Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 194, 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. I hope you have as much fun reading about them as I had writing about them!
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 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.
Did you know that you can be a guest host for Cool Comics? It’s your chance to show off some of your favorite comics in your personal collection! 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. To submit your completed blog (or if you have any questions), 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 194…
Cool Comics News!
Cool Comics readers probably remember that I’ve been collecting Oblivion Song from Image Comics since it launched (issue #16 just came out), and now it’s in the news, because it’s been optioned for a movie. The writer of the comic, Robert Kirkman, is the guy who brought you The Walking Dead. Oblivion Song has been intriguing, and I’m interested to see if Hollywood does it justice.
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Black Cat versus Wildcat! 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
#955 — Black Cat #1, Marvel, August 2019.
While there are arguments both for and against Black Cat being a Catwoman knockoff, she’s celebrating 40 years of existence, so there is no denying her staying power. Known primarily for being part of Spider-Man’s world, she’s now flying solo in an ongoing series for the first time. I don’t have Black Cat on my pull list at my local comic shop (LCS), but figured that if there were any left when I walked into the store last week, I’d grab the first issue and tell you good comic book reading folks a little about it. And when you decide to do something like that, sometimes you miss out, because either the store owner doesn’t order many, or others had the same idea, and they get there in front of you and take the last ones. And that’s why I try to get there early when I can. I actually had my pick of covers, too. There were maybe ten issues of the regular cover left, a variant with a horizontal cover, and one copy of this Artgerm cover, which I decided to get. I’m usually the kind of collector who takes the regular cover, but since I’m not going to make this comic a part of my regular reading, I decided to get something a little special. Having said that, I won’t be surprised if I find myself grabbing issue 2 off the shelf next month when it comes out, because this was a pretty good start to the series. Also, this first issue contains a shorter backup story that has Dracula in it, which makes this a quality cool comic! The cover price of Black Cat #1 is $4.99, while the current value is $5.
#956 — Sons of Chaos Ashcan, IDW Publishing, June 2019.
A few weeks back I was at my LCS (Kenmore Komics & Games) digging through box after box of quarter comics (how can anyone resist such potential treasures?), when the shop owner let me know that he was sticking something extra in with my purchases. I didn’t really notice what it was until after I’d arrived home and was exploring all my new “old” editions. At a quick glance, I saw that it was horizontal. Typically, I don’t care for comics done “widescreen.” But it cost me nothing and I figured that since I noticed it was an ashcan, I should plug it here at Cool Comics so that you can get an early glimpse in case it’s something you want to purchase down the road. From the cover, it reminded me of 300, but once you flip to the inside you learn that this is a story about the Greek War for Independence against the Ottoman Empire. The part that really intrigued me was when I saw that the story is set in 1821. My ignorance of this war may be showing, but we only know what we know, right? And I guess I shouldn’t feel too bad about not knowing, as the comic tells as that it’s a “widely unknown portion of world history.” The full graphic novel from IDW Publishing is due in July and weighs in at 192 pages, and if the Ashcan is any indication, this is going to be great! The art and storytelling had me glued to my seat, and it turned out the horizontal format wasn’t a hindrance at all. Once you lose yourself in this tale, you don’t even think about anything except what’s going to happen next. The cover price of Sons of Chaos Ashcan is free, while the current value is $15.
Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap
#957 — The Ride: 2 For the Road #1, Image, October 2004.
Did anyone out there read this one-shot? I recently pulled it from my legendary longbox knowing nothing about it (I bought a longbox that was stuffed with 419 comic books for just $20 a while ago; hence, Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap) and ended up enjoying this black and white concept comic that contains two tales. The first story in The Ride: Two for the Road is “Shotgun,” written by Chuck Dixon with art by D. Alexander Gregory, while Cully Hamner provides both art and story for “Big Plans.” This is an Image comic, and not surprisingly this issue isn’t what most people typically think of when they think of comic books. In 1990-something I met Cully Hamner at a small comic convention in Atlanta, when I was serving there in the Army. He and I arranged for me to visit his art studio and interview him there, but—unfortunately—the story never ran. Nevertheless, it was a great experience to meet him and see where he made comics come to life. The cover price of The Ride: 2 For the Road #1 is $2.95, while the current value is $3.
FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 6)
#958 — Disney Descendants: Dizzy’s New Fortune, Tokyopop, February 2019.
This may come as a shock, but Disney Descendants isn’t in my wheelhouse. Sure, I’ve seen bits and pieces of different “Descendants” movies that my daughter Brynn watched on TV, but all I got out of it is that there is a female pirate with blue hair who can’t seem to remember her own name. If this Dizzy girl was in any of the movies, I don’t remember (but at least I don’t need to ask others “What’s my name?”), but I’m guessing that fans of the movies would probably enjoy this Free Comic Book Day edition put out by Tokyopop. Honestly, I have no idea how well comics with Disney stories and characters sell (although this one was free), but Mickey, Donald, and Uncle Scrooge seem like they’ve been in comic books forever. Any Disney comic completists out there? If so, here’s one to make sure you get your hands on. The cover price of Disney Descendants: Dizzy’s New Fortune is free, while the current value is $1.
Cool Comics Kids
#959 — Chip ‘N’ Dale #29, Gold Key, September 1974.
I’m still working my way through a bunch of Seventies-era kid comics I scooped out of a quarter bin many months ago (although since then I’ve found some newer kids comics, so I’m mixing them up a bit for the sake of variety) for our Cool Comics Kids section, and one thought that keeps going through my mind is that Gold Key really did a great job of producing stories to entertain younger kids and those who loved comics but didn’t care for the superhero genre. Again, here we are with a couple Disney classic characters in Chip ‘N’ Dale, and it’s hard to go wrong when using these familiar furry friends. So yes, if you’re thinking about building out a young reader’s comic library, make sure to go back a few decades, because they really did a nice job back then. And these don’t have to drain your bank account. I usually find mine in deeply discounted bins. Granted, the condition isn’t always great, but the price is right. By the way, I certainly like these chipmunks a lot more than the ones who keep tunneling through my mulch! The cover price of Chip ‘N’ Dale #29 is 25¢, while the current value is $12.
Cool Comics Classics
#960 — The Brave and the Bold #127, DC, June 1976.
Usually when The Brave and the Bold comes to mind, I think about those 100-pages for 60¢ editions from the mid-Seventies. Aside from those, I never owned any other issues of this title until the past few years when I started buying them on occasion out of quarter bins. It’s not that I have anything against the title, but when I first started buying comics as a kid, it was mostly Marvel. As a matter of fact, nearly every DC comic I bought in the Seventies was a 100-page issue or of the oversized Limited Collector’s Edition variety. My father was a pharmacist and could get a discount at the store where he worked, so I’d sometimes visit and find some of these comics, and he’d pick up a pen and draw a line through the price, then write down the new price with his discount. Smack dab on the cover. That probably makes some of you cringe, but my dad passed away in 2001 and I relish those ink marks today. As you can see from the cover of this issue, Batman teams up with Wildcat for an adventure, so if you’re a fan, you may want to search this one out. My dad went through a lot of medical problems, and you’d never hear him complain. There’s no doubt in my mind that my father was both brave and bold. It’s funny sometimes, isn’t it, where these old comic books take us? The cover price of The Brave and the Bold #127 is 30¢, while the current value is $12.
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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