Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 121, 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 121…

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Cool Comics News!

This must be solo hero week at Cool Comics, because each title below features singular heroes. Granted, sometimes they have support from others, but there are no team books. How do you prefer your heroes and superheroes when it comes to comics? Do you like them to work on their own, or are you more of a team person, like Justice League or the Avengers? My guess is that most fans like a little of both, but there may be some of you out there who would rather read The Astonishing X-Men than Batman. What’s your preference?

Cool Comics in My Collection

#576 — Ragman #1, DC Comics, December 2017.

Although I was reading comic books in 1976 when Ragman #1 hit the shelves with his first appearance, most of my purchases were Marvel titles. If I even saw the comic book, it didn’t leave an impression on me to recall it these many years later. So when the character showed up on the TV show Arrow, I did a little digging to find out who he is. Seems pretty cool, and I wouldn’t at all mind owning that first issue from 1976. But for now, I picked up the first issue of a limited series featuring Ragman for just 50 cents at my local comic shop. Not bad for a title that came out just a few months ago for $2.99. The writer is Ray Fawkes, while the artist is Inaki Miranda, for those who know current creative teams and are keeping score. As for me, I’d been away from new comics for so long that many of these names are unfamiliar, but they always say it helps to remember things by writing them down, so here’s my due diligence. The story is decent, and I believe issue #2 was also in that box. I should see if it’s still there the next time I stop in. The cover price of Ragman #1 is $2.99, while the current value is $3.

#577 — Doc Savage #3, DC Comics, Winter 1988.

Remember getting those Scholastic flyers in grade school, and how exciting it was to look them over and pick out a few titles, most of which were under a dollar (that shows my age, doesn’t it?)? I distinctly remember picking out a Doc Savage book one time. To this day I can’t tell you why, because I didn’t know anything about The Man of Bronze, a hero from the Pulp Age. But it looked cool, was cheap, and my mom was willing to fork over the change. And I’ve never read it. I think I still have it on a bookshelf somewhere, and I’ve noticed that my interests often revert to things from my past, so it may get read in the near future. I liked what I could follow in this comic book (which cost me just a quarter!), but again, it’s issue #3, and I have no background on Doc Savage. I’ve never seen a movie or read any of his stories, which seems odd when considering how long the character has been around. My curiosity is piqued, so pardon me while I go look for that Scholastic paperback. The cover price of Doc Savage #3 is $1.75, while the current value is $4.

#578 — Mack Bolan: The Executioner #1, Innovation Publishing, July 1993.

Mack Bolan may not have as long a history as Doc Savage, but since his first novel by Don Pendleton in 1969 (War Against the Mafia), 452 Executioner books have been published. Pendleton wrote 37 of them, and publisher Gold Eagle took over the series in 1981, using a gaggle of ghostwriters. Mack Bolan fought in Vietnam and when he came home, waged war against organized crime. Sound familiar? If this is a series of books you’ve been considering reading, you better start soon. Or you can always find the three issues put out by Innovation Publishing and save yourself lots of time and money. I grabbed this one out of my comic shop’s quarter box! Innovation Publishing (Alas, no longer with us…it was headquartered in Wheeling, West Virginia, across the river from where I grew up) put out some very cool licensed property comics (Quantum Leap, Dark Shadows, Lost in Space, etc.) that are fun and well done. Check them out. The cover price of Mack Bolan: The Executioner #1 is $3.50, while the current value is $4.

Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap

#579 — The Shadow #2, Dark Horse Comics, July 1994.

I will admit that part 2 of this movie adaptation of The Shadow was more enjoyable than part 1, but it still won’t go down as one of my favorite comics. All in all, my first experience with The Shadow (last week I covered issue one here) didn’t exactly endear me to the character, but it won’t keep me from away from him if I should happen to get another opportunity to read a Shadow comic. And come on, this came from my cheap long box, in which each comic cost me $0.047 each. Yes, less than a nickel is a sweet price. If I were to read more, I wouldn’t mind a collection that contains stories from several decades ago, perhaps even from his very beginnings. Could it be that I’m just spoiled, a veritable product of my age, only liking costumed heroes with superpowers? That excuse doesn’t hold up, based on the two previous solo characters of Doc Savage and Mack Bolan. I just think this story wasn’t that good, and therefore I haven’t seen The Shadow at his best. The cover price of The Shadow #2 is $2.50, while the current value is $4.

Cool Comics Classics

#580 — Tarzan #220, DC Comics, June 1973.

I finish off this week’s solo heroes with Tarzan #220, which I pulled from the quarter box at Kenmore Komics & Games. When you can get Seventies stuff for that price and in decent condition, you’ve got a Cool Comics Classic! Yet another literary hero, Tarzan’s fame spread further on both the big screen and Sunday comic strips. And the books sold pretty well, too. A number of different comic companies have given us further adventures of Lord Greystoke. I had several Marvel issues from the Seventies, but sold them at my infamous garage sale (I sold thousands of comics at rock bottom prices when my house was being taken over by white boxes). I especially like the idea that this issue is from the early Seventies, because I have fond memories of watching Tarzan movies on Saturday afternoons with my father. Great memories and a great character. The cover price of Tarzan #220 is 20¢, while the current value is $25.