Godzilla, Green Arrow, and More War of the Realms!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 186, where we 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 my comics are 9.4. Some are probably better, and some are certainly 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.

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. For any questions or to submit your completed blog, write to edgosney62@gmail.com.

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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 186…

Cool Comics News!

At some point last year I mentioned in Cool Comics News! about “the magazine of the cartoon arts,” Hogan’s Alley, and how I’d just purchased No. 21, my first issue. Now, at long last, No. 22 is available for the low price of $7.50 (especially when compared to so many other magazines out there, not to mention that it’s over 140 delicious pages). Hogan’s Alley covers more than just comic books, so if you appreciate comic strips and cartoon arts in general, this annual magazine is well worth your money. I was able to find issue 21 at a large chain bookstore, but this year it wasn’t available, and I’d neglected to order it via Previews through my local comic shop. So how did I get a copy? I subscribed. Granted, it feels a little strange to pay for future editions that come out just once a year, but this magazine is worth it. There is a Facebook page for Hogan’s Alley, and people post pictures of themselves with their copies when they arrive, so I did the same (of course while wearing a Cool Comics In My Collection shirt!). Wouldn’t you know it, the editor of the magazine, Tom Heintjes, ended up using my picture on Twitter! Pretty cool, right? I’m 20 pages in and loving every minute of it, just in case you wondered.

Cool Comics Battle of the Week!

Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Green Arrow versus Godzilla! 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

#907 — War of the Realms: Journey Into Mystery #1, Marvel, June 2019.

What? War of the Realms…again? It shouldn’t come as a surprise, since I warned you last episode that you’d find more WOTR in Cool Comics in the coming weeks. Honestly, this issue is part of a mini-series I wasn’t going to read, but after getting a chance to look at a few preview pages, I decided it would be worth the risk. Did it deliver? You bet! An unlikely group of heroes led by Baldar the Brave is gathered to protect his (and Thor’s) baby sister from the minions of Malekith, the Dark Elf, and Balder quickly learns that things have changed since he was imprisoned in Hel. He’s excited to get the aid of Spider-Man, only it turns out to be a younger, less experienced Miles Morales Spider-Man. Wonder Man, one of the most powerful heroes around, is now a pacifist; the Hawkeye he gets is a younger female, Kate Bishop; instead of Deathlok, Death Locket is along for the ride; and rather than Doctor Strange, Druid is the wizard assigned to this task. The humor hit the mark, the adventure is fun and full of peril, and I’m enjoying watching this group of heroes work on becoming a team. And it doesn’t hurt that Thori, Thor’s talking dog, is also going with them. The writing team is the McElroys (Clint and Justin), and from what I’ve heard they are famous bloggers, but they are newcomers to me. Maybe you’re familiar with them. The cover price of War of the Realms: Journey Into Mystery #1 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

#908 — Green Arrow #39, DC, April 2015.

This issue of Green Arrow came out a year before the New 52 run ended. I was able to find it in a quarter bin at my local comic shop a few months back and finally got around to reading it. I’ve mentioned on here before that I wasn’t actively collecting comics during the era of the New 52, so even though they’re now sort of old, they’re still “new” to me. And I guess that goes for any comic you’ve never read. Now that I’m reading comics regularly again, I do like to take a look back every once in a while to see what I missed out on. Just last month the Rebirth run of Green Arrow came to an end at #50. I haven’t been buying it, but felt bad for the hero, so in tribute, I decided to read this issue. Probably the most interesting thing to me was how it seemed so closely related to the TV show, including Felicity Smoak. The cover price of Green Arrow #39 is $2.99, while the current value is $3.

Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap

#909 — Artemis: Requiem #4, DC, September 1996.

Anyone remember back in the Nineties when Artemis held the title of Wonder Woman? I was reading Wonder Woman during that period, but I confess I don’t recall much about it. Even after I pulled this issue out of my legendary longbox (a while back I bought a longbox stuffed with 419 comic books, sight unseen, for just $20), I didn’t remember anything about this character. Does anyone know if this was intentionally a mini-series, or if it just got cancelled early? Six issues are all that came out, and it never helps to start reading after you’ve missed the first three. While the penciller, Ed Benes, isn’t someone I’m familiar with (however, I discovered I’ve read several other comics he’s drawn), the writer, William Messner Loebs, is a name I immediately recognized. The cover price of Artemis: Requiem #4 is $1.75, while the current value is $3.

FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 49)

#910 — Comics Friends Forever, First Second Books, May 2018.

It’s come to my attention that First Second Books puts out some pretty nice comics for younger readers. Though I picked this out of my Free Comic Book Day box and was completely unfamiliar with the characters and creators, I’ve come away quite impressed with the stories and age appropriate art. “Be Prepared” by Vera Brosgol, “All Summer Long” by Hope Larson, “The Amazing Crafty Cat” by Charise Mericle Harper, “Zita the Spacegirl” by Ben Hatke, and “Real Friends” by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham touch on issues that are often important to kids, and even adults when told a little differently. The company states that they have great graphic novels for every reader, and picking up this FCBD issue is a good way to sample their wares. The cover price of Comics Friends Forever is free, while the current value is $1.

Cool Comics Kids

#911 — Tom and Jerry #327, Gold Key, February 1980.

Do kids today know who Tom and Jerry are? When I was growing up, I think every kid in my hometown knew about the classic cat and mouse battles, since they seemed to make weekly visits on our televisions. The other mouse in this comic is Tuffy (see, he’s on the cover), but I admit I don’t remember him at all from the cartoon. And maybe he was never in the cartoons, or at least had rare appearances. As usual with a Gold Key comic from this time period, there are several stories packed into one regular sized comic, which is just perfect for younger readers as they work to build up their attention spans. I paid less than cover price for this one, as it was tossed in a quarter bin with several other “kid” comics I’ve been using for this section of Cool Comics. When you can get issues in decent shape at such a great prices, it’s hard to pass up, and even as a grown man I’ve gotten a kick out of these stories from my youth. If you’re looking to build four-color interest with the youngsters in your life, make sure to check out discount bins, because you never know what gold you may find. The cover price of Tom and Jerry #327 is 40¢, while the current value is $10.

Cool Comics Classics

#912 — Godzilla #4, Marvel, November 1977.

I really like the cover of this Godzilla issue, though looking at it makes me a little wistful. Once up on a time, I owned 20 out of 24 issues from this series. And even though I hadn’t gotten around to reading a single issue, I sold them at a garage sale because comic book boxes were taking over the house. But last year I found a couple issues featuring everybody’s favorite big green thunder lizard for just 50¢ each, and being that the Seventies is my favorite period of comics, I quickly made the decision to put some Godzilla back into my collection. And now that I’ve finally gotten around to reading an issue, well, that’s why I’m feeling a little disappointed. Because I really had fun with this and wish I had my collection back! But the chase is also part of the fun, so now I’m on the lookout for more from this series. Written by Doug Moench and penciled by Tom Sutton, it had me feeling like I was a kid again on Saturday afternoon, watching battles of big beasts on the small screen. One thing I want to be sure to mention to those not familiar with Marvel’s run on this series is that SHIELD is involved, with a fair amount of Dum Dum Dugan in this issue. The cover price of Godzilla #4 is 35¢, 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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