Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 58, 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 58…

Cool comics in my collection #357: The Amazing Spider-Man #142, March 1975.

Mysterio is a long-time Spider-Man villain, first appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man #13 in June 1964. Regardless, I’ve never been a fan. Not that I’d turn down issue 13 if someone wanted to give me a copy (and that’s not going to happen!), but to me he’s just not a fun character. But that’s beside the point. This issue starts off the Gwen Stacy clone saga. When the big Spider-Clone saga ran from 1994-1996, fans were scrambling to get these back issues from the Seventies, especially issue #149. Of course, as a proud Spider-Man collector in the Seventies, I was one of the fortunate ones who already owned these issues. Later, some people started putting down both the original clone story (and the later one in the Nineties), but I remember with fondness how exciting it was each month to run to the little store in Martins Ferry, Ohio, where I bought my comics, then get back to my bedroom so I could live these moments with Peter Parker. Great memories. The cover price of The Amazing Spider-Man #142 is 25 cents, while the current value is $55.

Cool comics in my collection #358: Captain Marvel #6, October 1968.

When this comic book came out in 1968, I would have soon been turning six years old, and I’m not sure I even knew what a comic book was. But if I had known, surely I would have convinced my parents to buy me this issue of Captain Marvel. Well, probably not. More than likely I would have asked for a Batman comic book, because he had the coolest TV show at the time. And Mar-Vell wasn’t a character I started exploring until the Nineties. I can remember seeing the Captain Marvel comics on the store shelves, but the only Captain Marvel I really knew at all at the time was the Big Red Cheese. Yet there was something about this Kree warrior that caught my attention, and since the Nineties I’ve been slowly collecting back issues of this series when I can find them at a decent price. I wish I had them all, but part of the fun is in the chase. The cover price of Captain Marvel #6 is 12 cents, while the current value is $70.

Cool comics in my collection #359: World’s Finest Comics #226, November 1974.

Back when I was a kid collecting comic books in the Seventies, the best bang for your buck was DC’s 100 page giants. That’s right, 100 pages for just 60 cents! I’ve covered all the 100 page giants I bought in my little home town of Martins Ferry, Ohio, in this blog over the past 50 some episodes, so now I’ll start covering the ones I bought as back issues. Recently, I decided I needed more of these thick comics packed with plenty of story, so I visited my local comic shop, Kenmore Komics, and picked some up, then went back again and got even more. The one featured here cost me $10, which is a lot more than the cover price, but when collecting older issues, you quite often have to dish out more cash. One of the things I like about the World’s Finest title is the variety of characters you get. This issue features Superman, Batman, Deadman, Metamorpho, Eclipso, Sandman, the Martian Manhunter, and more! The cover price of World’s Finest Comics #226 is 60 cents, while the current value is $55.

Recently Read

If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that my favorite period of comic books is the Seventies. And it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why. It’s the period when I started collecting as a kid, and part of the joy and lore of this hobby is the nostalgic feelings we get looking at the issues that were so important to us as kids. Ms. Marvel’s original series began in 1977, a time when my comic book buying habits were slowing down, so I didn’t bother considering buying it when it came out. But I started finding back issues of it in the mid to late Nineties, and continued picking up an issue here or there when I could find them at a decent price. Finally, this year, I picked up two of the last three issues I needed. But I couldn’t find issue #9 anywhere. I considered buying it via mail-order or eBay, but decided to wait for a while. And the next thing you know, just a couple months ago, my daughter’s boyfriend, Ryan, surprised me with a gift of Ms. Marvel #9! Finally, I’d be able to read all 23 issues chronologically. And it was something to savor, as the ads are just as important as the story. These are little time portals to my past, and I love every minute of the experience. Sure, the stories are dated, but I lived through the period, so I understood the issues the writers covered. If you’ve set any goals to complete a collection of a run, more power to you!