Welcome to Cool Comics in My Collection Episode 108, 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 108…

Cool Comics News!

October. Don’t you just love the way this month sounds, rolling off your tongue? October. The sun sets sooner, the air is chillier, and the movies get scarier. And so do the comics! This week, along with more Marvel Legacy titles, I bring you two comics that might cause you to keep your bedside lamp on all night long (they aren’t that scary, but I like to set the mood!).

Cool Comics

Cool comics in my collection #516: The Amazing Spider-Man #789, December 2017.

The first comic book I bought on my own was The Amazing Spider-Man #125 back in 1973, and I’ve loved the character ever since. Granted, there have been periods in which I wasn’t buying comics, and maybe I didn’t know what was happening, but I’ve always felt I could go back to Peter Parker if I needed to. For example, last week here on the blog I featured issue #344 as my Cool Comic Classic. So now we come to Legacy. Somewhere along the way, from 2003 to the present, Parker became a businessman, and a rich one, to boot. And now he’s apparently lost everything, as this comic is “Fall of Parker, Part 1.” Robbie is running The Daily Bugle, and I don’t know if J. Jonah Jameson is alive or not. But someone I saw die years ago is alive once more. I suppose I could go to Wikipedia and play catch-up, but I’ll learn most of it as time goes on. Another one of the more surprising things I discovered is that Peter/Spider-Man is currently with Mockingbird. Some people want their comics to remain static, but I don’t mind change if it makes sense. I’m definitely interested to see what comes next for the wallcrawler. The cover price of The Amazing Spider-Man #789 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

Cool comics in my collection #517: The Uncanny Avengers #28, December 2017.

X-Men, Avengers, and Inhumans all brought together to form yet another team of super-powered heroes to take on the forces of evil. This has been a thing for several years now, but for me, it’s brand new. And I sort of like the idea of it. Oh, before I forget, Johnny Storm, the Human Torch from the Fantastic Four, is also in this. And having part of Marvel’s first family is always a good thing, in my opinion. Another big bonus is Doctor Voodoo. Remember a few weeks back when I headlined my blog with Brother Voodoo? Yeah, this makes me a happy reader. Anyway, what really sold me on giving this Legacy comic a try is bringing together the Beast and Wonder Man once more. I appreciate their friendship, and while I have a feeling there are lots of people out there who don’t much care for Simon Williams (Wonder Man), I have a soft spot for him. The actual story was pretty much an introduction (well, it felt like it to me, a new reader), setting things up for what’s coming. Did you notice from the little picture that I got another lenticular cover? It’s cool looking, but I miss my Marvel Value Stamp…although to be honest, I’d just look at it, then turn the page and possibly never see it again, so I guess it’s no big loss. The cover price of Uncanny Avengers #28 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

Cool comics in my collection #518: Falcon #1, December 2017.

Well, I made yet another Legacy impulse buy. I was in my comic book shop on my birthday last Saturday, and while my intention was to purchase different issues from the Sixties and Seventies, I decided to give Falcon’s new solo title a try. How could I not, considering how awesome the Generations title turned out that he shared with Captain American? When I was a kid growing up, I read a lot of “Captain America & the Falcon” comics, so I already had a nostalgic place in my heart for Sam Wilson. The character’s appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe relies a lot more on tech, but I prefer the Seventies look. When it comes to comic books, I’m very old school. I liked this issue, and appreciated the juxtaposition of the Falcon working with and training the Patriot, Rayshaun Lucas. I’m still unsure if I’ll continue getting this comic, but I enjoyed this first issue, and recommend it if you like the Falcon. The cover price of Falcon #1 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

Cool comics in my collection #519: Defenders #6, December 2017.

Back in August I featured the first three issues of this title, just before the Netflix series released. I still haven’t watched it, but I’m nearly through with the Iron Fist series, and Defenders comes next. You’ll notice that the numbering wasn’t changed for Defenders, like Marvel has done for so many of the Legacy titles, more than likely due to the team being so different from previous incarnations of the Defenders. Whereas past teams have featured characters like Doctor Strange, Namor, the Hulk, and the Silver Surfer, these Defenders are made up of Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Daredevil, and Iron Fist. They fight street crime, rather than standing up to cosmic level bad guys. And I for one really like this team. We have the Avengers, the X-Men, and other more powerful beings to protect the planet, and I appreciate the kind of storytelling that’s taking place in this Defenders comic. The cover price of Defenders #6 is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

Cool comics in my collection #520: Jughead: The Hunger #1, December 2017.

Remember that Jughead: The Hunger One-Shot I had here in Cool Comics a few months back? Now it’s becoming an ongoing series. If you like horror, and want it with familiar characters, Archie Comics is filling the bill. From Afterlife with Archie to Chilling Adventures of Sabrina to Jughead: The Hunger, those teens in Riverdale just don’t seem to be getting a break from all the ghouls, goblins, and undead things. If you like Jughead’s character in the TV show Riverdale, you’ll feel even more sympathetic towards him and the family curse of lycanthropy. And still more distressing is that his friend Betty Cooper comes from a family of werewolf hunters. If you love this time of year, and you bleed orange and black, you’ll want this issue just for the cover alone. Even though my comic shop is getting this comic for me on the release date, which is October 25, I have a subscription to Afterlife with Archie, so they sent complimentary issues to subscribers since Afterlife is so far behind the production schedule. The cover price of Jughead: The Hunger is $3.99, while the current value is $4.

Cool Comics Done Dirt Cheap

Cool comics in my collection #521: Evolution #1 Ashcan, September 2017.

Scoring comics dirt cheap is always a good thing, and my local comic shop owner was kind enough to give me another Ashcan edition put out by Image Comics. Like Slots from my last blog, Evolution has just a few adult panels that has me not recommending it to young readers. And they probably wouldn’t like it anyway, since there are no capes and masks between these covers. Rather, it’s more of a science fiction story with world-changing ramifications. There are four different writers for Evolution, handling different parts of the story that stretches around the globe. The Ashcan held my attention, and while I won’t be buying this title, it is something I may contemplate picking up somewhere down the round via comiXology. If it lasts, I could imagine HBO or Showtime turning it into an ongoing series. The cover price of Evolution #1 in Ashcan form is free (limited to 1 per store), while the current value is $5.

Cool Comics Classics

Cool comics in my collection #522: Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery #78, October 1977.

Anthology comics have their place as alternative forms of reading entertainment, and this cool comics classic fits the atmosphere of a dark October sky perfectly, as we inch closer and closer toward the 31st. Now 40 years old, this issue of Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery features four different stories, written and drawn to give you chills, which is just what you want at this time of year, right? Most of the comics we read today have ongoing characters, and more often than not, ongoing stories, but this comic gives you complete little stories featuring all-new casts of characters! “The Chameleon Creature,” “The Man Who Cried Monster,” “The Stalking Time Bomb,” and “The Microbe War,” all in one issue! What are some of your favorite scary comic books? Be sure and share in the comments section below. The cover price of Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery #78 is 30¢, while the current value is $15.

Recently Read Digital Comics

Over the last several months I’ve been buying DC Walmart 3-Packs of comics, most of which have various Rebirth titles. But until recently, I’d never read the comic that introduced it, DC Universe: Rebirth #1. The comiXology version retails for $2.99, not a bad price for an 81-page comic, especially considering its historical importance. But if you’ve been reading this blog long enough, you know I tend to find great deals on digital comics on Amazon. So when the price went down to 99¢, I couldn’t hit the buy button fast enough! The only time I’ve read New 52 titles is when I get those Walmart 3-Packs. Yeah, I didn’t have a great grasp on all of the hows and whys of what took place in this Rebirth special, but I’m glad I did pick it up, especially as we head towards The Doomsday Clock limited series starting next month, which I’ll be buying. In a perfect world in which I have unlimited time and funds, I’d be reading all the Rebirth titles, because from what I’ve experienced, DC is doing a phenomenal job in making comics fun again, and that’s what it’s all about. Or should be. And lastly, never underestimate the importance in today’s world of digital comics. Most of the time they are more affordable and take up so much less living space.