Catching Up With the Man of Steel

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 180, 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 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 scale I use here. And remember, a comic book is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

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If you have any comments, please scroll to the bottom of the page to where it says, “Leave a Reply.” And now, Episode 180…

Cool Comics News!

Fred Andrews, father of Archie Andrews, made his first comic book appearance in Pep Comics #22 in December 1941. I mention this because many of you probably saw the announcement of the passing of actor Luke Perry, who most recently has been portraying Fred on the TV series Riverdale. I guess you could consider Fred as one of the longest ongoing characters in the history of the medium, and there’s a good chance he’s been around longer than your favorite superhero (I know, a few have been around longer, but not many). From 90210 to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the movie) to Riverdale, we’ve seen Luke Perry for a good portion of our lives. It’s always sad when someone so familiar to us passes away, and in tribute to Luke Perry, I made sure to include Archie Milestones Jumbo Comics Digest #1 as a Cool Comic in this episode.

Cool Comics Battle of the Week!

Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Superman versus Alpha Flight! 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

Contemporary Cool Comics

#872 — Action Comics #1008, DC, April 2019.

It’s been a while since we’ve checked in with the ongoing Man of Steel comics, and this week is as good as any to report that I, for one, am really enjoying what Brian Michael Bendis is bringing to a character who has been around, in the world of comic book superheroes, seemingly forever. This is part 2 of a storyline named “Leviathan Rises,” and in May a Leviathan Rises prestige special is scheduled to come to a comic shop near you (I use the word “scheduled,” because anyone who has been around comic books long enough knows that lateness happens). While the cover to this one comes across as a little misleading, the energy and characterization we’re getting in both Action Comics and Superman these days has been a whole lot of fun, in my opinion, so all is forgiven. If you haven’t been reading Superman comics but have considered giving them a try, why not now? The cover price of Action Comics #1008 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

#873 — Archie Milestones Jumbo Comics Digest #1, Archie, April 2019.

Once upon a time there was a working relationship between Archie and Marvel, with Archie publishing reprint digests for “the House of Ideas.” You’d get about 200 pages of Marvel history for $6.99, and I was enjoying the journey. I’m not sure what went wrong, but after eight issues, it came to a screeching halt. And now Archie seems to have taken that same basic idea and recently came out with their new “Milestones” digest, which reprints stories from different eras, with sections containing similar themes and subject matters. I didn’t order this one from my local comic shop, but when I was in a Barnes & Noble, I happened to see this issue and decided to give it a try. I went through a period in the Seventies when I was reading several different Archie titles, and over the last few years I’ve been enjoying the alternate “horror” comics with the gang from Riverdale. But if I hadn’t read Archie in the past, I wouldn’t be able to appreciate the new stuff as much. Anyway, if you like Archie and want to read a variety of stories throughout their history, you may want to give these digests (which are scheduled to come out six times a year) a try. The cover price of Archie Milestones Jumbo Comics Digest #1 is $6.99, while the current value is $7.

Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap

#874 — Alpha Flight #9, Marvel, April 1984.

About midway through 1982 until several months into 1993, the only comic books I purchased were a few issues from companies I’d never heard of (like First, for example) at Big Lots…or Odd Lots…or whatever the store was called in the area I was living in at the time. They came three in a bag for a nice discount, but I had no idea what was going on in the stories, because these were unfamiliar characters. And the same thing applied when I started collecting again in 1993 and I saw Alpha Flight #120 on the shelves. It was nearing the end of its run (of course I didn’t know that at the time), and when I was looking over all the ongoing titles at a little used bookstore just south of Atlanta, Georgia, I decided to give it a try. I didn’t know they were a Canadian-based team, I didn’t know who the members were, and I didn’t buy any new issues afterwards. But I did pick up a few back issues here and there in discount boxes (including the first issue), so I had a nice little collection before I sold them at a garage sale about seven or eight years ago. I can’t recall how many of those I actually read, but I did read this one that I recently pulled out of my legendary longbox. I like Sasquatch, and if you’re reading Immortal Hulk (and if you aren’t, you should check it out!), then you know that the big hairy guy’s alter ego, Walter Langkowski, has been a part of that ongoing story. I enjoyed this old comic (Wolverine even shows up in it, but who do you think Sasquatch faces off against, based on the cover?), and recently found a little over a dozen more Alpha Flight issues in the quarter boxes at Kenmore Komics in Akron, Ohio, so it looks like some fun reading ahead. The cover price of Alpha Flight #9 is 60¢, while the current value is $3.50.

FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 43)

#875 — Lady Mechanika, Benitez Productions, May 2018.

This week’s Free Comic Book Day issue features Lady Mechanika, and while I recognize the character (I’ve seen covers and drawings plenty of times over the last several years since I started blogging, and at some comic conventions, like the Cincinnati Comic Expo, there was a table featuring Lady Mechanika), I didn’t know anything about the comic books. And it turns out that Lady Mechanika doesn’t know much about herself, either, so now I don’t feel so bad! She’s sort of a “bionic woman,” part human, part machine, and her tales are set in England in the early 20^th Century. She’s been around in the world of comic books since 2010, and there have been a number of titles in her series of adventures, but from what I read, she is searching to find out the mysteries of her past. This FCBD issue features two stories, and both are pretty interesting. If you are a fan of steampunk, I suggest you give these comics a try, if you haven’t already. The cover price of Lady Mechanika is free, while the current value is $1.

Cool Comics Kids

#876 — Woody Woodpecker #187, Gold Key, February 1980.

Remember the old Woody Woodpecker cartoon? He comes across as fairly obnoxious, doesn’t he? I’ll be the first to admit that, yet I find myself strangely liking the kooky bird. Or maybe my reasoning isn’t so strange after all. I remember once, when I was young, my paternal grandmother giving me a Woody Woodpecker drawing that I could color and send in for a contest through our local newspaper (which is where she got the drawing in the first place). This is a nice childhood memory, so I associate positive feelings towards the bird. Gold Key put out a lot of comics aimed towards younger readers back in the Seventies and early Eighties, and this one seems safe enough to pass off to young readers. This issue contains three silly stories, which is perfect for shorter attention spans. The cover price of Woody Woodpecker #187 is 40¢, while the current value is $9.

Cool Comics Classics

#877 — Dagar the Invincible #10, Whitman/Gold Key, December 1974.

Fans of sword and sorcery adventures, take note: while Dagar the Invincible is no replacement for Conan the Barbarian, this was a pretty decent tale. Comprised of just 19 issues, this series ran from 1972 to 1982; needless to say, the schedule didn’t exactly fall into a monthly pattern…or every other month, for that matter. But it tried to come out quarterly. Then in December 1976, with issue #18, Dagar the Invincible seemed to be finished. At least until #19 came out in April 1982. If you are a completist, it may take a little work since this isn’t a Marvel or DC comic, but I bet you could find every issue in this run. I like that this comic book contains a complete story, which was helpful since I’d never even heard of the character until I bought this one for just a dollar. If you enjoy action-packed covers, Dagar has lots of them, many suitable for framing right next to your other barbarian friends. The cover price of Dagar the Invincible is 25¢, while the current value is $16.

ComicBooks For Kids!

ComicBooks For Kids! (CB4K) is a charity that Cool Comics In My Collection is honored to be working with. CB4K provides comic books to kids in hospitals and cancer centers all across the Unites States. You can check their website and see if your local hospital is included and if not, you can work with them to get them included! If you like what you see, please help them out and follow/like their Facebook page. Their link is https://www.facebook.com/comicbooksforkids/

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