Cool Comics Presents: Headline Comics!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 185, 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 185…

Cool Comics News!

Marvel has been promoting War of the Realms for a few months now, slapping announcements on the banner of some of its comics so that you won’t miss it. I have to admit, I’ve been less than enthusiastic about all of this, because it’s just another ploy to have a big crossover and grab all our money, right? Well, I didn’t really think about it in exactly those terms (I like to stay positive and keep the hobby fun for myself), but it really didn’t mean much to me until my local comic shop gave me the free War of the Realms Magazine you see pictured here. I figured I’d give it a read before the first issue came out, and honestly, it worked its magic and made me feel 12 again! While I’m not “full in” (meaning that I’m not going to buy titles I don’t normally get that it crosses over into), I’m still going to try some of the mini-series that take place during this three-month long story. And you’ll probably see some of them in future episodes of Cool Comics. If you aren’t interested, I understand, but don’t worry, because we always bring you a variety of four-color adventures, some of which are sure to make you smile.

Cool Comics Battle of the Week!

Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Umbra (Shadow Lass) versus Freyja (All-Mother of Asgard)! 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

#901 — War of the Realms #1, Marvel, June 2019.

In April, War of the Realms will be crossing over into Asgardians of the Galaxy, Avengers, Thor, Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, and Venom (with plenty of others in May and June), as well as these mini-series: (they all have “War of the Realms” in front of them, but I’m skipping that, if it’s okay with you) Journey Into Mystery, Punisher, War Scrolls, and Uncanny X-Men. Hmmm? What’s that? You wonder what this is all about? Well, the Dark Elf Malekith enjoys a good battle as well as the next evil villain, so he and some of his friends (such as Loki, Ulik, Kurse, Laufey, Sindr, Queen of Heven, the Enchantress, and Dario Agger) decide to conquer everything. All ten realms, to put it simply (and no, I’m not going to name them, because by this time you’re sick of these lists). The last one they still have to conquer is Midgard (you know, good old Earth), and when giants, trolls, flaming beasts, and scary elves suddenly appear, you can understand why so many other heroes are involved in this comic. From what I’ve read, the writer, Jason Aaron, has been planning this and planting the seeds for something like five years, and from this first issue, I believe it’s paying off. Russell Dauterman is on pencils, and he does a good job of capturing the chaos that is unfolding. Cool Cover, right? It’s a gatefold, but I just used the front of the image here. The magazine in Cool Comics News above has the entire spread, so be sure to click on it for a better view. If you haven’t jumped on the bandwagon but think you might want to, grab this issue before it disappears. The cover price of War of the Realms #1 is $5.99, while the current value is $6.

#902 — Immortal Hulk #16, Marvel, June 2019.

Immortal Hulk seems to be one of the hottest properties at Marvel these days. Don’t believe me? Just check out some of the back issue prices! At the end of #15, Hulk and Doc Samson are standing in front of an empty grave. And yes, there is a name on the tombstone, but I’m not going to spoil it for you. And yet…the cover to this one, #16, might give you a clue, but it’s not quite, well…again, I’m not going to spoil it in case you haven’t read it. You are reading this comic, right? Wait, you’re not a Hulk fan? Let me tell you, this has been such an interesting journey so far that Hulk fan or not, I think you might enjoy it. I know I sure do. And while things may not turn out the way I want them to where the empty grave is concerned, it sure has been a fun ride so far! The cover price of Immortal Hulk #16 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap

#903 — Legends of the Legion #3, DC, April 1998.

The first Legion storyline I ever read was The Great Darkness Saga, which I bought each month as it came out in Legion of Super-Heroes. For those of you who know what that is, you can understand why I have a nostalgic fondness for these heroes from a far-off future. If you’ve never heard of The Great Darkness Saga, well, in some ways I envy you for getting to read it for the first time (and make sure you do read it! It’s probably available in a trade or comiXology, if you don’t want to search out the original individual issues from 1982). At any rate, because of this, I’m a fan of the Legion of Superheroes. I don’t have a ton of issues, but whenever I find them in quarter boxes, they come home with me. And this one, which, as the cover states, is “Solo Origins of the Legionnaires…” came at an even cheaper price, as it was stuffed in my legendary longbox that I bought for just $20. This four-issue mini contains post-Zero Hour origins, and this is the only one I own…so far. The cover price of Legends of the Legion #3 is $2.25, while the current value is $3.

FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 48)

#904 — Street Angel’s Dog, Image, May 2018.

If Street Angel’s Dog hadn’t been one of the offerings from Free Comic Book Day 2018, I never would have owned or read it. Frankly, I wouldn’t have given it another look. So, is it good or bad that it was part of FCBD? Let’s put it this way, after having read it, I’ll probably never read another issue (unless it’s part of FCBD again), but I don’t at all mind having gone through the experience. It’s really not a comic book that’s in my wheelhouse, but I don’t mind taking a break from my usual genres and exploring other things that are out there, which is one of the reasons I really appreciate Free Comic Book Day and make sure I get each issue offered. If you’ve read this and are a fan, I think that’s awesome. There are comics out there for everyone. Sometimes, you just have to explore and take chance before you find what you like. The cover price of Street Angel’s Dog is free, while the current value is $1.

Cool Comics Kids

#905 — Uncle Scrooge #170, Whitman / Gold Key, November 1979.

Though this Seventies time machine of a comic book came out at the end of the era, it still perfectly captures the spirit of that decade I so fondly remember. Gold Key put out a treasure trove of great comics for kids, and Uncle Scrooge is always a winner (by the way, my cover has the Whitman logo rather than Gold Key, but it’s still the same comic…it’s a long story…and I got this baby for just a quarter!). The first adventure we see features the rich old duck in “I.O.U. …But Who?” As we read along, how can we not enjoy the Twinkies comic ad featuring the Human Torch? After Scrooge solves the mystery, we are offered the chance to attain fame and fortune by selling GRIT “To Friends, Relatives, Neighbors and Others.” Believe it or not, I was a GRIT salesman for a short time in my youth. Hey, it helped buy a few extra comic books! The next story is about Gyro Gearloose and is called “The Sculptinker.” During this story we come to the centerspread, which covers Saturday morning cartoons on CBS, including Mighty Mouse, The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Show, The All-New Popeye Hour, Batman, Tarzan, and more! The last story has Uncle Scrooge in “The Fickle Fortune-Finder.” But wait, we also get a page full of “Super Gifts & Gimmicks, including a Secret Agent Pen, an Atomic Mini-Pistol, the ever-popular Snake Nut Can, and many more childhood delights. The inside back cover gives us a pretty convincing line-up of ABC Saturday morning cartoons, starting with The World’s Greatest Super Friends, the Plastic Man Comedy/Adventure Show, Scooby and Scrappy Doo (some consider Scrappy to be an abomination…), Spider-Woman, and more! The back of the comic book, of course, has a beautiful ad for Sea-Monkeys. The cover price of Uncle Scrooge #170 is 40¢, while the current value is $28.

Cool Comics Classics

#906 — Headline Comics #61, Prize Publications, October 1953.

When you get the opportunity to purchase a comic book from 1953 for one measly dollar, do it! “But that’s ten times the cover price,” you exclaim, casting a sidelong glance at me that sends shivers down my spine. Is the threat real? It felt like it, but by gum, I’ll purchase them if I want to! I guess the excessive wordiness contained in Headline Comics #61 has infected my brain this week…that’s my only excuse. I’d never read—or even heard of—this title before deftly lifting the slightly tarnished old issue out of its white, rectangular storage box, but the moment it caught my eye, I felt as if I was struck by a jolt of electricity from a severed live wire that I never should have touched. Folks, the stories in here are “adapted from TRUE POLICE and FBI cases.” From moonshiners to corrupt miners, if you enjoy your stories with a splash of truth, then Headline Comics is for you! If you’re lucky enough to find a copy on the cheap and hand over your dough, make sure to check out the ads, too, as there are some doozies from decades ago. The cover price of Headline Comics #61 is 10¢, while the current value is $105.

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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