Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 304, 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 304…
Cool Comics Stuff!
When I was first collecting comic books in the Seventies, I quickly became confused about Spider-Man’s girlfriend, Gwen Stacy. In The Amazing Spider-Man, she was dead, while in Marvel Tales, she was alive and well! Younger me had no idea that Marvel Tales, Marvel Triple Action, Marvel Spectacular, and other titles I was buying fresh off the rack were reprints. Because what kid reads the fine print? Once I found out the truth (because friends, it’s out there!), I decided I hated reprints. Yet now, reprints are sometimes worth more than the originals. And it’s not like I have the money to buy first editions of everything I want. Reprints have always been fine when it comes to novels, so why not comics? So now I’ve jumped on the reprint bandwagon…especially the facsimile issues, which contain all the original ads. Pictured are a couple of my more recent acquisitions, and though I would rather own the originals, sometimes second, third, or even fourth printings end up being good enough for Gosneys.
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
The Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Nightwing versus Booster Gold! 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!
Ed Griffie’s Invincible Iron Man looks ready to take on the forces of evil! Ed is a lifelong comic book fan who started drawing Kawaii and Chibi style versions of pop culture icons and superheroes about five years ago. Through Facebook, his work came to the attention of Daniel Hare, the owner of vintage toy and comic bookstore The Toys Time Forgot, who offered him a guest spot at Free Comic Book Day. Since then, Ed has been a regular at local conventions and comic bookstores, where he offers bookmarks, coloring pages, trading cards, and color prints featuring his unique artwork. You can check out his full catalog of work at toonist27.deviantart.com or contact him at edgriffiejr@gmail.com to commission an original piece of your very own.
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
#1536 — Sinister War #1, Marvel, September 2021.
If you haven’t been reading The Amazing Spider-Man title lately but decide to give the Sinister War limited series a try, you’ll quickly discover that you’ve been missing out on a lot. Writer Nick Spencer will soon be moving on from his Spider-Man scribe duties, and in order to fit in all the story he has left to tell, this four-issue storyline featuring most of our favorite Spidey villains seems to be worth every penny, if this first issue is any indication. But don’t get confused and think you have the wrong comic book when you flip open the cover, only to discover Doctor Strange and Mephisto having a chat. Their presence tells us that for Sinister War, the stakes are high! Mark Bagley is the penciler, Andrew Hennessy, John Dell, and Andy Owns did the inks, Brian Reber handled the colors, and VC’s Joe Caramagna is the letterer. If you want to see the variant covers, more creators that are involved, and a list of the dozens of characters in this issue, click SINISTER WAR. The cover price of Sinister War #1 is $4.99, while the current value is $5. The Key Collector Comics value is $4.
Dynamically Discounted Cool Comics
#1537 — Booster Gold #23, DC, December 1987.
Booster Gold is one of those characters that I’m not really enamored with, but I do enjoy him in small doses. And when I saw this issue guest-starring the Man of Steel in a quarter box, and noticed that the comic had few physical flaws, it didn’t make sense to ignore it. Yes, I adopt used, unwanted comics…sometimes at an alarming rate! By the way, did you know there are two Booster Golds? Take a look at the cover and tell me I’m wrong. You may be questioning everything you thought you knew about the DCU at this point…but I’m not going to spill the beans on this fun plot (although you’ve had nearly 34 years to find out for yourself!). The creative team consists of Dan Jurgens on story and pencils, Roy Richardson on inks, Steve Haynie on letters, Gene D’Angelo on colors, and the editor is Barbara Randall. The cover price of Booster Gold #23 is $1, while the current values are $5 on CBR and $3 on ZKC. The OPG value is $5.
#1538 — Nightwing #14, DC, November 1997.
Our two Dynamically Discounted Cool Comics featured in this episode are separated by ten years, and when you read these issues, the difference a decade makes is quite apparent. Art and writing change as the times dictate. That’s not to say there aren’t differences in comic books that come out at the same time, but this sort of thing really jumps out at you when your reading choices see you traveling through different comic book periods! I don’t own many issues of Nightwing, but I usually end up enjoying the character when he’s in comics I’m reading. As you can see from the cover, his original partner (when Dick Grayson was known as Robin), Batman, makes an appearance, which possibly helped sell a few more copies. And when you find one of these in a quarter box, it’s not a hard decision on whether to purchase it or not. The creative crew consists of Chuck Dixon (writer), Scott McDaniel (penciller), Karl Story (inker), Roberta Tewes (colorist), and Scott Peterson (editor). The cover price of Nightwing #14 is $1.95, while the current values are $4 on CBR and $3 on ZKC. The OPG value is $4.
Cool Comics for the Young at Heart
#1539 — Baby Snoots #15, Gold Key, February 1974.
Am I really a fan of Baby Snoots (and Uptite Mouse)? I seriously can’t recall if I’d ever heard of the character or comic before spotting it in a quarter box at a local comic shop. So, here’s the question my dozens of fans are wondering: Can a baby elephant wearing a pink bonnet be cute enough to win over the heart of a grizzled old Army vet? The only way to put it to the test was to plunk down my quarter (plus tax) and find out by bringing Baby Snoots home with me. Plus, like all of you, I was feeling young at heart the moment I laid eyes on the cover. Like most of these older Gold Key comics aimed towards young readers, this issue contains a handful of complete, short tales. But did I like it? While I’m far from the intended readership, I allowed my mind to take me back to my childhood days, and that made a difference in how I saw the stories. And those kinds of memories are certainly worth 25 cents. Unfortunately, not much is known about the creators, although for one of the stories, Roger Armstrong gets a nod for pencils, and Bill Spicer for letters. The cover price of Baby Snoots #15 is 20¢, while the current values are $12 on CBR and $6 on ZKC. The OPG value is $12.
Twentieth Century Cool Comics
#1540 — Iron Man #96, Marvel, March 1977.
I typically choose my Cool Comics for each episode a couple weeks in advance, which helps keep me organized, and sometimes sizzling synchronicity happens! For instance, when I grabbed this issue of Iron Man from my filing cabinet of unexplored adventures, I didn’t notice that the featured villain is Ultimo, and just one day after I read it, the newest Iron Man (#10) came out, and yup, Tony Stark once again faced Ultimo. Coincidence? This issue from the Seventies (my favorite comic book period) had me thinking that Iron Man’s troubles with Ultimo were finally over…then I was proved wrong. Perhaps he’s shown up in between these two issues, but I’m not bothering to do the research…instead I’m just enjoying the memories of the stories. The creative bunch for this issue includes Bill Mantlo (writer), George Tuska (artist), Jack Abel (inker), Archie Goodwin (editor), and Gerry Conway (plot). The cover price of Iron Man #96 is 30¢, while the current value is $15. The OPG value is also $15. 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!
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: 245
Good episode, cool cover by Jack Kirby on the Iron Man #96, I remember purchasing Ultimo’s cameo appearance in Tales of Suspense #76 (April 1966) and its first full appearance in Tales of Suspense #77 (May 1966), created by Stan Lee and Gene Colan, back in the 60’s my favorite period collecting when I was a kid.
Hi John! Much obliged for the kind comments, and I love that you took us back to 1966!
Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!
Superman and Booster Gold had a few run ins over the years as Booster was based in Metropolis. I think his work with the team ups ultimately lead to Dan Jurgens getting to work on Superman.
Chuck Dixon’s run is still my favorite era of Nightwing ever.
I didn’t buy many issues of Iron Man back in the day, but I got this one. Tony should be thankful I wasn’t a regular reader. Every issue I bought had his armor getting destroyed or melted.
Action Ace, the comments are appreciated. Thanks for being an important part of Cool Comics!