Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 236, 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
If you have any comments, please scroll to the bottom of the page to where it says, “Leave a Reply.” And now, Episode 236…
Cool Comics News!
Yesterday there were no new comic books to buy…not to mention that many comic book shops are closed due to various state rules and laws taking place because of COVID-19. It felt strange not making that trip to my local store yesterday. But more importantly, I stayed home. Because while we love our four-color entertainment, our health, along with the health of our friends and loved ones, is much more important. We’ll make it through this, but we need to be vigilant about washing our hands and continue to follow guidelines about social distancing. If we follow these guidelines, it will make a big impact on the battle. Meanwhile, Cool Comics will do it’s best to give you a few minutes of entertainment each week to, hopefully, lift your spirits. Be smart and stay safe, comic book fans.
Dr. Omnibus, the writer of our new Cool Collected Editions segment of the blog, is offering a chance for one of our newsletter subscribers to win all three trade paperback volumes of The Umbrella Academy (free U.S. shipping…if you are international and want to enter, you pay the shipping). So if you aren’t signed up, make sure you do it now before you miss out! Then, sometime during the week of April 20, we’ll send out a special newsletter announcement that will be your gateway to entering the contest!
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Hellions versus Legion of Super-Heroes! 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 episode we showcase another fantastic piece of art by Ed Griffie, a lifelong comic book fan who started drawing Kawaii and Chibi style versions of pop culture icons and superheroes about five years ago. Ed’s creation is the Mad Titan Thanos, a Marvel character who probably wasn’t known by many people outside of the comic book community, but now, thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is familiar to millions of fans. Ed, thanks for letting us share your cool creation!
You can check out Ed’s full catalog of work at toonist27.deviantart.com, or contact him at edgriffiejr@gmail.com to commission an original piece of your very own.
You can have a piece of your art featured right here in Cool Comics Creations! Just send an electronic file in an email featuring one of your drawings, whether you’re a professional or amateur, (it can be just pencils, or inks too…or full color if you prefer) or a picture of a craft or sculpture that you’ve done, and as long as it’s family friendly (and not controversial…let’s try to keep this fun), you’ll be a part of an upcoming Cool Comics episode. We also want your name and any other background information you want to provide, such as a website or a way you can be contacted about your art (who knows, maybe someone will make you an offer for the original!). And then email it to edgosney62@gmail.com.
Cool Comics In My Collection
Contemporary Cool Comics
#1201 — Hellions #1, Marvel, May 2020.
The title for this newest X-Men offering could just as easily been called Troublemakers (which sounds a little more family friendly, but then again, this comic has “Parental Advisory” written on the cover), which seems apparent from looking at the characters on the cover. Written by Zeb Wells and illustrated by Stephen Segovia, this new team consists of Havok, Orphan-Maker, Nanny, Wild Child, Empath, Scalphunter, Mr. Sinister, and Psylocke. Were a few of the names unfamiliar to you? Well, they were to me, as I know nothing about Orphan-Maker, Nanny, Empath, and Scalphunter. I think I read a comic or two in the past with Wildchild, but he’s still a stranger to me. These guys, who are coming under the leadership of Mr. Sinister and Psylocke, are going to be trouble, especially considering that Manuel de la Rocha (Empath) can control the emotions of others, and he’s taking full advantage of this to keep himself entertained. And this is certainly not a good thing when you have all these volatile mutants around. This issue was an interesting beginning for the title, to say the least. The cover price of Hellions #1 is $4.99, while the current value is $5. The Key Collector Comics value is $5.
Cool Comics from the Quarter Bin
#1202 — The Lone Ranger and Tonto #1, Topps Comics, August 1994.
What? According to the cover, this crime fighting duo from the old west break up! Could it be that they’re just practicing good social distancing? When teams and groups break up, it tugs at the old heartstrings, doesn’t it? First, we had to deal the end of Martin and Lewis, then the Beatles called it quits, and now The Lone Ranger and Tonto are no more? Life as a fan isn’t always easy. Sigh. Anyway, this comic that I found in a quarter bin was published by Topps Comics. Maybe some of you remember when the company famous for sports cards and sometimes non-sports cards dipped their toes into the comic book arena from 1993-1998. They put out a Kirbyverse line (yes, Jack Kirby…and a few famous comic creators were involved in these besides Jack, such as Kurt Busiek, Gerry Conway, Tony Isabella, Steve Ditko, and Don Heck, to name a few); literary comics that included Dracula, Elric, and Zorro; movie adaptations such as Jurassic Park and James Bond; TV adaptations like the X-Files and Xena; and lots more. Some of the stuff was pretty good and entertaining, although I don’t think many people search for back issues of this line today. But I liked it at the time and wouldn’t mind adding a few more to my collection. This issue was written by Joe R. Lansdale (yes, the same one who writes those fantastic novels), with art by Timothy Truman. If you’re a Lone Ranger fan, this is a Topps Comics series you could put in your collection. By the way, if you missed episode 235 of Cool Comics (it’s never too late to go back in time and read it!), make sure to check it out, because you’ll find more love for The Lone Ranger in our new Cool Comics Reader Reviews category. The cover price of The Lone Ranger and Tonto #1 is $2.50, while the current value is $3.
FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 48)
#1203 — Street Fighter: Sakura vs. Karin #1, UDON Entertainment, May 2019.
I can’t say I’m a fan of Street Fighter, especially since the last gaming console I owned was Intellivision by Mattel, many, many moons ago (and I guess I can’t really claim it, as mine was actually the Sears Super Video Arcade system, which used the same games, but cost my parents less money), but I don’t mind comics based on gaming universes if they are entertaining enough. And this Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) issue does have moments that even I enjoyed, and I’m far from being the target audience. Looking at the cover, I think you can guess that these girls are a bit antagonistic towards each other, as one broke the other’s record playing an arcade fighting game, and now they decide to battle each other. Probably the best part of the story is the little twist at the end with Karin’s father. The cover price of Street Fighter: Sakura vs. Karin #1 is free, while the current value is $1.
Cool Comics Kids
#1204 — Beep Beep The Road Runner #51, Whitman/Gold Key, July 1975.
While Saturday morning cartoons are a thing of the past, those of us who experienced them cherish those memories. I can remember studying TV Guide preview issues, trying to figure out which channels to flip to at certain times to ensure I wouldn’t miss out on my favorite cartoons, or new ones that I wanted to try. Some of the networks also had specials on TV, getting kids fired up to watch these animated stars while chomping away on whatever overly sweetened cereals were being advertised. And while The Road Runner wasn’t one of my favorite characters (he really didn’t have much to say, except “Beep Beep,” unlike the comic books in which he and his sons speak in rhyme), it was always decent entertainment you could count on. The best part was always seeing what crazy new plans and tools that Wile E. Coyote came up with or purchased from ACME. And to tell the truth (and I’m betting there are others out there), I was hoping that somehow, someway, Wile E. could win, just once. But of course, that would be the end of the star. And guess what? He doesn’t win in the comics either. The writers had to keep coming up with clever ideas, but clever ideas that were doomed to failure. If you have happy Saturday morning cartoon memories, why not add some Beep Beep The Road Runner comic books to your Cool Comics Kids library? The cover price of Beep Beep The Road Runner #51 is 25¢, while the current value is $16.
Cool Comics Classics
#1205 — Superboy #198, DC, October 1973.
In 1973, starting with the issue just before this one, Superboy ended up sharing cover space in the title with The Legion of Super-Heroes. Now in the indicia, the comic book is still just called Superboy, but most people don’t pay much attention to the small print, so it almost looks like the powers that be at National Periodical Publications (they officially became DC in 1977) felt that young Clark could no longer pull his own weight (actually, he can pull it pretty easily!). To be honest, I don’t know the full story behind all that, but if you’re a Legion fan, this is a cool run of Superboy that you probably want to get. The Legion of Super-Heroes have had lots of runs, and while I haven’t read that many issues with this super team from a far-off future, the early Eighties, during The Great Darkness Saga, is what I like best, because that’s when I first started reading them. And while I may be getting a bit sentimental over the Legion, the teenager of steel is still the headliner in this story, written by Cary Bates and illustrated by Dave Cockrum. I wasn’t much of a DC reader in the Seventies, but these days it’s a lot of fun to look back and see what I missed. The cover price of Superboy #198 is 20¢, while the current values are $26 on CBR and $22 on ZKC.
Cool Collected Editions with Dr. Omnibus
X-Men: Ghosts (Marvel)
Dr. Omnibus score: 7.5 out of 10
About a year ago I started doing a read through of the entire Marvel mutant line. Collecting these books is the primary focus of my collection, and I have a pretty solid run for most titles. I believe I have every issue of each ongoing mutant title from the beginning, with X-Men #1 through all of 1992, including X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, New Mutants, X-Factor, Excalibur, Wolverine, X-Force, etc. Now I just need 19 books to finish everything through 2005, and then things get a bit sparser. Anyway, this read through has brought me to X-Men: Ghosts.
The Book Itself
This is a thick trade paperback containing Uncanny X-Men issues 199-209 and annual #10. The paper used is typical of the average trade paperback, low-gloss thin paper. This really helps the colors pop versus newsprint, but at the cost of added glare.
The Words
By Chris Claremont
There are a lot of really great storylines going on in this run. Magneto has taken leadership of the X-Men because Charles is away with Lilandra. This, for obvious reasons, doesn’t sit well with the X-Men and leads to some dramatic flare-ups. Storm is still powerless, thanks to Forge in previous issues, and it is fun seeing her continue to be a member of the team despite not bringing much to the table from a combat standpoint. But the real fun in this collection surrounds Rachel Summers and her battle with guilt about being a “Hound” in the timeline she comes from (Days of Future Past) and her internal struggle with the decision to not tell Cyclops that she is his daughter, which will never be because her mother is dead in this timeline. This is compounded when Cyclops’ son is born to Madelyn Pryor, his current wife. It’s all very soap opera-like and dramatic, and I love it.
The Art
By John Romita Jr, Rick Leonardi (201), June Brigman (204), Barry Windsor-Smith (205)
The art is not amazing in this collection. Barry Windsor-Smith’s issue was AMAZING, and Rick Leonardi’s was great, too. But I just can’t get behind John Romita Jr. I try not to judge art too harshly since I myself am not a talented artist, and I read for the story first and foremost. As long as the art doesn’t pull me out of the story, I am good with it. Unfortunately, when I see some of JRJR’s art I have to stop and ask myself why he was given the opportunity to draw such a great title like X-Men.
The Gist
I felt the early Claremont Era X-Men writing was a bit of a slog, but he really hit his stride around issue 155 and has maintained it through this book. X-Men: Ghosts is a terrible place to jump into X-Men, and there aren’t too many good jumping on points between issue 94 and this story. So, if you are thinking of jumping into X-Men, start with Vol. 1 of the Uncanny X-Men omnibus By Claremont. It’s a long haul but trying to jump in anywhere else will leave you lost. If you are familiar with the Claremont era X-Men, be sure to read Secret Wars II before this volume, as the first few issues of this collection cross over with the end of that crossover event.
Damian Starr is a long-time collector of comics who, in recent years, has converted his focus to reading—almost exclusively—trade paperbacks, hardcovers, and Omnibus editions. Additionally, he is a frequent contributor to the MCBCFA Play Network YouTube channel (check out his Dr. Omnibus playlists). To add one more layer to his geekery, he is an amateur comic author and co-founder of Illuminatus Comics.
Cool Comics Reader Reviews!
Star Wars: Vader Down
By Steve Adams
Fellow comic geeks, I am back with another Star Wars review (see Steve’s previous review in episode 234). I have been reading the first Darth Vader series from Marvel, which ran for 25 issues, and took place in the immediate aftermath of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. The Emperor is not pleased with Vader, and essentially demotes him. This series follows Vader’s efforts to get back in his master’s bad graces, find out who the pilot was that blew up the Death Star, and fend off rivals clamoring for Vader’s spot at the Emperor’s right hand. Vader learns the identity of the pilot, and his location on a planet called Vrogas Vas, the home of an old Jedi temple. It is here that this week’s review picks up, the Star Wars/Darth Vader crossover, Vader Down.
Writers Jason Aaron and Kieron Gillen have crafted an amazing story. Honestly, this would make a mind-blowing miniseries for Disney+. The story is nearly flawless. The art is well done by veterans Mike Deodato and Salvador Larocca.
The story begins as Vader comes out of hyperspace over Vrogas Vas…and right into three squadrons of Rebel fighters. What happens next is shocking, as Vader unleashes the Dark Side with a fury never before seen. He almost destroys all the fighters by himself before Luke brings him down. On the planet, it gets even worse, as Vader effortlessly slaughters the Rebel troopers trying to catch him. One of the best parts of Rogue One was watching Vader try to get the stolen plans for the Death Star and seeing him finally be the murderous villain he was always made out to be. This series takes it even further. Vader’s power is horrifying. You get the feeling the Rebels are outnumbered 1 to 1,000 here. They are trapped on the planet with him, not the other way around. There is a legitimate feeling of desperation on the part of our main heroes, as they simply try to escape with their lives.
Other strong points of the Vader series have been the supporting cast, all on full display here. Doctor Aphra tries to help Vader any way she can, with the aid of 000, a psychotic, murderous protocol droid, and BT1, a fully armed and loaded astromech droid. And if all this wasn’t enough to convince you to read Vader Down, I have two words for you: Wookie fight! Chewbacca faces off against Krrsantan Black, a bounty hunting Wookie with previous experience with Han and Chewbacca.
All in all, I cannot recommend Vader Down highly enough. In fact, I would almost consider it required reading for all Star Wars fans.
That’s it for this time. Once my library reopens, I will be able to continue with the other series I am reading now, Marvel’s Runaways.
Til next time, Excelsior.
Would you like to write a review of a comic book or graphic novel for all the Internet to see? Our Cool Comics Reader Reviews section is looking for fans just like you to submit reviews of 500 words or less (introductions about yourself don’t go against the word count), along with a cover image of the comic, to edgosney62@gmail.com. Please keep in mind that we reserve the right to decide what will and won’t go in the blog, so keep the language clean, pick out a comic that won’t cause controversy (we try to have fun here!), and start tapping away on your keyboard!
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Views: 221
I’ll second the praise for Vader Down. Marvel’s Star Wars comics in the last few years have been great, but this story is the very best of the lot.
Superboy #198 was a good tale, I’m always up for a Fatal Five story. Much of The Legion got new outfits in the early 1970s and this issue is the debut of new outfits for Element Lad and Princess Projectra.
The Legion’s last full story was in March 1969 in Adventure Comics #380. They spent years as a backup feature in Action and Superboy before getting a book length tale again in June 1973. The title does not officially change to Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes until issue #231 in 1977.
Action Ace, good to hear more positives on the Star Wars comics from Marvel. I’ve read some of the first series via Amazon Prime, and plan on reading more. I’ve also been buying the new ongoing titles…paper versions.
I’m glad that our reviewers are getting some notice here at Cool Comics. Maybe you’ll consider doing a future review yourself?
I certainly need to read more Legion stories. I started getting the new ones that Bendis is writing, but dropped them after a few issues. While others may love them, they just weren’t the same to me.
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!
I’ll also give a big thumbs-up for “Vader Down”! It really spotlights why Darth Vader is THE best Star Wars villain. The space battle where they actually manage to shoot him down is worth the price of admission by itself!
That Topps Lone Ranger and Tonto issue was SUPPOSED to be the first of an ongoing series (according to the letters pages in the rest of the issues) that got chopped to a 4 issue mini. It’s one of my favorite LR comics because of the fantastic creative team and that it’s just SO different!
The Lansdale/Truman creative team had just come off of some very successful supernatural-edged Jonah Hex comics for Vertigo and this LR series I consider the spiritual successor to those because the story takes a VERY quick slide into the weird wild west! I won’t spoil the whole thing, but there’s a living Aztec mummy that’s actually an ancient alien! In a Lone Ranger comic!
It’s the sort of Longbox Junk you have to read to believe it even exists.
Thanks for another great post and thanks for keeping comics fun!
Another vote for Vader Down! Sounds like we have a winner.
Atom, I think that’s the only Lone Ranger comic that I currently own. Once social distancing is a thing of the past, I may have to look in some back issue bins for some more issues. They certainly take me back to my youth and the days of watching the old TV show in my best friend’s basement. Those were the day!
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!
Those were the only Topps Lone Ranger comics, but Dynamite put out a pretty good 25 issue LR ongoing. It goes off the rails at the end, but it starts off great! Well worth a look. Dynamite also put out some nice Lone Ranger mini’s as well. Snake of Iron and Death of Zorro (that’s right, Dynamite killed Zorro in a Lone Ranger comic!) are two of the best, in my opinion. You can probably find those easier on digital.
Thanks for the tip! I may even see if I can get a few Dell or Gold Key issues. Often those would have stand-alone stories, which work well for Cool Comics entries. And comiXology may be the way to go on the Dynamite issues, like you said.