Cool Comics Wants to Know if The Truth Is Out There!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 256, 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 256…

Cool Comics News!

In our last episode, we featured a fantastic personal comic book story from Mark Weiss, and he’s back again to tell us about a very cool opportunity! Take it away, Mark!

As highlighted in Bleeding Cool: https://bleedingcool.com/comics/frank-frazettas-cover-art-for-comicbooks-for-kids/.

ComicBooks For Kids! has created coloring books using both established comic book creators and new talent, as well as including biographies for the artists featured within, a first for coloring books. Titled Legends Vol 1 AND Legends Vol 2, these high-quality volumes include previously published art and new art, or unseen-until-now art, from the likes of John Bolton, Gary Gianni, Aaron Lopresti, Art Baltazar, Val Mayerik, Steve Rude, Shawn McManus, Stan Sakai, William Stout, Dan Parent, Rich Tommaso, the late Mike Wieringo, Topper Helmers,  Jerry Bingham and more. A total of 34 artists donated their time and talents toward the first volume.  

Volume 2 artists in no particular order include Frank Frazetta, Will Eisner, Hal Foster, Kevin Eastman, Jeff Smith, Mike Kaluta, Mike Grell, Dave Stevens, Jim Steranko, Neal Adams, Tim Seeley, Stan Sakai, Art Baltazar, Bill Reinhold, Shawn McManus, Aaron LoPresti, Michael Ploog, and Topper Helmers for a total of 38 different artists. 

All artists personally donated their art toward this project. One hundred percent of the proceeds are used to purchase more coloring books, which are then shipped out to the over 160 hospitals in every state of the U.S. supported by CB4K. Volume 1 comes with a puppy cover and a limited edition by Topper Helmers. Volume 2 has a connecting puppy cover to the first volume and a limited edition of 75 copies by Will Eisner, using art donated from the family of Will Eisner.

A special edition of 75 copies of Volume 2 is also available with Frank Frazetta art on the cover.

These can be purchased from CB4K’s eBay site at https://www.ebay.com/usr/comicbooksforkids.

Cool Comics Battle of the Week!

Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is The Flash versus The Incredible Hulk! 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!

Sydney Walton recently became aware of our humble little Cool Comics blog and shared this “Incredible” piece he just completed, featuring the Hulk! It’s based on the XM Studios statue and hand-painted with acrylic paints. Syd said he’s been painting covers for a few years now and likes to think that he was one of the first to do so (although this is his first wrap-around cover in forever!). Syd is always taking commissions, so don’t hesitate to contact him for a cool cover or other fantastic creations. You can find him on Facebook at Syd’s Altruistic Art, or contact him via email at swaltoniii@aol.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

#1296 — The Flash #759, DC, October 2020.

Who is your Flash? I’ve probably read more issues featuring Wally West in the latter part of the 90’s to the early 2000’s than I have with Barry Allen. That’s the only time in my comic book collecting history that I was consistently buying Flash each month, and of course Barry succumbed during the infamous Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline (except that he’s back, which is pretty common when it comes to comics). However, this is the fourth consecutive Flash issue I’ve bought during the year of COVID-19 2020, and I’m enjoying what I’m reading enough to keep it going. Unfortunately, Joshua Williamson, the writer, is wrapping up his run (of course, I must use “run” when talking about the Flash!), with this issue suitably entitled Finish Line, Part One. With all this said, I do remember when I was a wee lad and could find back issues for just a dime apiece at a neat little used bookstore in Wheeling, West Virginia, where I happened to purchase some older Flash comics from the Sixties, which did star Barry Allen. Alas, I sold them when I was in college. Yet even more troublesome is the fact that Barry’s currently possessed by Eobard Thawne, and that’s all I’m going to tell you about this exciting story! The cover price of The Flash #759 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

Cool Comics from the Quarter Bin

#1297 — The Incredible Hulk #192, DC, October 1975.

Anytime I can find Seventies comic goodness while quarter bin diving, it’s a good day. However, the condition of this issue of The Incredible Hulk is nothing to write home about, and yet, it cost just a quarter, and came out less than a year after one of the most famous of all issues of this series. But no, Wolverine doesn’t show up in this one. So, who does show up? Seems like “The Lurker Beneath Loch Fear!” could be Nessie’s cousin…if you’re wont to believe such things exist. I’m not saying they do, and I’m not saying they don’t, but just the possibilities of such cryptids keep things interesting, don’t they? Regardless, the Hulk exists, at least between the pages of fun presented to us from Len Wein, Herb Trimpe, and Joe Staton. The current Immortal Hulk series is one of the best you can read today, but nothing satisfies like going back to my childhood with a comic like this one. The cover price of The Incredible Hulk #192 is 25¢, while the current value is $20.

FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 5)

#1298 — Archie Blue Ribbon Presents, Archie, May 2020.

Now that we have a few weeks of “Free Comic Book Day” under our belts and stuffed in our white cardboard boxes, difficult and tactical decisions need to be made as to which issue should be in the blog each week. Seriously. I have a few issues left from the first couple week, so you’d think I’d serve them up here sooner rather than later, but sometimes it depends on what comic book companies I’m currently featuring in the blog each week. On top of all that, I don’t know how FCBD is going to take place next year, so I can’t say that we’ll get to each 2020 free offering before the 2021 issues come out. So I’m going to read the ones I’m most interested in first, and if there are a few episodes remaining in which to squeeze in some of the FCBD issues I’m not as enthused about, well, then they’ll get their turn here. For this week, I had no problem pulling Archie out of the box, because I’ve been a fan since way back in the Seventies. Though I’m not a constant reader today, I still feel the nostalgic pull of those teens from Riverdale. This issue contains two stories, the first being “Betty and Veronica: The Bond of Friendship,” followed by “Riverdale: The Ties That Bind.” The B&V story has art that matches what you see on the cover here, and I’m sure it’s appealing to the younger set. The story continues in a graphic novel, which is advertised on a full page at the end of the tale. The Riverdale story will be familiar in both the art and the telling for anyone who’s a fan of the comic book series that acts as a supplement to the TV show. Though the two stories are quite different, I enjoyed both. The cover price of Archie Blue Ribbon Presents is free, while the current value is $1.

Cool Comics Kids

#1299 — Richie Rich #27, Harvey Comics, October 1994.

We at Cool Comics certainly hope you enjoyed our last episode, which featured Mark Weiss of ComicBooks For Kids! For those who may not know, Mark’s charitable organization is the inspiration behind our Cool Comics Kids category. Not only do these kiddie comics keep us feeling young, but many of these issues are a blast to read, such as this one featuring everyone’s favorite wealthy youngster, Richie Rich. This issue contains six fun stories, and besides a lot Richie himself, you’ll also get to see Peewee, Irona (The Riches’ Robot Maid), and Little Audrey. A couple of my favorite stories are “Shoe Biz,” in which Richie’s dog Dollar needs shoes because the pavement is so hot, and “Jog-Along,” a story that pits Richie versus the family butler, Cadbury, as they go for a run. Wondering if I found this in a quarter bin? Of course I did! The cover price of Richie Rich #27 is $1.50, while the current value is $3.

Cool Comics Classics

#1300 — UFO Flying Saucers #4, Gold Key, November 1974.

If you’re old enough to remember the UFO craze in the Sixties and Seventies…and even dating further back (although I wasn’t around then), then you’re probably relieved with all the news stories about investigations of UFO sightings by military personal, and other Project Bluebook kinds of things. Do you remember watching Chariots of the Gods? And now it seems that everything is going to come out in the open, because the truth is out there…or is it? Whether you’ve seen actual spaceships from another star system or just a wayward weather balloon, you can either grow frustrated about the entire thing, or just have some fun with it. And I think fun is the way to go, so I was quite happy to find this issue in my unread filing cabinet of wonder. The stories in this comic purport to be true, which makes it that much more interesting. The comic launches with The Mississippi Mystery, travels back through time in From Out of the Past, heads to that state up north (you guessed it, I’m an Ohio State grad!) for a tale aptly named Marsh Gas in Michigan (please take no offense, as I’m just having a little fun here…I have some GREAT friends from Michigan), soars to UFO Case Book, beams over to The Night Visitors, and ends with Incident in Vietnam. And while that may seem like a lot of stories for one comic book, I even skipped over a few. Lots of one- and two-page stories pack this issue. Gold Key produced 13 comics under this title, then renamed it UFO & Outer Space, continuing the numbering from 14 until it ended with number 25. Although I have two issues, and #13 was in Cool Comics a while back, I need to find more of these! The cover price of UFO Flying Saucers #4 is 25¢, while the current values are $35 on CBR and $22 on ZKC.

Cool Moments in Graphic Lit with Dr. Omnibus

I have decided to switch up the content of my weekly contributions. Instead of reviews of collected editions, I will be sharing my favorite moments in graphic literature. Sometimes it might be about an entire arc of a story, it could be about a panel, it could be about a relationship between two characters spanning 50 years of comics. The only certainty will be that these are some of my favorite moments in comic history, and these articles will frequently include major spoilers. I will do my best to warn you of spoilers at the top of the article.

Kraven’s Last Hunt

For the first go at this new approach, I present Kraven’s Last Hunt.

Before a week ago, I was pretty sure the whole of my experience with Kraven was related to his participation in the Sinister Six and his role in the 90’s Spider-Man cartoon. Having had so little experience with the character, I didn’t really know what to expect from this story, but I was aware of the fact that it has long been a well-regarded run. Despite knowing it was well regarded, I managed to not know how it ends.

So, how did this six-issue story arc become one of my favorite moments in comics history? One of the big things that makes this different from most comics is that all six issues are nearly silent. They include very little spoken dialogue and lots of internal monologue. Don’t get me wrong, there is dialogue, but I would say the six issues combined have about as much dialogue as two normal issues from the era. This reduction in dialogue and increase of internal reflection leads to a greatly enhanced sense of what these characters are feeling. This deeper look into the minds of the characters results in a much more immersive experience.

This one is a bit zany, but another highlight was the script and lettering for Vermin. I was instantly able to place a voice to this character. Not only was I able to “create” this voice in my head, but I can identify it as well. He sounds just like Gollum from The Lord of the Rings. This may seem like a small thing, but by having been able to create this voice without an extraordinary amount of mental effort, I was able to remain in the moment more completely than If I had to decide how this guy sounds.

Heavy spoilers below!!!

Lastly, this is dark, and I love dark. Kraven is a really cool character with a deep history. This history adds a depth to his emotions. Because of his rich history and depth, just when you think you have him figured out, he goes and celebrates his victory over Spider-Man by putting a rifle in his mouth and blowing his own brains out. Why would he do this? Because his family has a history of mental illness, coupled with the fact that there is no longer anything left for him in this world. He satisfied his life’s goal. Why bother going on after that just to constantly find life has nothing more to offer? Watching Kraven’s descent was nothing short of awesome, and I was proud of Marvel for the way the suicide was depicted. It was direct, no doubt about it. But they achieved that without showing too much gray matter on the walls and insane amounts blood everywhere.

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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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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