Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 270, 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), along with the 50th Edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide (OPG) using their 9.2 NM scale. 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 270…
Cool Comics News!
While 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone (some much worse than others), we can always find bright spots and reasons to be thankful. And isn’t that what Thanksgiving is about, recognizing the things we are thankful for? Whether it’s family and friends, a job to put food on the table and a roof over your head (and cool comics for your collection), good health during a worldwide pandemic, religious freedom, and many other reasons that are personal to you, this is a special day. We at Cool Comics are thankful for all the creative talent out there, because you continue to make us smile and bring a certain kind of joy to our lives. One such person who does this is John R. Smith (aka “Smitty”). You may recognize the name, because Smitty has been featured here several times in our Cool Comics Creations segment. But recently he went above and beyond and sent me a copy of the comic that features his first published cover (The Crew #2). Yet he took it a step (or two or three!) further and included an original drawing (or remarque) on that very cover, putting his own stamp on Cool Comics In My Collection! This is the picture Smitty sent to me after finishing it, and all I can say is how thankful I am and how COOL it looks! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.
Something else to be thankful for: as announced in Cool Comics episode 268, don’t forget that you can WIN a free copy of Chakan the Forever Man in The Toad King & the Insect Prince, signed by RAK (and the editor will sign it also, if you want him to!) and mailed directly to your home. All you have to do (there’s always a catch, isn’t there?) is join the Cool Comics newsletter. Simple, right? We’re giving everyone a few weeks to get signed up, but don’t wait too long, because once December rolls around the deadline to sign up closes. After that, keep an eye on your email so that you can enter the contest and WIN!
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is the New Teen Titans versus the Fantastic Four! 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!
The special creation for this episode is Ohio State’s mascot, Brutus Buckeye, by artist Ed Griffie. Being an OSU Alum and a fan of Ed’s art, I’m proud to serve up this image for our Thanksgiving edition! 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, an optional picture of yourself to go here, 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
#1366 — Marvel’s Voices: Indigenous Voices #1, Marvel, January 2021.
When I saw this comic solicited in Previews for a November delivery, I thought it would be appropriate, seeing as how it’s Native American History month, plus we had a Cool Comics episode landing right on Thanksgiving Day. If you’re a fan of history (which I happen to be) and want to learn more about the first Thanksgiving celebration in America (plus a lot of other early American history), then I suggest you read Nathan Philbrick’s 2006 book Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War. But Marvel’s Voices: Indigenous Voices does not center around Thanksgiving. Think of it more as a tribute to Native American heroes. The issue has a variety of characters and settings, along with creators, all of whom have Native American bloodlines. Tales revolve around Echo (Maya Lopez), Mirage (Dani Moonstar), and Silver Fox. Near the beginning of the comic there is a big circle, or wheel, that offers a little information about 16 different Native American Marvel characters, leaving 13 more stories to tell in this series, and I hope that turns out to be the case. The cover price of Marvel’s Voices: Indigenous Voices #1 is $4.99, while the current value is $5. The Key Collector Comics value is $6.
Cool Comics from the Quarter Bin
#1367 — Tales of the Teen Titans #47, DC, October 1984.
Once again, my magazine reading habits have influenced me! Back Issue number 122 features the New Teen Titans, and after reading several articles that took me back to my freshman year at Ohio State when a roommate strongly suggested I give the comic a try, I dug around in one of my jam-packed quarter boxes and decided to give this one a read. While I no longer own the New Teen Titan comics I collected as a college student (my son has them now), I’ll sometimes grab a few when I find them in quarter bins. And what an inexpensive way to jettison back nearly 40 years in time (at least in my mind). All that, PLUS it was written by Marv Wolfman and drawn by George Pérez. The magazine Back Issue seems almost priceless, as so often it’s led me to comics and memories that remind me again why I love being a comic book reader and collector. The cover price of Tales of the Teen Titans #47 is 75¢, while the current value is $4. The OPG value is also $4.
FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 19)
#1368 — The Loud House, Papercutz, May 2020.
I preface this by stating that I know absolutely nothing about The Loud House…and that includes after I finished reading this Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) issue. It wasn’t that the stories between the covers were bad, but it didn’t strike much of a cord with me. It’s an animated series on Nickelodeon, and since I no longer have little kids, I’ve never seen even a snippet of it. I was fine with reading it, and I’m sure it has lots of fans, but I can’t imagine reading a comic in this series again, unless they produce another FCBD issue, in which case we’ll do this all over again…and I probably won’t even remember having read this issue. I’m not trying to be negative here, because I didn’t see anything in the comic that bothered me. It’s just not for me, and that’s okay, as there are plenty of other comics out there in the big world. The cover price of The Loud House is free, while the current value is $1.
Cool Comics Kids
#1369 — Walt Disney’s Uncle Scrooge Adventures #10, Gladstone, December 1988.
This issue features a couple reprints of stories from Carl Barks, the Disney Duckmaster himself! Land of the Pygmy Indians and The Windy Story will take you back to a different time in Disney lore. The cover image (along with the interior art) may seem to be heading in the opposite direction of Marvel Voices: Indigenous Voices up in our Contemporary category, but this is a much older tale and certainly of another time and way of thinking. Today it seems like many people are quick to judge without much context, and for this one, I recommend reading the story before casting any stones. Heroes are sometimes villains, and vice versa, if you get what I’m saying here. And actually, since this is in our Cool Comics Kids section, it may not be a bad idea to have a discussion with your little ones if you happen to give them a copy of this issue. There’s a lot to be learned from the story. The cover price of Walt Disney’s Uncle Scrooge Adventures #10 is 95¢, while the current value is $3. The OPG value is also $3.
Cool Comics Classics
#1370 — Fantastic Four #186, Marvel, September 1977.
Anyone reading the current Fantastic Four series? While I’m really enjoying it, there’s nothing like reaching into the archives of Marvel history and pulling out one of their older adventures. This fun issue takes us back to 1977, and while some things are different, many things are still the same. Written by Len Wein and illustrated by George Pérez (that’s his second issue in this episode of Cool Comics…that Back Issue magazine reading really must have influenced me more than I realized, as there is a nice article focusing on George!), the issue focuses on the nursemaid of Franklin Richards, Agatha Harkness, who happens to be a witch. A man named Nicholas Scratch, powered by his Satan-Staff, is more than ready to publicly execute Agatha, but as we so often see, things don’t always go as planned. We get daring escapes, battles, and most of all, a bit of a shocking reveal in the last panel! The cover price of Fantastic Four #186 is 30¢, while the current value is $12. The OPG value is also $12. The Key Collector Comics value is $5.
Cool Moments in Graphic Lit with Dr. Omnibus
An X-Factor Christmas (very minor spoilers)
So yesterday I jumped back into my Marvel Mutants chronological read-through. I cracked open my Inferno Prelude OHC and the first comic therein was X-Factor 27. I had this single issue for ages and never paid much attention to the Christmas tree in the background. I mention this because I love comics about Christmas and never realized that this comic had some serious Christmas themes in it. I’ll be talking more about Christmas comics for a few weeks.
Some background to set the scene a bit: X-Factor battled Apocalypse and his horsemen in Manhattan in what is known as The Fall of the Mutants. Manhattan sustained serious damage, leaving many homeless and hospitalized. It also resulted in X-Factor being outed, so now the whole world knows that X-Factor and the Exterminators are one and the same. X-Factor also lost their HQ. Well, many New Yorkers now consider X-Factor to be heroes and recognize that they lost a lot in the recent battle, so these kind folks decided to give X-Factor a Christmas they would never forget. The members of X-Factor, including the various teens and children they have helped in the previous 26 issues, received massive piles of donated Christmas gifts.
Now we get to the good part…
Leech, a young man who has never experienced Christmas before due to having been brought up in the sewers as a Morlock, gets emotional, because he received so much, but knows that many who were hurt or made homeless by the recent battle would receive little or nothing. So, it was decided—after some debate—that the gifts would be donated to children in the local hospital.
The kids gather up all the gifts, create a makeshift sleigh, and go on their way to deliver the gifts to the hospitalized children. The kids decided to go it alone since the full-fledged members were either gone or catching up on some much-needed rest in the wake of the battle. It turns out not all New Yorkers are as generous as these youngsters. This is evidenced by the muggers who attempt to steal the gifts, which are now intended for the hospital. Fortunately, the senior members of X-Factor had come to realize that the kids were gone and went looking for them. They come to the rescue in the nick of time.
They expect to be in pretty big trouble for leaving without permission. But Leech doesn’t care. He has this to say:
This gesture would hit me the right way in almost any circumstance, but this one is especially touching knowing that Leech is a young man who has never been accepted by most of the world and has never known a single luxury in his life. He has the opportunity to have more than he has ever had before. But instead he decides to use that figurative wealth to enrich the lives of the very people who had shunned him in the past. Obviously, these aren’t literally the people who shunned him, but surface people in general did. But Leech doesn’t care about that, or that he is facing trouble from the X-Factor crew; he just knows it was the right thing to do, so he stands by it.
Damian Starr is a graphic literature enthusiast and comic author.
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 your review, along with a cover image of the comic. Additionally, you may provide a picture of yourself and any other biographical information you want published in Cool Comics. Send all this 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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Views: 365
Funny enough my time collecting New Teen Titans and Fantastic Four both ended just short of those issues.
I’m not sure who would win a battle between the two teams. But, as long as George Perez is drawing it, we’re all winners.
Action Ace, I totally agree on the Perez comment! Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!