Cool Comics Celebrates 200th Episode!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 200, 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 here, I list the current secondary market pricing (with the exception of digital issues, which don’t have collectible value). This is according to the websites comicbookrealm.com (CBR) and Zap-Kapow Comics (ZKC), using the comic book grading scale of 9.4 (if both sites have the same price, you’ll find just one price for that issue). Not all my comics meet that grade. Some are probably better, and some are certainly worse. But to simplify it, that’s the 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 200…

Cool Comics News!

Cool Comics In My Collection is celebrating 200 episodes with this edition, and I want to thank all of you readers and supporters out there for everything you’ve done, from your encouraging comments to your continued support of the blog. I’d have no reason to do this every week without you, so thanks for giving purpose to my passion!

Cool Comics Battle of the Week!

Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Batman versus Captain America! 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 

#992 — Batman #75, DC, September 2019.

If you follow your favorite comic heroes at various places on the web, then you probably have seen the news that Tom King’s Batman run has been cut short for various reasons. I’m not going to rehash all of that, because it’s easy enough to find if you do an Internet search. Putting all that behind us, issue #75, which is a little larger than the normal comic, starts the City of Bane storyline. If you haven’t been reading and just pick this one up, you may have some trouble following what’s going on, but I’m betting that you can find websites that will gladly give you the scoop of what’s been going on in Bruce Wayne’s life over the past several months. And if you decide you’re just going to tackle it as is, I’m betting you’ll have plenty of questions when you finish, and maybe some puzzled looks on your face along the way! But don’t let any of that keep you from jumping onboard because when it gets down to it, this is Batman, a legendary character, and it’s time to have some fun seeing what happens in City of Bane, right? The cover price of Batman #75 is $4.99, while the current value is $5.

#993 — Loki #1, Marvel, September 2019.

Thanks to the success of The Avengers and Thor movies, Loki’s popularity seems to be at an all-time high. Sometimes he’s portrayed as bad, and sometimes good, but if you’re smart, you won’t put too much trust in this Trickster. If you read War of the Realms, then you know that he was eaten by his true father, King Laufey of the Frost Giants. Yet here he is in his own title. You can’t keep a good comic book character down, right? And don’t worry, I’m not going to reveal how any of that took place in case you haven’t read it yet. You might be asking yourself if Loki is truly worthy of having his own title, so let us not forget that he’s the reason the Avengers formed in the first place! I had fun reading this comic, but I’m probably one and done with it for now (if I had unlimited funds, I’d certainly go further with the series). It wasn’t on my pull list at my comic shop, and I bought it on a whim when I saw there was a Carnage-ized cover still available. I’m not a big fan of Carnage, nor of variant covers, but sometimes it’s fun to add things like this to your collection. The cover price of Loki #1 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap

#994 — Power Pack #22, Marvel, May 1986.

Power Pack. Yup. When I explored my legendary longbox (over a year ago, I bought a longbox that was stuffed with 419 comic books for just $20; hence, Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap) and saw that there were four issues of Power Pack, I was none too thrilled. The series came out during a time I was between collecting phases, and if one thing is consistent when it comes to discount bins, Power Pack issues are sure to be found in them. And I had no interest in them at all. I knew Franklin Richards appeared in the comics, along with Alex Power and his siblings, but I knew nothing about the Power family, their actual powers, and why they even existed in the Marvel Universe. After having said all that, I’m not afraid to admit that I had fun reading this issue! My legendary longbox has opened my eyes to other titles and characters that I’ve ignored, and fun is what comic book reading and collecting is all about for me. Now I’m looking forward to reading the other three issues in that box. The cover price of Power Pack #22 is 75¢, while the current value is $3.

FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 12)

#995 — Captain Canuck, Chapterhouse, May 2019.

Last year I read my first Captain Canuck comic, as it was part of the Free Comic Book Day offerings. And the folks at Chapterhouse have done it again. Captain Canuck is by no means a new character, having found his way to sales racks in 1975. Was it offered in other countries, or just Canada? That’s something I don’t know, but if any of you readers out there have the scoop, let us know in the comments section below. For the life of me, I can’t remember seeing the title on racks as a kid, college student, or adult. As you can see from the cover, there is a new Captain Canuck, and it looks like a bunch of other heroes I know nothing about are converging to find out who it is. The cover price of Captain Canuck is free, while the current value is $0.

Cool Comics Kids

#996 — Donald Duck #278, Gladstone, March 1990.

This Gladstone issue of Donald Duck that I found in a quarter bin looks back 40 years (69 years from our perspective) to a 1950 tale from Duckmeister Carl Barks, “Land of the Totem Poles.” While reading this first story (there are several more in this “Special Double-Sized Issue!”), I couldn’t help but think that some of the depictions of Native Americans wouldn’t fly today, and later discovered on the inside back cover that this already contained some editorial changes. Gladstone tells us, “What seemed harmless enough in 1950 skates close to objectionable ethnic humor these days, so at the request of the Walt Disney Company, we’ve cleaned up the Indians’ dialogue.” I wonder if more changes would be made for today’s comic book audience. And since this comic is aimed towards a younger audience, I don’t have a problem with Disney wanting to reshape it a bit. Some critics today continually apologize or cast aspersions towards comic books of the past, but changes in attitude don’t happen overnight. Sometimes it’s okay to look at things from the historical perspective in which they were produced. Okay, now that we have that behind us, I’ll close with mentioning that there are a handful of stories here that kids will probably enjoy (and you can always read “Land of the Totem Poles” with them and have a meaningful conversation about it). The cover price of Donald Duck #278 is $1.95, while the current value is $9.

Cool Comics Classics

#997 — Avengers #69, Marvel, October 1969.

A while back I decided I wanted to find a decent copy of Avengers #69 for my collection. There are other comics I’d rather have (Amazing Spider-Man #122 and #129, Fantastic Four #48-50, and many others that are somewhat of a realistic possibility…unlike Action Comics #1, which will never happen for me…yet I can always dream…), but I felt that this one was within my budget. Lo and behold, a few weeks ago there was a small con in Akron, Ohio, and I was able to purchase a copy for $25! It’s far from perfect, but it looks very nice and I’m now a proud owner of the first appearances of the Grandmaster (En Dwi Gast) and the Squadron Sinister, consisting of Nighthawk, Dr. Spectrum, Hyperion, and Whizzer. The story, written by Roy Thomas, with art by Sal Buscema, was a lot fun to read, and just finding a copy gave me a great sense of accomplishment. As soon as I bought it, I knew I had to use it for a special episode, and being that this is my 200^th, I felt the timing was perfect. The cover price of Avengers #69 is 15¢, while the current value is $150.

Recently Read Digital Comics

It’s been taking me a while to finish up All-Star Superman, but I’m still pushing through. It’s not that I haven’t been enjoying the series, but instead the fact that I read a lot of different things each day, and there are only so many hours that I can dedicate to reading. Hopefully I’ll get the final two issues read for episode 201.

In All-Star Superman #9, we get a surprise visit from these two yellow and purple draped characters as seen on the cover. Is Superman taking the knee in fealty, or did he just get socked in the nose? They male is sort of mean looking, isn’t he?

 

 

 

 

The cover for All-Star Superman #10 makes it look like he’s got the whole world in his hands, but looks can be deceiving. The Man of Steel’s future actually seems to be in doubt, and he’s trying to prepare the world for life without him. Two more issues to go, and I’m excited to see what happens next!

 

 

 

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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