Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 140, where we take a look at various 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 140…
Cool Comics News!
I’m on pace to read 1,200 comics in 2018. You read that right, I’m averaging over 100 comic books a month. I’ve read over 500 so far this year. That’s a lot of reading, and because of it, I’m not reading as many novels. But I’m having lots of fun! Do you have a comic book reading goal for 2018?
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Impulse versus The Twilight Zone! (I know, you thought it would be Batman vs. Iron Man, but we had that battle back in Episode 124.) What do you think would happen if the impetuous speedster found himself in Rod Serling’s backyard of bizarre? If you want to participate, have fun with this and tell us in the comments section below what would happen if Impulse found himself in the episode of your choice!
Cool Comics in My Collection
#660 — Invincible Iron Man #600, Marvel Comics, July 2018.
Invincible Iron Man #600 is the last Marvel comic book Brian Michael Bendis has written for the foreseeable future, now that he’s moved on to DC and will be taking on the writing chores for Superman. I was regularly reading comics when Bendis came on the scene 18 years ago, and after a break in the action for me from 2003 until 2017, I’m also here at the end of his Marvel run. Will you be gettng any of his DC work? I’ve been reading Superman comics for the last few months, so it will be interesting to see the direction he takes on such an iconic character. And while Iron Man doesn’t have the history that Superman does, the first Iron Man movie brought a lot of attention to Tony Stark, enlarging his fanbase. The last few issues have been building up to the moment we see Stark again, as he’s been missing, but another story between the covers unveils secrets about Tony’s parents. Don’t worry, since this is a new issue, and maybe you’re behind on your reading, I’m not looking to spoil things for you. But if you haven’t been reading Iron Man for a while and decided to purchase this 600th issue, you’ll be a little lost, and probably surprised at just how different things are, but change is inevitable. The cover price of Invincible Iron Man #600 is $5.99, while the current value is $6.
#661 — Detective Comics #981, DC Comics, July 2018.
Did I mention yet in this episode that change is inevitable? Just as it is in life, so it is in the world of comic books. James Tynion IV has been writing Detective Comics since issue #934, and I saw a tweet from him recently that #981 would be his last. He’s still writing comics, but this title is getting a new creative team. I haven’t been reading Detective Comics very long in this go-round of my comic reading life (this is my fifth issue), and I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t been able to understand all the references…along with a good bit of the plot…in this Batman Eternal storyline. Regardless, it’s been interesting, and in some ways, the end of an era, though not of the same proportions as I spoke of with Bendis above. I’m looking forward to the next issue to see the direction it will go in, and it’s fun to be reading a comic that will soon hit issue #1000, just as Action Comics did recently. The cover price of Detective Comics #981 is $2.99, while the current value is $3.
Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap
#662 — Impulse #44, DC Comics, January 1999.
This week I pulled issue #44 of Impulse out of my legendary longbox (or is it a magical longbox, or maybe even a mythical longbox? I guess it depends on what comic book I take out of it…but one thing is for sure, it seems like it’s never going to end!). I was an early adapter of this speedy kid, as my collection contains his first appearance (the Bart Allen version, not Kent Shakespeare) in Flash #92 (Vol. 2), along with the first eight issues of his solo title. My longbox contained a couple more, so now I have those added to my collection. Speed is a big part of the DC Universe, and when I started my third phase of collecting comics in the Nineties, Impulse, Flash, Max Mercury, and other speedsters could easily be found in the pages of DC Comics, and I loved Impulse from the get-go. Yet I discontinued the title after eight issues. Making decisions about what comics to keep buying and which ones to cancel is always a concern, due to the fact that my resources aren’t unlimited. Unfortunately, Impulse got the axe from me, but it was fun traveling through time back to the Nineties and reading this Halloween themed issue that cost just a mere $0.047 when I bought the longbox. The cover price of Impulse #44 is $2.25, while the current value is $3.
FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 4)
#663 — The Amazing Spider-Man/Guardians of the Galaxy #1, Marvel Comics, May 2018.
If you didn’t pick up this Free Comic Book Day issue that features Spider-Man, and you intend on reading The Amazing Spider-Man #1 when it comes out in July, you may want to see if you can find a copy. This issue gives you a little preview of what’s to come with the new creative team of Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley. And though I’m a big fan of Peter Parker and his alter ego, I’m not about to say this is the coolest of my cool comics. The art style isn’t for me (but who knows, I may grow to like it), and I’m not sure if I’m aboard with the direction Marvel is taking one of my favorite heroes (he seems a little too young, in my opinion), but come on, it’s Spider-Man! The second part of this free issue contains art and information concerning the Guardians of the Galaxy and Infinity stuff, which is a big thing with Marvel these days (I finally saw Avengers: Infinity War over the weekend and helped push it to over $1.9 billion!), not only in the theater but in the comics, too, so fans won’t want to miss this nice little summation. The cover price of The Amazing Spider-Man/Guardians of the Galaxy #1 is free, while the current value is $1.
Cool Comics Classics
#664 — The Twilight Zone #57, Gold Key Comics, July 1974.
The original Twilight Zone TV show is one of the greatest anthology programs in the history of television. Do you agree? So, anything with the name The Twilight Zone that is not the show (even though it will stir up some nostalgic excitement in your brain) is probably going to fall short of the majesty that Rod Serling brought to us on the small screen. But that’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy the four short stories that were packed into this comic. It’s just that the original is almost impossible to live up to. And when I find old issues of The Twilight Zone in discount comic boxes, I’m going to buy them, even if they aren’t as good. Because even if the stories are just so-so, the source material evokes pleasant memories from my past that I enjoy recalling. Do you have a favorite episode you’d like to share with Cool Comics? Make sure to tell us in the comments section below. The cover price of The Twilight Zone #57 is 25¢, while the current value is $18.
Recently Read Digital Comics
I purchased Daredevil Epic Collection: Heart of Darkness via Amazon for just 99¢ during a terrific sale on digital Marvel titles (if you link your comiXology account with your Amazon account, you can keep and read all your titles through comiXology, which I recommend…after reading each issue, you can place them in an Archive section so that you don’t accidentally read them again…but you can still give them a re-read if you want to). This is a big collection, weighing in at 482 pages and covers Daredevil issues #271-282, Daredevil annuals #5 and 6, and parts of annuals from the following titles: Punisher; Incredible Hulk; and Silver Surfer, as they tie back to Daredevil. I’ve grown to appreciate Daredevil more and more as the years roll by, but this Epic Collection wasn’t for me. I didn’t hate it, but I had to force myself to pick up my tablet and continue with the story. If you’ve read it and loved it, great. To each his own. But I’m glad I was able to get it on sale, because the current price on comiXology is $19.99.
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If I could only be one TENTH as cool as Rod Serling was. . .
I’m a huge fan of The Twilight Zone. I grew up watching reruns of the show and to me, Rod Serling was the coolest guy alive. Standing there with a cigarette and a snappy suit looking straight at me and calmly informing me that something strange was about to happen.
As for your battle of the week. . .
Impulse is obsessed with going faster and faster until he finds himself going so fast that he can’t go back to regular speed and becomes alone in the world because everyone else is going so much slower than him. To him, the world is a barren, silent place with frozen figures he can’t communicate with. No happy ending. . .just Rod Serling in a snappy suit talking about the fast pace of modern life leading a young man on a trip to the Twilight Zone.
Atom, I love your assessment of the battle of the week! Sounds like an episode I’d enjoy watching. And you are so right, Rod Serling was the coolest of the cool (hence, he fits right in at Cool Comics!). Thanks for reading and giving us your fun Twilight Zone episode!