Weekly Comic Report - November 11th, 2022
November 11th, 2022
Welcome to COVRPRICE's Weekly Comic Report!
This week we cover the hottest sales of the week. We mix in some incredibly tough books to find with a spattering of some of our other favorite shakers of the week. You're missing out if you're not checking out the SHAKERS list every day. They're there one day and refreshed the next. Enjoy, and have a happy weekend!
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COMIC BOOK SHAKERS
SHAKER: ALL SELECT COMICS #3| MARVEL | 1944
With titans of the industry like Stan Lee and Bill Finger working on the run, All Select Comics was the business to be in back in the day. It offered a trifecta of the most famous then-Timely Comics hero gallery all in one book! The Human Torch and Captain America appeared in the first ten issues, along with Namor for issues 1-5, with several other rotating characters. It allowed more stories featuring community favorite characters all in one place instead of multiple publications. It was influential and entertained many readers with fantastic stories written by the great Bill Finger as war raged around the world (World War II was still a year away from its end). As it passed through decades of hands, many faded into dust over the years, but some have survived. One such book was acquired by a fan of the Golden Age and their heroes, picking up a CGC 1.8 copy for a cool $1,528. This is the first time a low-grade slab has reached our databases, with the closest grade being a 4.5 sold for $1,768 over two years ago. When one of the few higher-grade copies comes to market, it will be interesting to see what this classic work could fetch.
SHAKERS: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #12 - SHOGO AOKI - 2018 TOKYOCON | MARVEL | 2018
By Matt DeVoe
Marvel has done some interesting experiments with their exclusives over the past several years. From hiring unconventional artists, like the late NYC quick-draw artist Jason Polan and Amazing Spider-Man #20 (2019), their various D23/convention exclusives limited to under 30 copies, and hard-to-find international convention exclusives, like this variant for the 2018 Tokyocon. This features the only traditional comic book cover from Shogo Aoki, a popular Manga artist. It's unknown how many copies exist, but the first sale we've ever seen was in July 2021 for a huge $725.43 raw. We thought that was huge until this week's sale when a CGC 8.0 sold for a massive $3,353. If you wish to buy a copy, only one is listed… a CGC 9.6 at the low price of $25,000. There are only four on the CGC census, with this 8.0 being the lowest and the currently listed 9.6 as one of two copies tied for the highest. Convention books outside the U.S. are almost always challenging to access here in the States, hence this book's scarcity and premium pricing. While there SHOULD be more out there, how have only TWO copies hit the aftermarket in four years? Where are these?
SHAKERS: ASTRO BOY #1 | WESTERN | AUG 1, 1965
This rare beauty from Gold Key (Western) was published when Astro Boy was still new to the airwaves. Anime and Manga were not nearly as popular as they are today, so it was a risk at that time to devote a one-shot comic book to such a character. It seems to have paid off for those that bought and kept this comic in their collection. With the popularity of Manga and Anime skyrocketing in recent years and the rarity of this book, a cult following seems to have developed for this first appearance silver-age unicorn. Raw copies of this comic always demanded somewhat of a premium, but nothing compares to the CGC 9.8 sale that recently burst onto the scene for just over 10K! WOW! Raw copies are now hovering around $500 on average.
SHAKER: BARBIE AND KEN #1 | DELL | 1962
It may come as a surprise for some readers, but Barbie is still incredibly popular. This is supported by the surprisingly high interest in the Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling feature film in post-production. We touched on issue #4 from this run a couple of weeks ago, and now issue #1 has made its way to our list. Recently, a CGC 9.8 sold for $4,320! It is an incredible sum, but it's hard to compare to past sales as it's the only 9.8 on the CGC census. We may be seeing the top of the market for now, at least until the upcoming Barbie film releases or this book changes hands. But, with two CGC 9.6 grades floating around, we could see that high sale tested. Some may consider it a steal of a deal for the 9.8, as one of the last 9.6's sold in 2011 for $3,346! Barbie and Ken books are low-key in demand, yet there is still a thriving community of collectors aiming to get one of these books into their collection. With high prices on high-grade copies, and the need for more availability, most will have to visit the raw market. Prices are much more manageable, coming in at around $175. Still a pretty penny, but worth it to some!
SHAKER: BUSTER CRABBE #5 | EASTERN COLOR | 1952
Buster Crabbe, AKA Clarence Linden Crabbe II, was a certified beast and American Hero. Winning gold in the 400-meter freestyle (swimming event) at the 1932 Olympics launched him into stardom. A year after his win, he transitioned to Hollywood, launching his career in 1933 with a portrayal of Tarzan. He would go on to portray Flash Gordan and Buck Rogers, all American media icons who cemented their position in the zeitgeist early and often. Once his Hollywood career slowed down, it was time for a comic adaptation, and BOOM, you get Buster Crabbe. Portrayed as an action hero who conquered any environment, with some incredible covers on his books to boot, Buster Crabbe was beloved. Whether it was a fan who remembered him fondly or a newer addition to the fandom, one fan dropped $2,160 for a CGC 6.5! These books rarely come to market, with the most recent sale being $840 for a CGC 3.0 last year. However, people take notice when they do, wasting no time pouncing on an epic book featuring a real-life American icon.
SHAKER: CURSE OF THE SPAWN #17 - NEWSSTAND | IMAGE | 1996
By Matt DeVoe
Things you know by now: Spawn books are hot, and Spawn collectors will pay top dollar for rare editions. At this time in the 90s, Newsstand editions were comprised of only 10% of sales. For later issues, they were even rarer. This book is so rare that we didn't even know it existed until this sale hit this week. The seller of this book states that this is "one of the rarest books… when it comes to the Spawn universe." They also speculate that less than ten copies were ever released. This is difficult to confirm, yet with one sale in at least a decade… maybe this is accurate (though there is one 7.0 graded copy listed)? Regardless, one buyer took this to heart and dropped $500 raw on this rare Spawn newsstand.
SHAKER: THE GREEN HORNET #1 | WESTERN | 1967
The Green Hornet was a masked vigilante that started as a radio serial in the 1930s but gained popularity as a TV show because of the one and only Bruce Lee (who played his trusty side-kick Kato). If a wealthy mogul moonlighting as a crime fighter in disguise sounds familiar, that's because Batman was created three years after the Green Hornet was on the radio waves. Ironically, the Green Hornet TV show was only greenlit after Batman's TV show became popular. Even though this comic book isn't the first appearance of the Green Hornet (that honor goes to Green Hornet Comics #1 from 1940), it fought its way to a record-breaking sale of a graded 9.6 of $4,560 on 11/03/22. Note: When it comes to sidekicks, please never claim that the superior Kato would fight Robin to a draw!
SHAKER: THE JETSONS #1 | WESTERN | 1963
By Erich L.
The comic book market is comprised of many aftermarket ecosystems. While the sky may be falling for one segment, other genres and eras are doing just fine! During this period of volatility, it is striking to see high-quality, rare (and therefore low turnover) items making new highs (and not by a small margin). Heritage featured a collection of high-grade file copies of early Jetsons issues with this 1963 first comic appearance of the eponymous family as the headliner. The last recorded sale of a CGC slab was a 7.5 that sold for just under $1,000 in April of this year -- this 9.0 copy established a new high well above what one might estimate based on that previous sale at a whopping $4,800. There are six total CGC 9.0 copies, one 9.2, and one 9.4 lurking out there. Pure nostalgia and rarity are in demand!
SHAKER: NINTENDO POWER #20 | NINTENDO OF AMERICA INC | 1991
With a truly unique cover of Mega Man, to say this issue does not surface often would be a severe understatement. Nintendo Power was the longest-running gaming magazine and featured all things Nintendo, including new game previews, reviews, strategies, and more NES fan culture. Recently, a 9.6 sold for an outstanding $2,640! This marks the only recorded sale, for either graded or raw. Someone must be a giant Nintendo or Mega Man fan! This book is so obscure that I was unable to find the CGC census data for this issue. You can find some reasonably priced raw copies under $20 on eBay, but the aftermarket FMV is challenging to hone in on with such a rare issue.
SHAKER: NINTENDO FUN CLUB NEWS #2 | NINTENDO OF AMERICA INC | 1987
Nintendo Fun Club News was originally a free subscription, which released bi-monthly newsletters and discussed popular and upcoming games and tips and tricks. There were a total of seven Nintendo Fun Club News issues before it was revamped into what became Nintendo Power. This issue is relatively rare and features the Legend of Zelda. Finding an issue in good condition is difficult and does not come up often. There have only been five recorded sales, ranging from $179 for an estimated Good copy (1.5 - 2.5) to $2,000 for an estimated Near Mint (9.0 - 9.4). Interestingly, all 5 of these sales have taken place since September of this year, with no prior sales being recorded. Nintendo-everything is selling!
SHAKER: OUR GANG COMICS #1 | DELL | 1942
By Cobra
Nearly everyone has heard of the cat and mouse duo, "Tom & Jerry." However, when Tom first debuted, he was colored brown, as opposed to his famous grey fur. In addition to the first appearance of Tom & Jerry, this book also debuts Barney Bear. The book contains wonderful golden age art courtesy of Walt Kelly. These characters defined a generation's childhood, making their first comic appearance a highly collectible item. A graded 9.4 sold last Thursday for a new high of $6300. According to the CGC census, there are currently 32 graded copies. Only two of those have been graded at 9.4, which is currently the highest grade on this book. Those looking for a better bargain will have to drop to the next highest grade on file, 8.5. It's a scarce book for one of the most recognizable properties of all time!
SHAKER: SCOOBY-DOO #1 | WESTERN | 1970
By Erich L.
Featured in the same Heritage auction as the Jetsons run and a slew of other high-grade Scooby books, this CGC 9.2 copy of the first in-story appearance of Scooby and the Gang annihilated the previous high of $6,000 for the equivalent grade set back in 2020. $12,600 this time. Zoinks, twelve grand+! Whoever was pounding the table about the 70s and 80s nostalgia a few years ago was absolutely 100% right; nostalgia (more broadly "cultural importance") and rarity are the big factors here and should hopefully generate some new (old) ideas to hunt down in high grade.
SHAKER: SUPERMAN/ WONDER WOMAN #5 DAN PANOSIAN (1:25) | DC | 2014
By Van Denby
In 2014 DC released monthly themed variants that spread across many titles. These themes ranged from MAD, Batman '66, Movie Homages, and a few others. The set that has garnered the most attention with collectors is the steampunk-themed variants. These variant covers were all ratio/incentive variants and have become quite collectible in recent years. Several of these variants sell for higher prices, such as Batgirl, Harley Quinn, and Wonder Woman, due to rarity/availability. The Superman/Wonder Woman #5 (1:25) variant has been a consistent $100-150 seller as well but this week saw a sale of $400 for a raw copy. This is a new high for a raw and will put eyes on the other variants in this set as well.
SHAKER: TALES FROM THE CRYPT #35 | EC | 1953
By Cobra
Pre-Comics Code Authority books are always hot items! It's fascinating to see the limits pushed on both the cover and interior artwork of these dark tales. This book is a bit tamer compared to the artwork we receive in today's comic books. Another point for collectability is the cover artist, Jack Davis. Davis' artwork is an important part of that generation, illustrating several classic covers for TALES FROM THE CRYPT and MAD MAGAZINE. A raw VG copy of the book sold for an astounding $720. The last sale, in 2019, sold for only $290. What is truly interesting about this sale is a FINE raw copy of this book sold in August for $552. To understand the value increase, we'll have to wait to see what newer raw and slabbed sales look like moving forward!
SHAKER: UFO FLYING SAUCERS #1 | WESTERN | 1968
It's 2022, and the U.S. Government has finally fessed up to the fact that there could be Unidentified Ariel Phenomena (their catchy term for UFO) over our skies. Of course, they want to attribute most of the sightings to foreign (aka Chinese) drones or airborne trash, not extraterrestrial beings. The general public has been discussing UFOs since World War II, and what makes this comic book great is that it was based on first-person accounts of UFO sightings and close encounters with aliens. I can't tell you what to believe, but I can tell you that a graded 9.8 came up for sale on 11/03/22 and sold for an out-of-this-world $3,360. That is something the government can't deny. Speaking of UFOs, it is worth noting for you modern UFO collectors that a copy of THE X-FILES: SEASON 10 #1 - RI - JOE CORRONEY, which perfectly complements the above classic UFO cover, also sold this week for a new high of $138 raw.
SHAKER: ULTIMATE FALLOUT #4 - MARKO DJURDJEVIC (1:25) | MARVEL | 2011
If you are looking for a modern key/unicorn of a book, this is it. Ultimate Fallout was a huge deal for Marvel, as they were actively competing with the New 52 over at DC and needed some juice to inject into the market. Well, readers weren't necessarily hip as to who exactly Miles Morales would turn out to be, and neither were retailers. While a ton of first prints were created, the print run for the 1:25 Djurdjevic variant is obviously significantly lower. As a 1:25 ratio, a shop would have to order 25 books to get this variant. But not all did, leading many to speculate that there could be as little as 1,400 copies in North America. With Miles blowing up, this book did too. The community began to see sales topping out at $40,000 for a CGC 9.8, and the trickle-down began. Books of lesser grades have also risen, with a recent CGC 5.0 topping out at $1,700. The closest comparison is a 6.5 sold early last year for $1,725, which is still a large number for a modern book. They don't sell for that kind of cash, but one lucky fan was able to secure a copy of this rare variant for their PC for a comparably low price, albeit for the lowest-graded sale we have in our database.
SHAKER: WITCHBLADE #76 - WIZARD WORLD TEXAS EXCLUSIVE | IMAGE | 2004
By Van Denby
It is rare that I can cover a book that I've never seen in person. This Witchblade variant was sold exclusively at a Wizard World Texas show in 2004 and was limited and numbered to 100 copies. With the print run being so low, that would explain a lone raw copy popping up and quickly selling for $250 this week. This is the only sale we've seen on CovrPrice, and maybe anywhere. This is one to keep on your radar in the unlikely chance you come across a copy one day. In fact, try to never pass up a cool variant at/under 100 copies.
RUMORED/OPTIONED COMICS
RUMORED/OPTIONED: GEARS OF WAR
Per Variety, "Netflix is making a feature film adaptation followed by an adult animation series based on the sci-fi shooter franchise, the company announced Monday. The streamer also notes there is "potential for more stories to follow." This is a big step towards streamers developing big video game franchises. This hard-to-find series should continue to see steady and increasing sales.
RUMORED/OPTIONED: LOBO
Per MovieWeb, "Aquaman star Jason Momoa has also made some waves by teasing that his "dream" DC project is now in the works, thanks to Gunn and Safran taking over at DC Studios." After Momoa made these comments, new DC Studios co-head, James Gunn posted a photo of Lobo on the social media platform Mastodon. This is not a confirmation, nor do we know what it means for Momoa. Can he play two different DC characters? Either way, Lobo books are moving. This includes his first appearance in Omega Men #3.
RUMORED/OPTIONED: SPIDER-PUNK
Despite toy leaks previously confirming the inclusion of Spider-Punk in SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE, we've finally received official confirmation via an official announcement of actor Daniel Kaluuya voicing the character. Once again, this reignited Spider-Punk's first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #10 (2014).
WHAT THE WATCHER IS WATCHING
WATCHING: SUPERMAN / BATMAN #7 - PANINI EURO VARIANT | DC | 2004
By Josh Alen
In today's news, I want to do something different and talk about what might be the lowest sale ever recorded for Superman & Batman #7 (French Edition) with a gorgeous virgin Dell'Otto cover. This book had a distributed print run of 2,000 copies. The interior story contains Superman #656, Action Comics #843, Batman #657 & Detective Comics #823. This is an important note for Panini reprints as they typically take a popular US issue and reprint multiple issues into one thick square-bound book, featuring a variation of popular covers or a completely original one, like this cover. A CGC 9.8 sold this past week at Heritage for a staggering low of $169. The recorded high for this book was from 2017, when a CGC 9.8 sold for $1,325. This book was recorded selling in raw no-grade condition just two years ago in 2020 for $250. This isn't a heavily graded book, with only 46 graded in 9.8 and 6 higher in 9.9. The lesson here today is that deals are out there. In the foreign game, you need to use every tool available to you, and if you do... trust me, you will reap the rewards with the time you put in. One lucky person on Heritage has just realized this.
WATCHING: STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN #5 | MARVEL | 2022
Fennec Shand first appeared in The Mandalorian as the main target of Mando in order to gain a bounty. Unfortunately, she was shot and left for dead in the desert until Boba Fett discovered her and brought her back to life using cybernetic parts. She would then appear in Season 2 of The Mandalorian, The Bad Batch (where more of her back story was revealed), and starred alongside Boba Fett in The Book of Boba Fett. What makes her character more intriguing is that she is the first Asian actress to be portrayed as a villain (or anti-hero) on-screen in the Star Wars universe. Her first appearance in this comic book has flown under the radar but is picking up steam. The FMV for this 1:50 variant is $62, with a high sale of $90 on 11/2/22. It may be worth picking up copies of this issue and stashing it away. It's also worth noting that the 1:15 is the only cover of this issue that features her on the cover. All covers of this are books to watch!
WATCHING: ULTIMATE FALLOUT #4 - CLAYTON CRAIN - C2E2 2022 - ACETATE IN GOD WE TRUST FACSIMILE (LIMITED 750) | MARVEL | 2022
By Matt DeVoe
Yep, it's back. With a couple of months behind this book, we decided to revisit it and see how it fared post-fallout. We don't always watch books we believe will increase… sometimes we closely watch the books that made the most noise. As you recall, this book set the industry on fire back in August. A big spotlight was shone on everything from retailer ethics, influencer ethics, FOMO, grading mistakes, trolled aftermarket sales, marital affairs, and full-blown meltdowns. It was a weird time that caused quite a ruckus. All thanks to this unapproved altered cover from Black Flag comic. In terms of legit prices, we were able to track this and ultimately hit a high sale of $1,800 for a CGC 9.9. While the asking price was roughly $85 (yes, it started lower and went much higher) at C2E2, raw sales hit a legit high of $850. Despite early blue labels from CGC, the company faced tremendous backlash and therefore switched their approach by giving this book a green label. Today, NM+ copies have recently sold for an FMV of $177. A CGC 10.0 has recently sold for $608, and a 9.9 at $516. That's a sharp drop from that high of $1,800 for a 9.9. When you step back and look at the whole picture, even $177 still seems like a decent return for a convention exclusive. However, this is pretty much the consolation price for obtaining the catalyst of 2022's greatest comic drama.
KEY COMIC OF THE WEEK
KEY OF THE WEEK: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #238 - CANADIAN PRICE - 75 CENT | MARVEL | 1983
By Van Denby
This first appearance of Hobgoblin is constantly on dealer walls at every convention and is one of the most iconic Spidey covers to date. That being said, the book still has a few variations that make this book even more sought after. This week saw a new high sale of one of those variants. A CGC 9.8 copy of the Canadian price variant (.75) sold for a whopping $8100, setting a new high. The price variants are tough to find, much less in higher grades. This will be one to watch out for to see if any other high-grade copies pop up after such a large sale.
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The CovrPrice Contributors
It takes a lot of work and research to bring you our Weekly Comic Report. Special thanks to our fanatical writers for their weekly contributions and comic know-how. If you'd like to learn more about our writing team, follow the links below.
Lead Writer & Editor: Matt DeVoe | matt@CovrPrice.com
Writer: Nick Richardson | Nick's Fresh Press Comics
Writer: The Professor | Lady T Comic Keys
Writer: Keith Shimabukuro | cardboard_fiend
Writer: Van Denby | teebonitus
Writer: Jeremy Imlach | Venomized_truebeliever
Writer: Cobra | CobraComix.com
Writer: Erich L | goodgirlsbadrobots
Writer: Josh Alen | internationalcomics
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Slabbed Sales Data
