Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 112, where we take a look at 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.

For each of the comic books I include in this blog (except for digital issues), 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 112…

Cool Comics News!

Notable news items in the world of comics: I finally saw Thor: Ragnarok, and really enjoyed it. While some have said it was too infused with humor, that didn’t bother me one bit. I was entertained throughout, which is what we expect when we plunk down our money, isn’t it?

Other big news in the world of comics is Brian Michael Bendis leaving Marvel to write exclusively for DC. When Bendis first came to Marvel, I started reading the Ultimate line, but I think that was my total experience with his comics until I read the first Jessica Jones Alias collection on my tablet. He’s been with Marvel a long time, and as a creator, he probably is looking forward to some new challenges and an opportunity to write some iconic characters. I’m looking forward to seeing what his future at DC holds.

Cool Comics

Cool comics in my collection #537: Daredevil #595, January 2018.

I’ve never been a big Daredevil reader or collector, but this first Legacy issue looks like the title is going to be a lot of fun. During my first phase of comic book collecting, which started in the Seventies, I didn’t buy a single issue of Daredevil, but during my short-lived second phase, while in college, I picked up the title for 11 straight months, during Frank Miller’s reign, getting issues 181 through 191. Those were some great issues. But alas, they are no longer part of my collection. Then, during my much longer third phase of comic collecting that ran from 1993 to 2003, I faithfully purchased Ol’ Hornhead for 21 months, including the Fall From Grace storyline that started off as very popular, seeing prices go up, only to eventually come back down. So now we are confronted with the Kingpin, Wilson Fisk, as mayor of New York City, and I really enjoyed this comic. Being that I’m like a rookie once more when it comes to new comics, the creators of Daredevil (Charles Soule as writer and Stefano Landini as artist) are unfamiliar to me, but I appreciate what I’ve seen, and I have hopes that future issues will be just as much fun. By the way, for the nostalgia fans out there (and I’m one of them), the Marvel Value Stamp in this issue is Magneto. The cover price of Daredevil #595 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

Cool comics in my collection #538: Master of Kung Fu #126, January 2018.

When I saw that Marvel Legacy was going to put out a Master of Kung Fu title, I felt a wave of excitement and nostalgia. Though I’ve read very few comics with Shang-Chi, there is something so likeable about the character, and it took me back in time to the early Eighties, when I was a student at Ohio State and read a few of his comics. As it turns out, Master of Kung Fu is just a Legacy one-shot, but we can still hope that Marvel will continue using the character in other titles, or maybe give him an ongoing or limited series. Yet. That sounds ominous, doesn’t it? “Yet.” I’ve been pretty happy with the Legacy titles so far, yet when it comes to this one…it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. Or maybe the right phrase would be, “it wasn’t what I was hoping for.” Not that it was bad. The comic was entertaining, but…it lacked something for me. The title for this one shot is “Shang-Chi’s Day Off,” so I guess that should have told me the direction of it right there. Again, I’m unfamiliar with the writer, CM Punk, and artist, Dalibor Talajić. And while I wasn’t overly enthused with the writing or penciling, I’m glad that a new Master of Kung Fu comic exists. And sometimes that’s good enough to fill in the holes from our past. No Marvel Value Stamp in this issue, fearless friends. The cover price of Master of Kung Fu #126 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

Cool comics in my collection #539: Moon Knight #188, January 2018.

Moon Knight was born out of the pages of Werewolf By Night #32 in August 1975, and for the next few years Marvel gave him appearances in some anthologies, team books, and even the Hulk black and white magazine before landing his own series. In 1998 they put out a 4-issue limited series, and those were the first Moon Knight comics I ever bought. Since that time, I’ve gotten a few cheap back issues, but I’ve never been much of a reader until I read the three collected issues (17 comics in all) from Volume 7 that started in 2014, with the first six issues written by Warren Ellis. It was “good stuff,” as a college friend of mine used to say, and now I’m a Moon Knight fan. By now you want me to tell you if the Legacy issue (Part 1 of “Crazy Runs In The Family”) was worth it, I’m guessing, and yes, it certainly was. Although beware that this issue is setting up things to come, and our odd hero is not the focus. Yet it was a fascinating issue, and I think this series is going to be a real treat. Once more, as I’m reading these new comics, I’m coming across many creators who are completely new to me, including writer Max Bemis and artist Jacen Burrows, but I’m looking forward to seeing what they come up with in the pages of Moon Knight. The Marvel Value Stamp in this issue is Cable. The cover price of Moon Knight #188 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap

Cool comics in my collection #540: Sting of the Green Hornet #1, June 1992.

Up this week in my long box of cheap comics is this interesting Green Hornet limited series by NOW Comics. It’s World War II, and the Nazi’s have devious plans up their sleeves for the United States. Hitler makes an appearance near the beginning of this issue, and if you like The Green Hornet or are just a big Bruce Lee fan (I know there are lots of you out there!), then you may want to dig around in your local comic shop’s back issue boxes to find this fun gem (but you’ll probably have to pay more than I did, since, broken down, each comic out of the 419 in my $20 long box translates to $0.047). This is the second Green Hornet comic book I’ve pulled from that long box, and even though I don’t have any background with the character (I’ve never seen the original series from back in 1966, though I would now love to, nor have I watched the 2011 movie), the comics seem to be well done and entertaining. The cover price of Sting of the Green Hornet is $2.50, while the current value is $3.

Cool Comics Classics

Cool comics in my collection #541: Daredevil #11, December 1965.

Looks like this is Daredevil week at Cool Comics, as I read both the first Legacy issue and now this classic from back in 1965. I think (although I’m not positive) that this is my oldest Marvel comic book. It’s certainly not the oldest comic in my collection, but I’m pretty sure I don’t have any Marvel books that predate this one. And like most of these older tales, the one thing that stands out the most is the amount of words per page. When reading this issue, it seemed as if it took me three times as long as the others in this week’s blog. Stan Lee was a writing machine back in the Sixties, penning multiple issues each month with lots of dialogue. I’m not saying today’s comics should have just as many words; I’m just making an observation. Sometimes the story is told every bit as well with fewer words, letting the art tell the story. Besides that, I got a kick out of reading this old issue, which of course has Foggy Nelson and Karen Page, too. For those who’ve watched the Netflix Daredevil show, you might enjoy seeing the characters back at their beginnings. As much as I’m enjoying my weekly trips to the comic shop now, I absolutely love pulling out older titles to read and then feature in Cool Comics Classics. The cover price of Daredevil #11 is 12¢, while the current value is $210.

Recently Read Digital Comics

Back in 2002, I read about a new Vertigo comic book coming out called Y: The Last Man, and decided to give it a shot. Immediately I liked the writing of Brian K. Vaughan, and faithfully bought the title through issue 13, at which point I completely cut off my comic book purchases. Yup, I went cold turkey. I was spending too much money. And I remember seeing the solicitations for Runways in 2003, and that Vaughan would be writing it, but the writing was on the wall, and I couldn’t add any more comics to my monthly buys. And here we are 14 years later, and I finally had a chance to read the first six issues collected in Vol. 1: Pride and Joy. It’s a fun comic, very different from traditional superhero stuff, but it takes place in the Marvel Universe. And my digital reading selection for this week was completely purposeful, as next Tuesday, November 21, Runaways will drop on Hulu with 13 episodes. I probably won’t be able to watch it for a while, but I’m curious to see how this story translates to the small screen.