Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 22, where we take a nostalgic look at six comic books I currently own, and one that I let get away. If you 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.
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.
I welcome any comments you might have, and hope you enjoy seeing these as much as I do writing about them. And now, Episode 22…
I want to mention here that I’d love for you to join me at Cleveland ConCoction 2016 at the Cleveland Sheraton Airport Hotel March 12, as I’ll be hosting a panel on comic book nostalgia. Look for a blog about this event in the coming days.
Cool comics in my collection #148: Thor #199, May 1972.
“DEATH TO THE LEGIONS OF PLUTO!” Issue #199 of Thor has an action-packed cover with plenty of bright colors, and seems to be screaming out to us to pick it up and read it…now! If you like your mythology mixed in with your superheroes, then Thor is definitely the comic for you. This issue features some of the mainstays of Asgard, including Balder, Fandral, Hogan, Hildegarde, Odin, Sif, and Volstagg. And don’t forget Thor himself, wielding the mighty Mjolnir! There’s a lot to like about these early Thor comics, especially if you’re tired of the same old stories of superheroes taking place in New York City and want a change of venue. I’ve been a fan of Thor ever since I saw the cartoon version from 1966, but didn’t really start collecting his comics until 1993, when I was in the Army and living in Atlanta, Georgia. I picked this one out of the back issue bins at a store called Titan Comics and Games, located in College Park, Georgia. This location is now closed, but they do have a couple stores left. I have great memories of picking up my weekly comics there every Wednesday, listening to the conversations other customers had with the staff, sometimes arguing about how one hero could beat another. I bought this issue for $1. The cover price of Thor #199 is 20 cents, while the current value is $80.
“DEATH TO THE LEGIONS OF PLUTO!” Issue #199 of Thor has an action-packed cover with plenty of bright colors, and seems to be screaming out to us to pick it up and read it…now! If you like your mythology mixed in with your superheroes, then Thor is definitely the comic for you. This issue features some of the mainstays of Asgard, including Balder, Fandral, Hogan, Hildegarde, Odin, Sif, and Volstagg. And don’t forget Thor himself, wielding the mighty Mjolnir! There’s a lot to like about these early Thor comics, especially if you’re tired of the same old stories of superheroes taking place in New York City and want a change of venue. I’ve been a fan of Thor ever since I saw the cartoon version from 1966, but didn’t really start collecting his comics until 1993, when I was in the Army and living in Atlanta, Georgia. I picked this one out of the back issue bins at a store called Titan Comics and Games, located in College Park, Georgia. This location is now closed, but they do have a couple stores left. I have great memories of picking up my weekly comics there every Wednesday, listening to the conversations other customers had with the staff, sometimes arguing about how one hero could beat another. I bought this issue for $1. The cover price of Thor #199 is 20 cents, while the current value is $80.Cool comics in my collection #149: The Amazing Spider-Man #117, February 1973.
“THE DEADLY DESIGNS OF THE DISRUPTOR!” Issue #117 of The Amazing Spider-Man features a cover every bit as action-packed and exciting as Thor #199. As I get older, I have a deeper appreciation for the look and feel of comic books from the sixties and seventies, and this cover doesn’t disappoint. If you like to pick up back issues of Spider-Man and reminisce about the old days, this one has you covered with Gwen Stacy, Aunt May, J. Jonah Jameson, Norman Osborn, and Robbie Robertson. I discovered Spider-Man as a child from the cartoon series that ran for three season from 1967 to 1970. I’m sure you know the one I’m talking about. It has that iconic theme song that you just can’t get out of your head! When I was young, the cartoon was magic. Maybe it doesn’t hold up well when compared to superhero cartoons of the last few decades, but in my mind, this was gold. As for the villain in this issue, the Disruptor never became a household name, but they can’t all get elected to the Villain Hall of Fame (or mayor, in his case). I bought this comic at The Paradox Bookstore in Wheeling, West Virginia, where I could get back issues for just a dime. The cover price of The Amazing Spider-Man #117 is 20 cents, while the current value is $100.
“THE DEADLY DESIGNS OF THE DISRUPTOR!” Issue #117 of The Amazing Spider-Man features a cover every bit as action-packed and exciting as Thor #199. As I get older, I have a deeper appreciation for the look and feel of comic books from the sixties and seventies, and this cover doesn’t disappoint. If you like to pick up back issues of Spider-Man and reminisce about the old days, this one has you covered with Gwen Stacy, Aunt May, J. Jonah Jameson, Norman Osborn, and Robbie Robertson. I discovered Spider-Man as a child from the cartoon series that ran for three season from 1967 to 1970. I’m sure you know the one I’m talking about. It has that iconic theme song that you just can’t get out of your head! When I was young, the cartoon was magic. Maybe it doesn’t hold up well when compared to superhero cartoons of the last few decades, but in my mind, this was gold. As for the villain in this issue, the Disruptor never became a household name, but they can’t all get elected to the Villain Hall of Fame (or mayor, in his case). I bought this comic at The Paradox Bookstore in Wheeling, West Virginia, where I could get back issues for just a dime. The cover price of The Amazing Spider-Man #117 is 20 cents, while the current value is $100.Cool comics in my collection #150: Captain Marvel #4, August 1968.
“ENTER: THE SUB-MARINER!” I’m really enjoying these covers this week, and who can blame me on this one when we see Captain Marvel (in his older green outfit) battling Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner. This is definitely a clash of Titans! Mar-Vell, the Kree who becomes the hero known as Captain Marvel wasn’t a comic book I paid any attention to in the seventies. But in the nineties I grew more interested and started raiding back-issue boxes at Kenmore Komics in Akron, Ohio, around the year 2000. But in 2003 I quite buying comic books. I owned many thousands and ran out of storage room, so I shut off my collecting cold-turkey. Then in 2011 I started reading back issues and decided to fill in some gaps on my older collections. So in January I made a couple trips to Kenmore Komics and picked up Captain Marvel #4 for just $4. So where’s the theme song for this hero, you’re asking? (I have links in the two comics above that take you to YouTube…it’s fun stuff, so go back up and click on the brown text.) Unfortunately, the powers that be never gave Captain Marvel his own cartoon, but there is a cool video about his origins that you don’t want to miss. The cover price of Captain Marvel #4 is 12 cents, while the current value is $100.
“ENTER: THE SUB-MARINER!” I’m really enjoying these covers this week, and who can blame me on this one when we see Captain Marvel (in his older green outfit) battling Prince Namor, the Sub-Mariner. This is definitely a clash of Titans! Mar-Vell, the Kree who becomes the hero known as Captain Marvel wasn’t a comic book I paid any attention to in the seventies. But in the nineties I grew more interested and started raiding back-issue boxes at Kenmore Komics in Akron, Ohio, around the year 2000. But in 2003 I quite buying comic books. I owned many thousands and ran out of storage room, so I shut off my collecting cold-turkey. Then in 2011 I started reading back issues and decided to fill in some gaps on my older collections. So in January I made a couple trips to Kenmore Komics and picked up Captain Marvel #4 for just $4. So where’s the theme song for this hero, you’re asking? (I have links in the two comics above that take you to YouTube…it’s fun stuff, so go back up and click on the brown text.) Unfortunately, the powers that be never gave Captain Marvel his own cartoon, but there is a cool video about his origins that you don’t want to miss. The cover price of Captain Marvel #4 is 12 cents, while the current value is $100.Cool comics in my collection #151: Iron Fist #6, August 1976.
“THE SHOCKER YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU WOULD SEE…DEATH-MATCH!” While this cover isn’t as exciting as the others this week, we do see Iron Fist in action. Danny Rand, aka Iron Fist, is another comic hero who was not on my radar during the seventies or early eighties, but I definitely took a liking to him in the nineties, and picked up this back issue at Titan Comics in Atlanta, Georgia, in a back issue box. I became an even bigger fan when I collected Heroes for Hire, a comic book series that started in1997. I was excited to learn a while back that Iron Fist might be getting a show on Netflix, but so far nothing has come of it, and I’m not holding my breath. In Iron Fist #6 we see the origin of Misty Knight, so that makes this issue even more collectible. And here is another hero without a cartoon theme song. If the Netflix show does someday appear, then I’ll have to put his theme here, but like Captain Marvel, true believers will have to settle for this origin video from YouTube. The cover price of Iron Fist #6 is 25 cents, while the current value is $50.
“THE SHOCKER YOU NEVER THOUGHT YOU WOULD SEE…DEATH-MATCH!” While this cover isn’t as exciting as the others this week, we do see Iron Fist in action. Danny Rand, aka Iron Fist, is another comic hero who was not on my radar during the seventies or early eighties, but I definitely took a liking to him in the nineties, and picked up this back issue at Titan Comics in Atlanta, Georgia, in a back issue box. I became an even bigger fan when I collected Heroes for Hire, a comic book series that started in1997. I was excited to learn a while back that Iron Fist might be getting a show on Netflix, but so far nothing has come of it, and I’m not holding my breath. In Iron Fist #6 we see the origin of Misty Knight, so that makes this issue even more collectible. And here is another hero without a cartoon theme song. If the Netflix show does someday appear, then I’ll have to put his theme here, but like Captain Marvel, true believers will have to settle for this origin video from YouTube. The cover price of Iron Fist #6 is 25 cents, while the current value is $50.Cool comics in my collection #152: Power Man #18, April 1974.
“HAVOC ON THE HIGH IRON!” Okay, we’re back to a much more exciting cover, with vibrant colors and enough action to cause you to pick up the comic, walk to the counter, and slap down your cash! Luke Cage wasn’t on my radar in 1974. I didn’t start caring about Power Man until the mid-nineties, then like so many other comics and heroes I discovered later in life, I started digging through back issue boxes to find affordable issues of his early adventures. I especially loved picking up the team-up comic of Power Man and Iron Fist, which this comic series eventually morphed into, but I was greedy and wanted the solo issues also. I found this one at Titan Comics in Atlanta, Georgia. And here is yet another hero who we’ve been told will have a comic series on Netflix. Some of you might be saying, “He’s already on Jessica Jones,” but she came after my third comic phase (I’m now sort of in phase four, and it’s very irregular, consisting of nothing but back issues, some graphic novels when I find them on sale, and my subscription to Afterlife With Archie), so I don’t really know her character. From what I’ve read and heard, the series is very good. But I’ve also heard that there is a lot of adult content, and tend to prefer my superhero shows and movies to be more family friendly (call me old-fashioned…go ahead, it won’t hurt my feelings!). So Power Man doesn’t have a theme song. Since this is multi-media week, here is a cool YouTube video on his origin. The cover price of Power Man #18 is 20 cents, while the current value is $20.
“HAVOC ON THE HIGH IRON!” Okay, we’re back to a much more exciting cover, with vibrant colors and enough action to cause you to pick up the comic, walk to the counter, and slap down your cash! Luke Cage wasn’t on my radar in 1974. I didn’t start caring about Power Man until the mid-nineties, then like so many other comics and heroes I discovered later in life, I started digging through back issue boxes to find affordable issues of his early adventures. I especially loved picking up the team-up comic of Power Man and Iron Fist, which this comic series eventually morphed into, but I was greedy and wanted the solo issues also. I found this one at Titan Comics in Atlanta, Georgia. And here is yet another hero who we’ve been told will have a comic series on Netflix. Some of you might be saying, “He’s already on Jessica Jones,” but she came after my third comic phase (I’m now sort of in phase four, and it’s very irregular, consisting of nothing but back issues, some graphic novels when I find them on sale, and my subscription to Afterlife With Archie), so I don’t really know her character. From what I’ve read and heard, the series is very good. But I’ve also heard that there is a lot of adult content, and tend to prefer my superhero shows and movies to be more family friendly (call me old-fashioned…go ahead, it won’t hurt my feelings!). So Power Man doesn’t have a theme song. Since this is multi-media week, here is a cool YouTube video on his origin. The cover price of Power Man #18 is 20 cents, while the current value is $20.Cool comics in my collection #153: Firestorm, The Nuclear Man #3, May 1978.
“HEED THE WARNING OF THE FROZEN DEAD…KISS NOT THE LIPS OF KILLER FROST!” No doubt this cover doesn’t match the excitement of the others this week, but we do get chills (pardon the pun) just thinking that this new villainess might put out Firestorm’s flame. If you’ve been watching The Flash TV series, then you know all about Killer Frost from Earth 2. But in this comic back in 1978, Killer Frost was actually Crystal Frost, a woman who accidentally gets locked in a freezer and quickly comes to learn that she can kill with a kiss. There have been a few different Killer Frosts now in DC Comic history, but this is the original. I didn’t buy this comic off the rack, but instead in a back issue box. When the second Firestorm series (The Fury of Firestorm) came out in 1982, I had just entered my second phase of comic book collecting, and I immediately took a liking to this strange hero who consisted of two people (Ronnie Raymond and Professor Martin Stein). And when I entered phase three of my comic book life, I decided to hunt down all the back issues I could find of Firestorm (and I was able to get them all…the original 5 issues, the next series that consists of 100 issues, and all the annuals that came with it). And now that Killer Frost has made her debut on television, this issue may get more notice than usual. How about the media, you ask? Though Firestorm didn’t have his own cartoon, he eventually joined the Super Friends. This video is fun to watch, so don’t miss out. If you want to know more about his origins, you can probably find one on YouTube, and the same goes for most of the heroes I write about. The cover price of Firestorm, The Nuclear Man #3 is 35 cents, while the current value is $25.
“HEED THE WARNING OF THE FROZEN DEAD…KISS NOT THE LIPS OF KILLER FROST!” No doubt this cover doesn’t match the excitement of the others this week, but we do get chills (pardon the pun) just thinking that this new villainess might put out Firestorm’s flame. If you’ve been watching The Flash TV series, then you know all about Killer Frost from Earth 2. But in this comic back in 1978, Killer Frost was actually Crystal Frost, a woman who accidentally gets locked in a freezer and quickly comes to learn that she can kill with a kiss. There have been a few different Killer Frosts now in DC Comic history, but this is the original. I didn’t buy this comic off the rack, but instead in a back issue box. When the second Firestorm series (The Fury of Firestorm) came out in 1982, I had just entered my second phase of comic book collecting, and I immediately took a liking to this strange hero who consisted of two people (Ronnie Raymond and Professor Martin Stein). And when I entered phase three of my comic book life, I decided to hunt down all the back issues I could find of Firestorm (and I was able to get them all…the original 5 issues, the next series that consists of 100 issues, and all the annuals that came with it). And now that Killer Frost has made her debut on television, this issue may get more notice than usual. How about the media, you ask? Though Firestorm didn’t have his own cartoon, he eventually joined the Super Friends. This video is fun to watch, so don’t miss out. If you want to know more about his origins, you can probably find one on YouTube, and the same goes for most of the heroes I write about. The cover price of Firestorm, The Nuclear Man #3 is 35 cents, while the current value is $25.Cool comics in my collection #154 (One That Got Away): Green Lantern #48, January 1994.
“The RESURRECTION of COAST CITY!” And thus starts Emerald Twilight, Part 1, a story that leads to madness and sadness. Can you see the look of pain and despair on Hal’s face on this very green cover? Unbelievably, Hal Jordan becomes the enemy by abusing his Green Lantern powers. This was a dark time to be a Hal Jordan fan, and DC tried to soothe things over by introducing a new Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner. I hadn’t bought any Green Lantern comics until my third phase of collecting (1993 to 2003), but I knew who the Green Lantern was and had heard of Hal Jordan. I bought this issue at Titan Comics in Atlanta, Georgia, off the rack. It didn’t take me long after I started reading comics again to add Green Lantern to my monthly list. But again, when space became an issue in my home many years later, I had to make decisions of what to keep and what to part with, and Green Lantern comics ended up being sold at a garage sale. Okay, here’s the part you’ve been waiting for, the fun video clip of the Green Lantern! The cover price of Green Lantern #48 is $1.50, while the current value is $12.
“The RESURRECTION of COAST CITY!” And thus starts Emerald Twilight, Part 1, a story that leads to madness and sadness. Can you see the look of pain and despair on Hal’s face on this very green cover? Unbelievably, Hal Jordan becomes the enemy by abusing his Green Lantern powers. This was a dark time to be a Hal Jordan fan, and DC tried to soothe things over by introducing a new Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner. I hadn’t bought any Green Lantern comics until my third phase of collecting (1993 to 2003), but I knew who the Green Lantern was and had heard of Hal Jordan. I bought this issue at Titan Comics in Atlanta, Georgia, off the rack. It didn’t take me long after I started reading comics again to add Green Lantern to my monthly list. But again, when space became an issue in my home many years later, I had to make decisions of what to keep and what to part with, and Green Lantern comics ended up being sold at a garage sale. Okay, here’s the part you’ve been waiting for, the fun video clip of the Green Lantern! The cover price of Green Lantern #48 is $1.50, while the current value is $12.[gravityform id=”3″ title=”false” description=”false”]
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