Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 273, 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 273…
Cool Comics News!
As promised in Cool Comics episode 268, we have a prize winner for Chakan the Forever Man in The Toad King & the Insect Prince, signed by the creator, Robert A. Kraus (RAK)! Congratulations to Karen Pearman (pictured below with the Amazing Spider-Man!), who should be receiving her prize by the end of the week. Happy reading!
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Bizarro versus Sludge! 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 episode’s creation comes to us from Robert A. Kraus (aka RAK), creator of Chakan and many other fantastic works of art, along with cool games he’s developed. In his inimitable style, RAK gives us Thanos, the Mad Titan, who looks ready to barrage us with more 2020 badness…yet we are hopeful with 2021 just around the corner! To learn more about RAK, be sure to visit his website at http://www.rakgraphics.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, 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
#1381 — DC’s Very Merry Multiverse #1, DC, February 2021.
This big holiday “80-Page Giant” from DC is a mixed bag, in my opinion. While it’s got a few decent stories, several of them left a lump of coal in my throat (and by saying this I possibly risk getting a lump of coal in my stocking!). As readers of Cool Comics know, I always try to find the silver lining in a comic book if I add it to the membership rolls, so DC fans need not get up in arms, as I did say there are a few decent stories. DC’s Very Merry Multiverse #1 contains “Ten Tales of Heroic Holiday Hijinks!” and the ones I cared for the most were Harley Quinn in “It’s a Horrible Life,” Batman Beyond in “Holidays Beyond,” The League of Shadows in “Night of the Magi,” and Booster Gold in “’Twas the Night.” Of the remaining six, a couple were okay, while the rest I could have done without. Maybe you read it and loved them all, and if that’s you, awesome, because this issue wasn’t cheap. And you know what? I’ll still buy DC’s holiday special next season because I try to be ever-hopeful. The cover price of DC’s Very Merry Multiverse #1 is $9.99, while the current value is $10. The Key Collector Comics value is $18.
Cool Comics from the Quarter Bin
#1382 — Generation X #4, Marvel, February 1995.
It’s not often that I find holiday comics in quarter boxes, but when I was trying to figure out if I had any for this episode, the proverbial light bulb that hangs over my head suddenly came on, guiding me to a box full of comics I’d purchased for just 25 cents each. This Generation X issue has “Holiday Spectacular” slapped on the cover, and somehow, out of the thousands in my collection, I remembered it. Back in 1995 I bought this comic fresh from my LCS in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, but I ended up selling my Generation X collection in a garage sale several years back. One day a year or so ago while I was flipping through quarter boxes in Akron, Ohio, I came upon a number of Generation X comics and couldn’t resist the price. This issue, written by Scott Lobell and drawn by Chris Bachalo, came with some sealed ’95 Fleer Ultra X-Men trading cards, and this deeply discounted issue still has them! To be honest, I didn’t remember any of this story (it’s been 25 years and thousands of comics in between), but I enjoyed it and had fun revisiting this Nineties title. The cover price of Generation X #4 is $1.95, while the current values are $4 on CBR and $3 on ZKC. The OPG value is $4.
FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 22)
#1383 — We Are Humanoids, Featuring the Incal, Humanoids Publishing, September 2020.
The only time I read comics from Humanoids is if they have a Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) issue, such as this one from 2020. They seem like decent comics, and perhaps I’d try more if my budget allowed. Mark Waid, a very familiar name to comic readers, wrote this FCBD issue, and he also serves as Publisher of the company. And the Incal were created by Alejandro Jodorowsky and Moebius, another couple of names known by many. The opening story (which contains a mature panel, so keep this away from little eyes) lets us know at the end that more is coming, and the remainder is akin to a long trailer for the upcoming titles Count, Swine, and MPLS Sound, in which we get some background information, then preview pages of the titles. Are any of you fans of Humanoid titles? If so, what recommendations do you have in case anyone wants to test the waters? The cover price of We Are Humanoids, Featuring the Incal is free, while the current value is $1.
Cool Comics Kids
#1384 — Dennis the Menace Bonus Magazine Series #122, Fawcett, October 1972.
Before I started reading superhero comics, Dennis the Menace was my go-to four-color entertainment. I have a variety of Dennis comics, including some digests, but the Christmas specials have always been my favorites. I can’t exactly lay my finger on why I like these so much, but back when they were new to me, the excitement of the holiday and gifts from Santa were greatly anticipated and seeing Dennis and his friends (and parents and neighbors) during this special time of year provided lots of fun and excitement. This issue sees Dennis and his pals staying with the Wilsons during a family emergency, and our favorite menace receives a book about the Pennsylvania Dutch. This greatly influences the gang and leads to them finding ways to give back to the Wilsons, who have no children or grandchildren. It’s actually pretty touching, and after the kids return to their parents, that old curmudgeon Mr. Wilson actually misses them. It was certainly worth digging this out of a box and reading it again, for old times’ sake. The cover price of Dennis the Menace Bonus Magazine Series #122 is 35¢, while the current value is $12. The OPG value is also $12.
Cool Comics Classics
#1385 — Sludge: Red X-Mas #1, Malibu/Ultraverse, December 1994.
Sludge isn’t exactly a household name…although it’s probably an oft-used household descriptor when you peer down the drain of your bathroom sink…okay, yuck. Still, for those of us who enjoyed the short-lived Ultraverse (do you ever wonder how much longer it would have lasted if Marvel hadn’t bought it?), he certainly brings back memories. I recall the excitement of exploring this new comic universe launched by Malibu back in the Nineties, along with the agony of deciding what comics I’d have to cut out of my monthly pulls in order to feed this new obsession. Sludge isn’t unlike other characters who get turned into a slimy or swampy kind of creature and reading his comic can get a bit frustrating at times, as he says the wrong words over and over, correcting himself—you guessed it—over and over. Still, I’ve kept all my Ultraverse issues, even after a great garage sale purge of many other titles, and I still actively look to fill in missing issues. This Christmas special (written by Steve Gerber, with pencils by Mike Ploog) isn’t quite up there with It’s a Wonderful Life, but still, it’s sort of fun. The cover price of Sludge: Red X-Mas #1 is $2.50, while the current values are $4 on CBR and $3 on ZKC. The OPG value is $4.
Cool Moments in Graphic Lit with Dr. Omnibus
Marvel Zombies Christmas Carol
Another Dickens adaptation? You betcha.
I am also a big fan of horror troupes, so this Christmas classic with zombies inserted into it is just for me.
This one is a more direct adaptation compared to Batman: Noël, which I wrote about in episode 271. Despite being a Marvel book, it has no connection to any previously known Marvel Universe.
I read the oversized hardcover (OHC) version of this book. Coming in at right around 100 pages, this is surely the smallest OHC I own.
It was adapted by Jim McCann. For the most part, this is a very straightforward adaptation. The main variations are that the main plight of the world is not so much financial hardship, 
but rather a lack of food. The food is people who aren’t zombies. Aside from that, the biggest variation is just what is seen during the trip to the past.
All in all, I very much enjoyed this story and its variations from the source material.
There are three issues drawn by two different art teams. Honestly, I didn’t even notice the transitions from one art team to the other.
I loved the art throughout the book. The characters all had exaggerated features and a somewhat cartoony look.
The ghosts always seemed to be drawn with a greater level of detail than everyone else was. The art really helps this book transcend the Christmas niche and tap into horror as well.
I geeked out a bit after reading this. It was just really well done and combined two of my favorite things, Zombies and Christmas. Overall, I don’t think this one will be an annual December re-read, but I’ll certainly mix it in every few years.
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!
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Congrats Karen!