Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 134, 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 134…
Cool Comics News!
Last week I decided to purchase the beautiful hardcover book pictured here, Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman ($29.99), a tribute to one of the most recognized fictional characters of all-time, and created by Cleveland’s own Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster (I’m from Ohio, so I had to mention this!). And yesterday, April 18, 2018, issue number 1000 of Action Comics was released. The first issue of Action Comics has a cover date of June 1938. And suddenly Superman has been with us for eighty years. It sort of boggles the mind, doesn’t it? The hero who started it all is still going strong today. We’ve seen countless comic books, cartoons, TV shows, and movies. Not to mention cups, glasses, action figures, coloring books…well, you get the idea. My father told me years ago that he once owned that first issue (and told me the crazy way he lost it…his entire comic collection from the late Thirties and early Forties were sent to a cousin in the Navy, who took them out to sea so he and his buddies would have something fun to read…and the ship was sunk in battle…but the good news is that my father’s cousin survived), and we bonded over Superman and other comic books, most especially during his later years in life. And that makes the Man of Steel even more special to me.
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Superman versus the Fantastic Four! What do you think would happen if they faced each other in a titanic tussle, and how do you see the winner achieving victory? Let us know in the comments section below.
Cool Comics in My Collection
#631 — Action Comics #1000, DC Comics, June 2018.
One thousand issues. Let that sink in for a moment. That’s a big number, and in the world of comic books, the biggest. Good old Clark Kent deserves it the recognition, doesn’t he? Superman is much more than a comic book superhero. He’s an ideal, a way of life, someone who seeks “truth, justice, and the American way.” With all this in mind, DC wanted to make Action Comics #1000 special, and this 80-page comic is packed with artists, writers, and a variety of stories that pay tribute to the Man of Steel. Oh, and there were a large variety of variant covers, too, if you like collecting them. I’ve already seen some people on social media talking about how underwhelmed they are with this issue, but I have no problems with it. And without giving too much away, the last story, written by Brian Michael Bendis who will soon be taking over the writing chores of Superman stories at DC, gave us a nice look at what will be coming next. If you enjoy comics and have an appreciation for the history of the genre and especially for Superman, be sure to get yourself a copy of this issue. The cover price of Action Comics #1000 is $7.99, while the current value is $8.
#632 — Captain America #700, Marvel Comics, June 2018.
In many ways, Captain America is the “Superman” of Marvel Comics. If you’ve read enough of both, you know exactly what I’m saying. But, some may scream, Superman is an alien, Captain America is not; Superman can fly, Cap cannot; Superman is much stronger, and Captain America often relies on his shield. Superman got his powers when he was a baby, and Captain America was the result of the Super Soldier Serum. I know all these things. But it’s the idealism behind the hero, what actually makes him tick. Superman is an alien, but he’s a great patriot, just like Steve Rogers, who put his life on the line to serve his country. Most people know that Superman’s been around for a long, long time (1938), but the casual fan may not realize that Captain America came just three years later, in 1941. To be honest, I wasn’t a big fan of the story that’s been going on in the last few issues of Captain America, but it seemingly wrapped up with this issue, in typical Cap fashion. Regardless of the story, when Cap is done right, you’ll care, and perhaps even shed a tear when you see the lengths he’s willing to go to when battling the forces of evil. By the way, if you read this issue, there are some touching fan letters in the back you won’t want to miss. The cover price of Captain America #700 is $5.99, while the current value is $6.
Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap
#633 — Superman: The Man of Steel #66, DC Comics, April 1997.
Newer comic book readers who haven’t yet taken that foray into the past may not be familiar with this particular Superman title, but it was around for most of my third phase of comic book collecting (which ran from 1993-2003, and Superman: The Man of Steel published from 1991 to 2003), so it’s like visiting an old, familiar friend. Not many of the issues from this title have gone up much in monetary value, but the fact that they can be found on the cheap isn’t a bad thing for fans. By the way, this issue, from my legendary longbox, was written by Louise Simonson and drawn by Jon Bogdanove, so it reads well and looks good (at least for me…and remember, art is subjective, so if you disagree, I understand). I have a lot of comics left in this box, but wanted to read and write about something a little more special, since we’re celebrating the one thousandth issue of Action Comics this week, so that’s why I’m giving you a double dose of Superman. One thousand issues of anything is a huge achievement. And just to compare it with this title, there were only 134 issues. Which is still longer than many comics last. The cover price of Superman: The Man of Steel #66 is $1.95, while the current value is $3.
Cool Comics Classics
#634 — Fantastic Four #156, Marvel Comics, March 1975.
Whenever you can get a classic comic for a quarter, it’s a great day, isn’t it? This Fantastic Four issue from the mid-Seventies, complete with Doctor Doom on the cover (and the Silver Surfer is in this one too!), made my day complete several weeks ago when I fished it out of a discount box for just 25 cents. This story takes place during a time in which the Invisible Girl (or was she the Invisible Woman in 1975?) was replaced by Medusa from the Inhumans, in case you wondered while gazing at this action-packed cover by Rich F. Buckler. Though the Age of Marvel started with the Fantastic Four back in 1961, I rarely bought the title during my halcyon days of being a comic reading kid. Yet now I appreciate this team of heroes more than ever before. They represent Marvel history, and I’m looking forward to the promised relaunch of their title in August. The cover price of Fantastic Four #156 is 25¢, while the current value is $40.
Recently Read Digital Comics
This is a big week for Action Comics, Superman, and DC Comics in general, so I made sure to read a Superman digital comic this week. Superman Adventures #1, written by Paul Dini, with pencils by Rick Burchett, takes us back to the early days of Clark Kent working at the Daily Planet, and Superman is still a bit of an unknown hero in Metropolis. And while most see him as a hero, Lex Luthor chooses to be his enemy. If you’re a fan of comics and animation, you’re more than likely familiar with Dini and his body of work, including Superman: The Animated Series cartoon, which ran from 1996 to 2000, of which this comic series is a companion. This first issue is free on comiXology, and I recommend it.
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