Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 290, 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 290…
Cool Comics Colloquialisms!
Last week saw some cool new number one issues hit the comic book shops, and though I don’t have the time or resources to put them all under the Modern-Day Cool Comics umbrella, this section of the blog is a complete freeform in which I can at least give them shout-outs and cover shots.
First up is Bloom #1 from Hero Tomorrow Comics. I’m a big fan of creator Ted Sikora and never miss an issue of his comics. This one was also available as a Kickstarter. Bloom goes deeper into the world of Apama mythology, going back in time several decades to the year 1969, showing us the origin of the character Regina. Please note that Bloom has mature content.
Next, we get the start of a new Magic the Gathering comic book series from BOOM! Studios, with the simple title of Magic. Fans of the card game, books, and previous comics will probably want to grab a copy of this.
Spawning out of Future State, DC is giving Batman fans a deeper dive into The Next Batman: Second Son, written once more by novelist and screenwriter John Ridley. This is the first of a four-issue series, and Bat-Fans should certainly give this well-done story a try.
Do you remember the comic book series last year featuring a worldwide pandemic that was deadly, yet resulted in some of the remaining population gaining powers? You’d almost think the creators could see the future, but there are vast differences as to what happened in real life…at least as far as I know. Regardless, writer J. Michael Straczynski gives us more stories in this universe from AWA (Artists Writers & Artisans) and is joined this time by illustrator C.P. Smith for a six-issue run of The Resistance: Uprising.
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
The Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Arion versus Godzilla! 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! Morbius, the Living Vampire, first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #101 and in 2022 Sony will be bringing him to the big screen! 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 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
Modern-Day Cool Comics
#1466 — Geiger #1, Image, April 2021.
What happens when you’ve put in all the hard work of building your own fallout shelter, but your neighbors suddenly decide (at gunpoint) that it belongs to them after the bombs start falling? While Tariq Geiger seemingly makes the ultimate sacrifice for his wife and child, it turns out to be far from the rest of the story. Thanks to the creative talents of Geoff Johns and Gary Frank, this first issue is an intriguing view of a future no sane person wants, giving us a disturbing—yet fascinating—look at the lengths people go to when survival is in question. For some, Geiger becomes part myth and part legend in the aftermath of the nuclear war, while for others, they find out he’s all too real when they mess with the wrong guy. Image continues to produce exciting worlds of adventure for comic book lovers who want more than just capes and tights. While I’m a big fan of the comedy film Blast from the Past, another story with a fallout shelter, there’s nothing funny about Geiger, a tale of the struggle to survive in a radioactive future America. The cover price of Geiger #1 is $3.99, while the current value is $4. The Key Collector Comics value is $10.
Dynamically Discounted Cool Comics
#1467 — Arion, Lord of Atlantis #10, DC, August 1983.
Back in the Eighties (I suspiciously sound like the beginning of a weekly sitcom…), I bought the first two or three issues of Arion, Lord of Atlantis, but they didn’t outlast the great garage sale purge from ten or so years ago. But now, thanks to a trip to the local Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, I scored this issue from one of their 10-pack bags of comics for a measly $5.99. In 2018, Back Issue magazine #108 focused on Aquaman, but it also contained information about Arion, which took me back to my college days of reading the comic, so when I pulled this issue out of my discount bag, it brought a smile to my face. I count on old comic books to inject me with waves of nostalgia, and this one did the trick, thanks to writer Doug Moench, artist Jan Duursema, inker Tom Mandrake, letterer Andy Kubert, colorist Bob LeRose, and editor Joe Kubert. The cover price of Arion, Lord of Atlantis #10 is 60¢, while the current values are $3 on CBR and $2.50 on ZKC. The OPG value is $3.
Cool Comics Celebrates FCBD (Week 39 of 2020)
#1468 — Critical Role/Norse Mythology, Dark Horse Comics, May 2020.
Quite often, Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) issues contain more than one story, and Dark Horse Comics gives us a taste of a couple properties with this issue, which I have labeled above as week 39 of our celebration of FCBD 2020. By the way, in case you haven’t yet seen the announcement, FCBD 2021 will take place August 14, and you can view the lineup by clicking HERE. Critical Role: Vox Machina – Origins, is brought to us by Jody Houser and Hunter Severn Bonyun and will appeal to those who are always searching for fantasy worlds to explore, while Norse Mythology gives us story and words by Neil Gaiman and script and art by P. Craig Russell. I attended a talk by Neil Gaiman a couple years ago, but he didn’t do any personal signings that day, so I didn’t get to actually meet him. But I have met P. Craig Russell a couple times at Akron Comicon and have some signed comics from this wonderful artist. If you enjoy mythology, be sure to check this out and to look for the ongoing series. The cover price of Critical Role/Norse Mythology is free, while the current value is $1.
Cool Comics for the Young at Heart
#1469 — Casper’s Ghostland #80, Harvey Comics, September 1974.
Collectors must feel a special affinity for Casper’s Ghostland (and all his friends) comic books, because out of 98 published issues from 1958 to 1979, I’ve found just three issues in discount bins. And I can’t say I blame these fans one bit. This anthology comic has four complete adventures with some of Harvey’s most popular characters, so most likely original purchasers enjoyed it so much that they want the convenience of going back to it to read again sometime in the future in order to dream of days long past. Though I’ve looked in several sources, it’s unfortunate that I can’t find any creator credits for this issue, which I don’t think is unusual for Harvey Comics from the past. You may have noticed that starting with this episode, I’m making a greater effort to give credit to those who have brought joy to our lives through these beloved comic books. This is something I’ve done on occasion, especially when the creators tend to be famous or someone I’ve met in person, but in a recent email sent to Cool Comics, comic book writer extraordinaire Tony Isabella suggested that I give creator credit where it is due, to help the cause of keeping these wonderful people from being erased by history. Thanks to Tony, Cool Comics is now doing its part to honor those who have created these stories that mean so much to us. The cover price of Casper’s Ghostland #80 is 25¢, while the current value is $12. The OPG value is also $12.
Twentieth Century Cool Comics
#1470 — Godzilla #5, Marvel, December 1977.
Did you see Godzilla vs. Kong yet? Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten around to it yet, but I did see the 1962 film King Kong vs. Godzilla one late Saturday night in the Seventies when I was a kid. According to the website Box Office Mojo, the new version has pulled in nearly $340 million, which seems pretty good considering COVID-19 is still with us. But I don’t even need to go to the theater, because it’s also showing on HBO Max (which I have), so I really need to commit to watching it soon! In the meantime, I pulled out this classic issue of Godzilla from my file cabinet of unexplored comic book adventures. This issue is kind of special because it contains a fan letter from John Buntin, Jr., the owner of local comic shop Kenmore Komics & Games, a store that still has quarter bins! If you’ve never read any of these old Godzilla issues from the Seventies, you might be surprised to find out that S.H.I.E.L.D. is involved, with Dum Dum Dugan heading up the Godzilla Squad. These comics are a lot of fun! This issue of giant monster goodness is brought to us by Doug Moench (writer), Tom Sutton (artist), Klaus Janson (inker), J. Costanza (letterer), Phil Rache (colorist), and Archie Goodwin (editor). The cover price of Godzilla #5 is 35¢, while the current value is $16. The OPG value is also $16.
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: 591
I liked the scene in one of the letter pages where Godzilla steps on the Hulk and Jade Jaws groggily yells at him to come back and fight.
I always thought as a kid that since Aquaman can command sea creatures he’d be able to convince Godzilla to be a JLA member.
Action Ace, I don’t recall seeing that image of Godzilla and the Hulk, but I like it! And if only Aquaman could have made Godzilla a JLA member, that would have been a real game changer!
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!
I always try to give comic creators their due, because no matter if it’s bad or good, it was an effort put in by SOMEBODY to provide me with my four color fun! Sometimes It’s a little hard with some of the older comics (I guess in years past publishers weren’t very concerned with who did the work on their comics), but I love that researching the creators gives me a chance to learn a bit more about comic history.
Geiger looks like something right up my alley. Thanks for putting me on to that one. I’ll keep my eye out!
I did a Longbox Junk review of Marvel’s Godzilla #1 a while back and was pleasantly surprised to find myself liking it as much as I did. The connections to the mainstream Marvel “Universe” of the time make the series a pretty interesting read and I always grab issues of Godzilla when I find them.
Lots of good stuff this time out! Thanks for another great post, and thanks for keeping comics fun!
I owned nearly the entire run of Godzilla years ago, all but four issues, and ended up selling it. So now I have the fun of looking for it all over again.
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!