Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 82, 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 82…

Cool comics in my collection #419: Pep Comics #273, January 1973.

Did you know that Archie Andrew’s first appearance was in Pep Comics? Issue 22 in December 1941 saw the birth of America’s favorite, and oldest, teenager. Back then, you would have shelled out 10 cents…one measly dime…for the comic book. And if you did, and still have it today, a near mint issue is valued at $280,000, and if your copy is pristine, we’re talking $420,000! Well I don’t have that issue, but this week I selected the oldest copy I own of Pep Comics, and it’s still a pretty cool comic, because Archie was quite popular in the late Sixties and early Seventies. Some of you may remember the Saturday morning cartoons with Archie, Jughead, Veronica, Betty, Reggie, and the rest of the gang. They played songs like “Sugar, Sugar” and entertained us with their innocent hijinks. I’m really glad I kept all my old Archie comics, and so is my youngest daughter, as they will someday be passed on to her. The cover price of Pep Comics #273 is 20 cents, while the current value is $15.

Cool comics in my collection #420: Jughead the Hunger, One-Shot, May 2017.

With Jughead the Hunger we get a title with a double entendre, because if you know Jughead, then you know he likes his food (early on, there is a priceless scene where we see Jughead and the gang at an all-you-can-eat buffet named Silver Stables!), and it’s quite obvious there is a werewolf involved. This one-shot is another great edition to the Archie Horror stable of comics that started a few years ago in the pages of Afterlife With Archie, so if you’ve been keeping up with those, you know the quality and probably want to add it to your collection. Jughead has long been a fan favorite, and I was glad to see him getting to star in this horror issue. Thinking back to my heyday of reading Archie Comics in the Seventies, I never dreamed the company would be putting out tales like this, let alone the huge leap in quality of art and writing. I look forward to seeing what else the horror line puts out (and yes, I know all about The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina…I’ll cover that sometime in a future episode). The cover price of Jughead the Hunger, One-Shot is $4.99, while the current value is $5.

Cool comics in my collection #421: Riverdale #1, April 2017.

A few weeks back I featured the Riverdale One-Shot on here, a comic that acted as a prequel to the TV series on The CW. Now Archie Comics is giving the fans even more by providing an ongoing Riverdale series. In Episode 75 of Cool Comics in My Collection I mentioned the Twin Peaks/90210 vibe coming from the show and the comic, but I’m also going to mention Archie’s Weird Mysteries, because some of you may have enjoyed that Saturday morning cartoon or read the comic series. These kids from Riverdale seem built for mystery and intrigue, don’t they? The writers are doing a great job of making it interesting, especially from the perspective of the younger crowd. Jughead is the voice of the show, and captures, via his laptop and a nice voice-over, what’s happening around the death of Jason Blossom, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a suspect himself. When it comes to the parents in Riverdale, we see lots of flaws and strange behavior. It certainly isn’t “Father Knows Best.” If you’re a fan of the Riverdale TV show, you may just want to check out this comic. The cover price of Riverdale #1 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

Recently Read Digital Comics

Titans Hunt, which consists of the 8 issue limited series, Justice League Vol. 2 issue 51, and Titans Rebirth #1, is another fun collection in DC’s “Road to Rebirth.” It contains 259 pages and retails on comiXology for $12.99 (I picked it up on Amazon when it was on sale for just $5.99, and had enough on a gift card to cover it and the tax…cha-ching!). For some odd reason, the description of this at both comiXology and Amazon list “Titans Hunt 100 Page Super Spectacular” as being part of it, along with the Titans Hunt 8 issues, but that’s wrong. If you’ve read any Titans comics in the past, you’ll be sure to enjoy the limited series, and may have trouble putting it down, like I did. During the early Eighties, I was introduced to the team by a friend in college. I always wonder if he still reads comics (Ed H., if you’re reading this, I’d love to talk comics with you once more). I read most of the ten issues contained here in one day, which tells you I really liked the art and story. If you haven’t read any digital comics yet, these collections are a nice way to give them a try.