A Stan and Jack Classic, an “Event” at DC, & a Cool Kickstarter!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 195, 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 these cool comics!

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 195…

Cool Comics News!

Comic books on Kickstarter (and other platforms) are sort of like Indie Publishing for books (which I’ve taken part in), and when we can support them at Cool Comics, we do so, and like to let the readers out there know about them, too. Illuminatus Comics currently has a campaign for their comic, “Take Your Kid to Work Day.” After just a few days, I’m happy to report that this Kickstarter is already near goal! But they have stretch goals, too, with all sorts of cool items that donors can receive if those goals are met. If you love comic books and appreciate all the hard work that goes into creating them, please click on the linked-title above, check out what this campaign is all about, and consider supporting Illuminatus Comics.

Cool Comics Battle of the Week!

Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is The Incredible Hulk versus The Thing! 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

#961 — Event Leviathan #1, DC, August 2019.

You know what? The stuff that happens in Event Leviathan is going to change the DC Universe forever, and if you aren’t reading it you’ll be totally lost and probably go into a panic and search all over creation for the back issues a year or so down the road, and you’ll wonder why you didn’t take advantage and buy it when you saw it in Cool Comics…or maybe not. I know, those of us who have been around the block a time or two have lived through all sorts of change in the comic book world, so you may be fine if you skip this. Maybe. And get this: gone from DC are A.R.G.U.S., D.E.O., Spyral, and Cadmus. Could the Justice League be next? Not if Batman, Green Arrow, and Lois Lane have anything to say about it. With their “never say die” attitudes, can they solve the mystery? Tune in to this “6-Issue Mystery Thriller” to find out! The cover price of Event Leviathan #1 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

#962 — The Incredible Hulk: Last Call, Marvel, August 2019.

If you were a fan of the Peter David – Dale Keown run of The Incredible Hulk that started nearly three decades ago, then you probably put this one-shot on your pull list. To be honest, I wasn’t reading comics when the run started, and even though I bought some of the back issues, I didn’t think I’d be interested in this “Last Call.” And I surprised myself by picking it up and giving it a quick flip-through at my local comic book shop. Then I set it down on the shelf where I’d found it, looked at some other comics, but came back to it, deciding I needed this cool comic. It’s an emotional, action-packed story that does a nice job of summing up both Bruce Banner and the Hulk. There are probably very few people living in North America (and most of the world) who’ve never laid eyes on old jade jaws, thanks to the Avengers movies, and since you’re already familiar, even if you’ve never read any of his comics, this is a good one. The cover price of The Incredible Hulk: Last Call #1 is $4.99, while the current value is $5.

Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap

#963 — Q2: The Return of Quantum and Woody #2, Valiant Entertainment, November 2014.

In the Nineties, when I started my third phase of comic book collecting, I found it interesting that there were a number of companies besides the B2 (Big 2…Marvel and DC) that seemed to be doing pretty well. Valiant was one of them, and though I didn’t buy any of their new comics on a monthly basis, I started buying up older issues in discount bins. I had a pretty decent collection, probably around 100 issues, when I realized that I had way too many comic books in my house, so I decided to sell the majority of them (this was maybe nine or so years ago, and at the time I thought I was through with comic books forever…as if). And since I didn’t have any emotional ties to the Valiant line, it was easy enough to put them in the sell pile. When 2017 rolled around and I decided to embrace my passion once more, I started feeling nostalgic about the Valiant comics I’d given up. So when I acquired 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) and found a couple Valiant comics inside (even though they were newer and not the good old original early Nineties Valiant titles), it got me excited all over again for this company that put out comics I want to collect but so very rarely read. Since then, I’ve been able to find lots of those originals (including many of them that I’d sold) for a quarter each, so my collection is once again bursting at the seams. This new one is a little strange, but then again, that’s okay, because it was a “Valiant” effort (groan!). The cover price of Q2: The Return of Quantum and Woody #2 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 7)

#964 — A Sheets Story, Lion Forge, May 2019.

Did you happen to read Brenna Thummler’s graphic novel Sheets? If you did, then you’re probably excited to get your hands on this Free Comic Book Day story that takes place afterward. Full disclosure, I didn’t read Sheets. And when I picked up A Sheets Story, I was prepared for boredom. This FCBD edition falls under Lion Forge’s Caracal imprint, which caters to kids from ages 8 to 12, so you can understand why I thought I wouldn’t care. But I did care. Brenna pulled me into this universe she created and wouldn’t let me go. Almost as if she’d tied me up with a…sheet…so that all my focus was on this incredibly moving story. I read a lot of comics, so I can’t make any promises that I’ll ever read the original or the upcoming sequel in 2020 (Delicates), but I’m truly glad I got to experience this one. The cover price of A Sheets Story is free, while the current value is $0.

Cool Comics Kids

#965 — Bullwinkle and Rocky #3, Marvel, March 1988.

Did you grew up watching Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons? If so, then you’ll probably appreciate these zany antics of “Moose and Squirrel.” And of course, right in the middle of the story, we have to wait while they present us with a tale of Dudley Do-Right and Snidely Whiplash. Writer Dave Manak and penciler Ernie Colon do a great job of making us feel like we’re kids again, as the characters and images take us back to those long-ago days when we didn’t worry about mortgages, electric bills, and taxes, but instead could just sit back and enjoy some fun cartoons. Don’t hesitate to add some of these Bullwinkle and Rocky comic books to your collection, whether for the little ones in your life or just to travel back to those days we can never truly capture but can somewhat replicate with our memories. The cover price of Bullwinkle and Rocky #3 is $1, while the current value is $5.

Cool Comics Classics

#966 — Fantastic Four #93, Marvel, December 1969.

If you appreciate the days of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, then you won’t be disappointed with this gem of a classic from the end of the Sixties. But how do you get your hands on a comic like this without obliterating your checkbook? Reprints and digital are a couple of ways you can go, but if you want the original, like I have in my collection, then it may take a little hunting and some compromise. You can use the Internet (such as eBay or other auction sites and Facebook groups that are involved in comic book transactions), comic book conventions, or your local comic shop (which is where I picked up my copy). That’s the hunting part of it. For the compromise, you have to decide between price and condition. While my copy isn’t going to get me much money if I try to sell it, I bought it for just a couple dollars, and it’s good enough for me! As you can see on the action-packed cover, the Thing is about to get walloped but good. These two combatants are being forced to fight to the death, and the loser’s planet will also be destroyed, so there’s a lot at stake. Want to know how it ends? Then it’s time to start hunting for a copy! The cover price of Fantastic Four #93 is 15¢, while the current value is $95.

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/

Never Miss an Episode of Cool Comics!

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