Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 114, 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 114…

Cool Comics News!

This week we’re looking at nothing but number 1 issues! No, I don’t have Action Comics #1 (although I did have it in my digital reading section a few episodes ago) or Spider-Man #1, but I did include the first issue of the Watchmen – DC Universe crossover, and also the digital version of the comic that started the Marvel Universe as we know it today. What else? Keep reading, fearless friends, and find out what exciting 4-color adventures reside below.

Cool Comics

Cool comics in my collection #546: Doomsday Clock #1, January 2018.

Doomsday Clock is a 12-issue limited series, written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Gary Frank, that promises to show us what would happen if Watchmen characters entered the DC Universe as we know it today. Like an Elseworlds, right? Wait, is this for real? Is this canon? Does it really count? I guess we’ll have to keep reading to find out. For those who’ve read the original Watchmen, when last we saw Rorschach…wait a minute…no spoilers here. Watchmen is decades old, but I recently read it for the first time, and I’m sure there are many others who’ve yet to crack open this important work in comic book history, and even though you can find out what took place all over the Internet, I’m not about to be accused of ruining it for any of you. Seriously, if you haven’t read the original and you plan on buying Doomsday Clock, you need to do your homework and travel back to the origins of The Comedian, Doctor Manhattan, Nite Owl, Ozymandias, Silk Spectre, and the aforementioned Rorschach. The design of the interior pages gives you the impression that you’re traveled back to the Eighties when Watchmen entered the comic book landscape, and it even contains the “printed” material pages at the end. Some of you are probably excited for this, while others want DC to leave the Watchmen alone. I’m interested to see what they are going to do, so I’m looking forward to issue 2. The cover price of Doomsday Clock #1 is $4.99, while the current value is $5.

Cool comics in my collection #547: The Librarians #1, September 2017.

Our second number 1 issue this week comes from Dynamite and is based on the TV series by the same name, The Librarians. And guess what? The TV series is based on a trilogy of movies: The Librarian: Quest for the Spear; The Librarian: Return to King Solomon’s Mines; and The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice. The made-for-TV movies came out every couple years from 2004 through 2008, and featured Noah Wylie, Bob Newhart, and Jane Curtin. The spinoff TV series has Noah Wylie (sometimes), Rebecca Romijn, Christian Kane, Lindy Booth, John Kim, and John Larroquette, each with a special ability. The show is entertaining and lighthearted, featuring adventures in which the team attempts to recover artifacts that allow too much power into the world. The comic does a nice job with the various personalities of the team, and I thought it did a nice job of capturing the flavor of the show. Unfortunately, the second issue ended up being a couple months behind, and now I’ve read that the fourth issue will be the finale of this series. The cover price of The Librarians #1 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap

Cool comics in my collection #548: Curse of the Molemen #1, March 1991.

When I pulled this issue out of the $20 long box of comics I bought nearly a year ago and saw the cover, I immediately knew that Curse of the Molemen wouldn’t be to my liking. I knew next to nothing about Kitchen Sink Comix, let alone the fact that Charles Burns originally published this in 1986 as Big Baby. And another thing I found out is that Curse of the Molemen, the thin volume that it is, also came out in a hardcover edition. So why care about any of that when I knew immediately this comic wouldn’t be for me? Maybe because I was dead wrong. Is the art different? You bet it is. Is the story bizarre? Undoubtedly. Did I hate it like I imagined I would? Absolutely not. On the contrary, I ended up loving Curse of the Molemen. It’s a weird coming of age story that has stayed with me, and I can easily imagine reading this one again someday (which is something I rarely do, considering there are so many comics yet to read and not as much time left on this earth as I once had). I figured after I read it and blogged here about it, the comic would find its way to my “garage sale” comic box. Nope. I’m keeping this odd little gem! The cover price of Curse of the Molemen #1 is $4.95, while the current value is $12.

Cool Comics Classics

Cool comics in my collection #549: Hercules Unbound #1, November 1975.

When I saw that this Hercules Unbound issue #1 came out in 1975, I figured that Marvel’s version of the Greek God must have come out first, since I know he appeared in 1965 in Marvel. But then, with a little research, I learned that Hercules first appeared in a DC comic way back in 1941. It was All Star Comics #8, the first appearance of Wonder Woman, and William Moulton Marston included Hercules in that issue. Now I read the digital version of All Star Comics #8 a few months back, but, unfortunately, I don’t have an eidetic memory. Hercules has been used sparingly by DC over the years, and I would imagine that most people, when talking about comic books and Hercules, tend think of the Marvel version. This Cool Comics Classic was an interesting start of an adventure for the Greek strongman in an apocalyptic future, written by Gerry Conway, with art by J.L. Garcia and Wally Wood. It’s truly amazing when you think about all the movies, books, TV shows, cartoons, and comic books that have included this mythological hero. The cover price of Hercules Unbound #1 is 25¢, while the current value is $16.

Recently Read Digital Comics

This week’s last number one issue features the first family of Marvel, the Fantastic Four. Currently free via comiXology, if you’ve never read this issue, you probably should download it and experience it for yourself (unless you’re fortunate enough to already have a copy, whether the original, in an anthology, or a reprint…but if you plan to run down to your local comic book shop and buy a first edition, don’t say you haven’t been warned…you may have to pay around $135,000 for a decent copy, if you actually find one). Stan Lee and Jack Kirby started the Marvel Universe as we know it today within these pages, but this probably isn’t the Fantastic Four that you remember reading. It took a few issues to hit their stride in art and storytelling, no doubt. The characters certainly don’t feel like themselves, but then again, every comic has a starting point. For me, Ben Grimm’s (the Thing!) character and dialogue changed the most from these beginnings. When you read this issue, he seems like a different character. This is certainly a worthy digital comic to get and read. Anyone out there have an original? Please let us know about it in the comments section below!