New Agents of Atlas Sees Launch of New Characters!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 190, 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 190…

Cool Comics News!

What are your comic convention plans for the next few months? Do you prefer cons that have big name celebrities who star in your favorite movies and TV shows, or are smaller cons with just a few comic book creators and lots of comics for sale more your style? If you’re the sharing type, tell us in the comments section below.

Cool Comics Battle of the Week!

Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is The Outsiders versus The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! 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

#931 — War of the Realms: New Agents of Atlas #1, Marvel, July 2019.

After a two-week hiatus from War of the Realms, comic fans who are enjoying the big Marvel event will be happy to see that Cool Comics is still having fun with it. This particular issue, New Agents of Atlas, introduces us to some new characters…at least for most of us. Sword Master and Aero exist online for the Chinese market at NetEase Comics (don’t worry about remembering this, as there’s a section at the end of the story that gives you the scoop). But not only do we meet them, we also get the first ever appearance of Wave, who is a Filipino superhero. Does that mean this issue will only increase in value? Probably, but the amount is determined by just how popular the characters end up becoming. I really enjoyed this Asian team and having Shang-Chi in the mix is a plus in my mind. The other heroes are Silk (Cindy Moon), Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel), and Amadeus Cho (Brawn). They are led by former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jimmy Woo. War of the Realms isn’t just about battling in New York City, but it’s a worldwide catastrophe, and we get to see what’s going on across the globe. If you can still find a copy, grab it…word is it’s heading to a second printing and prices are starting to rise. The cover price of War of the Realms: New Agents of Atlas #1 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

#932 — SHAZAM! #5, DC, July 2019.

With the Captain Marvel movie still pulling in money and Avengers: Endgame shattering box office records (not to mention my inclusion of a Captain Marvel comic last week that was yet a different Marvel hero), I thought I’d give some love and attention to SHAZAM! The movie, while making a nice profit, is nowhere in the neighborhood of the two aforementioned properties, and I’m here to tell you that it’s lots of fun. Okay, I understand that for many of you, that’s not your version of SHAZAM (if you’ve read The New 52 stories that served as backup in Justice League comics, or read the collection, you will recognize the movie version), but if you go in with an open mind, you may just find yourself smiling throughout the film. The current comic series picked right up where The New 52 stories left off, and while it’s been fun, I’m ready for the characters to move on to the next storyline (but due to circumstances and considering what the writer, Geoff Johns, seems to be building, I think it’s going to be a while…but I’m sticking with it). The use of bright colors makes the covers and comics attractive, and the only real complaint I have is that the issues are a bit behind schedule. The cover price of SHAZAM! #5 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap

#933 — Adventures of the Outsiders #42, DC, February 1987.

I own just three issues of Adventures of the Outsiders, but I treasure each one. The comic was published at a time when I wasn’t active in the hobby, but lucky for me I’ve gotten to experience it via  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), which contained three issues. The heroes who make up the Outsiders aren’t exactly household names (and part of the fun is learning just who they are and what powers they have), and include Black Lightning (who is much better known now due to The CW TV show), Geo Force, Halo, Katana (who is in the Suicide Squad movie and has been in The Arrow TV show), Looker, and Metamorpho. So why do I care? Because Mike W. Barr, the esteemed writer, attends a monthly comic book gathering that I also started attending, and he’s a really cool guy. You tend to view the hobby a little differently when you start to meet the creators. It adds a new level of appreciation and enjoyment. Just ask the millions of people who’ve attended comic conventions over the years and around the world if you won’t take my word for it. The cover price of Adventures of the Outsiders #42 is 75¢, while the current value is $3.

FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 2)

#934 — Animosity Tales #1, AfterShock, May 2019.

No doubt about it, AfterShock puts out some interesting comics, and their Free Comic Book Day issue this year, Animosity Tales, proves my point. What would happen should animals suddenly gain sentience and be able to communicate with us? Some would be loyal for sure, but others…well, watch out, world, because other animals may not be so happy with their lot in life. Humans—or at least some humans—might just go on the offensive, while others are sympathetic and try to help out their animal friends. Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, Animosity stories have been a part of AfterShock for the last few years, so if you enjoyed this FCBD issue, by all means, try to pick up some of the other tales (or tails) out there. The last few pages give us a preview of a new series, Mary Shelley: Monster Hunter. If you appreciate the novel Frankenstein and the story behind it, and don’t mind a little fiction on the side to make it interesting in a different way, this may be a series you want to look for. The cover price of Animosity Tales #1 is free, while the current value is $1.

Cool Comics Kids

#935 — Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #2, Archie, October 1988.

For a while, way back in ancient times, my wife and I started buying Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys. I’d see bits and pieces of the cartoon version here and there (and I may have seen one or two of the early movies), and young relatives really liked it…and even today many still love the turtles, but I’ve never really felt a connection the way some of you have. Yet I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get this Archie published version of the turtles for just a quarter, which is an adaptation of the original five-episode cartoon. Though this is a little more violent than many of the earlier kid’s comics that have been featured in this section, it can’t be ignored that children really love those darn turtles (and of course no one dies…except robots). Did you grow up in the era of turtle magic, in which you couldn’t wait for Saturday mornings each week? If so, this comic is for you. The cover price of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #2 is $1, while the current value is $8.

Cool Comics Classics

#936 — The Thanos Quest #1, Marvel, September 1990.

You know who Thanos is, right? He’s that big, muscular purple guy who wants to control the fate of the Marvel Universe. And how can you avoid him, these days? He’s all over TV commercials for some movie that’s breaking box office records. Chances are, if you’re reading Cool Comics, then you’ve read a comic or two in your time that featured The Mad Titan. So while Avengers: Endgame rages across the silver screen, and others are finally getting around to watching Avengers: Infinity War so they can get current, some of us are diving a little deeper by discovering just what The Thanos Quest is all about. Ever wonder about those Infinity Gems (or stones…or whatever you and Thanos want to call them) and where they came from? I’m talking from a comic book perspective, of course, because what takes place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is best explored and explained by others, since Cool Comics is about…you guessed it, comics! I was fortunate to grab this issue (and the second issue…see below) for the low price of 50¢ many moons ago when I was in the Army, stationed in Atlanta, GA. Yet I’ve never read it until this past week. The Thanos Quest is just two parts, and in this first issue, Thanos attempts to attain three soul gems from the following: the In-Betweener, the Champion, and The Gardner, all mighty and powerful beings in the Marvel Universe. Can he pull it off? The cover price of The Thanos Quest #1 is $4.95, while the current value is $30.

#937 — The Thanos Quest #2, Marvel, October 1990.

Notice the date of this mini-series? It came out in 1990, just before The Infinity Gauntlet (then The Infinity War, The Infinity Crusade, and so on), but I rarely see any mention of it online. Sure, I lived without it and read the three Infinity series previously mentioned, but now that I’ve gone questing with Thanos, I see how it fits into the entire plotline and really should have read it first. But mistakes are sometimes made, and we at Cool Comics did our best to rectify this shortcoming in our Infinity experience. As our story continues, Thanos has three more friends to go visit and convince that he alone should have possession of those pretty rocks. After a quick parley with the Collector, Thanos runs off to face…The Runner! After sipping some sweet tea with his buddy, he returns to the Collector, fills him in on how his meeting with the Runner went, and is off flying across space once more until he comes upon The Grand Master. And then it’s game on! Who wins this battle of wits and strength? It would be cheating if I told you, and if you cheat, do you really win? I enjoyed The Thanos Quest and recommend finding cheap copies to read if you don’t want to shell much money. And you can always go digital if you just want to experience the story. The cover price of The Thanos Quest #2 is $4.95, while the current value is $30.

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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