much that I’ve been writing stories about Fred when he was younger), and I’m glad that DC packed another Walmart 3-pack with this Variant Harley Quinn Rebirth issue. At this point, I’m looking forward to reading more Harley Quinn Rebirth issues. I just need to remember that she’s on the wrong side of the law! The cover price of Harley Quinn #1 is $2.99, while the current value of this variant is $5.

 

Cool comics in my collection #443: Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Two #11, Early November 2014.

A couple weeks back (Cool Comics Episode 88), my digital reads were Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year One, Volumes 1 and 2. Yes, I’m really looking forward to reading more in that series, and I got a sneak peek in one of my Walmart 3-packs at this later issue from Year Two. Unfortunately, this skipped over 10 issues, so I really didn’t know what was going on. But it did whet my appetite for a complete read of Year Two. It’s going to be a while before I get to it, but read it I will, because this series is quite the ride! On the cover, you can see two Green Lanterns facing off, Guy Gardner and Hal Jordan, a couple guys you won’t find anytime soon sharing a nice cup of coffee to start the day. The best thing I can say is that I probably won’t remember any of this by the time I get to Season Two. The cover price of Injustice: Gods Among Us: Year Two #11 is $2.99, while the current value is $3.

 

Cool comics in my collection #444: Convergence #3, June 2015.

I read lots of Convergence comics recently (see my digital section below), and I’m not quite sure what to think of it. The problem is, this particular issue starts in the middle (yes, it’s issue #3, and was stuffed inside a Walmart 3-pack…so that’s part of the answer of why I’m not sure what to think of it). It has characters that are familiar, yet different, because they are our heroes from various versions of planets in the multiverse, which obviously, in the world of comic books, changes everything! Hence, Convergence #3 focuses on beings I don’t really care about. Why should I feel sympathy for a Batman I’ve never met before? Yes. You see what I mean. Anyway, I’ll probably never read another Convergence story, unless there are more inside Walmart 3-packs. The cover price of Convergence #3 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

 

 

Recently Read Digital Comics

This Convergence storyline was easier by far to understand than Cool Comic #444 above, yet there are still gaps that need to be filled in to truly grasp this multi-part story. Alas, I’ll probably never read it all. Which is just fine, because there are only tens of thousands of other comics to choose from. But if you’re a big DC fan, you probably don’t want to miss out. This collection, called Convergence: Flashpoint: Book One, consists of the following comics: CONVERGENCE: SUPERMAN #1-2, CONVERGENCE: THE QUESTION #1-2, CONVERGENCE: BATGIRL #1-2, CONVERGENCE: NIGHTWING/ORACLE #1-2 and CONVERGENCE: JUSTICE LEAGUE #1-2. As I say in this section quite often, I got it nice and cheap, especially considering the number of issues it contains. I’ll admit I’d probably enjoy this series more if I’d read it from the beginning, but when you read digital comics haphazardly as I’ve been doing, there’s a price to pay, and I’m okay with it.

More Marvel Seventies Madness!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 89, where we take a nostalgic look at comic books I currently own, and in some sad cases, ones that I let get away.

For each of the comic books I include in this blog, I list the current secondary market value. This is according to the listings at the website www.comicbookrealm.com. They list out the near mint prices, which are on the comic book grading scale of 9.4. If you go to the website to look up any in your collection, you can click on the price and see the value at different grades. Not all of my comics are 9.4. Some are probably better, and some are worse. But to simplify it, that’s the grading price I use here. And remember, a comic book is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Have you considered being a guest host for Cool Comics? You can do a theme or just pick any of your comics for inclusion (this blog is for all ages, so please keep that in mind), with a maximum of seven issues. Repeat guest hosts are permitted and encouraged. Send your completed blog to edgosney62@gmail.com.

If you have any questions or comments, please scroll to the bottom of the page to where it says, “Leave a reply.” I hope you enjoy seeing these as much as I do writing about them. And now, Episode 89…

 

Cool Comics News!

Though they are old, I bought the following three comics on Free Comic Book Day from my favorite comic shop, Kenmore Komics & Games. If you live in the Akron area and love comic books like I do, you need to pay them a visit if you haven’t already. With new comics and thousands of back issues, you’ll have no problem finding great reads. And if you’re a strategy gamer, you’ll be mesmerized by shelf after shelf of fantastic items.

 

Cool comics in my collection #439: Sub-Mariner #18, October 1969.

I can’t look at an old Sub-Mariner comic book without thinking of the cartoon from the Sixties with the herky-jerky animation. The best thing about those Marvel cartoons from so long ago are the opening themes. So go check it out. It’s less than 20 seconds long, and I promise to wait…see? Short, sweet, and to the point. In many ways, Prince Namor seems to be one of the most forgotten heroes in Marvel’s lineup. The first Marvel mutant has a long, rich history, debuting in 1939, the same year as Batman. But he’s never come close to the caped crusader’s popularity, perhaps because while Batman may live in a cave, Namor lives in the see and is only half-human. And he speaks not unlike the Mighty Thor, which can be a daunting experience, especially on the screen. Yet I enjoyed his cartoon adventures as a kid. Word is there may be a movie in the future for this mighty being. I for one certainly hope so! The cover price of Sub-Mariner #18 is 15 cents, while the current value is $45.

 

Cool comics in my collection #440: Marvel Premiere #18, October 1974.

There’s a possibility that I’m the last Marvel fan in the universe who still hasn’t seen the Iron Fist show on Netflix. It’s not that I don’t want to see it, but life gets busy sometimes. Reading this issue of Marvel Premiere featuring Iron Fist made me antsy that I’m missing out. But when it comes down to it, I like the experience of reading comic books even more than watching the acted out, be it live action or cartoon. And this issue really hit the spot, because it was published in 1974, which was a very good year for comic books, in my opinion. Seriously, if you take a look back at past episodes of this blog, you’ll find a large number of the cool comics in my collection from that year. I spent most of 1974 as an eleven-year-old, eventually hitting twelve in October, and there was so much to like! Great times with friends, playing Little League Baseball, swimming at the Martins Ferry public pool, stopping in my hometown’s tiny little stores for inexpensive candy, and of course, buying and reading comic books. And let us not forget that 1974 saw the birth of two of my favorite TV shows that year: The Six Million Dollar Man and Planet of the Apes. Yes, these old comic books bring back great memories. The cover price of Marvel Premiere #18 is 25 cents, while the current value is $45.

 

Cool comics in my collection #441: Super-Villain Team-Up #10, February 1977.

If you’re reading this, then you probably love superheroes as much as I do. But where would our heroes be without supervillains? Granted, most of us cheer for the good guys (hopefully!), but every hero needs a foil. Right there on the cover you see a giant head of the Red Skull, with a much smaller Captain America in the palm of his hand. It’s hard to see one without thinking of the other! If I say “Lex Luthor,” who comes to mind? Of course, Superman. Popular heroes tend to have fantastic rogues galleries to do battle with, Batman and Spider-Man having some of the best in the business. Now some of you might be saying, “Hey, didn’t this guy just tell us above that Namor is a hero? And here he is, pictured with Doctor Doom and in a Super-Villain comic book.” Yes, that’s all true. But where Namor is concerned, it’s all a matter of perspective. As Prince of Atlantis, his people always come first. He’s fought often against the Fantastic Four, as well as in partnership with the Fantastic Four. Thought this series lasted just 17 issues, it features great covers and fun stories you may just want to collect. The cover price of Super-Villain Team-Up #10 is 30 cents, while the current value is $16.

 

Recently Read Digital Comics

Moon Knight Vol. 2: Dead Will Rise, covers issues 7-12 of the 7th series of Moon Knight, which came out from November 2015 to April 2015. There is a creative team change with this arc. Warren Ellis handed over the writing chores to Brian Wood, and Greg Smallwood took over the art from Declan Shalvey. One of the best things about these digital collections is that the pricing is typically more affordable than buying individual issues, whether they be paper or digital. Unless of course you can find them in cheap back issue boxes at your local comic shop, and typically it takes some work to dig through and find every issue you’re looking for (these days many shops have sale boxes ranging from 25 cents to $1). Moon Knight is such an enigmatic hero, often using tactics other heroes would never dream of. He has several aliases and personalities, and even his local law enforcement contact is unsure of him. And that’s all part of what makes him such an interesting character. While I liked Volume 1 better than Volume 2, I’m glad I read it, and look forward to the final chapter of this series.

 

 

New Superhero and Supervillain Stories!

I’m excited to announce that I’ve gone to the dark side and will be one of the featured authors in WORLD DOMINATION, A Supervillain Anthology. Along with IT’S A BIRD! IT’S A PLANE! A Superhero Anthology, you’ll get a chance to read some exciting new stories that will appeal to comic book fans. They are available now to pre-order for Kindle, with paperback to follow.