Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 303, 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 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 many are certainly worse. But to simplify it, that’s the scale I use. 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 303…
Cool Comics Stuff!
Here are a few additional new comics from last week that deserve a bit of attention (since I usually just focus on one new one each episode).
Extreme Carnage Alpha #1 is the start of three months’ worth of symbiotic…carnage. This first issue is an intro to a series of one-shots that featuring Carnage’s friendly (yes, there’s a lot of sarcasm intended) relatives, and then a concluding comic. While I’m not a fan of the character, I did end up liking Venom and the King in Black series, so I thought I’d give it a try.
The X-Men comics, as I’ve mentioned in previous episodes, doesn’t give me the same warm and fuzzies that it has in the past, but there’s no doubt the story has been intriguing. The X-Men have a new roster, so why not start the title with a new number one issue? Which is nothing new in the industry today, but still doesn’t feel right to someone who grew up reading comics in the Seventies.
Have you been reading Fire Power from Image? It’s been consistently good, but issue #13 is a gamechanger, and I’m excited to see where things go from here. If you haven’t been reading the monthly comics, make sure to start off with the Volume One trade: Prelude. Fire Power is currently one of my favorite comics.
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
The Cool Comics Battle of the Week is She-Hulk versus All-Star Squadron! 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 from Sydney Walton as he presents the terrifying threat of Thanos, complete with his infinity stone encrusted gauntlet! 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
#1531 — Skybound X #1, Image, July 2021.
Yes, The Walking Dead, Oblivion Song, and Fire Power are published by Image Comics, but the company that lays claim to these titles is Skybound, and this month they are celebrating 10 years of existence (happy birthday Skybound team)! For most of my comic book collecting years, I’ve been a Marvel, then DC, kind of reader. And yes, I did give some Image titles a try back in the Nineties, but by the time I’d called it quits with collecting (phase 3, 1993-2003), it had been several years since I’d bought anything outside of the Big2. After starting back up with my passion a few years ago, I decided to give Oblivion Song a try when it was offered in Previews and liked it so much that I’m also a Fire Power reader now. Admittedly, I missed out on The Walking Dead (number one came out shortly before I quit collecting, so I didn’t want to start anything new…too bad), and while I could have started up with the new colorized editions that are currently running, I don’t have limitless funds! Still, I enjoyed a look at that universe and more in this anthology comic that’s running for five weeks. While some stories appealed to me more than others, I’m looking forward to seeing each weekly edition. There are lots of creators involved in the production of this issue, so I’m just going to name a few: Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, James Harren, Chris Dingess, and Tillie Walden. For a more comprehensive look at variant covers, characters, and creators, click HERE. The cover price of Skybound X #1 is $4.99, while the current value is $5. The Key Collector Comics value is also $5.
Dynamically Discounted Cool Comics
#1532 — The Savage She-Hulk #2, Marvel, March 1980.
The Savage She-Hulk issue #1 seems to keep going up in value, and while I may never find a copy in a quarter bin—regardless of condition—snagging this #2 for 25 cents feels like a win…even though it doesn’t look too good. But I was able to read it and enjoy the experience, and now it’s a part of my cool comic collection…and it’s good enough for Gosneys! Written by David Anthony Kraft (who sadly passed away in May), this issue’s story, Deathrace!!, comes to us from the pencils of Mike Vosburg, with inks via Chic Stone, while Jim Shooter is listed as editor. I don’t have many comics from 1980, so I enjoyed the ads for Epic, The All-New Adult Fantasy Magazine from Marvel, along with a full page look at the Rom the Spaceknight action figure from Parker Brothers. I really enjoy my trips back in time via comics, and this issue took me back to my high school days. By the way, if you happen to be a She-Hulk fan (or just Hulk, as she’s currently known), be sure to pick up the newest edition of the Avengers (issue 46). The cover price of The Savage She-Hulk #2 is 40¢, while the current value is $10. The OPG value is $12. The Key Collector Comics value is $35.
#1533 — G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #181, IDW Publishing, August 2012.
Just like last episode, we get another fun read from Larry Hama! If you know anything about comic books, and even just a smidge when it comes to G.I. Joe, Larry Hama is the name to know when it comes to Joe. He’s the architect who gave the toy franchise new life in the early Eighties by creating an intriguing storyline and memorable characters. Kids loved the new size, vehicles, cartoon, and comic books. Yet when the G.I. Joe revamp started, I was no longer a kid, but a college student, and I wasn’t at all interested. Now, when I find issues in quarter boxes, regardless of the publishing company, I grab them up and add them to my collection. I can’t say I’m a great fan yet, but I’m slowly learning the universe and characters. Aside from Hama’s writing, this issue features the artistic pencils of S. L. Gallant, with inks from Gary Erskine. My cover is a variant with art by Herb Trimpe. The cover price of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #181 is $3.99, while the current value is $4. The OPG value is also $4.
Cool Comics for the Young at Heart
#1534 — Walt Disney’s Summer Fun #1, Disney Comics, June 1991.
Walt Disney’s Summer Fun is an extra thick anthology with a font to back cover image that’s sure to please Disney fans who are looking for a little magic while sitting on the porch swing and sipping some lemonade on a hot summer afternoon. I was gifted this comic for my collection, and I’m very thankful for it (free is always good!), as it took me back to my childhood. This special contains eight stories featuring some of your favorite Disney characters, such as Donald Duck, Huey, Dewey, and Louie; Mickey and Goofy; Chip ‘N’ Day and Pluto; Scamp; and Super Goof. For this big comic, a lot of creators were involved, and you can check them all out HERE. The cover price of Walt Disney’s Summer Fun #1 is $2.95, while the current value is $4. The OPG value is also $4.
Twentieth Century Cool Comics
#1535 — All-Star Squadron #1, DC, September 1981.
It took me quite a while before finally including an issue of All-Star Squadron amongst the ranks of Cool Comics, didn’t it? Just 1,534 comics came out ahead, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a place in my heart (and collection) for this fun series. I’d read a several issues during my second phase of comic book collecting (which ran for about nine months in 1982), but those comics are now long gone. Yet one fateful day, while searching through quarter boxes at a local comic shop, I found a treasure trove of issues and bought them all. By the time I left the store, I came away with about 90 percent of the series. After that, it didn’t take me long to find the last few issues I needed, and I now own the entire run of All-Star Squadron. But I didn’t want to start reading it until I finished with my back issues of Firestorm (the final issue is featured in episode 297), and though it took me a few weeks to finally crack the cover of this one, the adventure has begun for me! Are you a fan of All-Star Squadron? I can tell from this first issue that I’m going to enjoy reading it. This first issue is written by Roy Thomas, with pencils from Rich Buckler, and inks by way of Jerry Ordway. There are lots of neat characters in this issue, along with fun ads from 1981, and all you need to do is click HERE to read all about it. The cover price of All-Star Squadron #1 is 50¢, while the current values are $9 on CBR and $15 on ZKC. The OPG value is $14. The Key Collector Comics value is $5.
Cool Comics Reader Reviews!
Would you like to write a review of a comic book or graphic novel for all the Internet to read? 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!
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All-Star Squadron is one of my all time favorites. Thankfully, since I never missed an issue of JLA, I also got the preview in JLA #193. The pace of the comic was supposed to be one year of our time passing= one month of comic book time passing in the series. If it had kept going and never been cancelled, the series would now be in February 1945. It would still need three more years to get to VE day!
I don’t have the preview and now, thanks to you, Action Ace, you’ve put it on my mind that I need a copy of JLA #193! I’ll have to hunt down a copy. And thanks for the timeline tip of All-Star Squadron.
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!
Hey, Ed (and Action Ace)! Billy, 1/2 of Into the Weird podcast here! Just to let you know if you already don’t, that Herm and I started an All-Star Squadron podcast late last year (2020), called A World on Fire; an All-Star Squadron podcast!
Hey Billy, thanks for letting us know about the podcast! I haven’t listened to Into the Weird in a while – or any podcasts – as I’ve been catching up on some Audible books, but I look forward to listening again and also checking out your All-Star Squadron show! Herm read one of my letters on an early Into the Weird episode and complemented me on my writing, which instantly made me an even bigger fan. I hope things are going well for the both of you and I can’t wait to hear you again!