Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 276, 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 276…
Cool Comics News!
Cool Comics In My Collection welcomes you to 2021! It seems like everybody has a story of woe to tell when it comes to 2020, but hopefully that’s all behind us now. Also, if you missed our year-ending episode, Doctor Omnibus decided to take an early retirement, but he may pop up with some awesome reviews as a free agent from time to time, so stayed tuned on that front.
Many people make resolutions when it comes to a new year, so if any of your goals include getting your art or writing in front of the public, don’t forget that you can always hone your skills right here at Cool Comics with our Cool Comics Creations and Cool Comics Readers Reviews segments (see both below for how to submit). Pros and amateurs alike are more than welcome to become part of the Cool Comics family!
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is She-Hulk versus Superboy! 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 our Cool Comics Creation comes to you from Sydney Walton! This cover of Nightstalkers #10 featuring Blade—who’s currently on the Avengers roster—looks incredibly cool! The art is all 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. 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, 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
#1396 — Avengers #40, Marvel, February 2021.
There were lots of good choices for Contemporary Cool Comics this week, including the conclusion to DC’s Endless Winter, King in Black: Iron Man/Doom, and The Amazing Spider-Man #55, which quickly became a hot comic. But I ultimately decided to go with this issue of Avengers because the Phoenix is sort of a big deal, and creators Jason Aaron and Javier Garrón had me fully entrenched in the story from start to finish. The opening scene with Captain American and Doctor Doom, both aflame with the Phoenix force, duking it out in the Savage Land, is a feast for the eyes. This current Avengers run has been fun from the start. If you haven’t tried the series in a while and can still find this one, I highly recommend it! The cover price of Avengers #40 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.
Cool Comics from the Quarter Bin
#1397 — The New Adventures of Superboy #40, DC, April 1983.
Are you a quarter bin diver? Do you even have a comic shop in your area that features such inexpensive treasures? I think most shops have a dollar bin, at the very least. I’m truly fortunate to live in an area where I can get comic books at garage sale prices. Anyway, whether you get your cheap comics for 25 cents or a dollar, condition is not often on your side…otherwise they’d be in the regular back issue boxes. So, with that in mind, don’t bother looking if you want your entire collection to be close to pristine (which leaves more for me!). But if you want to read discounted comics for the fun of it, or to fill in a few gaps for your collection, it’s a great way to accomplish both. Plus, you can usually find some older comics if you want to sample the kinds of stories previous eras had to tell. Like this Superboy comic from 1983. Maybe it never even crossed your mind to buy an issue, but quarter bins give you the chance to try different things, and sometimes, before you know it, you find yourself digging through regular back issue boxes, looking to complete your collection after finding several issues in the quarter box and deciding that these comics found a place in your heart. This issue was written by Paul Kupperberg, with pencils by Kurt Schaffenberger. The cover price of The New Adventures of Superboy #40 is 60¢, while the current value is $3. The OPG value is also $3.
FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 25)
#1398 — The Boys #1, Dynamite, July 2020.
I haven’t watched the show on Prime, and after reading this Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) edition of The Boys, I don’t intend to. Last week I started this issue late one night, and after a few pages I had to put it down…it’s rated mature, and they weren’t kidding around. At that point I didn’t think I’d finish reading it and would simply pick another comic from my FCBD box. But the next day, I decided that I’d forge ahead, because each of the last several years I’ve promised to cover all the FCBD issues here on the blog, regardless of whether I enjoy the comic or not. I don’t care for the language nor the topics of some of the language, the level of violence is extreme, and the adult situations made this an uncomfortable read. In other words, this comic book isn’t for me. I’m not using this space to judge anyone, so don’t get me wrong. If you enjoy The Boys comic book or TV show, that’s certainly your prerogative. I’m sure in the past I’ve read novels that contain some of the same types of issues that bother me here. But it just seems so shocking and graphic (I guess that’s an appropriate word choice) when I see these things in a comic book. For an alternate view of The Boys (especially if you’re a fan), be sure not to miss Tony Isabella’s Bloggy Thing from January 5. Tony does an outstanding job of reviewing FCBD issues, so make sure you check it out! The cover price of The Boys is free, while the current value is $1. The Key Collector Comics value is $3.
Cool Comics Kids
#1399 — Transformers #5, IDW Publishing, May 2019.
A few months back, I took a trip to the local Ollie’s Bargain Outlet and purchased a few sets of bagged comics. If my remembrance of comics past is accurate, there were ten comics per bag, and they retailed for something like $5.99. And that’s where I got this issue of Transformers. I won’t claim to be a Transformers fan, but I’ve seen a couple of the movies and once owned a few of the original toys, still in their boxes, and sold them on eBay for a nice profit. And I must give the nod to my mother, who bought a bunch of these toys one year when they were discounted, saving them in her attic for years, then giving some to me, as she knew I was trying to make a few extra dollars. This franchise is deeply loved by many, but I was no longer interested in toys when it hit the market, and the same goes for the cartoon and original comic book series (although I’ve picked up a couple of the older comics in quarter boxes). As far as adding this to a library of comics for kids goes, this will be more appreciated by young readers who are a little older and perhaps no longer interested in Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny. From what I could understand of the story, it was entertaining. Additionally, if you know this comic series, you may have noticed that I have a variant cover. Ollie’s has a few surprises in those bagged comics. The cover price of Transformers #5 is $3.99, while the current value is $4. The OPG value is also $4.
Cool Comics Classics
#1400 — Fightin’ Marines #79, Charlton Comics, May 1968.
I have strong nostalgic feelings for this title, as I remember my mother getting me a few issues of Charlton Comics in the Seventies at a local drug store where my father worked as a pharmacist. I believe they were bagged in three packs, and the only titles I can remember were Fightin’ Marines and The Phantom. Alas, I have them no longer, but I’ve added some Charlton titles to my collection over the last few years and stumbled upon this one in a quarter bin! The stories are a bit formulaic (as so many are when it comes to military comics from that era), but as both a veteran and someone who appreciates history, I enjoyed reading the three short tales this issue contains. As an aside, don’t expect political correctness in this 1968 comic book that puts characters smack dab in battle zones. The cover price of Fightin’ Marines #79 is 12¢, while the current value is $28. The OPG value is also $28.
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/
Never Miss an Episode of Cool Comics!
Now you can get Cool Comics in My Collection delivered directly to your email! Just click “Join My Newsletter” on my website (or click on the image of my No-Prize!), sign up, and that’s it. Pretty easy, right? Just be sure to follow the instructions on the confirmation email so that you start receiving my newsletter. If you don’t see it, you may want to check your Spam or Junk Mail folders.
Join our Facebook Group!
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!
Create a Gravatar!
Tired of seeing a blank image when you leave comments? Now you can have a picture or logo show up here at Cool Comics and other WordPress sites, absolutely free! Just click the link below to get started.
Views: 398
I enjoyed The Boys because it offers up a complete deconstruction of everything great about comic books and superheroes that is interesting in its own strange way, but it can definitely be a hard pill to swallow at times. Garth Ennis’ writing is an acquired taste, to say the least. He’s one of those writers that if you don’t like one thing he writes, you won’t like ANYTHING he writes, because he brings that same intentionally shocking style to everything he does. It’s certainly NOT for the kids! It was totally unexpected to see it here, to tell the truth.
But the best thing about your look at The Boys was clueing me in that one of my favorite comic writers (Tony Isabella) has a blog of his own. . .and a mighty fine one at that! Thanks for throwing that out there!
Thanks for another great post, and thanks for keeping comics FUN!
I’ve actually read some of Preacher when it first came out, and the first collection his Ennis’ Punisher, but there were a couple things in The Boys that made it go too far for me. And that’s okay, since I have plenty of other stuff to read. Additionally, I was happy when Tony gave me the okay to link his blog here, because it’s always fun to discover what some of our favorite creators have been up to!
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!