Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 126, 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 126…

Cool Comics News!

Next month sees the debut of Robert Kirkman’s (The Walking Dead) new comic, Oblivion Song, and thanks to my local comic shop owner (Kenmore Komics and Games), I was able to borrow and read an advance edition containing issues 1 through 4. It’s an interesting tale that shows us how life has changed over the last decade for a large percentage of people in the Philadelphia area, who somehow get transferred into an alternate dimension. And one man, with the help of a scientific discovery, is able to travel back and forth between the two realities, in a desperate search for his brother. Along the way, he continually rescues others as he comes upon them, but eventually learns that some people may not want to go back to life the way it was. I liked this sneak peak and look forward to reading the continuing story. Look for it at your local comic shop in March.

Cool Comics Cool Battles!

For this week, the battle I’m picking is Jean Grey (X-Men Red #1) versus Superman (The Superman Family #167). Can Jean’s mighty mental prowess overcome the sheer strength and speed of the Man of Steel? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Cool Comics in My Collection

#599 — X-Men Red #1, Marvel Comics, April 2018.

In episode 125 last week, I mentioned in Cool Comics in My Collection #595 (Jean Grey) that I’m not much of a fan of Jean Grey (aka Marvel Girl, Phoenix, Dark Phoenix, etc.), and regardless of how much I enjoyed X-Men Red #1, that statement still holds true. Yet I may end up softening up a bit on my stance, if this comic continues to put out good stories the way this first issue did. Written by Tom Taylor with art by Mahmud Asrar, X-Men Red kept me more than entertained throughout, and I think the excitement will continue to build in this title. The team X-Men Red is composed of Gentle, Namor, Nightcrawler, Jean Grey, Trinary, Honey Badger (not the football player), and Wolverine (not Logan). Several of these characters are not household names and were somewhat new to me, but the Internet has plenty of information about them if you’re in the same boat. Namor is the main reason I made the decision to give this comic a try, and now that we’ve been told that Gambit joins X-Men Red in issue #3, this title will definitely be high on my cool meter for the indefinite future. The cover price of X-Men Red is $4.99, while the current value is $5.

#600 — The Amazing Spider-Man #795, Marvel Comics, April 2018.

The Amazing Spider-Man is a title I always buy when I’m actively collecting comic books (I’ve stopped and restarted four different times since the Seventies), and I’m sure that has a lot to do with issue #125 being the first comic book I ever plunked down my money for (20¢ plus tax!). My favorite period in Spider-Man’s life takes place from 1973 to 1977, which is no surprise, considering my age at the time. The character has gone through a lot of change since then, but some things remain constant in Peter Parker’s life, one of which is always having to fight bad guys who want to kill him. One of his greatest foes is the Green Goblin, and whether it’s Norman Osborn or Harry Osborn donning the mask, the villain typically provides great drama. I haven’t read any ASM issues with the Green Goblin since I started reading again last summer, but I’m giving you a spoiler free hint that there’s more than just Loki (you know, Thor’s evil step-brother) in this issue, which is already going up in the secondary market since its release this month. If you can still find an issue, you may want to grab it now! The cover price of The Amazing Spider-Man #795 is $3.99, while the current value is $12.

#601 — Infinity Countdown: Adam Warlock #1, Marvel, April 2018.

The strictly Marvel Movie fans may not be familiar with Adam Warlock, but when it comes to the word Infinity (Gems, War, Watch, Gauntlet, Crusade, etc.), I’m betting that comic book readers think of Adam Warlock (yeah, Thanos too, but not quite as much as the artificial construct originally known as “Him”). This one-shot is an interesting look at Adam Warlock through time and is a good place to begin for the uninitiated. While Michael Allred’s art style isn’t for me, I got used to it while reading this comic, and it sort of fit the story (although I don’t think I’d care for his style in an ongoing comic…it’s nothing against him and his talent, mind you). Anyhoo, I’ve always liked Adam Warlock, and look forward to seeing further adventures of him once more in the Marvel Universe. The cover price of Infinity Countdown: Adam Warlock #1 is $4.99, while the current value is $5.

Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap

#602 — Gen13: Going West, WildStorm Productions, June 1999.

It’s been a really long time since I’ve read a Gen13 comic, and I’m pretty sure it was still being printed by Image Comics at the time. This one-shot by WildStorm Productions is an imprint of DC Comics. If any of this confuses you, just read about the publication history at Wikipedia. Unfortunately, I couldn’t recall much about the characters or the comic book, which doesn’t make the reading quite as enjoyable, but this story had its moments. And like I always say about Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap, the comic was part of longbox I bought, completely stuffed with comics, and the average price per issue comes out to around $0.047 each. That’s a great price for any comic, like it or hate it. Now I have to decide if this issue is going to stay in my collection or go in the garage sale box. The cover price of Gen13: Going West is $2.50, while the current value is $3.

Cool Comics Classics

#603 — The Superman Family #167, DC Comics, November 1974.

If you’ve been reading Cool Comics for a while now, then you know one of my favorite forms of comics are the “100 PAGES FOR ONLY 60¢” that DC put out in the mid-Seventies. They take me back to a time of sitting at the Gosney kitchen table and eating a bowl of Freakies cereal while reading one of these big issues. This typically took place in the evenings, as I liked to snack on some sugary goodness a few hours after dinner, settled in my chair, and reading story after story featuring characters like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. These days, I’m trying to collect more of those monster-sized issues, and this copy of The Superman Family is one I bought just last year. If you think these stories look a little goofy, based on the cover (“Lois Lane, Fugitive Mermaid!” and “Superbaby Turns Titanic Tot” are every bit as silly as you can imagine, but that’s half the fun when your memories take you back to your childhood), then you win the Golden Ticket! And I’m perfectly okay with that. The cover price of The Superman Family #167 is 60¢, while the current value is $38.

Recently Read Digital Comics

In last week’s episode, my Recently Read Digital Comics featured Green Arrow: Hunter’s Moon, the first volume in a collection that covers the Green Arrow run that started in 1988. This week, I recently read on my trusty tablet Green Arrow, Vol. 1: The Death and Life of Oliver Queen, which contains Green Arrow: Rebirth and issues 1-5 of the current ongoing series, written by Benjamin Percy and drawn by Otto Schmidt. So which version of Green Arrow did I prefer? Hunter’s Moon, hands down. I’ve probably read less Eighties comics than any other era from the Seventies to the present, and I’m continually impressed with the quality of the stories from that period. I’ve liked most of DC’s Rebirth titles (I’m slowly reading digital versions and love it when Amazon has sales on them, an affordable way to read even more comics), but this version of Green Arrow didn’t leave me wanting to read more.