Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 53, where we take a nostalgic look at comic books I currently own, and in some sad cases, ones that I let get away.

If you read Episode 52, then you know that seven comics is no longer the norm here. Instead, it will be anywhere from one to seven. In addition, I’ve also added a new little section called Recently Read that will appear here on occasion.

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 53…

Cool comics in my collection #344: Origins of Marvel Comics, January 1974.

An immediate confession: I don’t have the first edition of this awesome graphic novel that came out in 1974. That trade paperback has a $5.95 cover price and is worth $75 today. But a later printing is just fine with me. So I got this sometime in the mid-seventies, and it feels like it became a part of me. This wonderful book covers the origins and an additional story of some of Marvel’s greatest creations, which was just what I needed to truly understand where my heroes came from. If you own this, maybe you felt the same way. Even now when I pick it up I’m jettisoned back to my childhood. The feeling isn’t the same as my first read of it, but it’s about as close as I can get to time traveling. Origins of Marvel Comics contains the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, the Amazing Spider-Man, Thor, and Doctor Strange. There are other hardcovers and trades that contain these origin stories, but in the Seventies, there was nothing else like this, and that makes it a cool comic in my collection. The cover price of Origins of Marvel Comics is $6.95, while the current value is $25.

Recently Read

Way back in episode 23 (Warp Speed Ahead! It’s Science Fiction Week, March 23, 2016), Cool comics in my collection #160 was Star Trek: Planet of the Apes, The Primate Directive. I was excited to feature this comic because it contained two of my favorite franchises. What I didn’t mention was that I hadn’t actually read it. That happens sometimes in CCIMC. Just because I haven’t read an issue doesn’t mean it doesn’t belong here! But last week I finally got around to reading it, and it didn’t disappoint. If you know those two universes, it makes reading this all the sweeter. So if you are a fan, you’ll probably enjoy it.