Ed Gosney's Blog, page 39

It’s Planet of the Apes Week!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 78, 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 78…

 

Cool Comics News!

Last week I covered three of the 24 issues in the Walmart variant packs, and promised to tell you about all of them. My plan is to bring you those comics every other week, so that we keep a little variety here. This week, I’m covering one of my greatest childhood passions, The Planet of the Apes!

 

Cool comics in my collection #407: Planet of the Apes #2, October 1974.

I can’t tell you the date that the original Planet of the Apes movie first aired on network television, but I remember watching it, and immediately knowing that it was my new favorite thing. Ape mania took over my neighborhood starting the very next day, as my buddies and I reenacted what we saw on our TVs the night before. But it wasn’t enough. We wanted…no, we NEEDED more apes. And someone was listening, because we were granted four more movies, a TV series that lasted for just one season but in our hearts forever, and a Saturday morning cartoon. And trading cards, Mego action figures, and some other weird toy stuff, too. But better than the trading cards was the Planet of the Apes magazine, full of not only black and white comics, but articles and pictures! For just the price of a dollar, we were granted a few hours of what we saw as the best entertainment money could buy. Those were the days, indeed. All I have to do is look at the cover, and it takes me back in time. I can see myself now, sitting on the couch in my parents living room, a little nervous about the plight of the lost astronauts led by Charlton Heston, and amazed at how awesome the apes looked. The cover price of Planet of the Apes magazine #2 is $1, while the current value is $32.

 

Cool comics in my collection #408: Planet of the Apes #1, April 1990.

In the mid-Nineties, when I was back into buying comic books once more, I discovered that another company, Adventure, had put out some Planet of the Apes comics. It didn’t take long for me to find most of them and add the back issues to my collection for a reasonably low price. The experience definitely wasn’t the same as it had been 20 years before (see above), but if apes were in comics, I needed to collect and read them! I’ve said it here before: comic books can function as time travel devices. And searching for these issues really brought the memories flooding back (much like they are right now). Are these superior comics? That’s for the individual reader to judge. Are they really deserving of being called Cool Comics? To me, they are, if only because I loved all things Apes so much in the Seventies. I bought and read all the paperback novelizations, along with the original Planet of the Apes book, and these comics from the Nineties helped add to that nostalgic feeling I love so much. The cover price of Planet of the Apes #1 is $2.50, while the current value is $4.

 

Cool comics in my collection #409: Planet of the Apes #1, June 2001.

Dark Horse was next in line for licensing the Apes, and this short three issue series is subtitled “The Human War.” Why can’t the humans and apes just get along? This is a theme we often see in science fiction: two sentient species warring against each other, with occasional periods of peace, then the wasp’s nest gets stirred once again. Of course, the stories would be boring without conflict, because no one wants to see Dr. Zaius and Taylor perform musical theater together, do they? OK, maybe they do! (Click it…go ahead, I’ll wait until you get back.) But all kidding aside, it’s interesting how the writers end up getting viewers and readers to sympathize with the apes over the humans. A good example of this is the newer films, and especially Escape From the Planet of the Apes and Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. Do you have a favorite Apes memory, be it comic, movie, book, or TV show? Please feel free to share in the comments section below. The cover price of Planet of the Apes #1 is $2.99, while the current value is $3.

 

 

Recently Read Digital Comics

I got in a couple of quick digital comic reads this week, and a little more progress on a larger digital collection I’m reading, which I’ll talk about here when I’m finished. Since I went with a theme for my print comics, I decided to do the same with the digital, going for a bit of sword and sorcery. First up is Barbarian #1, by Recondite Pictures, published in December 2010, a creator owned comic that I got free from comiXology. The art looks pretty nice, and I love the colors, but as far as the actual story is concerned, I really couldn’t tell much of what was going on. As a matter of fact, even several of the characters within the comic didn’t seem to know what was going on, as this strange barbarian comes out of nowhere, fighting some other strange creature. When we first see the Barbarian, he’s in some kind of full body green suit that he ends up tearing off. I looked at the covers and fan ratings of the subsequent issues, and people liked #2 through #4 (it’s only four issues), but #1 has just a 2-star rating out of 5. I’d give a 3, if just for the cool art. There isn’t much dialogue in this issue, and not much description either, but it was kind of fun, since it was free, and I’d consider giving issue #2 a try sometime.

 

If you’re a fan of Conan the Barbarian, then you’re probably familiar with Red Sonja. I have a few of her Marvel issues, but this one is from Dynamite Entertainment and originally came out in 2005, then added to digital comics in 2010. Robert E. Howard’s creations have entertained fans for decades, and this was a pretty good story. You can buy omnibuses of Red Sonja on comiXology, each containing several hundred pages for a fairly low price. Reading this made me regret my decision to sell my Conan the Barbarian comics when my collection grew too large for my house. You can get Red Sonja: She-Devil With a Sword #0 for no cost on comiXology, so it’s a no lose scenario. If you don’t like it, delete if from your tablet, and don’t look back. But if you enjoy it, it’s nice to know there are so many more adventures you can read.

DC Walmart Variants, Round 2!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 77, 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 77…

 

Cool Comic News!

Back in episode 42, I had a guest blogger, Hank Garner, who runs the Author Stories podcast. Please click on the link and go check out his website, because if you appreciate stories and the people who write them, this is a great place to listen to your favorite authors, including Sherrilyn Kenyon, Alan Dean Foster, Jerry Pournelle, and Anne Rice, just to name a few. Besides, I’m a current sponsor on Hank’s page, so find my ad on the right-hand side and listen to the last couple podcasts, because Hank put in a little commercial for Cool Comics in My Collection just past the 2-minute mark. Awesome!

 

Cool comics in my collection #404: Supergirl #1 (Walmart Variant), April 2017.

On a recent trip to my local Walmart, I decided to take a quick look at the area where I found those DC Walmart Variants last month, and lo and behold, they’d issued another batch! I was able to scoop up all 8 of the sealed 3 issues for $5 sets. Like before, the majority contained Rebirth titles facing the buyer, and it was fun making sure I had each set (the backs show you what’s available) before I left that area. I ended up opening them and putting all the customer facing issues on top of the pile, but if DC and Walmart do more of these in the future, I’ll probably blog about each individual package per week, revealing what mine contain underneath the first issue. Last month when I wrote about these, I just told you about the covers you see in the stores. But this time I’m going to let you know about every issue (24 in all). Supergirl #1, as you can see in the picture, is a Rebirth title. She’s currently popular, due in no small part because of her TV show on The CW. If you’re a fan of the show, just don’t expect these to be part of the same universe. There are some similarities, but the comic is the comic. The cover price of Supergirl #1 is $2.99, while the current value of this variant is $5.

 

Cool comics in my collection #405: Batman: Trinity #1 (Walmart Variant), April 2017.

This title adds to the confusion some of the Walmart Variants have caused. This is actually a variant of the Rebirth comic titled “Trinity.” Why did they feel they needed to make it a Batman-centric title? Probably because he’s a big seller for them, but anyone can see the big three are on the cover, and should have no problem discerning that it’s a comic worth buying. This is the second Rebirth comic I’ve read with the “other” Clark Kent, along with his son, Jon, and of course Lois is his wife. I like seeing the super son in action, because he doesn’t have control of his powers yet, which adds to the conflict. If anyone out there is currently reading this title, let me know what you think of it, since this is the only issue I’ve read. These Rebirth titles are entertaining and I’ll probably end up getting more in the future, although digital comics may be the way I go, because storage space is a never-ending battle for me when it comes to comic books. The cover price of Trinity #1 is $2.99, while the current value of this variant is $5.

 

Cool comics in my collection #406: Batman #52, July 2016.

This is the last published issue of Batman, Volume 2, and it was one of the hidden comics in one of my Walmart Variant sets. It came out just before the whole Rebirth thing started. Of course, I’ve had no idea what’s been going on with Batman and the whole New 52 thing since I stopped reading new comics regularly back in 2003, but I really enjoyed this issue. When I was a child, Batman became my first hero. The campy, live-action TV show caught me in its snare, and I was sold! But my affections drifted away to a certain web-swinger, and though I’d get the occasional Batman issue through the years, it wasn’t until Bruce had his back broken by Bane (alliteration again…it’s been a few weeks since I’ve done that!) that I became a regular reader for a while. I’ve heard mixed reviews on the whole New 52 thing, but I really enjoyed this issue of the caped crusader. The last batch of Walmart Variants gave me a couple other Batman issues from the New 52 years, and I enjoyed them just as much. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older and more nostalgic as the years pass too rapidly, but maybe he’s growing on me again. The cover price of Batman #52 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

 

 

Recently Read Digital Comics

When I became a proponent of digital comics a couple months ago, I really loved the deals you could get with collections of 5 or 6 or even more comics. The problem comes in finding enough time to read them all the way through and then tell you a little about them here each week. We’re all busy these days, even if it’s time spent binging the newest hot show on Netflix. Doggone it, that sort of busy takes away from comic book reading time. And novels and day jobs tend to do the same. I have some really cool collections on my tablet just waiting for me to read them, but I’m trying to keep it to one at a time. And then Thursday quickly rolls around again, and I have too many issues to read to get it done, so then I end up looking over my digital library of free comics for something a little shorter to feature here. So this week I read Wolverine / Punisher #1, which came out in the usual paper format in April 2004 (well, they usually come out a couple months earlier than the date listed on the cover, but that’s what I go by on here). This was part of the Marvel Knights lineup, which started a short time before my retirement from weekly trips to the comic store, and they tend to be a little more on the violent side. And what else do you expect when you throw these two characters into the ring together? This mini-series had a five-issue run, and while I wouldn’t mind reading the rest, I’ve got too much else to read for the next several years. If you’re a big fan of either, and you missed this before, now you can read it on your tablet or PC.

 

Back during my third phase (1993-2003) of regular comic buying and reading, the X-Men and all their off-shoot comics became a huge part of my purchases. You could buy about 7 or so monthly titles, and I got to a point where I was reading them all, which certainly helped during crossover events, but it smacked me hard in the wallet. Those mutants didn’t mean much to me until the Nineties, and the Saturday morning cartoon that first aired in 1992 must have influenced my change of heart. I’d read a short run during my lean, second foray into comic collecting in 1982, but I didn’t stick around them long enough to really care, and besides, newer X-Men entered the scene during the in-between years and changed the dynamics, not to mention the writers and artists I discovered in phase 3. No surprise, then, that I was excited to read X-Men #188 on my tablet. Yet it didn’t take many panel flips (that’s a digital comics thing, for the uninitiated) for me to not like the art or the direction of the story. I know, things change, and this issue came out three full years after I’d stopped buying the X-Men. Still…just the thought of this family of mutants makes me yearn for those early days in the Nineties when I was discovering Gambit, Jubilee, and Bishop for the first time, and geeking out on their powers and personalities.

Cool Comics Goes Back to 1980!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 76, 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 76…

 

Cool comics in my collection #401: Thor #295, May 1980.

Hey comic book fans, for this episode we are traveling back in time to a particular year, 1980! It was the start of my senior year at Martins Ferry High School in Ohio, The Empire Strikes Back was at the theater and everyone had to see it, and you could play a cool new game called PAC-MAN. What else happened in 1980? Tell me your memories in the comments section below (maybe it’s when you were born, got married, bought your first comic book, etc.). Oh yeah, this issue of Thor came out. That’s why we’re here! I didn’t buy it at the time. I was a senior and too cool to be reading comic books. Stupid me. If I could go back in time, there are so many issues I’d buy! I picked this one up in a back issue box in Atlanta when I was in the Army, during the Nineties. By that time, I was no longer worried about my old school friends knowing that I read comic books. I was a Sergeant in the U.S. Army and married to a beautiful woman, who liked to read my comic books also. I always liked Thor, but missed out on lots of stories when I “thought” I was too cool. Thumbs up to back issue boxes! The cover price of Thor #295 is 40 cents, while the current value is $8.

 

Cool comics in my collection #402: Marvel Two-In-One #64, June 1980.

Still pondering what your life was like back in 1980? Here’s a helpful website that may jog your memory. Lots of information here, and I’m sure there are other web pages that would help. Tell us your favorite comic book memory from 1980 in the comments below, or something important in your life, if you feel like opening up a bit. Comic book readers are a sensitive lot. Usually. Just like Benjamin J. Grimm, straight outta Yancy Street. Though Marvel Two-In-One lasted for 100 issues (plus 7 annuals), which is longer than many titles do, I don’t think it ever got the love that it deserved. Each issue featured your favorite orange, craggy rock-like hero, the ever lovin’ blue-eyed Thing, pairing up with or against a bevy of guest stars from the Marvel Universe. This was another title I didn’t buy fresh off the stands until 1982 (so yes, this is another back issue box find), and by that time it was nearing the end. These are fun issues, and if you like the sort of humor and empathy you get with the Thing, you may want to search some of these out (you can probably find many of these, excluding the really early issues, at excellent prices) and feel like a kid again, which older comics have a way of doing. The cover price of Marvel Two-In-One #64 is 40 cents, while the current value is $4.

 

Cool comics in my collection #403: Marvel Team-Up #97, September 1980.

I have a nice little collection of Marvel Team-Up issues, and I knew that Spider-Man appeared in most of these, but I didn’t know until just now, after looking this up, that for the 150 total issues of this comic, Spider-Man is in all but 9. Or 9-and-a-half, if you want to count #126, which has two team-up stories in it, one with and one without Spider-Man. This title produced 7 annual issues, and all but one featured Spider-Man. Add that one to the list, also, if you want. So a Marvel Team-Up comic book without Peter Parker is a rare thing indeed, which brings us to this 1980 gem featuring the Hulk and Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew). The Hulk wasn’t a bad choice to guest in this title without Spider-Man, because he was doing well on network TV at the time, and they did get a spider-person in there, of the female variety. I wonder if there are any collectors who specialize in, for instance, just the issues of Marvel Team-Up that don’t have Spider-Man in them? There probably are. There are collectors for just about everything. If you specialize in anything from 1980, please add it to the comments section below for our time capsule commentary. The cover price of Marvel Team-Up #97 is 50 cents, while the current value is $5.

 

Recently Read Digital Comics

One of the reasons I’m loving digital comics is the discounted savings. And the availability of so many comics I missed out on the first time. And the ease of reading them on my tablet. Not to mention they are easier to store than physical comics, too! Each medium has its advantages, no doubt, and my heart has room for both.

Back in January, Amazon was offering Black Panther: Marvel Masterworks Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 for $4.99 apiece. It didn’t take much thought to click the buy button for each of these, and it was an excellent decision. I recently checked and they are selling for $9.99 on Amazon and $16.99 via comiXology (the cover price for the hardback volume is $64.95).

But what if I decided instead to buy all 18 issues (number 6 – 22, and 24) of Jungle Action contained in this edition? I’d have a hunt on my hands, and maybe have to go to several different comic shops to find them all. And condition would vary, as would prices. I’d possibly have to spend much more than my budget allows. Check out the pricing by clicking here.

If you have both a comiXology and Amazon account, be sure to link them through comiXology (where you sign in), because then when you buy Kindle comics on Amazon you can read them with the comiXology app and take advantage of the Archive feature to store the comics when you finish reading them.

The Black Panther is getting more press today than ever before. He’s in the Civil War movie and will have his own movie in the near future. He has a current run at Marvel, and people are taking much more notice of the character. But my friends and I knew who he was in the Seventies, and we thought he was a pretty cool cat…or panther, at least. It took a while to read all 18 of these issues, but it was worth it, and made me feel awfully nostalgic for my childhood.

This Isn’t Your Father’s Riverdale!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 75, 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 75…

 

Cool comics in my collection #399: Afterlife With Archie #2, January 2014.

Remember those innocent years of reading Archie Comics? Well, they’re over! Afterlife With Archie, written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and drawn by artist Francesco Francavilla, takes you to a Riverdale you never thought you’d see. Granted, America’s favorite teenager has teased us by meeting the Punisher and facing off against a Predator, but those were short glances at what things could look like for the gang from Riverdale if things went south. Whereas Afterlife With Archie gives us the whole enchilada. This series has proven popular enough that the Archie Horror line has expanded, giving us the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (more to come in a future episode of Cool Comics), and who knows what’s next? I’ve got an old box of Archie comics from the Seventies, and believe me, none of them are quite like this series. If you decide to check it out and have trouble finding some issues, keep in mind a trade paperback is out there, and they are available as digital comics from both comiXology and the Archie Comics app. The cover price of Afterlife With Archie #2 is $2.99, while the current value is $10.

 

Cool comics in my collection #400: Riverdale One-Shot, April 2017.

Yes, it’s definitely Archie Week here at Cool Comics, and we celebrate the 400th Cool Comic in My Collection by traveling to Riverdale. This issue is a standalone prequel for the upcoming Riverdale comic that will be a companion series to The CW TV series. What? Did I hear you correctly? You haven’t been watching? It’s just for teens? Well I’m here to tell you that if you’ve ever read any Archie comics, this more serious take (very much modeled after the current Archie series written by Mark Waid, with a splash of the edginess in Afterlife With Archie) on the gang from Riverdale is a keeper, blending Twin Peaks vibes with 90210 soap antics that keep you on the edge of your seat until next week’s episode airs. The casting is great, including Luke Perry (90210 again!), Skeet Ulrich (Jericho), Robin Givens (remember Head of the Class?), Shannon Purser (from the hottest show last summer, Stranger Things), and an upcoming appearance by the queen of Eighties movies, Molly Ringwald, as Archie’s mom. This one-shot, which I picked up yesterday at the ultra-awesome Kenmore Komics in Akron, Ohio, covers what the gang did last summer (doesn’t that sound ominous?), just before the TV series begins. Consider jumping on the Riverdale bandwagon, because with Afterlife With Archie writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa scripting the episodes, who knows what might happen next? The cover price of Riverdale One-Shot is $4.99, and just came out this week.

 

 

Recently Read Digital Comics

Since we’re paying homage to Archie and the gang this week, it was only appropriate that I read some digital Archie comics, so I picked this one out because Kiss is on the cover, so it must be something cool inside. And I was right. Sabrina and the gang decide that she should cast a spell to protect Riverdale against monsters as Halloween approaches, and since Veronica and Reggie have missed recent meetings, they aren’t allowed to be there. Veronica doesn’t take kindly to this, and finds a book with spells in her father’s extensive library. Trouble ensues, and Veronica’s spell and Sabrina’s spell collide, so to speak, and instead it usher’s in monsters. Then the band Kiss magically appear, determined to find and defeat the monsters. As the gang leave to get to their homes, some of them don’t make it, and Archie discovers that Riverdale is becoming “a town full of mindless zombies!” I don’t know how they manage to get out of this mess (I’m guessing Kiss saves the day in the next issue), but I wonder if this comic, which came out in 2012, caught the eye of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa?

 

Don’t you just love geniuses? They’ve helped make life so much better, providing comforts and advanced technology that we probably take for granted. Scorpion is a TV show that features four geniuses who continually save the day (and sometimes the world), not to mention (as I must since this is a blog about comic books and anything else related to them) Fitz and Simmons on Marvels Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. And Daisy is a genius hacker. And Chuck. Remember that show, with the Nerd Herd? Chuck was smart to begin with, then he gets a neural download that changes everything. And there is the new medical show, Pure Genius. I fear it won’t be back next year, and that’s too bad. The hospital combined medical geniuses with technology geniuses to find new ways to save lives. Awesome concept, and I’ll miss it if it gets cancelled. Anyway, back to the Archieverse. Dilton Doiley is Riverdale’s genius teenager, and in this digital exclusive, he gets an opportunity to attend a special school, Brainard University. But what about his friends? This digital issue was free on the Archie App, and there are three more in this series that is exclusive to that medium. That’s right, no print version, so if you want to find out what happens to Dilton, get your tablet and start reading.

100 Pages of Superboy & the Legion!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 74, 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 74…

 

Cool comics in my collection #397: The Amazing Spider-Man #310, December 1988.

It’s always interesting to read comics from several decades ago, because characters and situations tend to change, regardless of the perception that they are just soap operas featuring a villain of the month. Okay, sometimes this is true…but there are differences from when I left Peter Parker in 1982 to this comic in 1988, in which he’s now married to Mary Jane, not to mention that during this late Eighties period, Todd McFarlane took over the art duties before Spawn became a thing (not The Thing; you know, the orange rocky guy). You really notice a difference in the visuals from everything that came before McFarlane started drawing Spider-Man, allowing your imagination to see some of those fights and web-swinging panels as if they were really happening. Now back to the topic of changes. I don’t read the current Spider-Man titles, but I’m getting a taste for them in some of my digital reading, and Peter Parker’s situation is so very different from when I was a kid. And there’s nothing wrong with that. If our heroes never changed, we’d tire of them. Sometimes we do yearn for more simpler times, which is the beauty of back issues. The cover price of The Amazing Spider-Man #310 is $1, while the current value is $16.

 

Cool comics in my collection #398: Superboy #202, June 1974.

As longtime readers know, I absolutely love DC’s “100 PAGES FOR ONLY 60¢” issues that came out in the mid-Seventies, my favorite time for comic books. Since that’s when I started collecting and reading, this period holds a special place in my heart. The drugstore chain where my father worked as a pharmacist usually carried these, and he’d use a pen on the cover to mark his employee discount when I came to the store asking him to buy me another one. Obviously, the writing on the covers devalues the comics, but looking back, I don’t care. I picked up this copy of Superboy at Kenmore Komics a few months back, and I must admit that I miss my dad’s writing across the top, changing the price. My relationship with my father includes Superman fandom, and I think he would have enjoyed this thick issue of Superboy that features reprints from the Sixties. I can’t read any comic related to the Man of Steel without recalling fond memories of my dad. And that’s part of the reason why I’m still reading comics into my fifties. The cover price of Superboy #202 is 60 cents, while the current value is $60.

 

Recently Read Digital Comics

Since I’ve started reading a fair amount of digital comics over the last couple months, I’ve finally been exposed to comics from 2004 to the present. And like everything else in life, change happens. The experience of reading Ultimate Enemy #1 was not unlike flipping through the pages of an issue of What If?, because this reimagining of the Marvel Universe…within the Ultimate line…felt completely foreign to me. I bought and read all the Ultimate comics when they first came out, but stopped in mid-2003. Ultimate Fantastic Four started in 2004, so maybe if I’d read that comic, this wouldn’t have seemed so different to me. But all I had to compare it to was the good old regular Fantastic Four, and this wasn’t it. The story was interesting, and maybe the series would be worth reading, considering there are just four issues. Has anyone else read all four issues of this series? This one was free in the Marvel Comics App.

 

Captain America and the Falcon were a big part of my childhood. I loved those comics, and I remember when Steve quite being the symbol of America, instead becoming the hero named Nomad. And now it seems that Steve Rogers has lost his powers and Sam Wilson, the Falcon, has taken over the mantle of Captain America. This comic is from October 2015, and I really don’t know what the current status is with the title (except now I do, as I see that it’s still ongoing). This digital issue was offered to me as part of a deal in which I could download a few free comics, and I either got it at a movie theater or in a Blu-Ray package. Personally, I like the team-up of the two heroes together, but I’m still living in the Seventies. If you’ve been reading this title and think I should continue the series, feel free to voice it in the comments box below. Once I catch up with all my free comics and a few collections I’ve bought, I may join Marvel Unlimited (a great deal at less than $6 a month!) and I could add it to my reading list.

Back to the Seventies with Marvel Anthologies!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 73, 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 73…

 

Cool comics in my collection #395: Marvel Premiere #26, November 1975.

This is the 8th issue of Marvel Premiere I’ve featured in Cool Comics, and sadly, it’s my last one (unless I buy more). This anthology comic from the Seventies (you knew I’d get back to the Seventies sooner or later, didn’t you?) covers a strange mix of characters, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Sometimes we find characters or teams we like in this fashion, and I appreciate what Marvel did with this title. This issue features Hercules, who spends time in the Marvel Universe as part of the Avengers, and seems to play second fiddle to Thor amongst the pantheon of “Gods.” But ever since I bought and read a Hercules mini-series in the early eighties, I’ve always sort of like the Lion of Olympus, so when I found this one in a back issue box, I knew I had to have it. The cover price of Marvel Premiere #26 is 25 cents, while the current value is $12.

 

Cool comics in my collection #396: Marvel Spotlight #31, December 1976.

How does Nick Fury continue to fight the forces of evil as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D., considering he fought in World War II? Turns out that during the war, he was given something called the Infinity Formula, which he must take annually, or else he’ll age really fast. This story explains much about how the old guy continued to do it. Once more, this particular comic title, Marvel Spotlight, was an anthology title. You could usually jump during any particular month and enjoy the story, which was a nice feature. I didn’t buy this back in 1976 when it was new, but sometime around the year 2000 while digging around in back issue boxes. What’s not to love about these Seventies comics? The cover price of Marvel Spotlight #31 is 30 cents, while the current value is $8.

 

Recently Read Digital Comics

 This week my digital reading to a turn towards the dark and mysterious, starting off with Groom Lake #1 from IDW. This is (or at least was) a freebie on comiXology and perhaps is right up your alley if you enjoy aliens, UFOs, conspiracy theories, etc. Turns out this is a “mature” title, listed for those who are 17 or older. I’ve mentioned on here before that I like my comics to be fun, as they take me back to a time and place long ago, so I don’t particularly like it when they through in unnecessary language and visuals for shock value. If you like the comic, there are just 3 more in this limited series at the affordable price of 99 cents each. I do enjoy the mysteries mentioned in this comic, but I won’t be reading anymore issues.

 

 

The next freebie I read was a bit of a blast from the past. One of THE shows to watch in the Nineties was The X-Files, and this comic explores the origins of Fox Mulder shortly after his sister disappears. Was she abducted by aliens? That’s part of the mystery Fox is trying to solve. I like the concept of this comic, and in subsequent issues we see young Dana Scully on the other side of the country as she investigates the murder of her teacher. If you’re a fan of The X-Files and enjoy the mythology it built, then you’ll probably want to at least give this free issue of The X-Files: Origins #1 a try via comiXology.

 

 

Archie Andrews and the gang in Riverdale are in the middle of a renaissance. Afterlife With Archie pumped some new blood (well, more like drained some blood!) into everyone’s favorite teenager, and then the launch of a new Archie title brought the gang to life in different manner, making each issue build off the previous. It’s some pretty good stuff, if you haven’t tried either yet. And now on The CW, Riverdale is pulling in viewers each week in what seems to be a combination of those two titles, albeit not as bloody as Afterlife. But once upon a time, the gang in Riverdale faced some crazy situations, including aliens, vampires, and dinosaurs in a title called Archie’s Weird Mysteries. This comic title was a companion to an ongoing cartoon, and if you never saw it or read it, you can get a taste by reading the first issue with the Archie Comics app for absolutely free.

Super Cinema Studies a Mixed Bag

My relationship with comic books, superheroes, and seeing this form of entertainment come to life on both television and at the movies is a long one that dates to the Sixties when Adam West and Burt Ward donned their tights every week in living color. The love affair has had its ups and downs as I’ve traveled through life, and though we’ve separated for periods of time, divorce has never entered the conversation.

And for the last few years, things have never been better. So it was with this positive attitude that I began reading one of the newer editions to McFarland & Company’s stable of scholarly books, Marvel Comics into Film: Essays on Adaptations Since the 1940s, edited by Matthew J. McEniry, Robert Moses Peaslee, and Robert G. Weiner. This is the 13th McFarland book I’ve read, and while they’ve ranged from slightly above average to excellent, this book contains such a mixed bag of essays that I can’t rate it any higher than average.

To be honest, I wasn’t exactly sure just what to expect. The Captain America serials from the Forties was a shoe-in, considering the title, and of course I surmised that there would be essays on various movies within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, The X-Men franchise of movies, and the Sony Spider-Man movies. But two essays on the Transformers cartoon movie? And another two on the Elektra movie? I suppose if you want an in-depth look at G.I. Joe: The Movie and the Conan films, you’ll appreciate the essays in Part 2: Licensed Properties.

When I think of seeing my comic book superheroes at the theater or on my TV, “fun” is a key word that pops into my mind. Watching Star-Lord do his distracting dance-off to the Five Stairsteps song “O-o-h Child” in Guardians of the Galaxy is what it’s all about. But when I reached Part 5: The Attempt of Progressivism in the Marvel Universe, things didn’t NOT get easier, like the song promises. Instead, I had to force myself through these four essays that make assumptions and assertions that seem to do nothing but get in the way of enjoying a movie. This is not to say that I’m not sensitive about the way some people are treated, but why does everything have to be so over politicized today? Contained within one of the essays is a statement that a minority hero is relegated to sidekick status in a manner that “coincides with racialized narratives of superheroes that privilege white masculinity. Falcon’s presence serves to reinforce gendered and racialized hierarchies in superhero narratives.” Why does the writer say this? Because in the movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America is seen running much faster than the Falcon. Well duh, Captain America became enhanced via the Super Soldier Serum, so of course he’s faster. Race has nothing to do with it. Each hero has his or her own strength, ability, and talents, and making such a comparison based on race seems to be making an argument out of nothing. Granted, there aren’t as many minority heroes, but I think most comic fans don’t sit back and deduce what that writer said. Instead, they think it’s fantastic that the Falcon can fly with his awesome suit, that Tony Stark, with a bad heart, used his intelligence to build his Iron Man armor, and that the Black Widow has amazing hand-to-hand combat skills. I like heroes of all shapes and sizes, regardless of gender or race. It’s insulting that the writer of this particular essay, a doctoral candidate, tries to push an agenda instead of seeing the reality that one character has been augmented through an experimental procedure. Part 5 of the book took my fun away.

There is an interesting essay that focuses on Iron Man, technology, and comparisons to Cyberpunk Culture that is one of the more interesting in the book; a decent look at the three Punisher films and what has gone wrong; and probably my favorite essay explores the complexities of Magneto as a supervillain. If you have a deep yearning to read all things Marvel, you’ll want to add this to your collection. But I come away from this book trying to forget large parts of it, because I’d rather have a dance-off with Ronan the Accuser than to read this one again.

Harley Quinn Joins Cool Comics!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 72, 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 72…

 

Cool comics in my collection #393: Suicide Squad Most Wanted: Deadshot and Katana #1 (Walmart Variant October 2016), March 2016.

This week’s cool comics episode wraps up the visible issues I bought as Walmart variants last month. While the two issues featured here aren’t part of DC’s Rebirth, they were included in this run of 3-packs. This issue originally came out in March of 2016, while the variant I have is listed as October 2016. While listed as variants, there aren’t a lot of differences on the covers, but those who like to collect such things will be wanting to head to Walmart to search these out. Of course, there were two additional comics in each of these packs, and while I didn’t get anything spectacular, there were some solid issues with good stories of the ones I’ve read so far. A far number of them contained issues of The New 52 comics, which I didn’t buy when they came out, so more fun stuff to read (again, constant readers of this blog know I quit buying comics monthly back in 2003…I still buy comics, mostly back issues, but I do have a subscription to Afterlife With Archie, and I don’t regret it!). I will say I’m not really a Deadshot fan, but it was fun getting this 3-pack along with the rest. The cover price of Suicide Squad Most Wanted: Deadshot and Katana #1 is $4.99, while the current value of this variant is $5.

 

Cool comics in my collection #394: Harley Quinn #21 (Walmart Variant September 2016), December 2015.

The Walmart Harley Quinn Variant cover issue took a little research to find out the original issue date, especially since it renames it as Harley Quinn and Deadshot #1. Eventually I found out that it’s a reprint of Harley Quinn Vol. 2, issue 21. I have no idea why DC decided to use an issue in the middle of a series for this, but they did. I enjoyed reading this comic a lot more than the one above, especially since it had lots of humor. And they used a line about Bat-Shark Repellent, harkening back to those days of yesteryear when Batman: The Movie was something special to a certain young boy. Oh yeah, you know I love comic book nostalgia, and this really hit those memory centers in my brain! By the way, this is the first Harley Quinn comic I’ve read, and I wouldn’t mind reading more in this series. The cover price of Harley Quinn #21 is $3.99, while the current value of this variant is $5.

 

Recently Read Digital Comics

As a longtime Thor fan, it was fun to see some of the happenings with the Asgardian since I’d last left him way back in 2003. The most noticeable change I see in Thor #604, on my digital screen, is the difference in his uniform. It definitely looks more like the one now used in the movies. Having not picked up his comics in so long, I figured the costume change first came from the movie, but it appears I’m wrong. The change is good, although I’m old school and loved the Seventies threads he wore. But no big deal, because Doctor Doom is in the issue, and he’s one of the greatest villains to come out of Marvel, and having Thor and Doom in the same issue is fanboy nirvana.

 

Captain America #1 from 2011 is a touching first issue that has Cap in his civilian guise as Steve Rogers, attending the funeral of Peggy Carter, along with Sharon Carter, Dum Dum Dugan, and Nick Fury. Peggy is being buried in France, and of course there is an assassination attempt on the gang and we are treated to several flashbacks, as someone from the past appears active once more. This is a series I wouldn’t mind reading further, if this first issue is any indication of what comes after. Captain America became one of my heroes back in the Seventies when I first started buying comic books, and this took me back to those simpler days. Great stuff for a free digital comic.

 

 I’ve never heard anyone say they don’t like the Young Justice cartoon, and most folks are so excited that Netflix is giving it a third season. The show is full of teenage superhero angst, along with great plots, great villains, great art, and great scripts. But Young Justice used to be very different. This free digital comic I picked up on comiXology is issue #1, dating clear back to 1998 (it doesn’t seem that long ago when you’re my age!), and features just three characters: Superboy, Robin, and Impulse. Peter David was the writer, and if you’ve read him before, you know there will be plenty of humor. The tone is quite different from the cartoon series. I don’t know what subsequent issues were like, but it’s interesting to see just how different it was in the beginning.

DC, Digital Reads, and a Freebie for You!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 71, 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 71…

 

Cool comics in my collection #391: Superman #1 (Walmart Variant), September 2016.

So far I’ve mostly enjoyed the Rebirth stories I found in the Walmart 3-Packs a few weeks ago, but Superman #1 is probably my favorite so far. This story goes beyond the normal superhero life of saving people, saving the planet, and trying to maintain a normal civilian life. Because what if you have a child with powers (yes, we’ve seen if before with Franklin Richards, David Haller, also known as Legion, and others, but this is Superman, the granddaddy of them all) they can’t yet control. In situations like this, things usually go wrong. And sometimes others want to put a stop to it before it gets out of control. I’m not exactly sure where DC is going with this story, but it looks like it will be an interesting ride. The cover price of Superman #1 $2.99, while the current value of this variant is $5.

 

Cool comics in my collection #392: Wonder Woman #1 (Walmart Variant), August 2016.

If Superman is the granddaddy of superheroes, Wonder Woman is the granny, and this rebirth issue pulls in some familiar characters with Steve Trevor and Etta Candy. Considering that Wonder Woman has made her big screen appearance and will be a future feature film (don’t you just love alliteration?), I would think this Wonder Woman Rebirth series will do pretty well. The additions of Steve and Etta aren’t old school corny, but modern day gritty, which fits the mold well in this age of The Hunger Games fans. If you haven’t read the Amazon Princess in a while, why not start with this series? The cover price of Wonder Woman #1 is $2.00, while the current value of this variant is $5.

 

Recently Read Digital Comics

If money were no object, and, like the late Jim Croce, I had time in a bottle, well, I’d probably want to read further issues of several of my digital comic reads this past week.

By using Amazon Prime Reading, I was able to read the digital version of Archie #6, but most unfortunately, that’s the last issue they are currently offering to Prime members. It looks like if I want to continue, I’ll have to shell out some dollars. And it just might be worth it, because this series, written by Mark Waid, is a pretty cool look at Archie and the gang in the 21st century. No zombies here, but it’s not the typical Archie I grew up with, either. I think the show Riverdale borrowed a little from this, a little from Afterlife with Archie, and a little Archie’s Weird Mysteries.

 

 

 

The digital comics I currently have on my Marvel comic app were all freebies, which is a great way to hook new readers and lasso us in to being regular customers. So I decided to give Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 a try (it’s listed in the store as Lexus Presents…then the title). A couple weeks back I reported here that I’d read Agents of Shield #1: The Coulson Protocols, and I really enjoyed that 6 issue collection. Not the same story with this one, though. I didn’t like the story or art that much. Which makes me happy it was free.

 

 

 

Being that I’ve been out of touch with new comics for over a decade, I had no idea what the Dark Avengers was all about. Issue 1 from 2009 was another Marvel app freebie, and I’m glad I read this one, as it kept my interest and showed a darker side to things in a fun way, with Norman Osborne putting together a powerful team of “heroes.” This one was interesting enough that I wouldn’t someday mind reading more, but it’s not at the top of my list, so it will have to wait a while. But if it’s still being offered for free, grab it now.

 

 

 

Incredible Hulk #1 from December 2011 had a story that sort of personifies the character, seeking solace amongst a hidden race, but yet staying separate from them. I enjoyed the story and art, and it took me back to 1974, reading a Hulk comic in my bedroom in the evening by the lamp on my nightstand. I love it when a comic book takes your mind on a trip back in time. It also made me think a little of the old Hulk TV show, where David Banner (instead of Bruce Banner), tried to set up a life, but the Hulk, and others, always got in the way of happiness, and he’d have to leave town with sad music playing in the background. This is another series I may have to explore further.

 

 

Probably the most fun title I read this week via digital comics was Avenging Spider-Man #1, from January 2012. I’ve liked Spider-Man in team-ups ever since, well, being a big reader of Marvel Team-Up back in the Seventies (had to get another reference to Seventies comics in there!). This comic introduced me to the Red Hulk (Thaddeus Ross) and it was a lot of fun. And the ending to this one really leaves the reader wanting more! I can see Avenging Spider-Man being a digital title I continue to read down the line.

 

 

 

Everybody Loves Free Stuff!

Last October I met this ultra-cool writer named Ted Fauster, and I bought some of his books. So far, I’ve had time to read just one, but wow, what a fantastic story! Now, instead of paying out your cold, hard cash like I did, you can get the same novel I read for free. Seriously. Just click here, fill out the simple little form that’s pictured below, and it’s all yours!

If you want to know a little more, here’s what I said in my review of it on Amazon:

Ted Fauster’s Deomans of Faerel is a smart piece of fantasy that succeeds in immersing the reader into an original story that pleases on many levels. From the world-building to the characters to the plot to the quality of writing, Fauster’s book keeps us constantly entertained and turning pages. I love the unique take on each of the characters. Fauster does a great job of pulling us into his world and making us care. This is the first of a series, and there is no doubt I will be returning to find out what happens to our four heroes on their quest to find the Destiny Scrolls.

This is one adventure that you, as a comic book lover, don’t want to miss out on.

A little more about Ted:

Ted Fauster is an award-winning science and fantasy fiction author. He is the creator of the popular World of Faerel series and the author of numerous other books and short stories. Ted loves meeting people, is an avid tabletop gamer, and a lover of retro arcade games, especially pinball. Ted lives in Portland, Oregon but takes to the road each year in his vintage Winnebago aptly named, The Aluminum Faulcon.

The Jurassic Chronicles is here!

The Jurassic Chronicles is alive and well and definitely not extinct! Part of Samuel Peralta’s best-selling Future Chronicles anthologies, this exciting collection contains a variety of writers, including some USA Today and NY Times bestselling authors.

I’ve been excited about The Jurassic Chronicles for a while because, and let’s face it, who doesn’t love dinosaurs? There’s another reason I’m excited about it…what was it now? Oh yeah, I have a story in this one! If you’ve read my novel Prometheus Stumbles or my short story “Practice,” then you’re already familiar with Fred Wichman. If you don’t have a history with Fred and aren’t sure what to expect, hang on, because it’s a wild ride!

For a limited time, you can purchase The Jurassic Chronicles for the unbelievably low price of 99 cents. After you download it, just make sure you come up for air every once in a while during your reading binge!

There are already a handful of reviews on Amazon, and it’s climbing the ranks, hanging out with some of the current best-sellers. Want to know more about the stories? Take a look:

 

Fatal Mutation (Anthony J Melchiorri)

A Baltimore beat cop is called to check out screams coming from a run-down laboratory. But when she answers the seemingly routine call, she finds herself embroiled in a deadly race to solve a terrifying mystery compounded by two hundred million years of evolution.

Noble Savage (Terry Maggert)

Other worlds are possible through the massive engine of The Point project, but where it leads will reveal that humanity is the alpha predator only as long as it remains on Earth. With the promise of unlimited power, one woman will make the decision to match wits with beings who are not our equal. They’re better.

An Implant and a Hard Place (Zen DiPietro)

To achieve her dream of becoming a cyberneticist, Brak had to fight everything it means to be Briveen. Now, she has to wrestle with her morals. Can she disregard them in order to help other people?

Szcar’s Trial (Harry Manners)

Another hunt, ruined. Szcar faces exile from her pack. Without them, she faces a slow death in the desert, if hungry jaws don’t find her first. But a strange flying orb has appeared from across the sands, and with it comes Szcar’s last chance to win her pack’s respect.

Glitch Mitchell and the Island of Terror (Philip Harris)

A routine flight turns to terror when Dwayne “Glitch” Mitchell and his friends crash land on an island filled with deadly creatures from Earth’s distant past. But is it just a land that time forgot, or is there something more sinister at work?

The Screaming of the Tyrannosaur (Stant Litore)

The Hunger Games meets The Lost World. In the far future, young athletes compete with tyrannosaurs. In space.

Ugly (Laxmi Hariharan)

When Zoya inherits a piece from the asteroid that ended the Jurassic Age, she also unearths a secret that will change the destiny of Earth forever.

Cryptoscience (Emily Mah)

Daryl McPhie was once a reputable biologist, but he’s frittered his credibility away, investigating cryptozoology. When a known snake oil salesman approaches him with a creature that just might be real, it should be the happiest day of his life. And yet—redemption doesn’t come easily.

Victor Mula’s Earth Dream (M. J. Kelley)

Long after Earth’s demise, select plants, animals, and genetic records are all that remain of the mythical home world. Collecting these remnants, Victor Mula breaks deals and then disappears. When Flint loses his crew and starship working for Mula, he vows to find him, discover his secret, and exact revenge.

The Thundering Grind of Jurassic Gears (Ed Gosney)

Fred Wichman waited 14 years for the most realistic, animatronic dinosaurs ever built to come back to his local zoo. It was also 14 years ago that Fred’s psionic powers kicked in. And he’s been practicing ever since, becoming, in his mind, a great artist. It was supposed to be a good day. A nice time to spend with his mother. But when Fred’s nemesis from school shows up, the day turns out better than he could have imagined.

A Spear for Allosaur (Victor Milán)

Peasants of Nuevaropa have begun reporting attacks from what the Book of True Names called an Allosaurus fragilis. Karyl Vladevich Bogomirskiy—scion of a family of dinosaur-slayers—is asked to deal with the monster, and his worst nightmare has just begun.

Monsters (Piers Beckley)

In the near future, technology has made it possible to re-engineer the human genome and alter the body you wear by splicing in the DNA of other creatures. Some people choose to become cats or foxes. And some people choose to become monsters.

Please Accept My Most Profound Apologies for What is About to Happen (But You Started It) (Seanan McGuire)

Dr. Constance O’Malley was twelve when the film Jurassic Park came to the theater near her house.  She stole five dollars from her mother’s purse, using it to purchase a ticket into the flickering splendor of a future she now wants to make real.

 

Happy reading, folks!