Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 248, 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 248…
Cool Comics News!
Yesterday was Previews day, which is always a cause for fun, excitement, and new discoveries! Did you discover something you haven’t been reading that you’re going to try, or perhaps a new series coming out that you want to follow? We’d love for you to tell us about it in the comments section below.
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is The Batman Who Laughs versus Ghost Rider! 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’s creation is Voltron, by artist Ed Griffie. Besides the battle of the week listed above, I suppose we could also have Voltron go up against Rom, who is featured in our Classics section for this episode. 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
#1261 — Dark Nights: Death Metal #1, DC, August 2020.
Nearly three years ago, I started buying new comic books after a long hiatus. One of the first mini-series I picked up was Dark Nights: Metal, which wasn’t the easiest storyline to follow since I’d last read new comics in 2003. But I stuck with it, although I skipped most of the tie-ins that DC provided for readers who really wanted to immerse themselves in that world. But skipping those issues just made it harder to understand everything. Yet when it was over and DC later gave us The Batman Who Laughs, I once again gave in to the pull of the mini-series. I don’t always need to know or understand every nuance of plot to enjoy what I’m reading; hence, I’m onboard once more with Dark Nights: Death Metal (which is even more confusing if you didn’t at least read the first series). The cover is all shiny and makes me think of the Nineties, and the characters are “different” in this dark edge of DC adventures, and though I’m sure to get confused every now and then, it’s still fun to dive into these stories…and this one has a T-Rex Batman, so how could I pass it up? The cover price of Dark Nights: Death Metal #1 is $4.99, while the current value is $5. The Key Collector Comics value is $5.
Cool Comics from the Quarter Bin
#1262 — Archie’s Girls Betty and Veronica #125, Archie, May 1966.
As constant readers know, one of my favorite things to do is go quarter bin diving. I don’t think most stores today even have quarter bins, so I consider myself fortunate to have the opportunity. And while there are plenty of comics from the last couple decades in the bins, I tend to look for odd things and comics that date back to the 20th Century, when possible. And if you noticed the date above (May 1966), then you know this one is much older than the typical fair found for low, low prices! This issue of Archie’s Girls Betty and Veronica will take you back to a generation that you may not remember very well, or never experienced firsthand. A couple of the stories enclosed probably would be considered in poor taste today, but in 1966 things were different. The cover of my copy came loose from the staples, but considering the deal I got, I’m not complaining. The cover price of Archie’s Girls Betty and Veronica #125 is 12¢, while the current value is $40.
Halloween ComicFest Cool Comics
#1263 — Ghost Rider: King of Hell #1, Marvel, December 2019.
I guess when you’re putting out free comics for Halloween ComicFest (HCF), you want to have some fright with your product line, so Marvel gave us this Ghost Rider one-shot reprint. Not having read the original story, this was a new adventure for me and was also helpful in understanding how Johnny Blaze became King of Hell. I’ve been reading the ongoing Ghost Rider comic, but didn’t really understand how all this came about, so I consider this a nice HCF pickup for anyone else who wants to know more about our favorite flaming skull head! If you like your heroes more like Captain America and Superman, there’s a chance you’ve never read a Ghost Rider comic before, and HCF, along with Free Comic Book Day, are great ways to get introduced to characters and titles you might not otherwise explore. The cover price of Ghost Rider: King of Hell #1 is free, while the current value is $1.
Cool Comics Kids
#1264 — Donald Duck #122, Gold Key, November 1968.
Not one, but TWO comics from the Sixties this week have been deemed as Cool Comics In My Collection! I really like the old stuff, especially when I find it for cover price or lower, but in this case, paying out just a quarter for a 15-cent comic feels pretty good, too. While the condition isn’t great (click on the cover to see it better), I’m not complaining. This issue gives us a long Donald Duck adventure to start things off, followed by four pages of “Gold Key Comics Club News,” then a story featuring Goofy, a one-page prose story that’s great for helping kids advance their reading skills (this one has the three little pigs and the Big Bad Wolf), and our last full tale has Donald showing off his new-found strength, thanks to Gyro Gearloose. The last two facing pages gives readers “mini-comics” and information about the Pteranodon (a flying dinosaur), courtesy once more of the “Gold Key Comics Club News.” The cover price of Donald Duck #122 is 15¢, while the current value is $48.
Cool Comics Classics
#1265 — Rom #1, Marvel, December 1979.
Rom is another one of those properties that launched as a comic book with the intent to stir interest in the toy…but the toy ended up unsuccessful, whereas the initial Rom comic book from Marvel lasted until 1986, and currently IDW is publishing new Rom adventures. For me, Rom appeared a little over a year after I’d walked away from the hobby, but in 1982, a friend at Ohio State got me interested in reading comics once again, and Rom was one of his recommendations. I didn’t stick with the series long, but recently found a lot of the issues in quarter bins and decided to buy this first issue for a decent price. Written by Bill Mantlo and drawn by Sal Buscema, I felt like I’d traveled back in time to my younger years while reading it, and I enjoyed getting a look at Rom’s origin story at long last. The cover price of Rom #1 is 40¢, while the current values are $65 on CBR and $30 on ZKC. The Key Collector Comics value is $35.
Cool Collected Editions with Dr. Omnibus
Sara (TKO Studios)
Dr. Omnibus score: 7 out of 10
In 2019, TKO Studios released their first wave of books. They started this new company with a unique business model, with a couple different goals in mind.
- Eliminate reliance on Diamond
- Create a bingeable product like Netflix, but for comics.
To this end, they released their six issue comic series in three different formats, all at the same time. You can order the single issues, the trade paperback (TPB), or digital copies. Regardless of the format you choose, you get the entire series at once.
When they launched the first wave of books, I bought two of the TPB’s they offered.
The Book Itself
The book itself is pretty awesome. It is an oversized TPB, so the trim size is about 20 percent larger than that of a standard comic, and the paper and cover quality is pretty decent. There is a very limited amount of backmatter, but considering this is a new company, producing a new series, there just isn’t too much that could be added.
The Words
By Garth Ennis
This book tells a wonderful story of a group of Russian female snipers during World War II. It almost felt like a PG-rated adaptation of the film Inglorious Basterds, but with Russian women instead of Jewish men. It was fine, nothing special, but it does get a few bonus points for being a somewhat interesting story with a primarily female cast, which is something the comic industry wants and frequently fails to deliver.
The Pictures
By Steve Epting and Elizabeth Breitweiser (colorist)
From a technical standpoint, it was good, but overall, I found the art uninteresting. Not distracting, but just kind of default comic art. I did enjoy the colors a bit. The colors really brought some of the landscapes to life. Ms. Breitweiser appears to have done the heavy lifting as far as making the art even remotely fun.
The Gist
Overall, the comic is fine, nothing too special, and it fell pretty far short of the hype for me. This is certainly a minority opinion though. Most people who I have heard from that read the book thought it was pretty great.
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!
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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When I was a kid my dad went to a flea market one day, he brought back a stack of 10-15 comics for me. These were my first comics ever. Included in that lot of comics was ROM #1. I don’t remember reading it, but nonetheless, I will always have that tucked away in my memory and that comic will hold a special place in my heart. I still had all of those comics until a few years ago, but when I refocused my collection and made the switch to collected editions I ditched it in a bulk sale, along with many, but not all of the others from lot.
Dr. Omnibus, I’m glad that Rom gave you a great memory. And you’ve got me interested in those TKO Studios comics. I like the packaging the singles come in and may have to order one. Thanks for another great edition, and for being an important part of Cool Comics!
I got one of the ROM toys as a kid. I’ve never read one of his comics. That goes for the Micronauts as well. I think GI JOE is the only property where the toys lead me to a comic book.
I do like my heroes more like Captain America and Superman and no there isn’t a single Ghost Rider comic in my collection. As I recall he’s in a couple of Champions stories, in the background of a couple of linewide crossovers and whatever that “New Fantastic Four” team was.
I thought Death Metal #1 was good. DinoBatman was a treat and the certain “blue” Bruce Wayne at he end may be the most important one. Hopefully that’s the last time I see that other character after Wonder Woman went “Ash Williams” on him.
I look forward to more twists and turns in this “Anti Crisis.”
Action Ace, whereas I’ve read some Rom, Micronauts, and G.I. Joe comics, I never had the toys!
Ghost Rider certainly isn’t for everyone…and you’re right about being in The Champions, as I have that entire short run.
I’m definitely following through with the rest of Death Metal, and I’m even getting some of the other titles associated with it, such as Death Metal Trinity Crisis.
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!