Cool Comics Celebrates Thanksgiving Day with Four-Color Fun!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 218, 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 (except for 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. And for those who enjoy the additional fun of knowing some of the more important issues in your collection, I recognize each Cool Comic that is listed in Key Collector Comics

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 218…

Cool Comics News!

Happy Thanksgiving, comic book friends and fans! I hope you are able to take some time off of your busy schedules, enjoy a delicious meal with friends and family (plenty of turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, loads of gravy, candied yams, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, squash, and whatever else you and yours choose to eat on this day in which we give thanks), watch the parade, watch some football if you’re a fan, and be sure to read some comics! Oh, and Cool Comics In My Collection episode 218, too! Of course, if you’re reading this, you’re right on track! Do you have any special Thanksgiving memories or traditions you’d like to share? Be sure to tell us in the comments below.

Cool Comics Battle of the Week!

Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Doom 2099 versus The Fantastic Four! 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 

#1100 — 2099 Alpha #1, Marvel, January 2020.

Back in the ancient days of 1992, while one company was killing a popular hero, Marvel decided to look to the future—way into the future—with their 2099 imprint. I started up my third phase of comic collecting in 1993 and quickly became intrigued with 2099 but decided to find back issues to fill in holes rather than start reading the new issues I was buying. Obviously, even back then, this became expensive. And eventually I read some of them, but quit buying the current issues, concentrating on finding whatever I could in bargain bins. And I’ve done pretty well over the years, as I’m closing in on having a complete set of 2099 comics. And here we go again, as Marvel inundates us through the end of the year with special 2099 one-shots (even a Conan 2099 special is coming out, if you can fathom that) … and they know I’m a sucker for these. They saw me coming a mile away! Regardless, I’m looking forward to more of these following this special Alpha issue. If you’re not a fan, you have nothing to worry about, as temptation will stay away…so don’t look too closely at this beautiful Patrick Gleason cover. You’ve been warned. The cover price of 2099 Alpha #1 is $4.99, while the current value is $5. The Key Collector Comics value is $5.

#1101 — Fantastic Four #564, Marvel, April 2009.

Because this episode of Cool Comics is publishing on Thanksgiving, I tried to be somewhat “thematic.” I searched the Internet for comics with Thanksgiving covers and jotted down my list so I’d be prepared the next time I went to my local comic book store. And a few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to search for a little while. I had about ten issues of different comics on my list and was able to find just one…that’s right, this one, which is always pictured amongst Thanksgiving comic books. But a funny thing about this issue…the story is actually about Christmas! I was completely fooled and felt…like a fool when I looked closer at the cover just before reading it and noticed the crackers, a Christmas tradition in Great Britain. As I lamented this sad affair to my wife, she said I should use it anyway, that it would be both a funny story and a gateway to the Christmas season. So there you go. Don’t trust everything on the Internet, right? Still, I got to read a Fantastic Four comic, and that’s never a bad thing. The cover price of Fantastic Four #564 is $2.99, while the current value is $3.

Akron Comicon Cool Comics

#1102 — Immanuel: God with Us #1, Beloved Witness Publications, August 2017.

One of my favorite things to do at Akron Comicon is to meet and talk a bit to independent creators. Not to discredit writers and artists who’ve been fortunate enough to work for companies like Marvel and DC, but independent comics are often published as a labor of love by people who hold full-time jobs and wear many hats when it comes to their comics. And a perfect example is Scott Zambelli, who not only wrote Immanuel: God with Us, but also did pencils, inks, colors, and was the letterer. For those wondering, Chris Scalf is credited as the cover artist. This comic tells the biblical account of Elizabeth and her husband Zacharias, a priest, and Elizabeth’s miraculous pregnancy (her baby was John the Baptist). We also learn of her cousin Mary, the mother of Jesus. The story ends with the birth of John, and Scott expects to eventually cover more of the gospel in comic book form. I saved this one until now, since it fits well as a Cool Comic on Thanksgiving Day! The cover price of Immanuel: God with Us #1 is $10.

Cool Comics from the Quarter Bin

#1103 — The Amazing Spider-Man: Aim Toothpaste Exclusive Collectors’ Edition, Marvel, 1980.

Last episode, after featuring a Radio Shack comic book giveaway with Superman and the TRS-80, I promised that I’d follow it up with more giveaway gold straight from the quarter bin, and by golly, here it is! Granted, both of these comics were freebies when they came out, but that was 39 years ago, and now you have to shell out some cash to get them (even if out of the quarter bin!). This Spider-Man special doesn’t use Aim Toothpaste to save the day, but a dentist is very much involved, and the Green Goblin is the villain, so that’s a win, right? Jolly J. Jonah Jameson brings his nephew to the offices of The Daily Bugle and puts poor Peter Parker in charge of the kid. And it just so happens that the kid has a dentist appointment, and while Peter is there with him, the Green Goblin kidnaps the dentist! This crazy story “aims” to entertain and was written by Marv Wolfman. The cover price of The Amazing Spider-Man: Aim Toothpaste Exclusive Collectors’ Edition is free, while the current values are $16 on CBR and $8 on ZKC.

FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 30)

#1104 — Robotech, Titan Comics, May 2019.

If I could understand what’s going on in this Robotech universe, I’d probably love this Free Comic Book Day issue. The art works for the story, and the writing is good, but I admit I was lost while reading it. Titan Comics provides a “The Story So Far…” intro, and also a paragraph below it that starts with “The Robotech Saga A Brief History,” but there seems to be so much history that I couldn’t appreciate this comic as much as others who’ve been reading the series. I’m not saying you shouldn’t read it if you haven’t been keeping up, I’m simply saying that I wish I had a better grasp on the plot, because I liked what I could follow. Any Robotech fans out there? Someday I’d like to try this series from the beginning. The cover price of Robotech is free, while the current values are $0 on CBR and $1 on ZKC.

Cool Comics Kids

#1105 — Bugs Bunny #1, DC, June 1990.

About 99 percent of the comics I feature in Cool Comics Kids come from the quarter bin. When I started buying comics in 2017 after a 14-year hiatus, I paid no attention to “juvenile” titles while flipping through extremely cheap moments of four-color greatness. But upon discovering the charity “ComicBooks For Kids,” it inspired me to create this new section of the blog and to keep an eye out for family friendly adventures. Fortunately for me, I keep finding delicious discount deals nearly every time I venture over to the quarter boxes at Kenmore Komics & Games, my local go-to shop. And this issue of Bugs Bunny is a perfect example. On the cover we are told that it’s “part one of a three-part mini-series.” And guess what? Bingo! I also found issues 2 and 3 during my search. This comic is very entertaining and appeals to adults as well as kids and features an all-star cast of Looney Tunes guest appearances. The cover price of Bugs Bunny #1 is $1, while the current values are $3 on CBR and $4 on ZKC.

Cool Comics Classics

#1106 — Treasure Chest Vol. 16, No. 16, George A. Pflaum, April 1961.

Many moons ago, I went to a special dollar sale and grabbed as many old comics as I could find. I did pretty well as I squeezed through the crowd and came up with about 50 comic books that I thought would be interesting to feature here in Cool Comics. I was familiar with many of the titles I bought that day, but there were a few, like this Treasure Chest comic, that I’d never seen or heard of before. But hey, if Abe Lincoln is on the cover, you better believe I’m buying it (yes, I’m a history junkie). Anyway, it turns out that this comic was produced in Dayton, Ohio, and published every two weeks during the school year, from 1946 until 1972. George A. Pflaum also put out the Young Catholic Messenger, Junior Catholic Messenger, and Our Little Messenger. I wonder if any readers out there who went to a Catholic school remember Treasure Chest or any of the other publications. Anyway, this comic has a story about Abe Lincoln (he proclaimed, in 1863, that the country would celebrate a national Thanksgiving Holiday, so the timing of this issue in the blog is perfect!), some puzzles, a continuing adventure tale, articles for a younger crowd, some comic shorts, information about snorkeling and then a comic featuring snorkeling, a short called “The Mass: The Consecration and Elevation,” and then a short comic about a Polish hero who also was also involved in the American Revolution. It’s jam-packed with stuff that kids probably enjoyed reading back then. I know I had fun with it. The cover price of Treasure Chest Vol. 16, No. 16 is 10¢, while the current values are $38 on CBR and $35 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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