Ed Gosney's Blog, page 41

Wonder Man, Hercules, and Warlock Take Over!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 60, 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 60…

 

Cool comics in my collection #363: Wonder Man #1, September 1991.

This past Saturday I held my panel on comic book nostalgia (Reflections on Our Collections) at Con on the Cob in Richfield, Ohio. It was a lot of fun, and while there were plenty of available seats, those who attended seemed to enjoy this opportunity to discuss why we love comics. One of the more interesting topics revolved around our love of comics that aren’t popular, but for various reasons each of us has fond memories and a desire to complete those collections. In other words, the New Universe, Ultraverse, Milestone, and other comic worlds felt the love on Saturday. That’s part of what makes it all fun. We don’t all have to like the same thing, yet we all have that comic book love. And that’s why I decided to go with Wonder Man this week. The issue (all his issues, actually) is worthless as far as resale value goes, but do I care? No, I don’t. I like Simon Williams, and have most of the issues in this run. And someday I hope to have all of them. And who knows, maybe he’ll become more popular after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 comes out in May, because when you look at the movie on IMDB, you can see that Nathan Fillion will be playing Simon Williams. YES! The cover price of Wonder Man #1 is $1, while the current value is $1.

 

Cool comics in my collection #364: Marvel Team-Up #28, December 1974.

It’s really hard for me to stay away from the awesome comics of the Seventies, and you can see why with this cool team-up issue featuring Spider-Man and Hercules. And while Spider-Man is ultra-popular and probably the face of Marvel, Hercules isn’t the first character most collectors think of, and certainly not the movie fan base, since we haven’t seen the Lion of Olympus…the Prince of Power…on the big screen with Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America. And we may never see him in a Marvel movie. But you know what? I like Marvel’s version of Hercules. And having him team-up with Spider-Man just seems like icing on the cake. And for those who don’t know, the majority of issues of Marvel Team-Up feature Spider-Man, but there were a few in which he didn’t appear. These were great fun to read as a kid, and I treasure the memories they bring back. The cover price of Marvel Team-Up #28 is 25 cents, while the current value is $12.

 

Cool comics in my collection #365: Warlock and the Infinity Watch #1, February 1992.

Warlock is my third cool character featured this week that doesn’t get enough credit. His role with the Infinity Gems (which are all over the Marvel Cinematic Universe) is extremely important in the comic book world. Or at least it was back when this issue came out in 1992. The Infinity Watch members act as guardians of the different gems, and this was a fun comic to read, especially if you read and kept up with all the different Infinity mini-series (The Infinity Gauntlet, The Infinity War, The Infinity Crusade…etc.). And several of the characters ended up in The Guardians of the Galaxy movie (Drax, Gamora, and Thanos), so if you liked it, you may be interested in reading these. So if you’re interested in the underlying subplot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and want to learn more about the gems via the comic books, this is a comic series you should consider looking for. The cover price of Warlock and the Infinity Watch #1 is $1.75, while the current value is $6.

Love for The Legion of Super-Heroes!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 59, 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 59…

 

Cool comics in my collection #360: Legion of Super-Heroes #286, April 1982.

If I can be accused of anything on this blog, it’s that I may be too sentimentally attached to Seventies era comics. Especially when they’re Marvel. Yet I’ve done theme weeks on here from Saturday Morning cartoons to TV shows to Westerns, but Marvel comics from the Seventies seem to be my go-to nostalgic blogs. So, this week (and this certainly isn’t the first time) I’m going all DC, and not a one of them is from the Seventies. This issue is my very first Legion of Super-Heroes comic. During my freshman year at Ohio State, a friend got me back into reading and collecting for a short time, and introduced me to this team that has so many members I couldn’t begin to remember them from month to month, but they certainly made an impression on me. From my perspective at the time, they were new, fresh, and had powers I’d never seen in comics before. And during the ten months I kept coming back to this team, I had a blast. In many ways I wish it would have gone on for longer, but I have a feeling I’ll be reading more of these comics someday in the future. The cover price of Legion of Super-Heroes #286 is 60 cents, while the current value is $6.

 

Cool comics in my collection #361: Valor #6, April 1993.

My longest comic book collecting period ran from 1993 to 2003, and it was during this stretch that I came to know Valor. Lar Gand is a Daxamite, who came to be known as Mon El. If you aren’t familiar with the character but that name sounds vaguely familiar, perhaps you watch Supergirl on The CW. Yes, this is THAT guy. The one with powers but no costume yet. You could say he’s sort of a Superman knockoff, and you wouldn’t be all that wrong, considering the Daxamites are related to the Kryptonians, and I have no problem with that. Oh, and Snapper Carr is in this issue. Again, he’s now on Supergirl. The Valor comic, short-lived as it was, provided fun entertainment and again helped me learn more about the DC universe. And that’s what a large part of collecting comics in the early Nineties was for me, a learning process. I’d been out of the hobby for over a decade, and didn’t know much of what was going on. So instead of just sticking with typical iconic characters like Spider-Man and Batman, I stretched myself and tried a lot of different things on for size to see what I liked. I had a lot of fun doing it, and the memories of those times will always be there for me. The cover price of Valor #6 is $1.25, while the current value is $2.25.

 

Cool comics in my collection #359: The Legacy of Superman #1, March 1993.

This special issue tied in to the whole “Death of Superman/Funeral for a Friend” story running through DC comics, and was a nice addition to the bunch, helping me learn more about the current state of DC Comics and especially characters I’d never seen before. One of my favorites was a creation of Project Cadmus, Dubbilex, a clone with telepathic powers. Other cool guests in this comic include Rip Hunter (yes, the Rip Hunter from the television show Legends of Tomorrow), Guardian, Doomsday, Thorn, and Waverider. Wait a minute…Waverider? Isn’t that the ship that Rip Hunter uses in Legends of Tomorrow? Yes it is, but Waverider is a time traveler in the DC Comic universe. At least he was back in the Nineties. Since I stopped buying new comics in 2003, I really don’t know the current state of the universe. And I don’t mind not knowing the new stuff. I love the old. And that’s why I love doing this blog on comic book nostalgia. Because it allows me to travel back in time to some of my best memories. The cover price of The Legacy of Superman is $2.50, while the current value is $4.

 

Comic Book Nostalgia: Reflections on Our Collections

This Saturday, November 12, from 11 a.m. to noon, I’ll be doing my comic book nostalgia presentation for the fourth time this year. It’s a lot of fun to talk about our comic collections in a setting of like-minded people, which you’ll find at Con on the Cob! I have free comic books to give away, so hope to see you there.

 

The Good Old Days of 100 Page Comics!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 58, 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 58…

 

Cool comics in my collection #357: The Amazing Spider-Man #142, March 1975.

Mysterio is a long-time Spider-Man villain, first appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man #13 in June 1964. Regardless, I’ve never been a fan. Not that I’d turn down issue 13 if someone wanted to give me a copy (and that’s not going to happen!), but to me he’s just not a fun character. But that’s beside the point. This issue starts off the Gwen Stacy clone saga. When the big Spider-Clone saga ran from 1994-1996, fans were scrambling to get these back issues from the Seventies, especially issue #149. Of course, as a proud Spider-Man collector in the Seventies, I was one of the fortunate ones who already owned these issues. Later, some people started putting down both the original clone story (and the later one in the Nineties), but I remember with fondness how exciting it was each month to run to the little store in Martins Ferry, Ohio, where I bought my comics, then get back to my bedroom so I could live these moments with Peter Parker. Great memories. The cover price of The Amazing Spider-Man #142 is 25 cents, while the current value is $55.

 

Cool comics in my collection #358: Captain Marvel #6, October 1968.

When this comic book came out in 1968, I would have soon been turning six years old, and I’m not sure I even knew what a comic book was. But if I had known, surely I would have convinced my parents to buy me this issue of Captain Marvel. Well, probably not. More than likely I would have asked for a Batman comic book, because he had the coolest TV show at the time. And Mar-Vell wasn’t a character I started exploring until the Nineties. I can remember seeing the Captain Marvel comics on the store shelves, but the only Captain Marvel I really knew at all at the time was the Big Red Cheese. Yet there was something about this Kree warrior that caught my attention, and since the Nineties I’ve been slowly collecting back issues of this series when I can find them at a decent price. I wish I had them all, but part of the fun is in the chase. The cover price of Captain Marvel #6 is 12 cents, while the current value is $70.

 

Cool comics in my collection #359: World’s Finest Comics #226, November 1974.

Back when I was a kid collecting comic books in the Seventies, the best bang for your buck was DC’s 100 page giants. That’s right, 100 pages for just 60 cents! I’ve covered all the 100 page giants I bought in my little home town of Martins Ferry, Ohio, in this blog over the past 50 some episodes, so now I’ll start covering the ones I bought as back issues. Recently, I decided I needed more of these thick comics packed with plenty of story, so I visited my local comic shop, Kenmore Komics, and picked some up, then went back again and got even more. The one featured here cost me $10, which is a lot more than the cover price, but when collecting older issues, you quite often have to dish out more cash. One of the things I like about the World’s Finest title is the variety of characters you get. This issue features Superman, Batman, Deadman, Metamorpho, Eclipso, Sandman, the Martian Manhunter, and more! The cover price of World’s Finest Comics #226 is 60 cents, while the current value is $55.

 

Recently Read

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that my favorite period of comic books is the Seventies. And it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why. It’s the period when I started collecting as a kid, and part of the joy and lore of this hobby is the nostalgic feelings we get looking at the issues that were so important to us as kids. Ms. Marvel’s original series began in 1977, a time when my comic book buying habits were slowing down, so I didn’t bother considering buying it when it came out. But I started finding back issues of it in the mid to late Nineties, and continued picking up an issue here or there when I could find them at a decent price. Finally, this year, I picked up two of the last three issues I needed. But I couldn’t find issue #9 anywhere. I considered buying it via mail-order or eBay, but decided to wait for a while. And the next thing you know, just a couple months ago, my daughter’s boyfriend, Ryan, surprised me with a gift of Ms. Marvel #9! Finally, I’d be able to read all 23 issues chronologically. And it was something to savor, as the ads are just as important as the story. These are little time portals to my past, and I love every minute of the experience. Sure, the stories are dated, but I lived through the period, so I understood the issues the writers covered. If you’ve set any goals to complete a collection of a run, more power to you!

“Listen to them, the children of the night.”

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 57, 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 57…

 

Cool comics in my collection #354: Frankenstein #17, July 1975.

So here we are, just a few days away from the most “Spooktacular” day of the year, and I wrap up my monstrous month of October with my favorite classic horror icons. I suppose that because I’m on the other side of 50, I tend to hold a special place in my heart for these creatures rather than many of the more popular frights of the last several decades, but I know I’m not alone. As a lover of both comic books and novels, I truly appreciate these creations, and especially so when they have traceable literary origins, such as the Frankenstein Monster does. Today, young Mary Shelley would be financially stable if her creation were just as big of a hit as it has been since Boris Karloff starred in Frankenstein on the big screen. If you’ve never watched the old Universal Monster movies, maybe this is the time to give them a try. And if you like to see the different monsters mixing it up, some of the sequels do a fun job with that, such as “Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman” and its follow-up, “House of Frankenstein.” Oh, and the comics are smartly written and I strongly recommend them. The cover price of Frankenstein #17 is 25 cents, while the current value is $14.

 

Cool comics in my collection #355: Werewolf by Night #8, August 1973.

Though we don’t get Lon Chaney’s cursed character of Larry Talbot, Jack Russell fills the fur nicely. Werewolf by Night is a comic I truly regret not buying monthly during my childhood (for that matter, I wish I’d bought all three of these titles monthly!), but I’ve been fortunate to pick up some issues here and there for reasonable prices. When I was a kid, the Wolf Man (and werewolves in general) was my favorite monster. I remember one Halloween when I used a special monster make-up kit to affix “hair” to my face, using spirit gum to make it stick. I also put some on the back of my hands, and attached false claws, along with plastic fangs for my mouth. It took a while to get myself ready, but at the time, I could hear Hollywood calling for my services as a make-up artist for monster movies. That idea faded, so instead I blog about my childhood memories and write my own stories about monsters and heroes. I hope you have some awesome Halloween memories too, and maybe reading this brought some to mind. The cover price of Werewolf by Night #8 is 20 cents, while the current value is $60.

 

Cool comics in my collection #356: Tomb of Dracula #40, January 1976.

The granddaddy of classic monsters is, no doubt, the vampire. When I started getting old enough to watch monster movies in the Seventies, movies with these vicious bloodsuckers always terrified me more than any other monsters. My sisters and I would watch Chiller Theater on Saturday nights with host Bill “Chilly Billy” Cardille, and when he had movies like “Dracula Has Risen From the Grave,” I’d get a little extra ball of fear in the pit of my stomach. Christopher Lee could almost make you believe vampires were real! And then came “Kolchak: The Night Stalker,” with a vampire in the first made-for-TV movie, and then a vampire once again in the ongoing series. For some reason these fanged undead gave me the biggest frights. As a kid, I much preferred werewolf movies like Oliver Reed in “The Curse of the Werewolf,” or the ones in which radiation makes giant insects…or even giant mutant rabbits, like “Night of the Lepus.” DeForest Kelley is actually in that one. But even with my fear of vampires, I loved monster movies and magazines, but I never got into monster comic books as a kid. Too bad, because reading them now as an adult shows me just what I missed out on during my youth. Yet when I read them today, I’m transported to another time and place, so there are advantages. The cover price of Tomb of Dracula #40 is 25 cents, while the current value is $35.

Batman and Blade Battle the Baddies!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 56, 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 56…

 

Cool comics in my collection #351: Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special #1, December 1993.

When I started my third phase of comic book collecting, the Batman Knightfall storyline was in full swing, and I jumped on the bandwagon to read all about the caped crusader and his battle with Bane, broken back and all. Then I saw that a special Halloween issue would be coming out under the Legends of the Dark Knight title, to be written by Jeph Loeb. I knew I had to have it, and the bonus is that Scarecrow, Jonathan Crane, was the featured villain. Scarecrows and Halloween tend to go hand-in-hand, and this was a beautiful comic with thicker covers, slick, glossy pages, and cool art by Tim Sale. I’m not old enough to have seen it when first released, but when I was young, I saw repeats of Disney’s The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh, and I remember how it creeped me out. It’s funny how when we are young, certain things often scare us, but we like that feeling, leading some of us to a lifelong love of horror. When handled right, scarecrows with brains are deliciously fun to read about and/or watch. And it’s a bonus when a scarecrow battles the Dark Knight. The cover price of Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special #1 is $6.95, while the current value is $7.

 

Cool comics in my collection #352: Blade: The Vampire Hunter #2, August 1994.

I don’t know about you, but when October rolls around, thoughts of Universal Monsters stroll through my head, along with some of the Hammer Horror movies. And while ghosts, witches, and goblins dominate Halloween decorations, when I think of the dark holiday, the top dog in my book is Dracula. I prefer the Christopher Lee version of the Count when it comes to movies, but any of them will do in a pinch when trying to get into the spirit of black and orange. But some people aren’t all that fond of Dracula. Namely, Blade the Vampire Hunter! Many of you readers are probably familiar with this character from Marvel comics, although some might only have seen the movie versions. But most importantly, Blade wants to put Dracula and all vampires down for good! So if you’re a fan of the Van Helsings of the world, Blade might be the hero you need in your corner this October 31st. The cover price of Blade: The Vampire Hunter #2 is $1.95, while the current value is $3.

 

Cool comics in my collection #353: Arrgh! #4, July 1975.

If you’re old enough to remember the late Darren McGavin (you know, the dad from A Christmas Story) as Kolchak: The Night Stalker, both the movie (along with The Night Strangler) and the TV show from the mid-Seventies, then this issue of Arrgh! probably makes you feel nostalgic, as it features The Night Gawker! This is certainly not typical of the sort of comic books I bought as a kid, but I’m glad I have it. Usually if I wanted some humor, I’d find it in the pages of Cracked or Mad Magazine. Yet I have this one, and I love the old Kolchak books, movies, and TV shows, so I’m a pretty fortunate guy! If you’ve never watched any of them, it’s worth your time to hunt them down. The TV series from 1974 happens to be on Netflix, so it doesn’t get much easier than that. The Night Stalker was very influential in the creation of The X-Files, and both series are worth your time if you are monster fan. The cover price of Arrgh! #4 is 25 cents, while the current value is $25.

 

 

Things That Go Bump in the Night!

Frae ghosties and ghoulies, long-leggetie beasties,

                  And things that go bump in the night,

                                                   Good lord deliver us.

                                                           – From an old Scottish Litany

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 55, 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 55…

 

Cool comics in my collection #348: The Supernaturals #1, December 1998.

When I started my third phase of comic collecting (1993 – 2003), I wanted to get some cool monster comics since that was something I neglected to purchase in phases one (Seventies) and two (early Eighties). So when I saw this series come out at my local comic shop, Kenmore Komics in Akron, Ohio, I made sure to pick it up. As I said last week, October is about monster and scary comics, and this series had an interesting mix of characters, from Doctor Voodoo to Ghost Rider to Werewolf by Night to Satana to Jack O’Lantern. And it also had the likes of Doctor Strange, Hank Pym, Spider-Man, Thor, Iron Man, and many more. Sort of an odd mix, but really a bunch of fun for long-time comic book fans. In the nearly 18 years since this came out, I guess it really never caught since the price never went up. Which may just be good news for those of you out there who want to try to find it. The cover price of The Supernaturals #1 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

 

Cool comics in my collection #349: The Nocturnals #1, January 1995.

If you’re looking for interesting comics during the month of October to put you in the Halloween mood, here’s another little series of comics that won’t break the bank. I bought The Nocturnals while stationed at Fort McPherson in Atlanta, Georgia, many years ago. This is a fun little series with cool art by Dan Brereton (he also wrote it, and did the colors and the covers), and if this doesn’t make you think Halloween, I don’t know what will. One of the characters is even named Halloween Girl. There is also the Gunwitch, Doc Horror, Firelion, and more. It’s a six issue series, so you may want to see if your local shop has it in stock for your holiday reading pleasure. I love the covers and think the color choices really capture the mood. And if you tend to stick to just the usual Marvel and DC, this is a good opportunity to see what other companies have done, since this was published by Malibu. The cover price of The Nocturnals #1 is $2.95, while the current value is $3.

 

Cool comics in my collection #350: The Tomb of Dracula #37, October 1975.

Wow! I can’t believe that I’ve now had 350 individual cool comics listed here! And this one is a fun one, because who doesn’t love Dracula? And this issue is dated October 1975, so the month is perfect for my monster month this October! (Okay, I realize that comics are usually dated a month or two ahead, but who cares when we’re looking back and feeling misty eyed over such four color fun?) I turned thirteen in October 1975, and loved monsters and monster movies, but, as I’ve stated here before, I really didn’t buy monster comics during that period. I did, however, buy some monster magazines and still have all of them to this day. Not to mention my cool Aurora Monster models that are lined across the top of a couple of my bookshelves. Of course Dracula’s head needs to be glued back on, and a few others need some repair work, but I recently picked up some model glue and plan on breathing life back into them. I’m sure many of you did read The Tomb of Dracula during the Seventies, and watched a bunch of old monster movies, including the Christopher Lee Hammer Horror Dracula moves. Fun stuff for Monster Kids. If any of this brings back memories, be sure to tell us your story in the comments field near the bottom of the page. I’d love to hear it. The cover price of The Tomb of Dracula #37 is 25 cents, while the current value is $20.

Monster Comics All October!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 54, 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 54…

 

Cool comics in my collection #345: Book of the Dead #1, December 1993.

Since it’s October, I’m going to go with scary comics and monster comics for the month. First up is Book of the Dead, with a nice cover featuring the Man-Thing and Frankenstein’s Monster in the top left corner. This is one of the earlier comics I picked up in Atlanta, Georgia, when I started collecting them again after a decade away from the hobby. Four comics made up this mini-series, and all I bought was this issue. I don’t remember why I didn’t get the others, but at least I have this issue. One of my current goals is to collect the Frankenstein short run of comics that Marvel put out in the Seventies, so I can appreciate that this comic contains the character. The Monster is so iconic, whether in the form of Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s original vision, or the 1931 film version featuring Boris Karloff. I’ll take them both! And by the way, if you’re a reader of books, also, Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein series of books is a fun read for fans. The cover price of Book of the Dead #1 is $1.75, while the current value is $4.

 

Cool comics in my collection #346: Werewolf by Night #7, July 1973.

I didn’t buy any of the Seventies run of Werewolf by Night in the Seventies. I remember seeing his comic on the shelves, along with the usual superhero crowd of Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, and Captain America. I always thought the covers were pretty cool, but monsters were meant for movies, models, and magazines, not comic books, I told myself. Mistakenly. Yes, this is one of the regrets of my childhood. If only I could go back in time with a pocket full of quarters…. And now the back issues sell for a pretty penny. Still, you can pick them up in decent condition for prices that won’t break the bank when you want to step back to your childhood. Only there’s nothing like being twelve years old and coming home from the comic shop with a bag full of adventure. The cover price of Werewolf by Night #7 is 20 cents, while the current value is $60.

 

Cool comics in my collection #347: House of Secrets #126, December 1974.

I’ll be the first to admit that some of the DC titles in the Seventies scared me. Like this one, House of Secrets. They had creepy, supernatural stories. Give me Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula, the Wolf Man, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon any day over ghosts, witches, and evil spirits. Well, at least back in my younger days they scared me a lot. Now, not so much, but comics like House of Secrets set my nerves on edge sometimes. I didn’t buy this one new, but picked it up at a used bookstore in Wheeling, WV, called The Paradox Bookstore. It’s a great place to explore, and when I was a kid, the owner sold back issue comics for just a dime apiece. When the leaves begin to turn and there’s a chill in the air, when the sun sets much too soon and you pick up your step to walk a little faster as the evening comes quicker, you may just find yourself pulling out a box of old comic books and looking for something scary to read. But if you start hearing noises at night when you try to fall asleep, don’t say I didn’t warn you. The cover price of House of Secrets #126 is 20 cents, while the current value is $20.

 

Fun Stuff!

This Saturday, October 8, the comic book nostalgia panel I created earlier in the year will be a part of Imaginarium 2016. First presented at Concoction in Cleveland this past March, then a few months later at OddMall in downtown Akron, Ohio, the panel is now moving further south to Louisville, KY! There are six of us sitting on the panel this time, and it should be a lot of fun. I’ll have some books and comics to give away to those in attendance. Below is a description of what this panel is all about. Maybe I’ll see some of you there!

Comic Book Nostalgia: Reflections on Our Collections

For this panel, we will discuss when and why we started collecting comics, early comic book memories, the love and care of our comics, and what a “valuable” comic means to a collector. Sometimes we buy and collect titles not because they are going to help send our children to college, but because we find the stories and art compelling. And sometimes we want to put together an entire run of a title simply because of the memories they invoke in us. For whatever reason you collect comics, you will feel nostalgic as our panelists discuss their comic book memories, from childhood to adulthood, including the sometimes heartbreaking decisions of having to cull their comic book collection.

Origins: One of the Highlights of the Seventies

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 53, where we take a nostalgic look comic books I currently own (and in some sad cases, ones that I let get away).

If you read Episode 52, then you know that seven comics is no longer the norm here. Instead, it will be anywhere from one to seven. In addition, I’ve also added a new little section called Recently Read that will appear here on occasion.

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 53…

 

Cool comics in my collection #344: Origins of Marvel Comics, January 1974.

An immediate confession: I don’t have the first edition of this awesome graphic novel that came out in 1974. That trade paperback has a $5.95 cover price and is worth $75 today. But a later printing is just fine with me. So I got this sometime in the mid-seventies, and it feels like it became a part of me. This wonderful book covers the origins and an additional story of some of Marvel’s greatest creations, which was just what I needed to truly understand where my heroes came from. If you own this, maybe you felt the same way. Even now when I pick it up I’m jettisoned back to my childhood. The feeling isn’t the same as my first read of it, but it’s about as close as I can get to time traveling. Origins of Marvel Comics contains the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, the Amazing Spider-Man, Thor, and Doctor Strange. There are other hardcovers and trades that contain these origin stories, but in the Seventies, there was nothing else like this, and that makes it a cool comic in my collection. The cover price of Origins of Marvel Comics is $6.95, while the current value is $25.

 

Recently Read

Way back in episode 23 (Warp Speed Ahead! It’s Science Fiction Week, March 23, 2016), Cool comics in my collection #160 was Star Trek: Planet of the Apes, The Primate Directive. I was excited to feature this comic because it contained two of my favorite franchises. What I didn’t mention was that I hadn’t actually read it. That happens sometimes in CCIMC. Just because I haven’t read an issue doesn’t mean it doesn’t belong here! But last week I finally got around to reading it, and it didn’t disappoint. If you know those two universes, it makes reading this all the sweeter. So if you are a fan, you’ll probably enjoy it.

CCIMC Turns One with Episode 52!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 52, where we take a nostalgic look at six cool comic books I currently own, and one that I let get away.

It’s hard to believe that I’ve put out one-years’ worth of episodes (49 written by me, and three guest hosts – Gary Wilton, Kevin Summers, and Hank Garner). Doing this blog has been a blast, and I appreciate all of the readers out there, along with all the nice comments I’ve received (especially Rob McClellan and the gang at the Comic Book Realm forums!).

So while I’m celebrating this achievement of seeing Cool Comics in My Collection hit its one-year anniversary, I’m also letting you know that the blog will be seeing some change. I put more time into doing this than meets the eye (I have to track all of this in several different documents and in various ways to make sure I don’t do any repeats!), and over the next couple years I need to concentrate a bit more on my fiction writing. So the change you’ll be seeing here is that my current format of covering seven comics a week is no longer the norm. What is the new norm, you ask? There isn’t one. Some weeks I might cover one comic, while the next week I might cover an entire mini-series. And on occasion I may also include other fun comic-related comments and items.

But the nostalgic aspect will remain. Also, I hope to get more guest hosts throughout the next year, so if you’ve been considering it, now is the time! Whether you want to cover one comic, or two, or seven, the choice is yours. It is my hope that you enjoy reading it and will continue walking down this comic book lane of memories with me.

For each of the comic books below, 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), as long as there are seven comics in your episode (you can still own all seven, or do it like me and include one you no longer own). 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 52…

 

Cool comics in my collection #337: Superman #306, December 1976.

Since this is my one-year anniversary of the blog, I wanted to include titles with characters I have a history with, or am a big fan of, or…just because these are popular comics. Superman has been a part of my life since I was a kid. I loved watching both the reruns of the old black and white TV series and the Saturday morning cartoon Super Friends. Another reason Superman is special to me is because my dad read Superman comics from the very beginning, and we had a special bond because of the Man of Steel. I remember going to the theater with him to watch the Christopher Reeve 1978 movie and how excited he was to see it. Then later, when the famous “Death of Superman” comic came out, he bought a copy for me and I started collecting all over again, and we both read Superman comics for a number of years. Great memories, and that’s what it’s all about. My dad, who passed away back in 2001, suffered through a couple heart attacks, double and then triple bypass surgeries, and four different bouts of cancer. And I never heard him complain. He was my real life superhero. The cover price of Superman #306 is 30 cents, while the current value is $10.

 

Cool comics in my collection #338: Thor #267, January 1978.

When I was a kid, I wasn’t real keen on Thor, but I picked up some reprint issues (Marvel Spectacular – although I didn’t realize they were reprints at the time), and then I got him monthly for a short time in the early eighties when I was a student at Ohio State. I remember watching the 1988 made-for-TV movie “The Incredible Hulk Returns,” which includes Thor, and how disappointed I was in the portrayal of the God of Thunder. The Sixties cartoon version that lacked much movement is far more interesting in my opinion. At any rate, I started reading Thor regularly in the Nineties and bought a number of back issues (this being one of them), and I’m enjoying reading them now, many years later. And I am happy with the current Thor movies and his appearances in the Avengers movies. He’s definitely become one of my favorite comic heroes. The cover price of Thor #267 is 35 cents, while the current value is $10.

 

Cool comics in my collection #339: Spider-Man and Batman #1, September 1995.

I read this comic 21 years ago when it came out, and I don’t remember much about it. It features the villains Joker and Carnage, and I don’t recall how they explained the melding of the two universes. But my point is, this is a Cool Comic in My Collection simply because of the two stars. When I was a kid, we would roll-play superhero games, but we knew there was no way Batman and Spider-Man would ever meet because they belonged to two different companies. But in 1995, a couple decades later, it came true! Batman is the first superhero I remember watching on TV. Do you remember the old Sixties campy series featuring Adam West? I was just a kid, born in 1962, and this show was magical to me. Then in the Seventies he was on Saturday mornings as part of the Super Friends, which was fun to watch as a kid. And Spider-Man had his own cartoon with a really awesome theme song, and I became a huge fan. And that’s why this comic book is cool. The cover price of Spider-Man and Batman #1 is $5.95, while the current value is $6.

 

Cool comics in my collection #340: Giant-Size Super-Heroes Featuring Spider-Man #1, June 1974.

The year 1974 produced awesome music, great monster magazines, cool TV shows, and one of my all-time favorite comic books. This Giant-Size Super-Heroes gives us not one, but two of Spider-Man’s “horror” enemies, Morbius, the Living Vampire, and the Man Wolf! I was a few months’ shy of turning twelve, and as soon as I saw this issue on the newsstand at Slicks, a little corner store in my small hometown of Martins Ferry, Ohio, I knew it had to be mine. My love of superheroes and monsters found a perfect combination in this issue. Sometimes I wish we could relive the excitement of our youth, and if that were the case, the day I bought and read this issue would probably be near the top of my list of great childhood moments. The cover price of Giant-Size Super-Heroes Featuring Spider-Man #1 is 35 cents, while the current value is $90.

 

Cool comics in my collection #341: JLA #1, January 1997.

The two most important eras in my personal comic book history are the Seventies, when I first discovered comics, and the Nineties, when I really fell in love with them all over again. Being that I was a fan of Super Friends as a kid, and had started reading Justice League comics again, I was really excited for this relaunch that was simply titled JLA. It featured a great lineup of characters (Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern) and was written by Grant Morrison, so it had a lot going for it and is definitely one of the Cool Comics in My Collection. And believe me, the dialog and story are much better than the Super Friends! The cover price of JLA #1 is $1.95, while the current value is $15.

 

Cool comics in my collection #342: Firestorm, The Nuclear Man #4, September 1978.

So are there any other Firestorm fans out there? I would think that having the character on TV over the last couple of years (Thanks, CW!) would have made him a little more popular, whatever variation you prefer him as. I remember seeing him on later Super Friends, but I didn’t watch it much by that time, and while I didn’t originally buy this short-lived series in the Seventies, I did start with issue number one of the second series in the early Eighties. But I didn’t collect for more than a year at that point, so when I started reading comics again in the Nineties, one of my goals was to find all the back issues of series one and two, and I achieved that goal pretty easily, as back issues of Firestorm were really inexpensive back then. For some reason I really enjoyed the adventures of these two individuals who came together to form this unusual hero, and maybe you appreciate him, too. The cover price of Firestorm, The Nuclear Man #4 is 35 cents, while the current value is $10.

 

Cool comics in my collection #343 (One That Got Away): Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man, January 1976.

How many of you out there remember the big Treasury-sized comic books they used to put out? I had a nice pile of them, but they weren’t the easiest to store, so I sold them all. And this historic issue was one of them. Earlier in this post I talked about how cool it was that two of my favorite childhood heroes got together in a crossover (Spider-Man and Batman), but this actually happened in 1976! It seemed both impossible and improbable at the time, but Marvel and DC pulled it off. The Man of Steel and The Amazing Spider-Man came at us larger than Life…or at least as big as Life magazine, that is, which always took up a lot of space on newsstands. At any rate, what kid didn’t want this comic back in those days? But it was considered pretty expensive at $2, so I’m sure many passed it up, and later regretted it. The cover price of Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man is $2, while the current value is $85.

Star Trek Tribute Special Edition

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 51, where we take a nostalgic look at seven cool comic books I currently own.

For each of the comic books below, 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), as long as there are seven comics in your episode (you can still own all seven, or do it like me and include one you no longer own). 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 51…

 

Cool comics in my collection #330: Star Trek: The Early Voyages #1, February 1997.

Last week Star Trek turned 50, and this week I intend to keep the celebration going with my tribute to this great franchise that has continued to entertain us for five decades. After Star Trek went off the air following season three, fans wouldn’t let it die, and eventually there was even a Star Trek Saturday morning cartoon. Then came Star Trek: The Motion Picture, other movies, The Next Generation TV show, more shows, more movies, etc. Oh, and fan conventions, toys, magazines, and many, many books; some of which are excellent. And yes my friends, comics books, too. Next July will mark 50 years of history for Star Trek comic books, which may just surprise some people. So if you enjoy the shows, you may just like the comic books. This one, The Early Voyages, actually takes place during Captain Pike’s five-year mission, and there are a few other familiar faces. It’s fun, so you may want to search some of these issues out. The cover price of Star Trek: The Early Voyages #1 is $2.95, while the current value is $3.

 

Cool comics in my collection #331: Star Trek: Starfleet Academy #1, December 1996.

Besides comic books, Star Trek also had a comic strip in a British magazine from 1969 to 1973, and then in a Los Angeles daily and Sunday newspaper from 1979 to 1983. So if you love to collect all things Star Trek, good luck finding those! This series takes a look at future Starfleet officers in training, and features a cadet by the name of Matt Decker. Now if that name sounds familiar, there are a couple of reasons why. First, Commodore Matt Decker (played by William Windom) was the only survivor of the U.S.S. Constellation in The Original Series episode, “The Doomsday Machine.” Next up was Stephen Collins as Captain Will Decker in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. And now we have a Decker descendent featured in this comic. Part of the conflict is that a Ferengi is at Starfleet Academy, and Decker isn’t happy about it. This series also has some Gorns, so that makes it completely worth it. The cover price of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy #1 is $1.99, while the current value is $2.25.

 

Cool comics in my collection #332: Star Trek: Unlimited #7, January 1998.

This Star Trek Unlimited series covered a lot of variety in the Star Trek universe, and this particular issue reads like a who’s who of the universe. Get a load of some of the characters featured here: Captain Picard, Data, Geordi La Forge, Sulu, Scotty, Chekov, Spock, Riker, Deanna Troi, Gowron, Kirk, Dr. McCoy, Uhura, Kang, Q, Trelane, and Worf. Those of you who are Star Trek fans may be salivating while reading about this lineup, and I can’t blame you. But please finish reading the blog before you run out the door to your local comic shop in hopes that you can find this one in the back issue boxes. It’s hard to beat a comic that has both Q and Trelane together. The cover price of Star Trek Unlimited #7 is $2.99, while the current value is $3.

 

Cool comics in my collection #333: Star Trek #3, December 1989.

When it comes to bad guys, I love the Borg, I love the Gorn, I love Colonel Phillip Green (The Original Series episode “The Savage Curtain” may seem a little corny to today’s audience, but to a twelve-year-old boy watching the show in syndication, this was one of the best episodes ever, and Jim Kirk fought right alongside of Abraham Lincoln! Not only was he a vampire hunter, but he knew how to fight some of earth’s mightiest foes!), and I love Khan and his gang of Eugenics Thugs. But in The Original Series, before we saw a cute and cuddly Worf on Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Klingon empire was pure evil and represented The Iron Curtain during the Cold War. This was back in the day when Klingons didn’t have that ridge thing in their heads, but that’s another story altogether. So I put this cool comic issue here because as bad guys, the Klingons deserved a cover feature for this week’s blog. The cover price of Star Trek #3 is $1.50, while the current value is $4.

 

Cool comics in my collection #334: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #1, August 1993.

This first issue of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine from Malibu Comics came with both a picture cover and a drawn cover, and I bought both at the time. This was early in my third phase of comic book buying and collecting, and I thought it was really cool that a company I wasn’t familiar with was putting out a Star Trek comic book. But I didn’t get issue two, or three for that matter. I bought a few issues later on out of back issue boxes, because at the time, I still bought comics primarily for superheroes. Now I wish I would have bought more Star Trek comics when they first came out, but one of my long-term comic book goals is to fill in as many Star Trek comic gaps as I can. And I have to admit that I didn’t see many episodes of Deep Space Nine, but I’m going to be watching them eventually, as I’m going through each series. I’m about one third of the way through season two of The Original Series, and looking forward to The Animated Series! The cover price of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #1 is $2.50, while the current value is $3.

 

Cool comics in my collection #335: Star Trek: The Next Generation #55, December 1993.

While there are a number of androids that appear in the original series, we didn’t get one in the Federation until Star Trek: The Next Generation hit the scene with Data. Not unlike Pinocchio, the wooden toy who wanted to be a real boy, Data wants to know what it is to be human. His character added a new dimension to the Star Trek universe, and for anyone who loves robot stories but hasn’t watched this series, Data is reason enough to give The Next Generation a try. Brent Spiner continually gives a great performance throughout the series, and therefore is deserving of having a place in Cool Comics in My Collection with this issue featuring Data on the cover. The cover price of Star Trek: The Next Generation #55 is $1.75, while the current value is $3.

 

Cool comics in my collection #336: Star Trek Voyager #1, November 1996.

From what I’ve seen and read about Star Trek, many fans were lukewarm when it came to Voyager, but I really enjoyed the show. Obviously there are some episodes I don’t like as much, and some characters I could do without or would have liked seeing them behave differently, but for Star Trek fans, this piece of the action (a little play on words for TOS fans) takes place in the unexplored Delta Quadrant, giving the writers lots of leeway. And love her or hate her, Seven of Nine certainly added a different dimension to the series. I really enjoyed her interactions with both Tuvok (a Vulcan, like Mr. Spock, for those who may not have watched the show) and the Emergency Medical Hologram Doctor. With Data in The Next Generation, we have a character who is completely artificial and wonders what it is to be human, and with Seven of Nine, we have a human who is assimilated into the Borg collective, or hive mind, and is being re-introduced into what it means to be an individual. So much of what makes Star Trek great is the characters and their interactions with each other, and in my opinion, Voyager delivers. The cover price of Star Trek Voyager #1 is $1.99, while the current value is $2.25.