Appropriate Titles Close out 2020 & We Say Goodbye to the Doctor!

Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 275, 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 50^th 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 275…

Cool Comics News!

I’m a list kind of person. I make lists to keep track of all sorts of things, sometimes driving myself crazy with them. But one of my favorite lists is writing down all the comic books I read throughout each year. In 2018, I wanted to see if I could average 100 comics read every month, and I made it, as I read 1,203 comics that year. In 2019 I took it easy and read “just” 858 comic books. No records were intended to be broken in 2020 either, but when COVID-19 hit, the world changed, and suddenly we couldn’t participate in many of the activities we normally enjoy doing with others, especially in a public setting. And once again I noticed that my comic book reading was on a pace to break my 2018 record. As of this writing, I’ve read 1,232 comics – another record. And while I obviously love reading comic books, I’m hopeful that 2021 will see fewer comic books read, and more time spent with friends and family (and attending comic book conventions).

Also, today is my wife’s birthday. Happy Birthday, Melissa!

Cool Comics Battle of the Week!

Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Conan versus Robotman! 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!

Cool Comics proudly shows off the awesome art of John R. Smith! This arresting rendition of Star Wars rogues and villains reminds us how much fun can be found in this galaxy that’s far, far away. If you’d like to see more of John’s creations, be sure to visit his Facebook page at Smittys Art Stuff…especially if you want to acquire some of his awesome art! Additionally, his eBay page contains some cool collectibles you may want to add to your personal collection, along with some of his original creations.

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

#1391 — King-Size Conan #1, Marvel, February 2021.

No doubt, 2020 has been a barbaric year in many ways, so perhaps it’s fitting that we close out this strange, sad, trip around the sun with King-Size Conan #1 as our last Contemporary Cool Comic, with the hope that a brighter 2021 is in our future. And while all that sounds bitter and disappointing, I believe that many of us also had great things happen in 2020, such as the decision to purchase this amazingly awesome anthology celebrating 50 years of Conan comics. By Crom, if you don’t believe me, click on the cover for a larger image and feast your eyes on some of the creators, such as Roy Thomas, Kevin Eastman, Chris Claremont, and Kurt Busiek! For those who know their Conan well, you’ll really appreciate what Roy Thomas has done with his story, which is the opening tale. Whether you’re a dedicated Conan reader or just enjoy an occasional trip to the Hyborian age, this is a worthy King-Size comic book. The cover price of King-Size Conan #1 is $6.99, while the current value is $7. The Key Collector Comics value is also $7.

Cool Comics from the Quarter Bin

#1392 — The Guardian #1, Spectrum Comics, March 1984.

Spectrum Comics? I’d never heard of them before I reached deep down in the quarter bin at my local LCS and raised this one from the trenches. As it turns out, this short-lived company from the Eighties produced way less comics than Atlas did in the mid-Seventies. From what I can find, they published seven total issues for three different titles, plus a special preview edition. Now that’s rare! So does that make this number one issue of The Guardian that much more valuable? Not hardly (although it’s worth more than the quarter I plunked down for it). Supply and demand are fickle friends, and there wasn’t much demand when Spectrum Comics came on the scene, and there still doesn’t seem to be. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t fun to read this issue and learn a little about the hopes and dreams of the creators involved. Often when I’m flipping over discounted comics, I keep an eye out for companies and titles I’m not familiar with. It keeps both my reading and knowledge fresh, even when the titles are decades old, allowing me a peek back at what was going on in different eras. The cover price of The Guardian is $1, while the current value is $2.

FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 24)

#1393 — Blade Runner 2019 #00, Titan Comics, August 2020.

Just the thought of the movie Blade Runner being set in 2019 seems so…1984. And while we can never accurately predict the future, we should be glad that we don’t live in either of those dystopic worlds. Although as far as years go, perhaps we could jump in a time machine and travel back to 2019 with the knowledge we have now and lay out a course for a better 2020. If you don’t think that reading comic books can stir up creative thoughts and conversations, then perhaps you need to vary your pull list! So far, we’ve mentioned the film version of Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, George Orwell’s chilling, futuristic nightmare 1984, and the aforementioned The Time Machine, inspired via the book by H. G. Wells. All this because of Free Comic Book Day (FCBD). If you’re a fan of the movie Blade Runner (this comic book is related to the film rather than the book), you may just enjoy (I did!) this comic book that features a Blade Runner other than Rick Deckard. The cover price of Blade Runner 2019 #00 is free, while the current value is $1.

Cool Comics Kids

#1394 — Looney Tunes #7, DC, October 1994.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve acquired a variety of comics aimed towards kids, and I always know I’m going to enjoy myself when I pull out an issue of Looney Tunes. I grew up with them on the Saturday mornings of my youth, so the pull of nostalgia, the wit of the creators, and the fact that I got to see Mel Blanc perform live are all top factors in my love of these comics. When I was looking in my Cool Comics Kids box of unread adventures, my eyes immediately gravitated to the Looney Tunes title, associating it with what 2020 has turned out to be. Even more apropos is that when I then pulled it from my reading stack, I discovered that it’s a Halloween issue. My first thought was to put it back in the box and save it for October 2021. But then I realized this was no accident…and really enjoyed my time spent with it, even though this holiday was now a couple months in the past, yet in some ways, with us throughout the year. The cover price of Looney Tunes #7 is $1.50, while the current values are $4 on CBR and $3 on ZKC. The OPG value is $4.

Cool Comics Classics

#1395 — Showcase #94, DC, September 1977.

While the title of this comic is “Showcase,” is it not fitting that my last comic book here for the year features the Doom Patrol? As many of you know, I’m a big fan of anthology titles, especially those from the Seventies, and though I don’t own as many DC comics from that era, when I’m able to find them for reasonable prices I can’t resist. And the price was certainly right for this one, which I found in a quarter bin. I made sure to use an image of the one I bought so you could see the condition and writing on the cover. Like any collector, I’d rather have a copy free of creases and ink, but I love that I can find old comics and add them to my collection without spending a small fortune. Written by Paul Kupperberg, with art by Joe Staton, we get introduced to The New Doom Patrol in an aptly titled story, “The Doom Patrol Lives Forever!” A fascinating tidbit about this issue is that it was the first Showcase comic published by DC in seven years (#93 is dated September 1970), and unlike today, they kept the same numbering system. The cover price of Showcase #94 is 35¢, while the current value is $25. The OPG value is also $25. The Key Collector Comics value is $18.

Cool Moments in Graphic Lit with Dr. Omnibus

In December 2019 I decided to take on a writing gig for a blog. My hope was that writing about what I read would help me with my reading retention, because I often forget what a book is about within days of having read it. At that time, I committed to doing 52 posts. Well, things didn’t work out at that blog when the admin kind of disappeared for a couple months. So I reached out to Ed, having remembered that at some point he invited readers to submit reviews. He was kind enough to agree to let me do my thing for the rest of the year. Well, this crazy year has come to an end, and I have decided to reconcentrate my efforts on my fiction and graphic novel writing, so my weekly contributions to CCIMC end here. 

 It has been an honor to work with Ed on CCIMC each week. I had no previous experience in non-fiction writing and to try my hand at it was a great experience. So, to all of you who bothered to read my contributions, thank you! And Ed, thanks for the opportunity. From time to time, in the event that I read something that just has to be shared, I will certainly send over an article for you all.

 We now return to our regularly scheduled broadcast…

Stray Bullets Uber Alles Edition

I saw Stray Bullets Uber Alles Edition by David Lapham on sale for half off cover price during a BOGO sale, so I grabbed it. Well, when I grabbed it, I was mid brain fart, apparently, because my intention was to buy 100 Bullets by Brian Azzerello. Oops…well, I own it now, so I may as well give it a read, right? And this comic is absolutely a game changer.

Over the past eleven or so months, if you have read my contributions with any regularity, then you know I love comics that rip your heart out and stomp on it. This is that kind of book.

It tells the tales of a wide variety of characters with seemingly few similarities, whose lives are connected by super thin threads. Each issue focuses on one character for the most part and are laid out in what may be no logical order at all. One issue may take place in 1986, the next issue about that character may take place in 1978, or 1994-it’s all over the place. This makes it a bit hard to remember who is who. But that doesn’t stop the reader from being able to feel the gravity of each one-shot issue (full disclosure, I have not read the entire book yet; after a dozen issues or so I decided I need a break because some themes were just too heavy to take in large doses).

One issue in particular is called “How I Spent My Summer Vacation.”

*****spoilers ahead******

The main character of this issue is Amy, and she meets God, who explains to her that he was responsible for the creation of humanity, but beyond that he takes a hands-off approach with his humans. Having met God and processing what he told her, she decided she would never speak again. This made life for her mother very difficult. Mom had no idea why Amy just stopped speaking one day. She called in doctors from all over the world to try and help figure out what was wrong with her. After a couple years she reached out to a particular doctor who had created a machine that could broadcast her memories onto a television. They hooked her up to this machine and saw her exchange with God. Understanding the gravity of the situation and what this becoming common knowledge could lead to, the scientists quickly conspire to kill Amy. But these efforts are thwarted when Amy’s mother, who is now livid to find out that Amy could speak and just chose not to, assaulted Amy, ultimately leading to Amy defending herself and killing her mother and the scientists. She then goes on the run and spends several years robbing banks to survive.

Eventually her luck runs out and she is captured. During her very publicized trial she is hooked up again to the machine that started this trouble, and the result is that the whole world found out that God is not actively participating in their lives and there is no hope of an afterlife. This sends the world into turmoil.

With utter chaos abounding the world over, the President offers a pardon to Amy in exchange for her convincing the world that what they saw was in fact a fabrication. More happens after that, but I am done talking about it, I spoiled enough, now go read it and find out for yourself how that goes down.

So, why do I love this issue so much?

It has so much that I love. Sci-fi technology, a good crime story, a terrible relationship between child and parent, conspiracy to commit absurd atrocities, the government twisting information and letting a criminal off for crimes they did commit in order to achieve their own goals, and getting people to question their own spirituality.

I think I have shared before that I was, at one time, an agnostic. During that period of my life, I asked a pastor who was also a co-worker of mine, “If you found out that God did not exist, would you still strive to be a good person?” His response shocked me when he said, “Absolutely not!.” Regardless of one’s personal belief system, we are all faced with opportunities to either try and do what is right, or to not. Heaven or no Heaven, God or no God, there is opportunity to make the world a better place for those with whom you come in contact with. One’s desire to do good in this world should not, in my opinion, be contingent upon a chance at rewards in this life or the next. So to quote everyone who ever sang “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” (I know Christmas was last week, but the quote fits), “Be good for goodness sake.”

Damian Starr is a graphic literature enthusiast and comic author.

A quick word from the “Ed” itor: Damian, it’s been a pleasure having you as part of Cool Comics. You will be greatly missed, and we look forward to reading your future endeavors, both here as a Reader Review and in the pages of comic books!

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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