Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 284, 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 284…
Cool Comics Colloquialisms!
“Wait a darn minute! Now just where in the world did Cool Comics News disappear to?”
Perhaps the thought crossed your mind (then again, maybe it didn’t), but this most certainly calls for an explanation. I love having news to announce here, such as the launch of a Kickstarter, a start-up comic company, or an announcement from a creator who wants the Cool Comics Crowd to be in the know. But what ends up under the banner often isn’t really news, just some comic book comments from the guy typing this. So, when we have real news to tell you, we’ll use that headline. When it’s just me sharing my thoughts, well, the above is the headline I’m gonna use.
And now back to our first entry under the banner of Cool Comics Colloquialisms!
The landscape of today’s comic book world is vastly different from the one I remember during my on-again off-again collecting years of 1973 to 2003. You see, I started buying comics as a young lad in 1973, quit for a while, picked it back up again in college, stopped once more, bought a few issues here and there in the Eighties, then rejoined the four-color world for a decade of delight. And in all that time, at least from what I knew (and I probably don’t know much, but let’s try to ignore that, if you will be so kind), no one wanted reprints. Yet now, some reprints are valued as much as the first printing—and in some cases—go for even more dollars. Case in point (for those of you who want evidence!) is Star Wars: The High Republic #1. For some reason, it seems that this series caught collectors by surprise, because after it quickly sold out at your local comic shop, the demand for it grew stronger. Key Collector Comics has the high value of the first printing listed as $15, while the second printing is listed at $18. I got my hands on the third printing, and while I like the cover better, it’s currently listed at just $5. And a fourth printing is on the way (because it’s Star Wars…and…this is the way). Granted, the values are dissimilar at Comic Book Realm, where the first printing is $20, the second listed at $10, and the third for a measly $4. Still, from my remembrances of comic collecting past, additional printings weren’t much in demand, and that’s just one example of how different today’s comic book world is.
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
Your Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Richie Rich versus Reggie Mantle! 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 awesome creation features sketch cards from a Star Trek trading card series, courtesy of illustrator Dan Gorman, a member of the National Cartoonists Society and one of the top sketch card artists on the planet. For more about Dan and his art, please visit www.dangormanart.com. Additionally, Dan is the artist of the Cool Comics logo!
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 if 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
#1436 — Generations Forged #1, DC, April 2021.
Containing over a couple dozen characters from the DCU, Generations Forged is, for now, the culmination of the Linearverse story that started in Detective Comics #1027 (Generations Fractured), which then led to Generations Shattered #1. Most DC Comics fans are familiar with the BIG changes the company has put our heroes through, from Crisis to New 52 to Rebirth…and other storylines too numerous to get into here. Once again, this changes everything, because in the Linearverse, the aging process slows down, and everything that’s ever happened really did happen (but not really, since these are comic books…not that you didn’t already know that), which fixes all continuity messes. I guess. I’m not using any exclamation marks here, which I’m often inclined to do, because all the history behind this tells me it may not last. While that sounds rather snide and not in the traditional spirit of Cool Comics, that’s not at all my intention. I’m simply pointing out that when it comes to four-color fun, change isn’t permanent, and permanency in stories often isn’t…and I’m okay with all that, as long as the stories are fun and entertaining. Was this story fun and entertaining? For me it was. I liked the meshing of all these characters from disparate timelines and watching them work through their…crisis (was there really any other word I could have more appropriately used?). Besides a huge cast of characters, this issue is brought to us by some awesome creators (you can see their names on the cover…click on it if the image is too small for you to see properly), and I appreciate their creative talents! The cover price of Generations Forged #1 is $9.99, while the current value is $10. The Key Collector Comics value is also $10.
Cool Comics from the Quarter Bin
#1437 — Conan the Barbarian #95, Marvel/Whitman, February 1979.
Remember the old TV show Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins? If you don’t, then you’re certainly younger than me, because it seems that everyone from my era has seen at least a few episodes. I remember watching it weekly and being glued to the set with the thrill and excitement of the adventures Marlin and Jim would find themselves in each week. Well, this issue of Conan the Barbarian brought that to mind, as we see not only the dinosaur creature on the cover, but also baboons, hyenas, a leopard, and a lion. And I bet Marlin and Jim are glad they never faced these wild beasts the way Conan does in this issue! Written by Roy Thomas, with John Buscema and Ernie Chan handling the art chores, this is a fun adventure, especially if you just pick up the occasional Conan. And believe me, when I find this savage Cimmerian’s adventures in a quarter bin, I always feel like I hit the jackpot! The cover price of Conan the Barbarian #95 is 35¢, while the current values are $6 on CBR and $5 on ZKC. The OPG value is $6.
FCBD the Cool Comics Way (Week 33 of 2020)
#1438 — Lady Mechanika, Benitez Productions, May 2020.
Lady Mechanika is yet another reason to appreciate Free Comic Book Day (FCBD)! While I have yet to purchase any comics featuring this mysterious mechanical marvel, each year I look forward to reading more adventures with this Steampunk hero. The universe Joe Benitez created is really interesting, and each year the FCBD issue gives us snippets of adventures from various collections. Perhaps someday I’ll have to delve a little more into this world, because I always enjoy these free issues. Benitez wears several hats when it comes to Lady Mechanika, as he’s creator, writer, and artist. If you like the Steampunk genre, this is a comic series you’ll want to check out, if you haven’t already. The cover price of Lady Mechanika is free, while the current value is $1.
Cool Comics Kids
#1439 — Richie Rich Diamonds #14, Harvey Comics, October 1974.
Richie Rich wasn’t on my radar in the Seventies. I knew a girl a few years older who had some Richie Rich and other Harvey Comics, and I can remember seeing her with them on a little table in her back yard one summer day, but I could have cared less. Now if she’d had Spider-Man, Hulk, or Captain America comics, I would have sat down with her and read a few. But not Richie Rich. Yet it’s funny that I still have that memory of childhood and this kiddie comic world that’s just as different as one with Superman and a guy who dresses up like a bat. And perhaps that’s part of the reason why I’m always happy to find Harvey Comics in quarter boxes, because they take me back to a time and place where I didn’t have bills to pay and all the other responsibilities that come with being an adult. And don’t get me wrong, being an adult has lots of perks (like being about to afford my comic book habit), but that time of childhood innocence when we didn’t have to hold down a job, and comic books, Wacky Packages, and nickel and dime candy were a big part of our lives, is something most of us like to think back on every now and then…especially when your daily mail is nothing but bills! If you see this comic at a good price, get it for the memories. The cover price of Richie Rich Diamonds #14 is 25¢, while the current value is $12. The OPG value is also $12.
Cool Comics Classics
#1440 — Reggie #18, Archie, November 1965.
Sometimes I find it hard to believe what I dig out of quarter bins, but yes, it’s not impossible to get comics from the Sixties. Granted, the condition is wanting, but I wasn’t even in the market for this old issue of Reggie, so stumbling upon it for a mere 25¢ makes fiscal sense to comic collectors like me who are happy to experience all sorts of comics from various epochs. Yes, there are a couple loose pages, and the spine is worn, but this is a piece of Archie Comics history I couldn’t live without when I came across it. While I can’t say I’m a fan of Reggie Mantle (and really, does anybody like him very much?), he’s a part of the Archieverse, and we get several stories in this issue that feature other characters from the Riverdale gang. All that, plus the ads from 1965 are a blast to check out while reading this found treasure. The cover price of Reggie #18 is 12¢, while the current values are $75 on CBR and $25 on ZKC. The OPG value is $80.
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: 500
While I enjoyed the Generations special, DC came up with a better idea than the linearverse long long ago.
Make everyone’s birthday February 29th, just like Superman.
Now I want to see Mutual of Omaha’s Wild America with Arnold Schwarzenegger. At the rate things are going, that will be an actual tv program on the Discovery + streaming service by next year.
Ha! I think you’ve solved it, Action Ace!
And thanks for the laugh about Arnold’s potential new streaming series…sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, so who knows!
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!
Ed,
I particularly like your comment about the little girl with the Archie comics back in your childhood. Also, I don’t remember Reggie Mantle. Thanks for broadening my horizons. 😊
Closing in on 300 Episodes. That is awesome my friend.
Best Regards Dear Friend,
Dave
Dave, thanks, I appreciate the comments! Yes, 300 isn’t far away now.
If you watched any of the Archie cartoons back when we were young, Reggie was in them, and always needling Archie, whom he saw as a rival.
Sadly, the girl with the Harvey Comics passed away a number of years ago, but I still cling to that memory and the good feelings it invokes.
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!
I’ve always been a bit confused when I spot a reprint comic that’s “worth” more than the first print. It sort of reminds me of when there’s a difference between the “direct” and “newsstand” editions of a comic. It seems to me that trying to chase all the variables of buying comics for their dollar “value” is something I don’t have the patience or knowledge to pursue. I guess I’ll just stick to the bargain bins and fun being surprised when I do manage to snag a hidden treasure.
Speaking of the bargain bin. . .nice find on that Conan! It’s a fun issue and you just can’t go wrong with THAT creative team. And yes, I DO remember Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. I spent many an hour when I was younger watching that and the Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau, traveling the world through a T.V. screen. Thanks for the memories!
If you’ve only read the Lady Mechanika FCBD issues, then you’re in for a real treat when you do decide to get into the full stories! I give them all a solid gold Longbox Junk seal of approval! You can see on each and every page that they are definitely a labor of love for Joe Benitez.
Thanks for another great post and thanks for keeping comics fun!
Atom, it’s kind of ironic that I choose this episode to feature Lady Mechanika and discuss how I’ve yet to read a complete storyline, because Tony Isabella also included that issue in his blog about FCBD issues, and how he also intends to read it someday. I appreciate the encouragement that it’s worth reading.
Like you, I too was also a fan of the Jacques Cousteau specials. I remember watching them with my mother. The world still had, and has, mysteries to uncover!
Funny you mentioned Newsstand vs. Direct Edition, as that’s my next topic of conversation for the blog.
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!
I just discovered another huge price difference from first to second printing. The Champions series that came out in 2016 has issue 1 listed at $15 on Comic Book Realm, while the second printing for that issue is listed at $35. Crazy!