Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 146, 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 146…
Cool Comics News!
If you find yourself looking back again at my Cool Comics official logo, I can’t blame you. Dan Gorman perfectly captured the nostalgic feeling I wanted it to invoke. And now you can drink your morning coffee in a Cool Comics mug! My new store has dozens of items featuring this gorgeous logo, including clothing, golf balls, a mousepad, a snazzy watch that comes in several colors, and even a baby bib. On the practical side, you may want to consider the Cool Comics Tote Bag in order to haul around your comic convention purchases. Everybody will want to know how to get one! (Well, maybe not, but I’m allowed to dream, right?) At any rate, I’m excited about the items! And while the coffee mugs are the best sellers so far, I think the Cool Comics hat might catch on pretty fast.
Comic fans, don’t worry, I’m not planning on inundating you with items from the Cool Comics store each week. I like to keep this blog focused on comic books, and you’ve probably noticed that I don’t have a bunch of advertisements to battle around in order to read about the cool comics. But if you are interested in seeing what the store has to offer, just click on the picture of the tote bag (and if you ever want to visit the store again but forget to bookmark it, you can get to it via my menu – Cool Comics Merchandise).
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is the X-Men Gold team versus the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers! 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
#693 — Batman #50, DC Comics, September 2018.
DC and Marvel both took a few months to prepare comic book fans for summer wedding issues, with DC’s bride and groom—Catwoman and Batman—being the more well-known couple. Expectations and buzz have been strong at comic shops and on social media, and a few days before Batman #50 hit the stores, the New York Times ran an article that had fans screaming spoiler alert! I stayed far away from anything I felt might reveal the contents of the comic and managed to read it before any details leaked into my ears and eyes. And now, after reading the issue, I’m feeling underwhelmed. Yes, it’s still a cool comic, but some of the coolness reached the melting point. Or maybe it’s just tears that are leaking out of the pages. I’m not that picky when it comes to comics, but I thought…oh well, I don’t want to spoil it for you if you haven’t read it yet. I heard one person complaining that he’d managed to purchase all the variant covers, and now he wishes he’d saved his money. Have you read it yet? Maybe you have a different opinion, and if so, feel free to tell us in the comments section below. The cover price of Batman #50 is $4.99, while the current value is $5.
#694 — X-Men Gold #30, Marvel Comics, August 2018.
The other big wedding of the summer didn’t impress me much either, but at least we had something happen at the end to help resolve the issue that got in the way. X-Men Kitty Pryde and Colossus decided to tie the knot, and once again, I’m not going to spoil this for you if you didn’t read it, but the conclusion does lead to the big “X Classified” series that’s been solicited for the last few months in Marvel Previews. One of the differences between this comic and the Batman wedding is that this one is a more like a regular comic book issue, whereas Batman #50 played it up with big splash pages and inner thoughts of both the bride and groom. So basically X-Men Gold #30 was easier to read. X-Men fans will be glad to have this one, but again, it wasn’t my kind of story. This is not one of the regular titles that I read, but I thought it would be interesting to get it and compare the two wedding issues. And oh yeah, there’s a wedding crasher who stays hidden, someone who others have been hunting recently. The cover price of X-Men Gold #30 is $4.99, while the current value is $5.
#695 — The Man of Steel #6, DC Comics, September 2018.
It probably seems like I spend a lot of time blogging about first issues here at Cool Comics, and that wouldn’t be entirely wrong (although both of the comics above are not!). I talked a little about the first issue of this mini-series and feel justified in that decision since it was the start of Bendis’s run on Superman since leaving Marvel. But now as we wrap up The Man of Steel, there are a few things I feel are important to mention. One of the biggest things on fans’ minds concerned what Bendis might do to both Lois and the couple’s son, Jon, and the cover, as you can see, uses the word “FATE,” which tends to make people nervous. I don’t want to spoil anything in case you haven’t read it, but it’s probably not what you think. If you’ve been reading this series, the writing has been on the wall concerning their fate and should come as no surprise. Personally, I enjoyed this weekly series and I’m interested to see what else Bendis does with Superman. The cover price of The Man of Steel #6 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.
#696 — Project Superpowers #0, Dynamite Entertainment, July 2018.
In the Recently Read Digital Comics section of Episode 139, I covered a couple Project Superpowers #0 issues that were free on comiXology, in anticipation of this third chapter in the story of these former Golden Age heroes. And as you’ll notice, this too is a #0 issue, but unlike the digital ones I got for free, I had to pay for this physical issue. And believe it or not, all I had to do was plunk down a dime! These day’s it’s hard to buy anything that cheap, but this comic book won’t break the bank. Obviously hoping that fans will take a chance at this fantastic price and at least buy issue 1, I think this was a great promotion, and my local comic shop will be pulling the entire series for me. If you didn’t see this at your store, you may want to ask if they have any copies left, because the story and art were certainly worth my ten cents. The cover price of Project Superpowers #0 is 10¢, while the current value is 10¢.
FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 10)
#697 — Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, BOOM! Studios, May 2018.
Free Comic Book Day may be history (can you believe it was over 2 months ago?), but here at Cool Comics, we are bringing you each of the issues that were offered this year. This week we feature Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in a story called Shattered Grid! I probably know less about the Power Rangers than just about anyone reading this. I think it’s because they debuted when I was too old to appreciate them, but because of FCBD, I did get to enjoy this short foray into the world of these heroes who’ve captured the hearts of so many people who aren’t me. From TV to movies to card games to video games to a live stage world tour, these heroes in Blue, Yellow, Red, Black, Pink, Green, and whatever other colors exist (I’m not even sure if the colors I named actually are Power Rangers), have helped bring in lots of money to the owners, so more “Power” to them. The cover price of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is free, while the current value is $1.
Cool Comics Classics
#698 — Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD #3, Marvel Comics, August 1968.
I was all set for the Youngstown Comic Con this past weekend, having found this gorgeous Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD issue at an incredibly low price for the condition it’s in, anticipating getting it signed by Jim Steranko, who wrote it, drew it, colored it, and did the cover. That’s right, JIM STERANKO! But then my health decided not to cooperate, and I couldn’t make the trip. Man, was I crushed. But there’s always next year. At least that’s what I kept thinking in order to fight off the disappointment. Then I saw an announcement that due to problems with his flight, Mr. Steranko had to cancel. I truly feel bad for all who missed out on this opportunity, but word is that he’s going to try to make it next year, and I’m sure there are plenty of fans out there hoping it will happen. And so, I’ll carefully put away my Nick Fury issue now (if you like the Sherlock Holmes story “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” you’ll appreciate this adventure), hoping that I have reason to take it out of the box again next year. The cover price of Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD #3 is 12¢, while the current value is $140.
Cool Comics Letters
This week we have another fan letter to feature here at Cool Comics, written by…well, it’s me! I’m a big fan of Apama the Undiscovered Animal and the newest title from Hero Tomorrow Comics, Tap Dance Killer. And because I like them so much, I wanted to let the creators know it, so I wrote in and lo and behold, I had a letter printed in Tap Dance Killer #2, which just became available this week (click on the letter for easier reading). Don’t forget, if you’ve ever had a letter published or run across a letter written by someone famous (or even your cousin that nobody knows), send it to me at edgosney62@gmail.com, along with some background information about the letter, and we’ll put it in an upcoming episode!
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Without spoiling anything, Batman #50 was an extreme disappointment. It was one of those “Events” that spill out into mainstream media that tends to get people interested in reading comics again (or start reading). Unfortunately, this was NOT a good jumping on point. . .and I suspect many who already read comics will see it as the perfect jumping OFF point.
Project Superpowers is some great old-school comic fun! I truly wish Dynamite was able to get a bit more push in comic shops because they do a really good job with the older characters that they gain the license for.
The cover on that Nick Fury is fantastic! It’s a great choice for Steranko to sign and I hope you catch up with him again someday.
Thanks for your comments, Atom. I’m not sure what they were thinking with Batman #50, but I haven’t heard any positive comments yet.
I love the concept behind Project Superpowers, and may have to someday hunt down the previous two chapters of the story!