Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 79, 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 79…

Cool Comics News!

Okay, we’re back once more to cover three of the recent Walmart Variant comic 3-packs. If, like me, you aren’t a current reader of the DC Rebirth issues, these variants give you a taste of the direction DC has gone, and from what I’ve read, I like them.

Cool comics in my collection #410: Batman #1 (Walmart Variant), April 2017.

If you buy Batman monthly, the cover of this one may confuse you, due to the numbering of this Walmart Variant. There’s a nice big “1” in a circle, but the artwork matches issue #9 from December 2016. Because it’s the same issue. DC is trying to get some interesting comics out there to pull in new readers, so this deal with Walmart has them putting #1 on all the covers of the variants, regardless of the real issue number. Perhaps psychological reasoning that it’s easier to get people to start with issue #1? If you know the real reason, please tell us in the comments section at the bottom of the blog. So how do you find out the real issue number? The small print at the front or back of the comic (the indicia – DC puts this in the back now) gives you the information, and for this Batman comic, it tells us it was originally published as “BATMAN 9 REBIRTH.” Of course, you can’t read this unless you open your 3-pack, and I know some people aren’t doing that. Which leaves the other two issues as a mystery. I have no idea if DC is being consistent on what comes in each pack, but I’m reporting on all 24 issues from the most recent eight collections, so you can keep coming back here to see what else I got. My guess is that most collectors already have these other comics, but since I haven’t been buying new ones since 2003, these are new to me. If you like Batman but haven’t read him the last few years, these 3-packs gave me a lot of comics featuring the Dark Knight, so you may want to see if your local Walmart has any left. The cover price of Batman #9 is $2.99, while the current value of this variant is $5.

Cool comics in my collection #411: Smallville: Chaos #3, December 2014.

I watched all ten seasons of Smallville, and was excited to see this issue of a Smallville mini-series in one of my 3-packs from Walmart. DC marketed this with Smallville viewers in mind by putting “Season 11 Continues!” on the cover. The TV show gave us an interesting look at Lex Luthor, who becomes a friend to Clark. But with Superman’s number one nemesis, things aren’t always what they seem, and I thought the writers did a nice job handling the character. Even though I didn’t read issues 1 and 2, I had enough familiarity with the show and characters that I could enjoy the comic. I’ve said it on here before, and I’ll say it again: Superman always brings my father to mind. My dad was a fan, owned several of the original Superman comic books (which met a painful end during World War 2 when he sent them to a cousin in the Navy, and the ship ended up destroyed in battle), and we saw the 1978 movie together. Later in life, my dad had me buy new Superman comics for him, following the famous “Death of Superman” storyline. So I have great memories when it comes to the Man of Steel. And that makes finding this comic in my 3-pack even more special. The cover price of Smallville: Chaos #3 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

Cool comics in my collection #412: Batman/Superman #32, July 2016.

No doubt, when it comes to DC Comics, Batman and Superman are the “World’s Finest,” a former title that I’m guessing many of you are familiar with. Whether titled Superman/Batman, Batman/Superman, or, once again, World’s Finest, the pairing of these two iconic characters is bound to please many readers. When I opened one of my Walmart 3-packs and found this issue, I figured it had to be a good comic, and I was right. It’s the last in the series, and this red cover is actually a second printing, so I’m guessing that other readers enjoyed it as well. I’ve read a number of newer DC comics now that I’ve been buying the Walmart Variant packs, and I can say that I’m pleased with the direction they’ve been going in. I know that some of these are from “The New 52” era, but I’ve liked reading them, also. In the past, the majority of my comic buying tended towards Marvel titles, but I think if I were buying comics on a weekly basis today, DC would be taking most of my money. The cover price of Batman/Superman #32 (2nd Printing) is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

Recently Read Digital Comics

Jughead Volume One covers the first six issues of this revised Archieverse title, along with a bonus of the first issue of the newer Archie series written by Mark Waid. I read this collection on my tablet using the Archie Comics app, but if you’re thinking of getting any digital Archieverse comics, the comiXology app is much better, as you can read panel by panel with it. In defense of the Archie app though, I will mention that if your tablet is large enough, you can easily read the full page. I’ve read some digital Marvel and DC comics that have so much fine print that without the individual panel option, you practically need a magnifying glass. While these six issues of Jughead were entertaining, they certainly aren’t in the same league as the new Archie series, so it was no surprise when I read that Mark Waid will be taking over the writing chores for the Riverdale teen sporting the whoopee cap, too. These first six issues had a few dream sequences with Jughead. Perhaps Waid could have Jughead dream about visiting Goober Pyle on The Andy Griffith Show and comparing their headgear.