October Brings a Dead Girl, Ghost Riders, a Swamp Lurker & More!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 211, 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 211…

Cool Comics News!

Want to win a pair of one-day passes to The Akron Comicon? Who wouldn’t, right? So how do you enter? First, you need to join the Cool Comics In My Collection Facebook Group, because that’s where the contest is taking place. Then look for it in the announcements (and note that the deadline to enter is Saturday, October 26, noon EST). Once there, all you have to do is write one little sentence in the comments, and you’ll be entered in the drawing! Cool Comics wants to give a big thanks to the owners of The Akron Comicon for this awesome prize!

As we get a little deeper into October, we ratchet up the scares this week with some devilishly delicious comics! Flaming skulls, a dead girl, a vampire slayer, and a lurker in the swamp are just part of the fun here at Cool Comics In My Collection.

Cool Comics Battle of the Week!

Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Buffy the Vampire Slayer versus Wendy the Good Little Witch! 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

#1055 — Ghost Rider #1, Marvel, December 2019.

Does it seem like I get every first issue of all new comics that come out? Sometimes it feels like it, but I really don’t. As a matter of fact, I’d probably have to sell one of my cars to afford all the number one issues that are published in a year. But here I am again, this time with Ghost Rider #1. Was it worth it? If you’re a Ghost Rider fan, regardless of the period you started collecting, you’re more than likely going to love this comic. To be honest, I’ve been spotty with my Ghost Rider collecting over the years. Yet when I read about this new ongoing series, I wanted to give it a try, and plan on staying with it for at least a half dozen issues. We’re given a nice dose of both Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch, and a whole lot of demons. If you don’t like horror and monster comics, you’ll probably not want to venture here (it’s rated T+), but if you don’t mind going up against the penance stare, then head to your local comic shop before it sells out! The cover price of Ghost Rider #1 is $4.99, while the current value is $5.

#1056 — Rejected: Dead Girl One-Shot, Source Point Press, October 2019.

Dan Gorman, the cover artist for this awesome one-shot, is also the same fantastic artist who brought the Cool Comics logo to life, so there was no way I was going to miss out on this ghoulish October read, especially considering that the writer, David C. Hayes, was coming to my neck of the woods and would be signing the issue at Rubber City Comics in downtown Akron, Ohio. And as it turns out, I made the very first retail store purchase of this comic, which I think is very cool! I had both Dan and David sign it, and I proudly added it to my ever-growing collection. You might be familiar with The Rejected from an earlier Source Point Press comic (along with The Rejected: The Unwilling), and if so, you’ll certainly want to get your hands on this issue to find out what Dead Girl is all about! The cover price of Rejected: Dead Girl is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap

#1057 — Justice League Dark #16, DC, March 2013.

Justice League Dark, whether the New 52 version (which this belongs to) or the current series, is an intriguing title for those who consider themselves monster lovers. I have three other issues from the New 52 run that came in Walmart 3-packs, but this frightening issue came straight from 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 when it’s October, we want scary comics with covers that give us a fright, right? Madame Xanadu is rapidly aging, Deadman is…dead, and Frankenstein is fighting for survival. And what’s up with Tim Hunter? I guess you’ll just have to read it to find out for yourself. The cover price of Justice League Dark #16 is $2.99, while the current value is $3.

FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 23)

#1058 — BOOM! Studios: Free Comic Book Day 2019, BOOM! Studios, May 2019.

If you’re part of the huge contingent of fans who feel that the Firefly TV show ended way too soon, BOOM! Studios has you covered (and actually, Dark Horse Comics before it). Free Comic Book Day gave you a chance to revisit your favorite show, right? But wait a minute, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, too? What! That’s right superfans, it’s a Joss Whedon lovefest. This FCBD issue gives you a Firefly story called “Boss Moon: Birth of a Unificator” written by Greg Pak and illustrated by Ethan Young; a Buffy story entitled “Frenemies” written by Jordie Bellaire and illustrated by Dan Mora & Serg Acuña; and a bonus Preview of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1,” written by Jordie Bellaire and illustrated by Dan Mora. You really get a lot for nothing with this FCBD issue. Did you happen to pick this one up in May? I don’t collect either of the ongoing comics in this issue, but this was a fun one to read, especially in October! The cover price of BOOM! Studios: Free Comic Book Day 2019 is free, while the current value is $1.

Cool Comics Kids

#1059 — Wendy Witch World #48, Harvey Comics, April 1973.

Young readers like to have fun just as much as the big kids do when it comes to Halloween and all the monstrous trappings that come with it, only they don’t want their scares to be at the same level. And that’s why Wendy Witch World is a much better comic to pass to little hands then some of the more ghoulish comics that even some grown-ups make sure to stay clear of. Wendy is the Good Little Witch, and while the meaner Witch Sisters see that as a character flaw, sometimes it proves to be just what the doctor ordered. This Harvey issue has several complete stories inside, including everyone’s favorite Friendly Ghost, Casper. This 1973 comic book that I dug out of a quarter box will transport you back to simpler times, not only with the stories, but also the ads. The cover price of Wendy Witch World #48 is 20¢, while the current values are $16 on CBR and $10 on ZKC.

Cool Comics Classics

#1060 — The Occult Files of Dr. Spektor #21, Whitman/Gold Key, August 1976.

If you live in the world of comics, stay away from swamps! Last week Man-Thing was our Cool Comics Classic, and everyone knows who Swamp Thing is, but have you ever met the Lurker of the Swamp? Like the previous two “Things,” the Lurker has a bit of a sad origin tale, yet…he wasn’t exactly an upstanding citizen. And he wouldn’t have become the Lurker at all if it weren’t for those witches back in 1740. Yep, witches placed a curse hundreds of years before, and that’s never a good thing, right? This was the first Dr. Spektor comic I’ve ever had the pleasure to read, and I’m looking forward to finding more in those infamous quarter bins I’m often known to dig around in…and let’s just hope I don’t find any real lurkers while pulling out some comic books! As an aside, you may have noticed that this is one of those Gold Key comics that has the Whitman prepack logo. If you like to read spooky and mysterious comics in October, you can’t go wrong with this issue, and I suspect the rest of the series is just as fun. The cover price of The Occult Files of Dr. Spektor #21 is 25¢, while the current values are $20 on CBR and $8 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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