FCBD, Not the Captain Marvel You’d Expect, & Jerry Lewis Gets Zany!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 189, 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.

The Cool Comics In My Collection Facebook Group is a place where you can discuss the comics you love, your favorite titles, and the characters that keep you coming back for more. Also, creators are welcome to share news about what you are working on, including Kickstarter campaigns. And don’t forget the prizes. Yes, Cool Comics gives away cool prizes. Be sure and join today!

If you have any comments, please scroll to the bottom of the page to where it says, “Leave a Reply.” And now, Episode 189…

Cool Comics News!

I hope everyone had a great Free Comic Book Day last Saturday! I bought lots of quarter comics, got the entire run of FCBD 2019 issues, and purchased some signed comics and posters from Dan Gorman, the awesome artist behind the Cool Comics logo. If you feel so inclined, be sure to share some of your fun FCBD 2019 memories in the comments section below.

Cool Comics Battle of the Week!

Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Bane versus Elektra! 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

#925 — DC’s Year of the Villain #1, DC, July 2019.

Last Wednesday (May 1), DC released a comic book for just a quarter. Many of you, myself included, remember the days when nearly all new comic books were just a quarter each, so if nothing else about this issue interests you, the price may just bring a smile to your face. So why did DC sell this issue way below the typical $3.99? To stir up interest in their big crossover event, Year of the Villain. It’s a decent marketing piece that contains several short tales consisting of: Doom by Scott Snyder (writer) and Jim Cheung (pencils and inks); Leviathan by Brian Michael Bendis (writer) and Alex Maleev (art); and Justice by James Tynion IV (writer) and Francis Manapaul (pencils, inks, colors). The last few pages contain information about titles that will be involved and some character information. If you read any DC titles, chances are your favorite characters will be involved, one way or another. Even if you don’t read DC, stop by your local comic shop and grab a copy, because you can’t be the price, and you don’t know what you’re missing until you give it a try. I certainly recommend it. By the way, my amazing shop didn’t charge a cent for this comic. The cover price of DC’s Year of the Villain #1 is 25¢, while the current value is 25¢.

#926 — Savage Avengers #1, Marvel, July 2019.

It was controversial enough—at least to some readers—when Marvel included Conan the Barbarian with the Avengers in a limited series a few weeks back, and as Avengers No Road Home came to a conclusion, we find out that Conan (spoiler alert! But not really that much of a spoiler, because if what I’m about to reveal didn’t occur, then Savage Avengers wouldn’t be including the Cimmerian) doesn’t get home (…no road home…), but instead ends up in the Savage Land. If you prefer happier, friendlier, comics (and there’s nothing wrong with that), then stay away from Savage Avengers. Why? Just look at the cover! The team includes Venom, Doctor Voodoo, Conan, the Punisher, Elektra, and Wolverine. Conan and Wolverine get off to a pretty bloody start with each other, which is sort of the whole idea. Again, if you believe that Conan should stay in his own world, then this isn’t the comic series for you. But if you’ve ever wondered “What If?” then give this one a try. The cover price of Savage Avengers #1 is $4.99, while the current value is $5.

Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap

#927 — Captain Marvel #5, Marvel, April 1996.

These days, everyone knows who Captain Marvel is, right? He’s the guy in red with the lightning bolt on his uniform, brought to us by Fawcett, then later DC…okay, I’m right, but not for this comic. Let’s try it again. He’s Mar-Vell, a Kree warrior…who died. So, it’s not him, either. Then it must be Monica Rambeau, the first female to go by the moniker Captain Marvel! Wait a minute, she’s now known as Photon…oops, it’s Pulsar, that’s her fighting name. Dang, wrong again, because now she’s Spectrum. So it must by Carol Danvers. I saw the movie, and she went from Ms. Marvel to Binary to Warbird and is now Captain Marvel. But this comic book isn’t about her, either. It’s also not about Phyla-Vell, Khn’nr, or Noh-Varr, all who at one time or another were known as Captain Marvel. By this time, you might be thinking, What the heck? And I agree. Too many characters have been known as Captain Marvel. Why not Major Marvel, or Colonel Marvel? Don’t they ever get promoted? All kidding aside, this comic is part of a short-lived series about Genis-Vell, who started off in the comic book world as Legacy. You see, Mar-Vell’s girlfriend took some of his DNA, used comic book technology to have a son, used more sci-fi tech to age him, give him false memories of a childhood, and hence, a new Captain Marvel. I bought the first couple issues of the series, and now my legendary longbox (I bought a longbox that was stuffed with 419 comic books for just $20 a while ago; hence, Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap) has given me one more. The cover price of Captain Marvel #5 is $1.95, while the current value is $3.

FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 1)

#928 — Avengers/Savage Avengers #1, Marvel, July 2019.

Welcome to the first week of 2019 Free Comic Book Day issues! Throughout the next year, we’ll include every FCBD comic here at FCBD the Cool Comics Way, just like we did for 2018. And while some of these free issues aren’t my cup of tea, I don’t want to let the Cool Comics readers down, because some might be your favorites! We start things off with a bang as our issue this week features two of my favorite teams, the Avengers and the Savage Avengers (okay, I know Savage Avengers is only one issue in, but I really liked it, which you could probably tell from Cool Comic #926 above). These two stories give us new information that no respectable member of the Merry Marvel Marching Society would dare miss (that sentence fondly makes me think of the late Stan Lee). The Avengers story is written by Jason Aaron, with art by Stefano Caselli, while Savage Avengers is written by Gerry Duggan, with art by Mike Deodato Jr. The cover price of Avengers/Savage Avengers #1 is free, while the current value is $1.

Cool Comics Kids

#929 — The Friendly Ghost, Casper #218, Harvey, October 1981.

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, there’s no ghost in the comic book world friendlier than Casper. Harvey published so many great comic books for kids, and just reading (or hearing) the company’s name probably brings smiles to lots of faces out there. Lots of us first met Casper in cartoon form, but for those who enjoyed his exploits, you could get more of them with some four-color comic book fun (and I happened to find this one recently for just a quarter). While these older comics aimed at the younger crowd usually contain several short stories, this one took a longer story and broke it up into short chapters. The publishers know that little ones often have short attention spans and wanted to give them nice places to stop, then start up again. Also, there are a couple shorts featuring “The Tuff Little Ghost Spooky,” and Casper’s pal, “Wendy, the Good Little Witch.” This early Eighties comic has a great ad for selling the publication Grit, featuring Richie Rich, along with a nice public message about the importance of dental hygiene, brought to us by Casper. And if you’re a fan of the fun Twinkies comic ads, Hot Stuff is the star for this issue. The cover price of The Friendly Ghost, Casper #218 is 50¢, while the current value is $9.

Cool Comics Classics

#930 — The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #87, DC, April 1965.

I learned about The Adventures of Jerry Lewis from an article in the most recent issue of Hogan’s Alley magazine (# 22) and knew that I needed to add some to my collection. The article is very informative, explaining how it started off as The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, and just like their Hollywood split, the comic book relationship also came to a close. Why do I care about Jerry Lewis comic books? Because like so many of you, I grew up watching his zany antics on television, way back in the days when it was pretty easy to find lots of cool things to watch on a Saturday afternoon…or evening. Kids in the neighborhood would ask each other if they watched Jerry Lewis movies that happened to be on TV over the weekend, and we’d talk about our favorite goofy scenes. Jerry seemed like a pretty good guy, and we’d all try to catch lots of coverage of his famous MDA Labor Day Telethons each year. Simply put, he was part of my childhood, and when I found out about his comic books, it was a no-brainer. Since I like certain kinds of monsters, this issue is one that I wanted to add to my collection. The cover price of The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #87 is 12¢, while the current value is $85.

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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