A Comic Book Journey Into…The Twilight Zone!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 240, 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 240…

Cool Comics News!

Cool Comics is pleased to announce that the winner of the Dr. Omnibus Umbrella Academy 3 Volume Set is Jon Frater from New York! Congrats, Jon, we hope you enjoy them.

Recently, writer Peter Breau asked me if I’d consider reading a digital issue of a comic he wrote about the origin of a character named Starbolt, published by Nerdanatix. The cover lists the price at $9.99, and Peter said it should be available soon, but isn’t sure when it will show up at shops, due to COVID-19. This issue contains three stories, Starbolt (written by Peter Beau), The Last Day Warrior – Part I, and The Legend of Sargus. From what I could gather, all three are related and seem to belong to the same universe, but that may not be entirely accurate. At the beginning, we get a forward from Jim Hatchey, the creator of Starbolt, which tells us a little about his ideas behind creating Starbolt. All three stories have different artists, with quite different styles, and I found myself appreciating each the more I continued reading. And while the storylines are Christian in nature, there is some superhero style violence. Each story certainly kept my interest and I enjoyed the experience. If you like to try new comics, perhaps this is an issue you want to consider getting when it becomes available.

Cool Comics Battle of the Week!

Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is The Twilight Zone (the concept of it) versus Ren & Stimpy! 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 Cool Comics is looking at “Twilight Zone” kinds of comic weirdness, and while there is nothing weird about Ed Griffie’s art, Svengoolie feels like a good fit for our theme! Ed is a lifelong comic book fan who started drawing Kawaii and Chibi style versions of pop culture icons and superheroes about five years ago. Through Facebook his work came to the attention of Daniel Hare, the owner of vintage toy and comic bookstore The Toys Time Forgot, who offered him a guest spot at Free Comic Book Day. Since then, Ed has been a regular at local conventions and comic bookstores, where he offers bookmarks, coloring pages, trading cards, and color prints featuring his unique artwork. You can check out his 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

#1221 — The Twilight Zone #1, Dynamite, December 2013.

Does the current state of the world make you feel like we’re all in one big Twilight Zone episode? In no way am I aiming to belittle the pandemic and the tragic consequences, I’m just commenting on how surreal the whole thing has been. I’m sure many of you readers out there are fans of The Twilight Zone franchise, whether you watched the original series when episodes first aired; or became a fan through reruns, including marathons of the original series on holidays; or perhaps via an iteration of one of the newer launches of the show; or maybe you discovered it through one of the several series of comic books put out over the decades. As I was searching through boxes of unread comics for this episode, once I came across this one, I decided to go with a bit of a Twilight Zone theme for the entire episode…meaning that the comics I discuss this week are a little on the crazy or bizarre side, much like our lives these days. Written by J. Michael Straczynski (probably a familiar name to many of you) and illustrated by Guiu Vilanova, I found myself completely absorbed by the story and somewhat disappointed that it continues in issue #2, which I don’t have…yet. The cover price of The Twilight Zone #1 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

Cool Comics from the Quarter Bin

#1222 — What The-?! #1, Marvel, August 1988.

Doesn’t the title of this Cool Comic from the Quarter Bin fit the tone of how strange everyday life has become? And again, I don’t want to be insensitive, because many people around the world have been affected, whether they’ve suffered from COVID-19 themselves or one of their friends or loved ones have. So Cool Comics is just trying to lighten your burdens a bit with a little fun each week, and What The-?! may help take you there. I’ve found several issues in quarter bins that are now part of my collection, but this is the first time I’ve read one. The result? It wasn’t as funny as I thought it might be. In the Seventies I’d buy an issue of Mad Magazine or Cracked every once in a while, and I enjoyed the comedy and parody back then. But perhaps now I wouldn’t like either very much, considering I’m at a completely different place in life. With this in mind, I might have appreciated What The-?! if I’d read it at a younger age. And then again, maybe it’s just not as good as the other two. Regardless, the comic title fits the theme of this episode quite well. The cover price of What The-?! is $1.25, while the current values are $4 on CBR and $10 on ZKC.

FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 52)

#1223 — CBLDF: Defend Comics Issue 2019, Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, May 2019.

Here we are, the last Free Comic Book Day issue from the 2019 batch, with the 2020 FCBD comics now expected someday in the future, if at all. This is another one that I wouldn’t think most people would select when getting to pick from a limited selection. As a matter of fact, I’m not even sure if many stores order it (although perhaps the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund gives some issues to retailers at no cost…but I really don’t know). I thought this comic wouldn’t be very entertaining, and I was wrong. It’s chalk-full of bizarre stories that will keep you reading to the end. I think my favorite is one called “Apocalypse Taco,” but there were a couple others that would also work well in a Twilight Zone issue. If you happen to someday stumble across this one and the price is low enough, you may want to give it a try. For the next couple episodes, we’ll look at Two FCBD issues that came in a longbox stuffed with 419 comics that I bought for just $20 (I’ve you’ve been reading Cool Comics long enough, you may remember our “Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap” segment that was comprised of those issues). After that, I think I’ll finally start reading and commenting on some of my Halloween ComicFest free issues that have been neglected over the last few years. Will all this be enough to get us to FCBD 2020? Stay tuned to find out! The cover price of CBLDF: Defend Comics Issue 2019 is free, while the current values are $0 on CBR and $1 on ZKC.

Cool Comics Kids

#1224 — The Ren & Stimpy Show #1, Marvel, December 1992.

Back in the Nineties, I remember being in the toy section of a store with my wife, and on the other side of an aisle, we heard a mother respond to her child that no, she wouldn’t buy them that toy because “Randy and Stanky are dirty and nasty.” We looked at each other and tried not to laugh out loud, and ever since then I’ve always thought of this odd team as Randy and Stanky. I’ve never seen the cartoon, and this is my first comic of the strange duo, thankfully snatched out of a quarter bin, because cheap is good when you’re not sure what you’re getting into! This one, though not in a bag, still had a scratch and sniff sticker of Stimpy shoved inside, which just adds to the strangeness and fun of it all. This number one issue contains several stories within, but the most notable thing I discovered is that it’s written by Dan Slott. Maybe that makes owning it a little cooler, right? The cover price of The Ren & Stimpy Show #1 is $2.25, while the current values are $10 on CBR and $4 on ZKC.

Cool Comics Classics

#1225 — From Beyond the Unknown #23, DC, August 1973.

This is my first issue of From Beyond the Unknown, and it turns out that the comic is reprints of stories packaged together for this former DC anthology series. I’m fine with this being reprints, since I’ve never read any of the tales contained between the covers, and besides, I got it for just one dollar. The first story (which is the one pictured on the cover) is called “Secret of the Man-Ape,” written by Otto Binder, with art by Carmine Infantino, and the ape is much more than meets the eye. It was originally published in Strange Adventures #75 in 1956. Next up is “Language-Master of Space,” a story by Gardner Fox with art by Sid Greene, and first told in Mystery In Space #67 in 1961. Finally, we get “World of Doomed Spacemen,” written by Gardner Fox, with art by Mike Sekowsky, and originally brought to fans in Strange Adventures #104 in 1959. These were all a lot of fun to read, and while we don’t get the original ads from when each came out, the 1973 ads are really a blast! The cover price of From Beyond the Unknown #23 is 20¢, while the current values are $22 on CBR and $18 on ZKC.

Cool Collected Editions with Dr. Omnibus

Umbrella Academy Vol 1 – Apocalypse Suite (Dark Horse Comics)

Dr. Omnibus score: 7.0 out of 10

Just over a year ago, Netflix released season 1 of Umbrella Academy. Mrs. Omnibus showed some interest in watching it, so I waited to watch it. Well, I’m still waiting and season 2 will air sometime this year, exact date TBD. So, I decided since I haven’t ruined the book by watching the show yet, I would go ahead and give the source material a read before season 2 comes out, and then I will stop waiting and watch them both.

The Book Itself

I found the first volume trade paperback on sale for 50% off at an LCS during Halloween ComicFest, so I grabbed it. It’s just your run of the mill standard sized TPB, with glossy thin paper and no bells or whistles. It does have a Foreword and Afterword, but I didn’t bother with them. I rarely do but will on occasion if a piece really moves me.

The Story
By Gerard Way 

Things start off pretty weird in this one. At the exact moment that a wrestler beats an alien in a fight, 43 children are born, yet the mothers weren’t pregnant before that moment. Many of these children die, but some survive and are adopted by an alien. Six out of Seven of these adoptees possess extraordinary abilities and are raised to save the world and be heroes. They start saving the world before they are even teenagers. After that we jump around in time a bit and get to see these kids all grownup. Some have moved on to live seemingly ordinary lives, some aren’t around at all anymore, and some are dedicated to living the hero life. For reasons which I won’t share, they are reunited, and this is where we get into some real character building. The relationships are interesting and feel real. The family dynamic is certainly where one could see this comic being turned into a TV show. The action is silly and over the top sci-fi stuff. I don’t want to get too far into spoilers, so I will just say that the story was interesting, but not great. It’s kind of hard to keep the seven main characters straight, as there wasn’t a huge degree of character building done for some of them.

The Art
By Gabreil Bá 
Colors by Dave Stewart

The pencils have a very Mike Mignola look to them; not an especially “finished” style and a bit cartoony. This is complemented well by coloring reminiscent of that used in the series Invincible, which also had a lighter feel to it. But don’t let that verbiage fool you, because this has no shortage of graphic violence and is not for the kids. Still, the art is very fun, not distracting. The cartoony look misplaces expectations, which was interesting to me. To see maimed bodies in the cartoony style was just fun to a self-described misfit like myself.

The Gist

Overall, it felt like just another comic story. Nothing too earth-shattering despite the opportunity to provide just that. The character interactions are where this story shines, but there are so many it gets tough to manage. Reading it really makes me wonder how they got a show out of the series, so it has managed to increase my interest in watching it, but more from a “how did they pull it off” standpoint instead of a “I am interested in learning more about this world” standpoint. Hopefully, the next volumes will touch more on how these characters came into the world.

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!

BEOWULF #1 (DC 1975)

By Steve “Atom” Baum

A bit of introduction. I’m Steve “Atom” Baum and I write comic reviews that nobody ever asked for. I don’t usually write reviews of new comics or comics that would be of interest to collectors for how much they are “worth.” To me, the “value” of a comic is in the enjoyment of it.

If you like what you see here, then join me on a journey through the forgotten depths of those dusty longboxes of dollar back issues in the rear of your local comic shop and visit my blog LONGBOX JUNK, where you’ll discover HUNDREDS of reviews you never asked for!

And now an exclusive “Short but Sweet” Longbox Junk Retro Review for the Cool Comics Crowd!

THE CURSE OF CASTLE HROTHGAR

WRITER: Michael Uslan
ARTIST: Ricardo Villamonte
COVER: Ricardo Villamonte

THE COVER:
A fine example of a Bronze Age spinner rack eye-catcher! It’s got a scantily clad damsel in distress, a menacing monster, and a powerful hero swinging into action! Add the awesome contrast between the title and background and you get the kind of comic cover that immediately grabs attention. Very nice.

THE STORY:
After receiving a message from a mysterious person known as “The Shaper,” the mighty hero Beowulf and his companions set forth on a journey for Castle Hrothgar in Daneland, which has been coming under nightly attack by a monster called Grendel.

On the way, Beowulf and company make an unintended detour into the Underworld after the crew of his ship become bewitched by a Siren’s song. After defeating the awaiting demons, Beowulf discovers that the Siren is actually a Swedish Scyfling warrior named Nan-Zee, who was herself bewitched by demonic powers.

After rescuing Nan-Zee, she joins Beowulf and his companions as they continue to Castle Hrothgar. Upon arrival, Beowulf is at first greeted with suspicion, but when he announces his intention to destroy the monster Grendel, he is welcomed. . .but as Beowulf and company go to meet the King, a villainous wizard named Unferth casts a spell, sending the hero and his friends to a faraway swamp filled with lizard-like creatures that rush to the attack!

To be continued. . .

THE REVIEW:
Action! Adventure! Magic! Monsters! Beautiful women! All the ingredients are here for the beginning of a fantastic Bronze Age “swords & sorcery” journey. . .and writer Michael Uslan takes those ingredients and serves the reader a very tasty stew indeed!

Although obviously influenced by the hugely popular Marvel Conan comic on the stands at the time, Beowulf has a distinct flavor of its own that just makes me want to jump right into the next issue to find out what happens. It’s just a really fun read, full of bombastic dialogue and action that moves so quickly that you’re done before you know it and want more!

The art is a perfect complement to the epic story at hand, with dynamic figures and panels that really give a great sense of movement. This issue is simply packed from the first page to the last with great Bronze Age art by a lesser-known artist that deserves a moment in the spotlight, even if that spotlight has to be in a review that nobody ever asked for!

CONCLUSION
Beowulf #1 is simply a great comic in almost every way. From the awesome cover to the final page cliffhanger, this issue is full of fantasy action and adventure that’s sure to please any fan of sword & sorcery fiction.

Although it doesn’t look like Beowulf has ever been collected (and I don’t see it on comiXology), I found all six issues of this series in dollar boxes here and there, so they shouldn’t be too hard to track down for a very affordable Longbox Junk price. I highly recommend not only this first issue, but the whole series to anyone interested in some great Bronze Age fantasy adventure that ISN’T Conan-related.

Until next time, stay safe and remember that comics are worth more than money!

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!

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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