Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 125, where we take a look at comic books I own (and in some cases ones that I let get away), both new and old, often with a nostalgic leaning for those feelings of yesteryear.
For each of the comic books I include in this blog (except for digital issues), 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 125…
Cool Comics News!
The Black Panther opens this week, giving us another dose of Marvel fun on the big screen!
Cool Comics Cool Battles!
While the obvious battle to put up for this week is the Black Panther versus Jean Grey, I’m taking a sillier route, in which I’m asking, “What would happen if Quantum and Woody faced off against Tweety and Sylvester?” Have fun with this one. And one last thing to keep in mind: the Goat is not allowed to participate.
Cool Comics in My Collection
#594 — Black Panther: Start Here #1, Marvel Comics, March 2018.
The Black Panther movie opens this weekend, and last week Marvel had a giveaway comic that covers several pages and panels from recent comics/graphic novels. Obviously this was a nice gesture (who doesn’t like free?), but no doubt this was a smart marketing move, getting comic fans ready for the movie along with enticing them to buy more Black Panther stories. This comic gives you an opportunity to sample a variety of writers and artists and makes sure to let you know what graphic novel (or collection, by some definitions) to purchase once you decide to continue with certain stories. Also, be on the lookout for the newest edition of Marvel Comics Digest (issue #5, which came out February 14), as it contains Avengers stories featuring the Black Panther. I’m looking forward to the movie, but I usually wait a couple weeks before I make my way to the theater, so no spoilers! The cover price of Black Panther: Start Here is free, while the current value is $1.
#595 — Jean Grey #11, Marvel Comics, March 2018.
Did you know that the Marvel Universe has been featuring a younger version of Jean Grey, because the older version is supposedly dead? This last issue of Jean Grey comes on the heels of Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey, trying to set things to order after the five-issue mini-series. I hadn’t bought any of the previous ten Jean Grey comics, and the only reason I bought this one is because it’s a direct tie-in. Admittedly, Jean has never been a character I’ve cared that much about (little things sometimes get under my skin, and I think it all started back during X-Men: The Animated Series…Scott: “Jean!”; Jean: “Scott!”; Wolverine: “Jean!”; and it seemed like this happened every episode!), but sometimes when you invest in a run of comics, you want to get a fuller picture of what’s going on. All-in-all, it was a pretty entertaining read, and the story of Jean hasn’t yet ended. The cover price of Jean Grey #11 is $4.99, while the current value is $5.
#596 — Quantum and Woody #1, Valiant Entertainment, December 2017.
The digital collection I read a couple weeks ago, Must Read Valiant: Greatest Hits #1 (see Episode 123 of Cool Comics), was my first exposure to Quantum and Woody, a super duo with lots of baggage. I must say I liked it, and any comic that has a goat in it is worth taking a look at. Lately I’ve become fascinated with the Valiant Universe, both the original and the new. And while Harbinger is what I’m most interested in, Quantum and Woody has a nice blend of humor and action that is often missing in today’s world of grim and gritty. A couple of weeks ago I saw the last copy of issue #2 on my local comic shop’s shelves, and once I looked at some back issues and spotted #1, I decided both issues would be leaving the store with me. They were fun reads, and worth taking a look at. The cover price of Quantum and Woody #1 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.
Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap
#597 — EVE: Valkyrie #3, Dark Horse Comics, December 2015.
If it weren’t for the Internet, I’d have no idea that this comic book was based on a video game. Seriously, I have no idea what’s going on in the world of gaming. Well, I did, once upon a long time ago, when I was a seriously good Intellivision player (made by Mattel, it came out in 1979, and I didn’t even have the real thing…my parents got me the Sears Super Video Arcade, which was the same basic game system). I had Donkey Kong, Burger Time, Astrosmash, Dungeons and Dragons, and all the sports games like hockey, football, baseball. And I even had the Intellivoice add on (I loved the way it said “Bomb Squad”). I had many more games than this, and spent countless hours honing my skills. I realize this has nothing to do with EVE: Valkyrie or comic books. My son is majoring in video game design in college, and he plays lots of games, especially on his Xbox One, and I can’t master any of those games (though I’ve barely tried). But when it came to Intellivision, I was pretty good. And by now, you probably realize that this comic book rates pretty low on my cool comics meter, because just like the video games of today, I didn’t know what was going on. But it came from my $20 longbox, so it cost me less than a nickel. The cover price of EVE: Valkyrie is $3.99, while the current value is $4.
Cool Comics Classics
#598 — Tweety and Sylvester #31, Whitman, July 1973.
This week my Cool Comics Classic is the much-coveted Whitman reprint of the Gold Key Tweety and Sylvester comic, issue #31 (it’s probably not coveted at all, but it makes it sound more appealing!). I’ve seen countless cartoons of Sylvester attempt to eat Tweety, but over and over he fails, or fate deals him a bad hand. Sometimes he actually gets that bird in his mouth, but then a dog threatens Sylvester and he spits it out; or the owners come home, and he surrenders to his guilt, hacking up Tweety; or some other lame excuse. Call me cold-hearted, but just once I’d like to see that smug bird become Sylvester’s mid-afternoon snack (and don’t even get me started on the never-ending battle between the Roadrunner and the Coyote!). If you’ve never read any of these kinds of comics, they typically contain a handful of short adventures, all leading to nothing but frustration if you side with the cat. The cover price of Tweety and Sylvester #31 is 20¢, while the current value is $15.
Recently Read Digital Comics
Upon recommendation from a friend, I purchased Green Arrow Vol. 1: Hunters Moon from Amazon in digital format, which can then be stored and read in comiXology, if you combine your accounts (comiXology is owned by Amazon, in case you didn’t know). This collection contains the first 6 issues from the Green Arrow series that launched in February 1988 (can you believe it’s been 30 years?), so if you missed it the first time around, and don’t want to search through back issue boxes (not to mention getting the collection much cheaper), you can always go digital. The writing by Mike Grell and art by Dick Giordano and Ed Hannigan will immediately pull you into these fast-paced, exciting adventures of Oliver Queen. If your only experience with the Green Arrow is via The CW on the small screen, I strongly recommend giving this collection a try.
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