Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 246, 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 246…
Cool Comics News!
Though titles are a little sparse right now, at least shops are getting product to sell. Please continue to support your local comic store by getting some new issues and back issues, dollar bin diving finds, backing boards and bags, comic boxes, and other fun items you might see in your favorite store!
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Green Arrow (Connor Hawke) versus Buck Rogers! 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’s creation comes to us from Robert A. Kraus (aka RAK), creator of Chakan and many other fantastic works of art, along with cool games he’s developed. This awesome SUPERFREAKS art features a second image of Avengers (click here to see RAK’s earlier SUPERFREAKS Avengers)! To learn more about RAK, be sure to visit his website at http://www.rakgraphics.com/.
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
#1251 — Avengers #33, Marvel, June 2020.
Originally, this Avengers comic was not going to be a part of Cool Comics, but after reading it, how could I not? Readers are introduced to new story arc named “The Age of Khonshu,” and astute Marvelites don’t need to see the cover to know that Moon Knight has entered the building! So why is this a big deal? I don’t want to spoil anything, but at the same time, if you want to see Moon Knight go one-on-one with some heavy hitters in the 616, then you need to grab this issue as quickly as possible. What? You want me to name names? Try these on for size: Iron Fist, Dr. Strange, Ghost Rider, Black Panther, and Thor. The creative team of Jason Aaron and Javier Garrón give us a story that you can’t put down and are setting us up for a wild ride. The cover price of Avengers #33 is $3.99, while the current value is $4. The Key Collector Comics value is $4.
Cool Comics from the Quarter Bin
#1252 — Green Arrow #134, DC, July 1998.
As much hate as there seems to be out there for comics from the Nineties, they usually fill me with good memories. After a quick phase 2 of collecting in 1982, I didn’t buy any comics on a regular basis until 1993. As a matter of fact, the few comics I bought in between those years were a few pickups of some First Comics at a local discount store, and I had no idea who the characters were. But when Superman was temporarily killed by Doomsday and my father happened to get me a copy of that bagged issue (Superman #75), I jumped back in with both feet. I didn’t get many issues of Green Arrow, but I ended up with an issue here and there, and remembered when Connor Hawke became one of the new generation of replacement heroes (like Kyle Rayner, for example, the new Green Lantern of the era). This issue starts off a storyline called “Brotherhood of the Fist” and includes a team-up with Batman, which probably helped sell more copies. Chuck Dixon gives us a fun story and the art by Dougie Braithewaite certainly gives it a Nineties feel. Most comics I buy from quarter bins range from 1970 to 1980-something, but this one looked interesting and is in excellent condition. The cover price of Green Arrow #134 is $2.50, while the current value is $3.
Halloween ComicFest Cool Comics
#1253 — Iron Man: Road to Iron Man 2020 #1, Marvel, December 2019.
Halloween ComicFest is a great time to explore characters and companies you aren’t as familiar with…but the variety of choices aren’t as vast as, well, Free Comic Book Day. And while I usually grab some comics that aren’t as recognizable, I also enjoy the comfort of reading stories of characters I’ve known for a while. And when I got this one, I thought it was something new to introduce readers to the Iron Man 2020 stuff that may or may not have come out (I really haven’t paid much attention to Iron Man comics for a while, because the ongoing series didn’t hold my interest, and the idea behind the 2020 storyline didn’t grab me when I read about it). But as it turns out, this is a reprint of Tony Stark: Iron Man #1, which I read and blogged about in a past episode. And I nearly skipped it but decided to read the story again. There are some fun things and interesting ideas here, and I wish the ongoing series would have been as enjoyable. Oh well, not everyone is going to like everything. The cover price of Iron Man: Road to Iron Man 2020 is free, while the current value is $1.
Cool Comics Kids
#1254 — Yosemite Sam #29, Whitman/Gold Key, July 1975.
Out of all the Cool Comics Kids issues that have filled this spot, this is probably the most controversial issue so far (and not because I was able to find it for just a quarter!). And I’m sure there are those out there who would just chuck it into their paper recycle bin and try to forget about it, but the other side of the coin is that if you happen to have this one in your collection, and you allow a little one in your life to read it, you can use it as an educational tool. Basically, there are a couple things in this comic book that today would be considered as sensitive issues. But rather than ignoring these kinds of things from a 1975 comic book, we can tell kids that it’s not proper to speak or act in this manner today. Other than those couple items, this is a fun issue with two classic characters in Yosemite Sam and Bugs Bunny, and this Gold Key issue with the Whitman label gives readers seven different stories, a few being just one page each. The cover price of Yosemite Sam #29 is 25¢, while the current values are $16 on CBR and $8 on ZKC.
Cool Comics Classics
#1255 — Buck Rogers #4, Gold Key, October 1979.
Though Buck Rogers was born way back in 1928, I don’t know much about him. I’m more of a Flash Gordon kind of guy, and my father probably influenced me a lot in this respect, as we watched a lot of the old Flash Gordon serials together. But Buck Rogers starred in a primetime TV show while I was in high school, and my dad watched it, but for some reason, I had no interest (though I remember some of the guys from my neighborhood mentioning the show from time to time). Anyway, when I found this issue in a bargain bin, it made me think of my father, so I decided to get it. This issue is part 3 of the movie adaptation, which aired on TV and led to the ongoing series. And even though this brought me in at the end of the story arc, I was able to follow the plot and enjoyed it. I certainly wouldn’t mind reading more like this one. The cover price of Buck Rogers #4 is 40¢, while the current value is $15.
Cool Collected Editions with Dr. Omnibus
Scarlet Huntress by Stephanie and Sean Forney
Dr. Omnibus score: 7.5 out of 10
I am a sucker for classic horror tropes and cryptids, so when indie creators Sean and Stephanie Forney launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2019 for Scarlet Huntress Adventures!, a comic about a werewolf hunter, I was pretty interested. When I looked over the campaign, I saw that there was a tier in which I could get the three previous issues as well, so I decided to go all in and get it all. I then had the opportunity to pick up my pledge reward in person at C2E2 2020, and got to meet Sean and Stephanie, who are both very nice folks.
The Books Themselves
These are actually single-issue comics, which I almost never buy unless it is through Kickstarter. These issues are all very high-quality books, printed on nice thick paper. Aside from that, there isn’t too much to say about them…they are comics. The set includes Scarlet Huntress 1, Scarlet huntress 2, Scarlet Huntress: Tales Through time (an Anthology series with 3 short stories) and Scarlet Huntress Adventures! (another anthology of short stories). In addition to the comics, the Kickstarter also included digital copies of a storybook telling the origin story of the Huntress Legacy and a cryptid field guide that gives background info on various types of creatures, and perhaps some clues about what may come in future issues.
The Words
By Stephanie Forney
The story starts off with us meeting a young woman who recently lost her mother. While in town to deal with some of the responsibilities that go along with that, she is summoned by her grandmother, who tells her about the real nature of her mother’s death and the legacy that she represents. Overall, a great set-up for the story, and it was told fairly quickly, without too much fluff. Scarlet did buy into the whole “guess what, you’re a werewolf hunter” thing pretty easily, but aside from that one point, issues 1 and 2 were pretty awesome. For the most part, the dialogue didn’t feel forced and the pacing was pretty darn good. I am not the most concise person myself and appreciate that Stephanie does not seem to struggle with that same issue. The anthology issues were cool, too. Some of those stories were not written by Stephanie, but those writers did a great job of embracing the character without ruining continuity, in my opinion.
The Pictures
By Sean Forney
The first two issues are black and white. This caught me by surprise, mainly because the issue which was being released for the first time on the Kickstarter that I backed was color. But I am really glad it was black and white as it gave me a great opportunity to examine Sean’s linework without the distraction of color. I really enjoyed the art. In the beginning, it had a very unfinished feel to it, but by the end of the first issue you could see a ton of growth. By the end of the four-book run, I was nothing short of a fan. He has a pretty firm grip on anatomy, and nothing pulled me out of the story or left me scratching my head.
Additionally, each issue has several variant covers done by highly talented artists, some of whom are quite well known.
The Gist
This was better than most indie comics I have backed on Kickstarter, and a very good series. I look forward to future installments. If you would like a physical copy of any of the books, they can be purchased here, and digital copies here, Or you can follow Sean on Kickstarter to check out his next campaign here.
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!
Batman #36 (2018) Comic Book Review
By Josh Turnbull
Hey guys! I’m Josh Turnbull and I run The Review Basement blog. Every week I review movies, TV shows, comic books, and novels for your entertainment. If you like what you read here, please feel free to visit The Review Basement for more awesome reviews. Enjoy!
Batman #36 is an interesting issue because it feels like a throwback to when comic books were mainly one and done stories with the occasional two-parter thrown in from time to time. They were just starting to come out of this phase when I started reading comics in the ’90s with long story arcs like Batman: Knightfall and The Death of Superman, as well as The Clone Saga over at Marvel. This form of comic book storytelling was prevalent in the ’70s and the early ’80s.
The issue is basically just Batman and Superman talking to Catwoman and Lois about each other. Normally that would sound pretty boring, but it works here, because Tom King knows these characters, though some might argue against him knowing Batman. I think this is the first time we’ve gotten Superman’s honest thoughts on Batman since The Man of Steel by John Byrne in the ’80s. Though we’ve certainly had Batman’s thoughts on Superman during several occasions since then. Though to be honest, I think this is the most honest version of those thoughts we’ve had. That comes down to Batman always being able to be honest to Catwoman.
I love how both Superman and Batman are too stubborn to call the other over Bruce’s engagement to Selina Kyle, and it ends up being Lois and Catwoman (Selina) who try to convince their significant others that they need to call the other. Neither of them does so, and the quartet end up running into each other at the same building. Superman and Batman team up to take out two supervillains, neither of whom I’m familiar with, and then they prepare to go on what the “Next Issue” tag at the end of the issue refers to as “A double-date 78 years in the making….” I also enjoyed that this story is called “Super Friends,” and the font used for it is the one used on all the Super Friends cartoons from the ’70s and ’80s.
The artwork by Clay Mann is pretty decent. Though it is the standard modern-day comic book art style that everyone besides Greg Capullo seems to be using these days. That’s okay though because it actually works pretty well for this story. Though I have to wonder if Mann has read a comic after the ’60s, because the way he has Clark Kent dress in this issue looks the way the artists had him dress in the ’60s. Again, it works in the issue.
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: 279
Always been curious about The Moon Knight, but never took the plunge. The only part of my collection he touches is early West Coast Avengers by Steve (JLA/Avengers/Green Lantern/Detective Comics) Englehart and Al (Firestorm) Milgrom.. I should correct that.
As to Connor (Green Arrow) Hawke: great character with solid stories by Chuck (Nightwing) Dixon and under-appreciated art by Rodolfo DiMaggio. Not sure how to explain him: although different from passionate, hard-headed liberal, Bronze Age Ollie, its a mistake to get in his way. At the time, when DC had maneuvered Connor, Kyle (Green Lantern) Rayner and Wally (formerly Kid Flash) West as a 3rd generation torch-bearer, they were trying to re-invigorate their line. Wally actually had a more continuous run than Barry (Silver Age Flash) Allen did. Although the significant pushback DC received for the way they presented this 3rd, kudos to them AND the creative teams (including legends Mark Waid, Ron Marz, Darryl Banks, Greg LaRoque & Jim Aparo & Chuck Dixon) for trying to make a new age.
David, Moon Knight is a strange character, and in some stories you might really appreciate him, while in others you might scratch your head and wonder just what is actually happening. He has multiple personalities, and that’s part of why all the strangeness…along with having different writers take him out for a spin.
As I mentioned in my post, I enjoyed lots of the stuff going on in the 90’s and thought that DC was making it fun with some of these new generation heroes. I appreciate the background you provided, along with the creators who bring our heroes to life!
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!
That “Super Friends” two parter was one of my favorite stories during Tom King’s Batman run. It was helped tremendously by having Lois and Selina along for the ride.
I got a few issues of the Conner Hawke version of Green Arrow toward the end of the series. He did have a crossover with both Kyle and Wally. But then he was gone, just three years after getting the job.
I’m like you, I’m much more into Flash Gordon. Everything I know of Buck Rogers is from the Gil Gerard tv show.
I need to read more Flash Gordon Stuff. I have a few of the novels and remember reading them in grade school decades ago.
Josh did an excellent job with his review of Batman. I’d love to get more reviews from readers….perhaps an Action Ace reporter such as yourself might consider writing one sometime in the future!
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!
I’m not normally a fan of crossover events, but I AM a Moon Knight fan, so based on your glowing review I picked up Avengers #33 and boy, does it look like Moon Knight is kicking in the door! I don’t think I’ve seen Moony so powerful before. I’m on board the Avengers for at least as long as Age of Khonshu goes on. Thanks for putting me on to that!
It’s great to see Josh Turnbull taking a turn in the Reader Review department! I admit I wasn’t the biggest fan of Tom King’s Batman. . .especially his characterization of Bruce’s war on crime as being an overly elaborate and expensive unconscious suicide attempt. . .but when King lowered his gaze a bit to dig into some more grounded issues like the one Josh reviewed, things were good. I’d like to suggest to Josh that if he liked that issue, then the next one with the double date with Bruce/Selina & Clark/ Lois is one of the best of the whole run!
Thanks for another great post, and thanks for keeping comics fun!
Atom, I’m glad you enjoyed the Avengers issue, too! I’m excited to see what happens next!
I’m with you that it was great having Josh onboard as a Cool Comics Reader Reviewer. I like having the edition of letting both writers and artists participate each week.
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!