Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection episode 381, 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). 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 381…
Cool Comics Stuff!
Some of you may have noticed that Cool Comics has added links to three places I often visit on the web: Longbox Junk, Josh’s Geek Cave, and the Sonic Theory YouTube Channel (look on the right-hand side of the page near the top or scroll way down if reading this on a mobile device). Recently, Sonic Theory put out a new video and talks a bit about Cool Comics! Please give it a watch and look for the Cool Comics plug around the 6:37 mark! While you’re there, consider showing some support and give a like to the video and perhaps even subscribe to this rapidly growing channel!
Cool Comics Battle of the Week!
The Cool Comics Battle of the Week is Batman versus Conan the Barbarian! 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 Cool Comics Creation, by artist Sydney Walton, is the Ghost Rider from Marvel. Syd’s portrayal of Ghost Rider is so good it may have you shaking in your shoes! The art is all hand-painted with acrylic paints. 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 (or an original piece of art that you own) 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
Cool Comics from the 21st Century
#1921 — Batman #131, DC, March 2023.
Cool Factor: Currently, Batman has been giving readers two stories in each issue, which can cause not only confusion, but leave new readers wondering if it’s worth it, especially when you get part 4 of one story and part 2 of the second one. But this issue starts a new arc, and both tales are just beginning, so this might be what you’ve been waiting for. I’ve been enjoying Chip Zdarsky’s take on the Dark Knight, and this issue didn’t disappoint. This isn’t your dad’s or grandfather’s Gotham, and I suggest you give it a try if you are a Bat-fan.
Comic Book Credits: Cover – Jorge Jiménez; The Bat-Man of Gotham: Part 1 – Chip Zdarsky (script), Mike Hawthorne (pencils), Adriano Di Benedetto (inks), Tomeu Morey (colors), Clayton Cowles (letters), Dave Wielgosz (associate editor), and Ben Abernathy (editor); The Toy Box: Part 1 – Chip Zdarsky (script), Miguel Mendonҫa (pencils/inks), Roman Stevens (colors), Clayton Cowles (letters), and Dave Wielgosz (editor).
Price and Values: The cover price of Batman #131 is $4.99, while the current value is $5. The Key Collector Comics value is also $5.
Media Tie-In Cool Comics
#1922 — Conan the Barbarian #45, Marvel, December 1974 (Original Source: Pulp Magazine).
Cool Factor: When Conan comics were in full bloom back in the Seventies, I didn’t pay any attention to them. I watched the movies several years later, but for me, comic books were mostly capes and tights, Archie silliness, and Dennis the Menace hijinks. Yet we change as we mature, and now I appreciate Conan and other creations from Robert E. Howard. But I still need to read the original Conan stories that were a part of pulp magazines, such as Weird Tales, and to remedy that, I recently bought a collection of the original stories for my Kindle.
Comic Book Credits: Roy Thomas (script/editor), John Buscema (pencils), Neal Adams (cover inks/inks), Bob McLeod (inks), Russ Heath (inks – and possibly Russ Heath and/or Ralph Reese on inks), Glynis Wein (colors), John Costanza (letters), and Gil Kane (cover pencils).
Price and Values: The cover price of Conan the Barbarian #45 is 25¢, while the current value is $15.
Cool Comics Celebrates FCBD (Week 36 of 2022)
#1923 — The Electric Black, The Children of Caine #0, Black Caravan, May 2022.
Cool Factor: The two stories in this Free Comic Book Day issue from Black Caravan (an imprint of Scout Comics, for those of you keeping track) brought to mind TV shows like Night Gallery and Friday the 13th: The Series—and you could probably toss in Kolchak: The Night Stalker, too, as Carl Kolchak would want to investigate these strange phenomena. A little research shows that a handful of issues of Electric Black have come out over the last few years, so for those who liked this freebie, you may want to search out what came before it…if you dare!
Comic Book Credits: Created, written, illustrated, and cover by Joseph Schmalke & Rich Woodall; colors by Alyssa Slobodzian and edited by Shawn French.
Price and Values: The cover price of The Electric Black, The Children of Caine #0 is free, while the current value is $1.
Cool Comics for the Young at Heart
#1924 — The Inspector #15, Gold Key, June 1977.
Cool Factor: When I was a kid and watched The Pink Panther Show cartoon on Saturday mornings, I never quite got what the Inspector had to do with anything…until a few years later when I saw the movie starring Peter Sellers. Back then, I never bought or read a comic book that features the Inspector, but now, thanks to quarter boxes at a local comic shop, I can dig around and find hidden treasures like this. This issue (which, indeed, made me feel young at heart) does have one story with the Pink Panther, for good measure, and if you’ve never read a comic with him, be forewarned that it feels a bit odd to us older folks, since he speaks in the comics, but is silent in the cartoon.
Comic Book Credits: There are no available credits for this Gold Key comic book, which contains the following stories: Case of: The Potted Plant; Case of: The Kindergarten Tour; Case of: Beasts Out of Bounds; and Pink Painter.
Price and Values: The cover price of The Inspector #15 is 30¢, while the current value is $12.
Cool Comics from the 20th Century
#1925 — Brigade #1, Image, May 1993.
Cool Factor: Nineteen ninety-three was the year I came back to comic books for my third foray of reading, collecting, and enjoying the hobby. I sometimes refer to it here as my third phase (1993-2003), with my first phase running from 1973-1979, and phase two lasting not even a year, in 1982 (I’ve been in phase four since 2017). There were a few purchases between 1982 and 1993, but I don’t think any of them came from a comic shop. It was mostly discounted bags of comics (containing three issues) from small publishers that I found in stores like Big Lots. When phase three hit, it was an exciting, exploratory time for me, and I became a bit fascinated by the breakaway stars who started Image. This issue of Brigade #1 isn’t the original that I bought back then, as I sold that copy in a garage sale several years ago. I found this one in a quarter box at a store in Akron, Ohio, and while I wasn’t a fan of the comic the first time around, and I had trouble following the plot a bit during that first read because there were so many characters who were new to me, I bought this one and reread it anyway. With pretty much the same result. But sometimes the nostalgia bug bites deeply, and I didn’t mind the low price I paid for a chance to go back to 1993 earlier in the week.
Comic Book Credits: Rob Liefeld (plot), Marat Mychaels (plot/pencils/cover pencils), Eric Stephenson (script/editor), Norm Rapmund (inks/cover inks), Paul Mounts (colors), Chameleon Prime (color separations), and Kurt Hathaway (letters).
Price and Values: The cover price of Brigade #1 is $1.95, while the current values are $3 on CBR and $2.50 on ZKC.
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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I Read That Book!
Please check out my newest blog, I Read That Book! Periodically, I discuss a book I’ve read in an entertaining, positive manner. It’s not a book review site, but instead a fun way to look at many of the books that have been a part of my life (and perhaps yours, too!), through anecdotes, quotes, weblinks, fond memories, pictures, and other surprises!
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