Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 73, where we take a nostalgic look at comic books I currently own, and in some sad cases, ones that I let get away.

For each of the comic books I include in this blog, I list the current secondary market value. This is according to the listings at the website www.comicbookrealm.com. They list out the near mint prices, which are on the comic book grading scale of 9.4. If you go to the website to look up any in your collection, you can click on the price and see the value at different grades. Not all of my comics are 9.4. Some are probably better, and some are worse. But to simplify it, that’s the grading price I use here. And remember, a comic book is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

Have you considered being a guest host for Cool Comics? You can do a theme or just pick any of your comics for inclusion (this blog is for all ages, so please keep that in mind), with a maximum of seven issues. Repeat guest hosts are permitted and encouraged. Send your completed blog to edgosney62@gmail.com.

If you have any questions or comments, please scroll to the bottom of the page to where it says, “Leave a reply.” I hope you enjoy seeing these as much as I do writing about them. And now, Episode 73…

Cool comics in my collection #395: Marvel Premiere #26, November 1975.

This is the 8th issue of Marvel Premiere I’ve featured in Cool Comics, and sadly, it’s my last one (unless I buy more). This anthology comic from the Seventies (you knew I’d get back to the Seventies sooner or later, didn’t you?) covers a strange mix of characters, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Sometimes we find characters or teams we like in this fashion, and I appreciate what Marvel did with this title. This issue features Hercules, who spends time in the Marvel Universe as part of the Avengers, and seems to play second fiddle to Thor amongst the pantheon of “Gods.” But ever since I bought and read a Hercules mini-series in the early eighties, I’ve always sort of like the Lion of Olympus, so when I found this one in a back issue box, I knew I had to have it. The cover price of Marvel Premiere #26 is 25 cents, while the current value is $12.

Cool comics in my collection #396: Marvel Spotlight #31, December 1976.

How does Nick Fury continue to fight the forces of evil as the head of S.H.I.E.L.D., considering he fought in World War II? Turns out that during the war, he was given something called the Infinity Formula, which he must take annually, or else he’ll age really fast. This story explains much about how the old guy continued to do it. Once more, this particular comic title, Marvel Spotlight, was an anthology title. You could usually jump during any particular month and enjoy the story, which was a nice feature. I didn’t buy this back in 1976 when it was new, but sometime around the year 2000 while digging around in back issue boxes. What’s not to love about these Seventies comics? The cover price of Marvel Spotlight #31 is 30 cents, while the current value is $8.

Recently Read Digital Comics

This week my digital reading to a turn towards the dark and mysterious, starting off with Groom Lake #1 from IDW. This is (or at least was) a freebie on comiXology and perhaps is right up your alley if you enjoy aliens, UFOs, conspiracy theories, etc. Turns out this is a “mature” title, listed for those who are 17 or older. I’ve mentioned on here before that I like my comics to be fun, as they take me back to a time and place long ago, so I don’t particularly like it when they through in unnecessary language and visuals for shock value. If you like the comic, there are just 3 more in this limited series at the affordable price of 99 cents each. I do enjoy the mysteries mentioned in this comic, but I won’t be reading anymore issues.

The next freebie I read was a bit of a blast from the past. One of THE shows to watch in the Nineties was The X-Files, and this comic explores the origins of Fox Mulder shortly after his sister disappears. Was she abducted by aliens? That’s part of the mystery Fox is trying to solve. I like the concept of this comic, and in subsequent issues we see young Dana Scully on the other side of the country as she investigates the murder of her teacher. If you’re a fan of The X-Files and enjoy the mythology it built, then you’ll probably want to at least give this free issue of The X-Files: Origins #1 a try via comiXology.

Archie Andrews and the gang in Riverdale are in the middle of a renaissance. Afterlife With Archie pumped some new blood (well, more like drained some blood!) into everyone’s favorite teenager, and then the launch of a new Archie title brought the gang to life in different manner, making each issue build off the previous. It’s some pretty good stuff, if you haven’t tried either yet. And now on The CW, Riverdale is pulling in viewers each week in what seems to be a combination of those two titles, albeit not as bloody as Afterlife. But once upon a time, the gang in Riverdale faced some crazy situations, including aliens, vampires, and dinosaurs in a title called Archie’s Weird Mysteries. This comic title was a companion to an ongoing cartoon, and if you never saw it or read it, you can get a taste by reading the first issue with the Archie Comics app for absolutely free.