Cool Comics Celebrates 250th Episode with Iconic Characters!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 250, 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 250…

Cool Comics News!

When I started Cool Comics In My Collection in the fall of 2015, I didn’t think about how long the blog would last or what it would look like in the future or how many readers we’d get each week. My goal was simply to have fun writing it and to entertain a few people. And yet here we still are, 250 episodes in, and we’ve not just entertained readers, but have expanded to include any of you who wish to participate, either as an artist (Cool Comics Creations) or by writing reviews (Cool Comics Reader Reviews). Additionally, Dr. Omnibus, who provides his own column each episode, gives readers fantastic reviews focusing on collected editions and has become an important part of the Cool Comics community. And a special thanks goes out to all you readers who continually encourage us as we strive to bring you cool comic book fun! There are many blogs published each week, and we deeply appreciate that you still choose to read Cool Comics.

Cool Comics Battle of the Week!

Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is The Superior Spider-Man versus Elongated Man! 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 ultra-cool Namor by John R. Smith looks much better in person then this image I snapped with my phone, and I’m looking forward to getting it in a frame. John, who is quite active on our Cool Comics In My Collection Facebook page, is a fantastic artist who deserves wider exposure and recognition, and since he was so kind to send me some prints recently, I’ll be showing them off here from time to time. If you want to see more of John’s awesome creations, be sure to join the Facebook group…especially if you want to acquire some! Let us know in the comments section below if you would like to get in touch with John, if you don’t want to join the group.

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

#1271 — Batman #93, DC, August 2020.

It seems like every time I look at price guides, several of the more recent Batman issues have increased in value. No joke(r). But if it were a joke, I’m not sure if you’d get the “Punchline.” Yup, Punchline is all the rage these days, and when you toss in The Joker War storyline that is heating up July, good luck finding any of the hot Bat titles you don’t have on your pull-list. And yet I’m not all that crazy about the Joker, and the jury is still out on Punchline (she has quite the fight with Harley Quinn in this issue…with a seemingly shocking conclusion!). I’ll just take whatever story I get in my regular Batman issues, and though I may get lost at times, so be it…there are only so many hours in a day to read comics, and only so many dollars in my bank account to furnish my weekly habit. Maybe someday I’ll read what I missed on DC Universe. Still, I’m glad to have this issue in my physical collection. The cover price of Batman #93 is $3.99, while the current value is $4. The Key Collector Comics value is $4.

Cool Comics from the Quarter Bin

#1272 — Ultimate New Ultimates #1, Marvel, May 2010.

This year marks the 20^th anniversary of Marvel’s Ultimate line of comic books, and back in 2000, I was all-in with this alternate restart. Anything that had Ultimate on the cover ended up on my pull list. But I stopped collecting in mid-2003, and when my wife and I wanted to get some new kitchen appliances (refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher, for those who are curious), I decided I wasn’t really all that attached to Ultimate comics, and ended up having some great success in selling them. And I really don’t regret it. But…when I dig around in quarter boxes, I’ve found a few Ultimate comics that have piqued my curiosity, and since the price is absolutely right, they’ve come home from the comic book shop with me. This particular issue seems to have just as many pages in the gatefold cover as it does pages of actual story! Written by Jeph Loeb, with art by Frank Cho, this start of a new series gives readers a fascinating look at Marvel’s Ultimate line of heroes. The cover price is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

Halloween ComicFest Cool Comics

#1273 — Superior Spider-Man #1, Marvel, December 2018.

Superior Spider-Man came on the scene during my longest break from comics, and when I re-entered the world of four-color entertainment and found out that Otto Octavius (aka Doctor Octopus) had taken over Peter Parker’s body…well…I thought Marvel had flipped its lid. And apparently many fans felt the same; or at least until they stopped complaining and started reading it. This Halloween ComicFest (HCF) edition is a reprint of the first issue from the original run that began in 2013. While I’m still uncomfortable with the idea of the storyline (since I’m a big Spider-Man fan), it might be interesting to read this series someday. For those of you who don’t mind reading digital comics, the entire run (33 issues) is currently available on comiXology Unlimited, and more than likely a part of Marvel Unlimited, too. The cover price of Superior Spider-Man #1 (the HCF edition) is free, while the current value is $1.

Cool Comics Kids

#1274 — Mickey Mouse #227, Gladstone, June 1987.

If you have some special little ones in your life, I’m betting that they probably love Disney. So, in building your Cool Comics Kids library, you need to make sure you’ve included plenty of Mickey Mouse comics. While you can typically find back issues of older Mickey comics that might be priced out of your range, I found this one from 1987 in a quarter bin. And the cool part is, if you enjoy older Mickey stories, this has adventures that are newspaper reprints from decades ago. The first story in this comic is chapter 2 of “The Captive Castaways,” which ran from 2/19/1934 through 3/21/1934 (to see how it ends you need to get issue 228…which I found at the same time as this one), and it’s followed by another old news strip from 1936, “Mickey’s Rival.” I can’t guarantee you’ll be able to find a copy of this for the price that I did, but sometimes it’s worth spending time haunting the back-issue boxes at your local comic shop! The cover price of Mickey Mouse #227 is 95¢, while the current value is $5.

Cool Comics Classics

#1275 — Justice League of America #160, DC, November 1978.

For this 250^th episode of Cool Comics In My Collection, we’ve covered some iconic characters like Batman and Mickey Mouse, superheroes from an alternate version of their universe (Ultimate New Ultimates #1), and everyone’s favorite friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, who isn’t quite the same hero we grew up with (HCF: Superior Spider-Man #1). And now for our Cool Comics Classic, we turn to one of the all-time great team books, Justice League of America. “Crisis From Tomorrow!” brings readers an all-star cast of characters with this spectacular Justice League (Superman, Hawkman, Elongated Man, & Flash) team-up with the Justice Society (Wonder Woman, The Huntress, Dr. Mid-Nite, & The Star Spangled Kid), wrapping up a storyline that started in the previous issue. Unfortunately, I don’t have issue #159, and while I enjoyed the adventure as I tried to catch-up on everything, I think my favorite part is the cool cover! The cover price of Justice League of America #160 is 50¢, while the current value is $14.

Cool Collected Editions with Dr. Omnibus

Harleen by Stjepan Sejic (DC January 2020)

Dr. Omnibus score: 9.25 out of 10

They pretty much had me at Black Label. I am always down to read a book about Harley that isn’t just a long stretch of nonsense and silly jokes.

The Book Itself

I ordered the hardcover from my “not so local” LCS, Circle City Comics. It came with a super sweet acetate dust jacket and has a magazine sized trim. In the back, there is a fair amount of concept art, raw pencil drawings, and possible future scenes, should this story go on.

The Words
By Stjepan Sejic

Stjepan tells an origin story for Harley Quinn and explains the nature of her relationship to the Joker, while illustrating her personal descent into madness. I explained to a friend that Harleen is to Harley Quinn what The Joker film is to The Joker. I was fully engrossed in the story and found myself feeling bad for Harley and being sympathetic concerning her mental state. The way her “mental defects” are depicted may cause some emotional discomfort for readers who suffer from low self-esteem and/or anxiety disorders. Stjepan did a great job of making Harley a very relatable character. I would be lying if I didn’t say I had some interesting thoughts while reading this.

The Art
By Stjepan Sejic

I love the art in this book. It uses an unconventional style of inking, which really is just awesome. It’s hard to explain, but I’ll try. It looks like the book was inked and then colored, and then inked again, but with a leaky fountain pen the second time over. The story is dark, and the art matches it. As Harley descends further down the slope of mental unwellness, the art and settings get darker.

The Gist

This is one of the best comics I have read this year and encourage everyone to go read this book. I have frequently liked the character of Harley Quinn (pre-New 52), and to see her given a truly powerful origin story is just amazing. I just finished reading this and already look forward to reading it again soon, which is something I almost never do.

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/

Never Miss an Episode of Cool Comics!

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Join our Facebook Group!

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!

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