Impulse, Bruce Lee, Lady Mechanika, & Super-Villains Take Over!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 219, 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 219…

Cool Comics News!

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and long weekend! Can you believe that now we’re in the final stretch of 2019? What comic book-related items are on your Christmas list? Nothing yet? Then you better get your letter to Santa mailed soon, or you’re going to miss out.

Cool Comics Battle of the Week!

Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Bruce Lee versus The Red Skull! 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

Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap

#1107 — Impulse #45, Marvel, February 1999.

What? Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap? Wasn’t this category supposed to be finished? Well, I believe I did say that there was a slight possibility it could be resurrected for some one-offs, and such is the case with this issue of Impulse. And being that it’s the month of December and the cover of this comic fits in with the holiday season, well, it all makes sense now, doesn’t it? And yet it was also a mistake (sort of like last episode’s Fantastic Four entry). I’d moved this issue from my legendary longbox into my file cabinet of unread comics so that I wouldn’t miss it for Christmas … and then I completely forgot about it until now. As to the comic itself, Santa Claus doesn’t even appear inside, although Impulse’s mom travels from the future to visit Bart for the holidays, crazy stuff happens with some not-quite-super-villains, and all’s well that ends well. The cover price of Impulse #45 is $2.25, while the current value is $3.

Akron Comicon Cool Comics

#1108 — Lab Rats #3, Empire Comics Lab, Spring 2018.

Are you familiar with Empire Comics Lab? I’ve known about them for several months, because Dan Gorman, the awesome artist behind the Cool Comics logo, has been involved creatively with them in a comic titled Cemetery Plots, of which I purchased a couple from him. So when I saw that Empire Comics Lab had a table, I met Andy “Shaggy” Korty and got a couple issues of their free comic book day offerings, which are not distributed the same way as the ones you find in your comic book stores the first Saturday in May. Lab Rats is ashcan size, black and white, shorter in page-length than the typical comic, and best of all, entertains. The first and longest story, “That Ain’t Chicken Feed,” just may make you skip your next bucket! Seriously, this was funny stuff, and I’m really glad I stopped by his table and said hi. The cover price of Lab Rats #3 is free.

Cool Comics from the Quarter Bin

#1109 — Bruce Lee #5, Malibu, November 1994.

Back in the Nineties, during my third phase of comic book collecting, I saw this Bruce Lee series and bought issues 1 and 2 as they came out. I don’t remember the circumstances of why I stopped getting it (probably because I was buying too many comic books!), but when I found this issue in the quarter bin at Kenmore Komics & Games in Akron, Ohio, I knew I wanted to relive this memory…and better yet, it was an issue I hadn’t previously read. As it turns out, there were only six issues in this series, so who knows, maybe someday I’ll have the entire short run. Bruce Lee #5 is written by Mike Baron, with pencils by Val Mayerik, and while it’s a fairly entertaining story, it’s not easy to understand all that’s going on when there were four issues before this one. Regardless, it cost just a quarter, and it’s Bruce Lee! The cover price of Bruce Lee #5 is $2.95, while the current value is $5.

FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 31)

#1110 — Lady Mechanika, Benetiz Productions, May 2019.

The last time I read a Lady Mechanika comic book was…oh yeah, last year for Free Comic Book Day! This issue was written and drawn by Joe Benetiz, but I don’t know if all of the comics in this title are created by Joe himself. If anyone out there knows the answer and you want to tell the world (or at least those who read Cool Comics), you can spill the beans in the comments section below. From what I’ve read of these steampunk adventures, I would think this would be a pretty good comic to make a part of your regular comic consumption…but I’d want to start from the beginning so that I have a better feel for what’s going on. From what I can gather, Lady Mechanika can’t recall her past, is basically a cyborg, and is a detective. Fun stuff! The cover price of Lady Mechanika is free, while the current value is $1.

Cool Comics Kids

#1111 — Four Color #1047: Gyro Gearloose, Dell, January 1960.

Disney ducks are all the rage, what with Donald, his three nephews, Scrooge McDuck, and of course everyone’s favorite duck inventor, Gyro Gearloose! And when are we going to see Marvel’s Howard the Duck finding himself in the Mouse Universe? Those would be some interesting adventures, to say the least. I want to mention briefly that the title of this comic may prove a little confusing if you haven’t collected any of Dell’s Four Color comics in the past. The character or story focused on gets cover credit, but the series is part of Four Color. It seems a little strange, but you can find out more information here, if you are the curious type. You may have noticed that this is one of the oldest comic books (if not the oldest) I’ve ever had as part of Cool Comics Kids, and I’m proud to say that just like the others I typically talk about here, I found it in a quarter bin. Unfortunately, it’s missing a few pages…one in which we don’t get to see Gyro’s fate when he makes a big error in forgetting his location. But you know what? I still enjoyed this comic and channeled my inner child while reading it. The cover price of Four Color #1047 is 10¢, while the current value is $340.

Cool Comics Classics

#1112 — Super-Villain Team-Up #15, Marvel, November 1978.

Super-Villain Team-Up is a title I don’t remember ever seeing during phase one of my comic collecting life (and if I did happen to glance at the cover of any of the issues way back in the Seventies, they didn’t make a big enough impression on me to recall them). I found out about it by snooping around the back issues at my local comic shop, and I picked up a couple for decent prices. This one I snagged from a quarter bin, so I was really psyched to find a copy there. But the first thing I discovered when I flipped it open to read is that it’s not an original story, as it states, “Originally Presented in Astonishing Tales #4-5.” But since I don’t own either of those Astonishing Tales issues, it doesn’t really matter, because this story was new to me! Just the idea of Doctor Doom going up against The Red Skull makes me glad I’m a comic book reader. It’s a fun story with lots of posturing from these super baddies, and I’m glad to have it in my collection. The cover price of Super-Villain Team-Up #15 is 35¢, while the current values are $14 on CBR and $10 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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