Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 11, where we take a look at six cool comic books I currently own, and one that I let get 
away. If you’ve enjoying reading about my trip down comic book lane, consider signing up for my newsletter. There are perks to being a subscriber, and you’ll have the inside track to my writing projects. I welcome any comments you might have, and hope you enjoy seeing these as much as I do writing about them. And now, Episode 11…
Cool comics in my collection #71: Marvel Super-Heroes #8, Winter 1991.
I bought a handful of these thick Marvel Super-Heroes comics out of a back issue box for about 25 cents each many years ago, and figured they would be fun to read. What I never suspected was that one of them would have the first appearance of a character that would make this particular issue have some value. So who is it? None other than Squirrel Girl. Okay, until a few days ago, I didn’t even know who she was, since I just got around to reading this issue. My comics are older, so I’m not up on what’s going on. I haven’t read regular monthly issues since mid-2003. I didn’t read Civil War, and Jessica Jones didn’t exist yet. But this is a nice issue to have, and I really enjoyed the tale with Squirrel Girl, Iron Man, and Doctor Doom! The cover price is $2.25, and the current value is $60.
Cool comics in my collection #72: The Fury of Firestorm #23, May 1984.
I picked this comic up as a back issue in Atlanta, Georgia, at Titan Comics. For years it was just a typical back issue that no one really noticed, except for Firestorm enthusiasts. But guess who has their first appearance in this comic? None other than Felicity Smoak, who happens to be managing a computer software firm. And if you still don’t know who she is, then you aren’t watching The Arrow TV show. Believe it or not, in this version of the DC world she’s living in, she becomes Ronnie Raymond’s stepmother. Weird, isn’t it? Anyway, this issue is now sort of collectible, thanks to The Arrow. The cover price is 75 cents, and the current value is $12.
Cool comics in my collection #73: Thor #183, December 1970.
I bought this issue of Thor at Titan Comics in Atlanta, Georgia, around 1995. When I started reading comic books again in the early 1990’s, I really started enjoying Thor, so I searched back issue boxes for good deals. I believe I paid $1 for this beauty that has Thor facing Doctor Doom on the cover. Doom is such a great villain, and it’s always interesting to see what tricks he has up his sleeve for the different heroes in the Marvel Universe. And now that Marvel and Star Wars both belong to Disney, maybe we can see what happens when Doom and Darth face each other in battle. Okay, we probably won’t be seeing that, but it would be interesting. The cover price of this comic is 15 cents, while the current value is $100.
Cool comics in my collection #74: The Flash TV Special #1, 1991.
News flash! The current Flash TV show had a predecessor, and it starred John Wesley Shipp as Barry Allen. The same actor plays Barry’s dad on the new show. The older version lasted one season made up of 22 episodes, and many fans really loved it, especially considering there weren’t other comic book heroes in prime time back during the 1990-1991 TV season. I was disappointed when it wasn’t renewed for the next season. This comic came out a couple years before I started my third round of collecting comics, and I found it in a back issue bin in Atlanta for 25 cents. Although this comic hasn’t increased in value, and may never, it’s a nice reminder of the TV show. You can watch the first episode for free on Amazon and then have to pay for the remainder. It was fun while it lasted, but the new Flash is so much better. The cover price of this comic is $3.95, and the current value is the same price.
Cool comics in my collection #75: The Spectacular Spider-Man #2, January 1977.
I bought this comic new off the newsstand at Slicks in Martins Ferry, Ohio. Why didn’t I buy issue number 1, which is worth $90 today? What was I thinking? Oh well, issue #2 is a nice one to have, and has plenty of villains and familiar Spiderverse faces, such as Kingpin, Tarantula, the Lizard, Kraven the Hunter, J. Jonah Jameson, and Aunt May. A few years back, when I had to get rid of the thousands of comics that were attacking my house, it was a tough decision to get rid of all of my Spider-Man comics except for my collection that started with “Amazing.” So I kept a few “Spectacular” issues, too. I’ve always been a big Spider-Man fan, but when I realized I needed to cull my collection, I wanted to retain a variety of comics, so many of my Spider-Man issues ended up getting sold to a friend. The cover price is 30 cents, while the current value is $35.
Cool comics in my collection #76: Power Man #17, February 1974.
Yet another classic from 1974, which seems to have been a very good year for comic books. I didn’t buy this one when it came out, but as a back issue from Kenmore Komics and Games in Akron, Ohio. If you are ever looking for back issues and live anywhere near Akron, you really need to visit this fantastic comic shop. I bought this issue around 2002 for a couple dollars, as I snagged several older Power Man comics during a visit. There are some great guests here, including Iron Man, Spider-Man, Captain America, the Vulture, and Baron Helmut Zemo. Luke Cage is going to gain in popularity, thanks to Netflix, so you may want to grab some of his older comics while you can find them. The cover price is 20 cents, and the current value is $40.
Cool comics in my collection #77 (One That Got Away): Black Goliath #1, February 1976.
Why oh why did I sell a stack of comic books to a comic shop when I was in college? I wanted some date money, and all I got was $20 for some great comics I now wish I had kept. Hindsight is 20/20, right? At any rate, I read this comic nearly 40 years ago, and remember liking it. When it comes to comic books produced in the seventies, I get wistful and wish I had more of them! Besides Bill Foster, the Black Goliath, this issue features Iron Man, Luke Cage, and Hank Pym. By the way, the series lasted just five issues, with a total series value of $78. The cover price of this issue is 25 cents and the current value is $18.
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