Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 206, 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 206…
Cool Comics News!
Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Then why not spend some time at the Cleveland Comic & Toy Convention at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds? My wife and I will be at a table in the Artist Alley & Publishers building selling cool crafts and a couple books I wrote, both Saturday and Sunday. Hope to see you there!
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is The Batman Who Laughs versus Spawn! 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
#1025 — Marvel Comics #1000, Marvel, October 2019.
If you’re fan of Marvel, you don’t want to miss out on this cool walk through its history, chalk full of 1-page stories featuring writers (with a lot by Al Ewing, who does a great job giving us an interesting plot thread running front to back) and artists galore. Marvel gives us such varied creators as Adam F. Goldberg, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Neil Gaiman, and George Perez. And that’s just a small sampling. The back cover gives you a complete list, but I’m not going to count them all (it appears to contain over 130 names). That’s a big team to work with, isn’t it? I’ve seen a lot of people online complaining that Marvel doesn’t have any titles that are at 1000 issues, but this is a tribute to the first comic from the company, and how it would be at #1000 now if it had continued publishing. Are they doing this just because DC has had a couple long-running titles hit that magical number? Maybe, but does it really matter? If you like Marvel and don’t mind the steep price, you’ll get it. If you’re just a casual Marvel reader or completely stay away from them, then why worry about it? Comics are meant to entertain us, and this one certainly did that for me. The cover price of Marvel Comics #1000 is $9.99, while the current value is $10.
#1026 — Batman/Superman #1, DC, October 2019.
I mentioned here before that I’m not quite sure why I decided to read The Batman Who Laughs mini-series (I’m usually not much into dark and odd stuff, but every once in a while, something will catch with me and I’ll stick it out as long as I’m enjoying it), yet now that it’s finished and spilling over into this new Batman/Superman series, I’m once more signed up for Nth Metal Madness! If you read my entry for Cool Comic #1025 above, it should come as no surprise to you that I’m more of a Marvel reader…however, I also have a long history with DC, the Batman ’66 TV series being my first exposure to the superhero genre. Also, I have great memories of going to the theater and seeing the 1978 Superman movie with my father, who happened to have an awesome comic collection when he was young (but like so many others from the Golden Age, it ceased to exist…his in a battle in the South Pacific during WWII). So this pairing of historic DC icons against a more current villain that chills you to the bone makes perfect sense for me to add to my collection. Another favorite character of my father’s was Fawcett’s Captain Marvel and his family…which is a little clue to the stunning conclusion of this first issue. The cover price of Batman/Superman #1 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.
Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap
#1027 — Cyberella #1, Helix, September 1996.
Does anyone remember the short-lived Helix imprint from DC? From what I’ve read online, the original name was going to be Matrix (and even had some promotional material come out with this name) but DC changed it due to the upcoming movie of the same name. Focusing on Science Fiction and Fantasy, the titles didn’t end up becoming smash hits the way The Matrix movie did, although this one, Cyberella, did end up with 12 issues published. To be honest, I don’t remember even seeing these titles when they came out, but no doubt I did, as I read through Previews each month during this period. But thanks to 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), I now get to experience this forgotten little period of comic book history. And if I remember correctly, I have another Helix issue you may be seeing in a future episode. Creators Howard Chaykin and Don Cameron present us with a rather odd story that was kept interesting by comments from the “Lone Gunman InfoLine” throughout, and while I won’t be searching for issues 2 through 12, I’m sure there were some disappointed fans out there when it came to an end. The cover price of Cyberella #1 is $2.25, while the current values are $2.50 on CBR and $3 on ZKC.
FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 18)
#1028 — Spawn #1, Image, May 2019.
Remember all the excitement the early Image comic books generated back in the last Century? I started my third phase of comic book collecting in 1993, and Spawn had already been lighting up the cash registers at comic shops across the country. When I got back into the hobby, I had to learn about Image and the creators who’d left the established ranks to start their own creator-owned company. Of course I had to see what it was all about, and I ended up finding all the back issues of Spawn (and a few other Image titles), along with having it as a monthly pull. But after reading thirty-something issues, I decided it really wasn’t my kind of comic, and the main reason I was getting it was all the hype. So I quit getting it. But obviously there is a huge fanbase for Todd McFarlane’s character, evidenced by the 300th issue that just came out (the longest running American independent title, by the way, is now Spawn and Cerebus at 300 issues each…but Cerebus is no longer publishing, so Spawn will set the record when 301 hits the comic shops). On Free Comic Book Day, Todd decided to give us a refresher course on his creation by putting out this reprint of #1, and I’m sure also hoping to get many more sales for #300. The cover price of Spawn #1 (the FCBD version) is free, while the current values are $1 on CBR and $4 on ZKC.
Cool Comics Kids
#1029 — Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #487, Whitman, June 1981.
This title is a great one to collect for the younger comic book readers in your life, or even for yourself. And what’s wrong with that? Absolutely nothing, I proclaim, regardless of what some people may say. Whether you collected them when you were younger and want to fill in some holes, or just love the nostalgia factor, these 
Disney characters always manage to bring a smile to your face, don’t they? Like so many of the other kid comics I’ve written about in past episodes, I managed to snag this one out of a quarter box. Usually when I get awesome finds like this, they are still in pretty nice condition, but this one obviously functioned as someone’s color palette for their oil painting endeavors, as evidenced from this picture of the back. But that didn’t stop me from dropping 25 pennies on it. In fact, it gives it a bit of character. The comic contains four stories with some of our favorite characters, including Donald Duck and his nephews, and Mickey and Goofy. The cover price of Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #487 is 50¢, while the current values are $20 on CBR and $18 on ZKC.
Cool Comics Classics
#1030 — Scorpion #1, Atlas/Seaboard, February 1975.
If you’ve kept up with Cool Comics, then you know that I’ve grown an affinity towards Atlas/Seaboard this year. I can remember seeing a few of the titles when they first came out, although I never bought any, saving most of my money for Marvel. But this year I started feeling nostalgic towards the little company that gave it a go (and failed), so I’ve been purchasing them when I can get good deals. Scorpion is one of those titles that I often see others talk about online, and when I went searching at my local comic shop several months back, I hit the jackpot and found them all (okay, there were just 3 issues, but what’s not to celebrate?)! Howard Chaykin provided the art and story (that’s right, he’s also listed above for Cyberella) along with the concept of this action hero you don’t want to miss out on…if you enjoy Seventies comics, that is. Will this be one of the titles that gets made into a major motion picture? The cover price of Scorpion #1 is 25¢, while the current values are $24 on CBR and $25 on ZKC.
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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Views: 484
Looks like you picked up some cool comics! I think this new batman superman series looks very interesting and I’d like to hear more of your thoughts on it. Its too bad grandpa lost his comic collection like that but I’m sure he enjoyed reading them out there while he could.
Batman/Superman is going to a dark corner of DC (DC…dark corner…makes sense!) and it’s incredibly intriguing. I’ll probably cover it again if it lasts for a while…along with my interest in the story.
I wish I’d asked my father more stories about the comics he collected. He didn’t have a big collection, but he was certain he owned Action Comics #1, and issues with characters like Captain Marvel, Bulletman, and a few others. Today’s value for the stack of comics he owned back then would be…let’s just say lots of money.
Thanks for the Marvel Comics 1000 review. I did miss out on that one for the price. Sounds like a pretty cool book to have though.
The FCBD Spawn was the first one I picked up lol. #300 was a pretty decent read. I actually liked the several books following up to it better though. I think the story is going to grind ahead for the next several issues.
…and yay on the Scorpion review. Those Atlas Seaboard comics are just plain neat. I haven’t been able to score any good deals, as the prices have risen dramatically on any nice copies up for sale.
I was fortunate to purchase over half of the Atlas/Seaboard titles several months back, before the movie contract was announced. My LCS gave me a great deal on them, and you’ll continue to see them showing up in Cool Comics Classics.
Glad you’ve been enjoying Spawn!
Lots of great stuff this time around!
The price on that Marvel 1000 IS a bit steep, but I’m a sucker for short stories and can really appreciate the skill it takes to make something ONE page long readable! They aren’t all winners, but page for page the good definitely outweighs the bad.
I actually have quite a few Helix comics. I liked that DC were trying to create a science fiction imprint based off their success with the supernatural Vertigo imprint. Unfortunately, there was never really a standout like there was with Sandman at Vertigo to drive sales. There was some really interesting things that came out of Helix, though. Too bad most of it is now little-remembered Longbox Junk. Cyberella wasn’t one of my favorites. . .Chaykin can be a bit of a challenging writer to say the least. He has his fans, but (with a few exceptions) I’m not really one of them. At least he did a great cover for that first issue.
For some great Helix comics, see if you can find some BrainBanx, Sheva’s War, Black Lamb, or Transmetropolitan (probably the only recognizable one. It moved to Vertigo after Helix folded)
And then MORE Atlas/Seaboard love! I can see you’ve definitely taken a liking to those comics. Like Spector, I’ve noticed back issues starting to go up since it was announced some movies were going to be made based off of them. The Scorpion was probably the best of the bunch and would be the most likely movie project.
Thanks for another great entry, and once again thanks for keeping it fun!
Thanks, Atom! I think that longbox contained a Transmetropolitan issue or two, but under the Vertigo banner. It’s nice that DC gave the imprint a try, and a shame it didn’t do any better.
I agree that the Marvel 1000 had more good outweighing the bad. It was interesting just to see all the different creators, and what they could come up with for such a short assignment.
And there is no doubt that you’ll be seeing more of the Atlas/Seaboard comics here from time to time. I like to spread them out a bit to make the magic last.
Thanks so much for reading and being an integral part of Cool Comics!
Back in my longbox diving days, I’d get a few Disney books here and there. I was once asked, “how do you pick them out?” I turned to the credits page and said, “if I see the name Carl Barks or Don Rosa there, I buy it.”
Neat to see Spawn reach #300 issues. I’ve missed the last 280 or so, but good job Todd and friends.
And yes, Spawn would win the fight. Especially, if he got Jokerized.
Batman/ Superman is my favorite two heroes together and its first two issues are off to a great start. The art by David Marquez has been really good.
My father had a great Silver Age collection that he sold in 1974. The only comic that remains is in my collection now, World’s Finest #88.
Action Ace, I agree that the Batman/Superman series is off to a great start! And you hit the nail on the head with Carl Barks or Don Rosa being premier picks when it comes to Disney comics.
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!