Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 226, 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 226…
Cool Comics News!
As we’re starting to pick up steam in 2020 and nearing the end of January, what are some of the upcoming comics and stories you’re looking forward to? X-Men titles seem to keep growing, DC is still going strong with DCeased, and Valiant is expanding. What makes you want to go visit your local comic shop?
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Doom Patrol versus The Incredibles! 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 Creations!
This week, Cool Comics Creations is featuring an incredibly stunning, fun, and fascinating piece of art by Robert A. Kraus, aka RAK, the creator of Chakan the forever man (make sure to click on the picture so you can get a closer view of this great scene). When talking about his inspiration for this drawing, RAK said:
“When I started out, no one knew what to think of what I was trying to do. Retailers, fans, and distributors took a while to get used to small press and indie publishers back in the day! Sometimes it felt like the world was against me, but I was never going to give up. I kept on creating, and ended up having a fun and exciting career, of which I am extremely grateful. This piece is my character Chakan taking on and defeating all my competitors, lol! Enjoy this blast from the past illustration!”
To see more of RAK’s creations, click on RAK and enjoy!
You can have a piece of your art featured right here in Cool Comics Creations! For details about submitting, see Cool Comics News! in episode 224.
Cool Comics In My Collection
Contemporary Cool Comics
#1147 — Venom #22, Marvel, March 2020.
More often than not, comic books falling under this Contemporary Cool Comics section are about a week old, but every so often I pull one out that may date as far back as the year 2000, or, as in this case, just a couple weeks ago. Some weeks I don’t want to do anything from the previous week because the only comics I bought are titles I’ve talked about recently, and sometimes they just don’t grab me. And yet there are those weeks when my new comic purchases have lots of good stuff that never make it into Cool Comics, which was the case with this Venom issue. So here it is, better late than never, I guess. To be honest, I’ve never been much of a Venom fan, back from the very beginning of the character. I bought the first several mini-series, though, and try as I might, I couldn’t get myself to care that much. So why did I buy this issue? Because after reading the Absolute Carnage limited series, I found myself liking what they’ve done with Eddie Brock. And to be honest, I also bought Venom #21, the start of the Venom Island storyline. Will I buy issue 23? I’m not sure yet, but I did enjoy these two issues, which is saying a lot, considering my previous thoughts on this poor symbiote. The cover price of Venom #22 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.
Cool Comics from the Quarter Bin
#1148 — Doom Patrol #1, DC, October 1987.
Nearly a year ago, in Cool Comics episode #179, I included Doom Patrol #1 as part of the “Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap” segment (which has officially been retired…at least for now). But that was the Tangent Comics version. This is the regular DC Doom Patrol, the revived version from 1987. I have no history with this team, I still haven’t watched the series on DC Universe, and I haven’t read any of the older Doom Patrol comics. Yet when I saw this issue snuggly tucked in a quarter bin at Kenmore Komics & Games, I knew it was a perfect fit for Cool Comics from the Quarter Bin! Written by Paul Kupperberg, with pencils by Steve Lightle, this is a great story that shows a bit about what happened to the team in the past, and how it’s being rebuilt for the present. If you’ve been watching the show and are a fan, I suggest you try to find this fabulous first issue, and if you haven’t been watching the show (like me), I feel like every penny I spent on this comic book was worth it. The cover price of Doom Patrol #1 is 75¢, while the current value is $6.
FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 38)
#1149 — Minecraft & Incredibles 2, Dark Horse Comics, May 2019.
Does Minecraft still hold the popularity it did a few years ago? I don’t hear as much about it now, but that doesn’t mean anything since I don’t seek out news on this once-and-maybe-still popular game. I’ve never played it, but my son used to be into it and would show me some of the things he’d built and some of his in-game interactions. So how do you make a Minecraft comic book interesting? Admittedly, I’m a bit impressed by the cleverness of the cautionary tale that’s offered in this Free Comic Book Day issue. But if Minecraft isn’t your thing, maybe you’ll like the second story in this comic, featuring the Incredibles 2. I saw the first move, but the sequel is still a mystery to me, so I don’t know if anything in this story relates to the movie. It was a fun little tale in the traditional superhero family mode. If you’re a fan, you probably want to get this issue. The cover price of Minecraft & Incredibles 2 is free, while the current value is $1.
Cool Comics Kids
#1150 — Tom and Jerry #279, Gold Key, February 1974.
I remember watching a lot of Tom and Jerry cartoons while growing up, and though it was never one of my favorites, it wasn’t half-bad. And reading the comic book adventures makes me feel young again, so it’s a win whenever I’m able to find copies in the quarter bin. I don’t know about the comic shops you frequent, but my local shop always has lots of deeply discounted four-color fun that often date back decades. Granted, the condition isn’t always stellar, but to be able to buy a 46-year-old comic for just 25 cents is the next best thing to actually being in the Seventies in front of a rack of comics that state on the cover, “Still only 25¢.” So if you’re gathering comic book goodies for the little ones in your lives, you don’t have to spend a fortune on the new stuff that is often priced at $4 or $5 an issue when you can find plenty of treasures in quarter boxes…or even dollar boxes, if your store doesn’t go that low. This issue contains five complete stories, so it won’t tax the attention spans of kids who won’t sit still for long. Then again, they may enjoy the stories so much that they demand more! The cover price of Tom and Jerry #279 is 20¢, while the current value is $14.
Cool Comics Classics
#1151 — Strange Tales #186, Marvel, July 1976.
There are quite a few issues of Strange Tales that are out of my price range (although sometimes I’m fortunate enough to find some low-grade copies that are cool enough for me!), but I grabbed this one on the cheap…and I found out why when I opened it up to discover that it actually contains two previously published Doctor Strange stories from issues 136 and 137 in a tale called, “What Lurks Beneath the Mask?” But since each of those two comics are listed at $140 each, I’m good with my cheaply purchased reprint. And doubly happy that it was written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Steve Ditko. This is a win as far as I’m concerned. While some comic readers aren’t fans of the verbosity of these older stories, it’s never bothered me, because I grew up reading Seventies comics. And while they aren’t quite as word centric as the comics from the Sixties and all that came before that era, they are a bit different from what modern-day readers are used to. Just be prepared to spend a little more time with these classics. The cover price of Strange Tales #186 is 25¢, while the current value is $12.
Recently Read Digital Comics
Life’s kept me busy in various ways, so I haven’t been reading as many digital comics as I had been, but some of the blame comes from my choices to read collections that have hundreds of pages, and they can take a while to finish. Speaking of which, I recently finished Batman: A Celebration of 75 Years, which weighs in at 424 pages and contains 23 great Batman stories! For me, it was worth every penny (okay, confession time: it’s available on comiXology right now for $22.99, while the regular price is $29.99…but I bought it on Amazon in December of 2018 for the ridiculously low price of $4.99), and being that the 424 pages were digital, it was no effort to read whenever and wherever I wanted to. This is the second DC celebration book I’ve read, and I really like the way they are put together, with little intros to new sections as we move forward through time. Some people may not care for the verbosity of the earlier issues in these collections, but I love the experience of getting to read some comics that my dad may have read.
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 United 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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Another great post! What’s keeping me going to the comic shop these days is the GREAT job Marvel is doing with Conan and Conan-related titles (Solomon Kane in Serpent War!), as well as their fantastic Star Wars comics. It’s almost enough to make me a bona-fide member of the Merry Marvel Marching Society after being mostly a DC fan for many a year. And speaking of Marvel’s Distinguished Competition, I’m excited to see where Batman is headed post-Tom King. Thanks for keeping comics fun!
Atom, a few weeks ago, my LCS owner had piles of four different comic titles on the counter. He had ordered too many of some, and said that with my purchase, I could take two different comics. I saw Conan: Serpent Wars #1 sitting there, so I had to take it…then turned around and grabbed the last issue of #2 off the shelf, just in case I liked #1 enough to continue. With issues 3 and 4, again I grabbed the only available copies. I haven’t read 4 yet, but had fun reading the first three. And I agree that Star Wars is lots of fun! I’m working on catching up with the earlier issues on digital, but will be getting the new, ongoing titles as they come out. And I agree that Batman is looking good! It’s a great time to be a fan.
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics In My Collection!
I have been loving vault titles, image, and lately Ablaze. From the big publisher I am also looking forward to batman and dc black label. Those big square bound and magazine comics are awesome.
This year I plan to go back in time and get several golden age books.
I have not read venom island but will shortly. I loved the original story as a kid.
Keep up the solid work.
Best wishes with getting some great Golden Age stuff! It’s always fun to look back in time.
I’m still unsure if I will continue with Venom for a while…maybe I’ll try to finish the Venom Island storyline, but it depends on dollars, like always!
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!
I was fortunate to get the Pixar comics when BOOM! Studios had the licence about a decade ago. The Incredibles were written by Mark Waid and it was excellent. I’m not sure if Marvel has ever reprinted them.
My quarter bin Doom Patrol purchases were Showcase #94-96 that I bought about 20 years ago. Doom Patrol may be the biggest DC superhero property that I just can’t get into.
I have one issue’s worth of experience with Doom Patrol, but I did like what I read. Who knows if I’ll ever read more or if I’ll really like them, but I’ll probably read a few more issues in the future, probably via the DC Universe app.
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!