Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 291, 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 291…
Cool Comics Colloquialisms!
While I enjoyed our pick for Modern-Day Cool Comics this week, there were several other issues that also stood out and could have just as easily been chosen.
Readers of Daredevil may be a bit frustrated about Matt’s incarceration, but the story and action have kept my interest, and Daredevil #29 is no exception. If you haven’t picked this title up in a while, you may want to give it a try.
In comic books, change is constant. While many people feel comfortable with status quo in stories, stagnation can often lead to boredom, and over the last few years Guardians of the Galaxy has been mixing things up quite a bit, especially when you toss certain characters into the mix. The end of issue #13 promises that things are about to get even more interesting for Star-Lord and his friends.
I’m a big fan of Marvel’s What If? line, and when I saw the initial description of Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow #1, I didn’t see mention of it being part of the What If? universe of stories, and it didn’t cross my mind. But when I saw it on the racks last week, I noticed the tiny “What If” contained within a question mark, and knew I had to give this one a try. If you like these kinds of alternative stories, get this one, as it’s part 1 of 4. And apparently, we’ll be seeing more multi-part What If? stories in the future.
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
The Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Archie versus The Peanuts Gang! 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. This is an iconic piece of Chakan art that you won’t soon forget! 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 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
#1471 — Darkhawk: Heart of the Hawk #1, Marvel, June 2021.
I don’t have much of a history with Darkhawk, but he’s an intriguing hero, and after reading this one-shot, I’m looking forward to what Marvel has in store in the future for this character. At the end of the issue, on the last page, we’re told, “Coming later this year…Darkhawk soars again!” This sounds promising for Darkhawk fans. I was first introduced to Chris Powell in the pages of another Nineties series, The New Warriors (and a couple months ago I finally completed my run). But he only shows up in a handful of issues, and since I haven’t read The New Warriors for a number of years, it’s easy to forget what I learned about him. But I’ve also been finding some Darkhawk issues from his solo title here and there, including the fabulous first issue, so I’ll be sure to do my homework. This issue is a 30-year tribute to Darkhawk, and we get three stories. “Cry of the City” is written by Danny Fingeroth, with art by Mike Manley, and Chris Sotomayor is the colorist; “Long Way From Home” is written by Dan Abnett, with pencils by Andrea Di Vito, inks by Le Beau Underwood, and Sabastian Cheng is the colorist; and “Last Flight” is written by Kyle Higgins, with art by Juanan Ramirez, and Erick Arciniega is the colorist. I really enjoyed all three stories and look forward to what they have planned next for Darkhawk. The cover price of Darkhawk: Heart of the Hawk #1 is $4.99, while the current value is $5. The Key Collector Comics value is $5.
Dynamically Discounted Cool Comics
#1472 — Archie #264, Archie, August 1977.
It was a nice trip back in time when I found this Archie comic in a quarter box a few weeks ago. There was a period in the Seventies when I was buying more Archie titles than superhero comics, though I’m not exactly sure why. But if I had to put my finger on it, I think the friendships the Riverdale gang maintained was a major part of the attraction. Yet it wasn’t for a lack of friendships in my own life. The neighborhood I grew up in had plenty of kids, and we had lots of fun playing games like kick the can, our own form of baseball (hitting them off some of the neighboring roofs were home runs!), riding skateboards, shooting hoops, touch football, riding bikes all over town, and of course, reading comic books. I guess I enjoyed the adventures of the Riverdale gang because they reminded me of my friends. This issue contains seven complete stories, a couple of which are just a half-page each, with many creators involved, including Dan DeCarlo Jr., Frank Doyle, George Gladir, Joe Edwards, Bob Montana, and Jim Ruth. Click the Grand Comics Database to see the credits for each story. The cover price of Archie #264 is 35¢, while the current value is $10. The OPG value is also $10.
Cool Comics Celebrates FCBD (Week 40 of 2020)
#1473 — The Resistance, Artists Writers & Artisans, May 2020.
While It’s been said that “resistance is futile,” if feels like no matter how much I try to resist this this comic book series, it always ends up here at Cool Comics. Last week, in our newer Colloquialisms segment, I talked a little about the sequel to the original series, which is entitled The Resistance: Uprising, and here we are back once more with the first issue. Why? Because it ended up being part of Free Comic Book Day (FCBD), and Cool Comics is committed to featuring all FCBD issues each year…whether we like the comic book or not. The Resistance is written by J. Michael Straczynski, art by Mike Deodato Jr., and Frank Martin serves as colorist. This issue also gives us a snippet of a couple other titles, those being Byte-Sized by Cullen Bunn and Nelson Blake II, and Kaare Andrews’ E-Ratic. The cover price of The Resistance is free, while the current value is $1.
Cool Comics for the Young at Heart
#1474 — Peanuts: Scotland Bound, Charlie Brown, KaBOOM!, April 2021.
It’s a rarity when I include graphic novels as cool comics (I used to do it a little more often when I featured Recently Read Digital Comics here on the blog), but Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang have been a part of my life for…practically my entire life. Also, I have Scottish blood on both sides of my family, which meant that I just had to buy this original graphic novel. In case you aren’t familiar with the publisher, KaBOOM! is a division of Boom Entertainment, and there’s a good chance you’ve read some comic books put out by BOOM! Studios. This is an adaptation from a story by Charles M. Schulz and Bill Melendez, originally meant to be an animated special, but it never came to be, and the storyboards (which are included in the book) were found in the archives at Schulz Studio. If you’re a Peanuts fan, you won’t be disappointed with this fun story featuring many of your favorite characters. The story was written by Jason Cooper, with art by Robert Pope. Additionally, Hannah White did the colors, with assistance from Jewel Jackson. The cover price of Peanuts: Scotland Bound, Charlie Brown is $9.99, while the current value is $10.
Twentieth Century Cool Comics
#1475 — Justice League of America #169, DC, August 1979.
Sometimes life is like a box of quarter comics…with lots of synchronicity involved. When you’re flipping through several hundred discounted treasures, often you just grab titles that you like, and worry about doubles later. In this case, I discovered a bit of a connection that I never realized I had in my collection until I was reading Justice League of America #169. It turns out that a certain character named Ultraa is a cause for concern in this issue, as well as in Justice League of America #158 that was a Cool Comic back in 2019 in episode 209. And while it’s not really that big of a deal, I appreciated that I had some context for the story. When you buy and read a title sequentially, everything (usually) makes sense. But when you purchase and read back issues willy-nilly (or perhaps you prefer the word “haphazardly”), you often read them out of order, and frequently don’t know who a particular new character is. So, when I made this discovery, it just added another layer of enjoyment to the experience. The creative team for this issue includes Jerry Conway (writer), Dick Dillin and Frank McLaughlin (artists), Jerry Serpe (colorist), and Ross Andru (editor). The cover price of Justice League of America #169 is 40¢, while the current value is $8. The OPG value is also $8.
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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Earth Prime’s Ultraa made six total appearances in JLA: #153, 158, 168, 169, 170 and 201.
I wonder if Charlie Brown takes up golf in Scotland. If there’s a sport that could torture him more than even the others, that’s it.
Action Ace, thanks for the awesome reporting of Ultraa’s appearances in JLA!
And in the Peanuts book, there is a golfing at St. Andrews.
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!