Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 64, 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 64…

Last week I gave you an opportunity to give your opinion on digital comics. All you had to do was leave a comment below, and you would be entered in a random drawing to win an eBook version of any of my novels or stories, or an Audible copy of my novel Prometheus Stumbles. Winner’s choice. We had one participant, Rob McClellan, so Rob is the automatic winner! Rob, when you have a chance, just let me know what you would like out of my books and stories. And thanks for your great comments!

Cool comics in my collection #373: Nova #3, November 1976.

If you’ve read my blog before, then you know that Seventies comics are near and dear to my heart. It was the era when I first started buying and collecting, and who doesn’t like to feel nostalgic from time to time? One of the best ways to bring back those good feelings of yesteryear is through comic books, as far as I’m concerned, and Nova was an exciting new character, and it was always cool in your neighborhood to be on the cutting edge of things. Will Nova ever make an appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Only time will tell, but I wouldn’t bet against Richard Rider. The cover price of Nova #3 is 30 cents, while the current value is $15.

Cool comics in my collection #374: The Flash #76, May 1993.

The year 1993 marked the beginning of my longest run of collecting comics (through 2003), and I remember how fresh and exciting the hobby seemed to me once more as I started out very selectively picking comics to try out. The Flash has always been a cool character, regardless of which incarnation he happens to be (Barry Allen, Wally West, Jay Garrick), so it was a no brainer to add the comic to my new collection. I fondly remember how much fun it was to buy and read comics back then. My wife and I were living in Atlanta, I was in my first year of service in the Army, we really didn’t know many people, and comic books gave us something to do together. The cover price of The Flash #76 is $1.25, while the current value is $4.

Cool comics in my collection #375: Marvel and DC Present: The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans #1, January 1982.

My shortest period of monthly comic buying and collecting came in late 1981 through most of 1982. But I got some great comic books during this time (The Great Darkness Saga!), and this early Marvel and DC crossover is counted among them. It felt like this comic had it all, including the Dark Phoenix and Darkseid as the baddies, and an all-star lineup of good guys from both major companies, such as Kid Flash, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Robin, Raven, Deathstroke, Donna Troy, Starfire, Storm, Wolverine, Colossus, Cyclops, Jean Grey, Kitty Pryde, Nightcrawler, Professor X, and more! It was a fun moment to be a comic book reader. Marvel and DC Present: The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans cover price is $2, while the current value is $12.

Recently Read

I seem to be on a bit of a digital comic spree, as I’ve read five of them in the last couple of weeks. While that may not seem like many to some of you, five is much more than zero, which had been my previous output for the year. I typically read five comic books a week, and these digital comics are in addition to the traditional paper comic books. All-Star Comics #8, dated from December 1941, gives you lots of bang for your dime. At least it did when it sold for just a dime back in 1941. I downloaded this issue for free on my ComiXology app and read it on my phone. At 68 pages, it was a great bargain even when you did have to cough up 10 cents. If you appreciate these historical comics, and especially the JSA, then you may want to check this one out, especially considering it contains the very first appearance of Wonder Woman! But if you don’t like the digital format and insist on buying a paper copy, it could set you back as much as $175,000. Just one of the great advantages of the digital age.