Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 252, 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 252…
Cool Comics News!
When I was a comic book reading kid in the Seventies, just finding the stories I wanted to read was enough for me. Each week I’d walk or ride my bike to the local mom and pop shop a few blocks away and pore over the rack of monster magazines and four-color fun, grabbing the newest issues of Marvel Team-Up and Captain America. Later in life, when I started collecting again in the Nineties, curiosity about artists, writers, companies, and even other comic book aficionados, found me purchasing a variety of different comic-based magazines, but mostly of the glitzy variety, such as Wizard and Hero Illustrated. Unfortunately, I knew nothing about the world of TwoMorrows Publishing, although I believe I bought an issue or two of Write Now! magazine just before I broke away from my favorite hobby in mid-2003. In 2017, I started buying new issues again, and via Previews I discovered Back Issue magazine. And wow, does it cover my sweet spot of comic book collecting! Soon after, I started searching out back issues of…Back Issue. From there, I stumbled upon Alter Ego, and today I have a hefty collection of both magazines. Hence, when I found out that TwoMorrows was doing a Kickstarter for The World of TwoMorrows, a book that would be “Celebrating 25 Years of the Future of Fandom,” I knew I’d be supporting it before I even looked at the webpage. Is it any good? Well, I’m not far in, having recently started it, but I’d scratch out “good” and replace it with “great,” from my perspective, because for me, the people behind TwoMorrows have done all kinds of fans a tremendous service over the years. If you’d like to check it out for yourself and help support this wonderful publishing company, click The World of TwoMorrows.
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Uncle Scrooge versus Rima! 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 I’m again featuring a piece of art my son did years ago (mom saved a bunch of them!). These are three Pokémon characters that he sketched, and if you’re a fan, you probably know them well! While Ed (same name as me) isn’t doing much art these days, he is attending Ohio University and majoring in Video Game Design.
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
#1281 — Engineward #1, Vault, July 2020.
The first question is, what’s the actual name of this comic book? I have “Engineward” written here, and within the comic, a person is referred to as an Engineward. But the title on the cover makes it seem as if it is “Engine Ward.” Further, the indicia indicates it’s “Engine Ward,” and while I usually go with that, the use of the term Engineward contained in the story gives strong evidence that this is supposed to be the correct way of spelling it. When you search on the Internet, you’ll find far more instances of it as one word rather than two. So that’s what I’m going with. For now. And for anyone who cares at this point, Vault Comics has it as one word on their Facebook page. I’ve been kind of excited for this science fiction title ever since I read about it in Previews, but I was disappointed to discover that this is a mature comic (if they had the rating somewhere, I missed it) and it should not be passed on to young readers. However, the story is intriguing, and I’m interested in seeing what happens throughout the remainder of the twelve planned issues. The cover price of Engineward #1 is $3.99, while the current value is $4. The Key Collector Comics value is $4.
Cool Comics from the Quarter Bin
#1282 — Urth 4 #1, Continuity Comics, May 1989.
I love finding new things in the quarter bins…or at least titles that are new to me. I found this first issue of Urth 4 a few weeks ago, and while I know a little about Continuity Comics, I’d never heard of this short-lived series. There’s a lot going on when you start reading this story, and I felt as if I must have missed something along the way. Were these characters introduced in other Continuity Comics? I really don’t know, but the action is fairly fast, and there wasn’t much back matter to tell me what was going on. This isn’t necessarily bad, but I’m the type of reader who likes to have a little more control. Perhaps for me the two most fun aspects are that I have met the penciler, Trevor Von Eeden (Akron Comicon 2017), and also the publisher of Continuity Comics, Neal Adams (Cincinnati Comic Expo 2018). And those are cool memories to have at the cheap cost of just 25 cents. The cover price of Urth 4 #1 is $2, while the current value is $3.
FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 2)
#1283 — Fire Power #1, Image, May 2020.
I was fortunate that several months ago my local comic shop owner handed me a retailer’s early copy of Fire Power Vol. 1: Prelude, because it made reading this Free Comic Book Day edition more meaningful. Robert Kirkman (writer and yes, The Walking Dead guy…and if you are a Kirkman fan, don’t miss Cool Collected Editions with Dr. Omnibus below!) and artist Chris Samnee are doing this series a little differently. First off, the aforementioned Vol. 1 officially came out July 1, and then on July 15, the first issue of the ongoing series came out via FCBD. From my understanding (at least pre-COVID-19), issue one will also be available to purchase at a later date. What if you didn’t read Vol. 1 first? Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to understand what happens in this issue, but if you read Prelude first, you’ll have a deeper understanding of all the what’s and why’s. There’s a lot to like about this series, so you may want to at least grab this free one if you can still find a copy. The cover price of Fire Power #1 is free, while the current value is $1. The Key Collector Comics value is $0.
Cool Comics Kids
#1284 — Uncle Scrooge #109, Gold Key/Whitman, December 1973.
When I flip through my short box of comics that are aimed towards the younger crowd, I’m always amazed at how many duck comics are in there. Lots and lots of Donald and Uncle Scrooge McDuck, along with a smattering of Daffy. I try to mix things up a bit for Cool Comics Kids, but I keep my box filled based on what I find in the quarter bins at my LCS, and as it turns out, I often find Disney comics from a variety of companies. But why apologize when there are so many Disney fans, right? Anyway, this comic, when in much better condition, has a good secondary market value, and it’s always fun to know when you get a good deal. “Land Beneath the Ground” is a fun adventure that runs the length of the comic…with the exception of the “16-PAGE FUN CATALOG” that every kid at heart will enjoy looking through, especially if you once owned some of these incredible toys! The cover price of Uncle Scrooge #109 is 20¢, while the current value is $80.
Cool Comics Classics
#1285 — Rima, the Jungle Girl #5, DC, January 1975.
DC’s variation on Shanna the She-Devil (see Cool Comics Classics in our last episode, intrepid reader!), Rima the Jungle Girl, is a character straight out of literature, as she is featured in W. H. Hudson’s novel Green Mansions. Have any of you read it? I have an old paperback copy but have yet to crack it open. The novel was made into a movie starring Audrey Hepburn, and perhaps some of you are familiar with it…but I can’t say that I’ve ever seen the film. So this singular issue that I plucked from a quarter box a few months ago is my only exposure to Rima, and it stirred enough interest in me to at least consider watching the movie someday…or finally reading the book…but finding a few more issues of this short run would also fill the bill. The creators consist of such big names as Robert Kanigher, Nestor Redondo, and Joe Kubert, so you may want to give this series a try. The cover price of Rima, the Jungle Girl #5 is 20¢, while the current value is $10.
Cool Collected Editions with Dr. Omnibus
Invincible – The Complete Series (Image)
Dr. Omnibus score: 9 out of 10
On Prime Day 2019, Amazon had a big sale on lots of Image Comics. I stocked up and grabbed the entire series of Invincible, collected in three massive compendium trade paperback (TPB) volumes. I had heard from a couple people that Invincible was their favorite comic, but I didn’t know those folks well enough to put too much stock in that recommendation. But Grabbing the whole 144 issue series for under $100, I figured it was time to check it out.
The Book Itself
I love the compendium format. No bells or whistles, but you get tons of content for very little money. It’s just a 1024-page TPB, give or take a few pages depending on which volume. I’m always afraid they will fall apart, but they never do. I’ve heard that some copies of Vol. 1 have a misprint in them in which some pages are duplicated and others missing. So if you are buying this, be sure and look into that and check out the copy you are thinking of buying. Fortunately, mine were free of defects.
This series is also available in 12 oversized hardcover editions. I am tempted to upgrade to these, but it is hard to justify investing an extra $240 into this series when I already got it all for $100.
The Story
By Robert Kirkman
It’s hard to write about an entire 144-issue series and keep it brief, but I generally don’t get too detailed, so here goes nothin’. For the first 15 issues of this massive read-through, I found myself thinking “Oh God, what have I done, investing in this series?” Shortly after that, things started to turn around, and by issue 25 I was completely hooked. Robert has a way of pacing a story in which he draws it out way longer than is needed; generally this would be viewed as a bad thing, but in so doing, he opened up endless possibilities for side stories and some serious character development. The sheer number of supporting cast members is astonishing, and they are all fun characters. I never grew particularly attached to any character, but I enjoyed them all. The deeper into the series you go, the higher the stakes. Mark Grayson (the main character) starts out as a street level crime-fighter, and as the story progresses, he takes on situations with intergalactic and even interdimensional implications.
When I finished the first volume I was hooked, but still held onto the idea I would probably not keep the books. By the time I finished Volume 3, I knew I would never let them go.
One of my favorite things about this series is that most of the characters and early plot points are supposed to be a parody of superhero comics. But it manages to do so in a way that doesn’t come off as too humorous, while still being quite funny. This light comic relief is needed to offset the shear savagery depicted in the art.
The Art
By Ryan Ottley
The art in Invincible is incredible. It is very consistent. Ryan has done interior work on approximately 171 comics, 137 of those were Invincible. This is his life’s work, and it shows on every page.
Invincible is hands down the most gruesome comic I have ever read. It is by no means a horror comic, but the amount of blood, guts, and brains that are drawn into this is just astounding. It was completely unnecessary; but also, for this reader, very welcome.
The various colorists did an amazing job, too. There was only one time the color changed, and it stuck out like a sore thumb, but even then, the work was great—just different.
The Gist
READ THIS COMIC!!!
After having read all of The Walking Dead and this entire series, I’m fairly certain that I’m onboard with any long series Kirkman takes on. Invincible also led to several spinoff series that I might check out sometime as well.
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!
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Views: 4028
I have many issues of Back Issue and Alter Ego as well as nearly twenty books from Two Morrows Publishing. They are a great resource for comics history.
Those people on that Urth 4 cover look familiar. Neal Adams is finally drawing a FF story this fall and Mark Waid is coming along to write. This will be the first Marvel title on my pull list that isn’t a Star Wars book in a while.
I got the FCBD Fire Power issue, but that will be it for me. I’m just not enough of a martial arts fan. I’m sure the book will be good.
Like a few people my age, I remember Rima from the Super Friends cartoon and never realized she had her own comic only a couple of years earlier.
Invincible is one of the best comic book series of all time. I bought every issue as it came out. At first it was a pleasant little fun series like Kirkman’s Tech Jacket, then issue #7 came along and the greatness started. DO NOT MISS THIS SERIES!
Action Ace, I admit I’ve never read Invincible. It started about a half year before I took a long break from comics, but I certainly plan on reading it someday. I tend to enjoy the Kirkman comics I’ve read.
When I was looking up information on Rima, I saw that she was on Super Friends, but I don’t think I was watching the cartoon at that time. Maybe someday I’ll see the episodes on the DC Universe app.
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