Flashback Friday – One Year Later

One year ago, we spec’d on new books hitting the shelves. Now it’s time to see how those specs and picks are doing now.

Let’s find out what we were spec’ing on in June 2018. We already covered the first week of June, we’ll hit up the rest of June in this edition.

DC Books

Batgirl #24 gave us another great Middleton Variant after the now famous BG23 from the month prior.

Honestly I must say, I liked this cover better than BG23.

What’s this book doing a year later? Most recent sales put this as a solid $10 book on average.

However it’s odd for this books value raw is going for $10 but a CGC 9.8 sold for $22.50 + $14.50 shipping which is a great price for a graded slab. Sucks to the seller who likely spent way more to get it slabbed.

Teen Titans Special #1 brought us the very first Crush appearance. Talk about a dud, you can still find this at Midtown but for $8.00.

Save that $8.00, a recent auction that included this book and Teen Titans #20 went for a whopping 99 cents.

I do recall me, claiming a year ago that when a publisher pushes too hard it backfires onto them. Looks like that’s the case with Crush, a character that no one cares about a year later. I’m wrong most of the time but when I’m right..   I’m right, RIGHT?  Sorry, got a little excited there. I’m almost never right.

Marvel Books

June was the month of Venom. Seriously, these were the only books I think worth mentioning from last year.

Venom #2 sold out at retailers pretty quickly likely due to anticipation of what’s to come. The hot new series last year being written by Donny Cates after his hot run on Thanos was all the rage. But as this issue is a $10 book on a good day, it’s Venom #3 that was the real winner.

Venom #3 introduced the world to the new Knull character that is still making waves a year later as he was just reintroduced in the latest Silver Surfer Black. Donny Cates really seems to be connecting his world of symbiotes with every story line he seems to take over. This was also the book that turned the back bin common issue Thor: God of Thunder #6 into an overnight back bin delight.

Shameless plug time, this was one of the few books I got Donny Cates to sign during the Silver Surfer signing event. So for those interested in my very own signed copy by Donny Cates I have listed, I’ll throw in free shipping if you are a CHU reader and mention CHU.

Indies and Small Publishers

Zinnober #1 quickly heated up but it didn’t last long. The regular cover didn’t see as much heat as the variant B cover which had a pretty awesome dragon on the cover.

On a good day these still sell for a ten dollar bill but on a bad day, one sold for 99 cents (which was the most recent sold listing).

Weatherman #1 is a great read. The artwork is great which really compliments the type of story this book carries.

Unfortunately this one hasn’t taken off yet. If this ever gets any type of option or media deal, this one could be a nice flip for those who bought a few copies to hold for the long term gamble.

Lost City Explorers #1 was a quick sell out last year.

What’s this doing a year later? Prices are all over the place but a recent sold went for $15.99 + $4.00 shipping. Most solds are still cover price to a buck or two.

Small print run from indie comic, a media deal could change this one. Honestly I couldn’t even be truthful if it’s a good read, I picked up a copy and it’s in the larger stack of “gonna read one day” books.

Avoid Pick

X-Men Wedding Special #1 was a over hyped craptastic Marvel book that I warned everyone to avoid and boy was I right again.

You can still find this online and maybe at local retailers (check the $1.00 bins if you can’t find them in the back issues). The most recent sold listing was a JSC signed copy with COA for a whopping $5.50 with a total of 2 bids.

JSC has his fanboys but this was a loser from the get go, but that’s just my opinion. Maybe it’s not the cover art for this one though, the story was complete garbage.

31 thoughts on “Flashback Friday – One Year Later”

  1. Crush’s time hasn’t come yet. She’s heavily active in the Teen Titans comic stories fighting with her father right now. Her 1st Cover went out for 2.5 times ratio. There’s even a cover for her 1st chain. Even reading spec that Harley might be the mommy. If you can pick it up for $10 or less now this one could be big later when she pops up on Supergirl or elsewhere. It definitely doesn’t appear she’s about to disappear from use.

    1. She might be a character that’s around but nobody is interested in her first appearance. She seems like she’ll make a great supporting cast character for years and decades to come..

    2. agreed, any one who doesn’t want to spec on her but has tt20 1:25 i will be happy to give you a few dollars for it.

      1. I think I recall Midtown was selling these originally around the $50 retail price tag so most of the sales on the secondary market are still hovering around that. Not much spec still if you ask me. I think DC made too big a deal over this character, attempting to push her to boost sales and it backfired. You can still get the regular cover A for cover price (or for a buck off eBay).

        Maybe one day but I just don’t see her gaining much attraction now or anytime in the future.

        1. Anyone who is putting up this issue for 99 cents is just an idiot. Not only are they losing money in the sale they gotta take the time to ship it to. Why not just got to the local lcs to trade it for something else?

            1. That’s my point. If you start an auction at 99 cents you’re basically saying you’ll accept 99 cents for it.

              1. True but it’s also taking a chance in true auction style. I didn’t look at the details but it might of started lower, I think i recall seeing 2 bids for it unless it was the same bidder putting in a new max bid for themselves.

                I like auctions that start low though, it displays true demand for something by starting the bid price low.

                If this book had higher demand, then people would have bid on it. A year later, few bids and it only sells for 99 cents tells me, nobody gives a squat about this character or this book. Now, can that all change in the future? Sure, but I’m just reporting what’s now in this report and Crush currently is a disappointment big flat failure currently when it comes to first appearance with no demand.

  2. 26 bids on the 26th, that was 2 days ago selling for $177. Day before that 13 bids ending at $50.99 for a raw. seems pretty good to me for a 25 qty ratio especially considering how many end up unsellable at even half ratio in under a year.

    That’s the thing with spec, you need a diverse portfolio so to speak. stuff that can pay now, stuff that might pay later. buy low so you have the potential to sell high.

    Who else has DC put out in the last 2 years has a better upside to? Jenny Hex? Teen Lantern? There’s so many ways she can go that she’s bound to get a supporting role in something animated or live action eventually. Too big of a potential pedigree and that’s assuming the Harley’s the mom spec doesn’t come to fruition.

    1. if harley as her mom is confirmed, the ratio should see a very nice spike up. btw the writer said when book came out crushes mom was a big dc character. the number of big female dc characters is pretty small. and given quinn black book that came out its not a giant leap

      1. Back then I said why would anyone care about Crush when Omega Men #3 1st Lobo was a $5 book for 33 years. Sure 1st Lobo is worth some money now with TV appearances and a coming movie but 30+ years is a long time for your money to sit stagnant.

        1. So to put that into perspective.. If Crush turns out like her father, my $5 investment now if I bought her first appearance means it’s $50 when I’m 73 years old and likely already out of the comic scene.

          1. So you’re writing this for yourself only or for a wide range of people with different long and short term expectations for being in the hobby?

            I don’t think it’s realistic in this day to expect anything to take 30 years to get some type of alternative media exposure. Every time you blink there’s another streaming service, movie announcement, video game or tv show. The one’s she’s most likely to get crossed into are already in production with Supergirl, Legends and DC’s Titans.

            2. Well, that’s the point of the comments, they’re more personal opinion.. comments are just discussion, nothing more, nothing less.

            3. Agreed, BJ. The rate of growth for comics has exponentially increased by n the last decade. It took Lobo 30 years for his 1st to see heat. These days, it only takes 24 hrs, or less, for any given book to explode in value.

              1. I blame the internet. We know exact instant when a Kardashian farts…

                But yeah, it’s been a year since Crush came onto the scene. You can still find her regular first appearance at online retailers because DC pushed this character too hard so retailers likely over ordered thinking the masses will swarm stores to come grab a copy.

                Maybe in 30 years she’ll see some heat when supplies have run dry at retailers and so on but I’m just not that optimistic. She might be growing as a character with the Teen Titans but I bet I’m not alone as a person who has zero interest in her.

                Like JayClue stated, if it were to happen, it would have happened last year..

                1. That is out of context, Poyo. I didnt say if it was to happen, it would have happened last year. What I had said was that when/if it happens, it will take off quickly. I believe in Crush myself, and have a few of the 1:25 design variants of her and a few 1:25s of Harleys Lil Black Book #6, just in case.

                2. Crush was a crushing blow because DC screwed the pooch by trying to manipulate the market to boost their sales for her.. 🙂

      1. Response to “Who else has DC put out in the last 2 years has a better upside to? Jenny Hex? Teen Lantern?“

        1. I’m not convinced on Naomi yet and she’s crashing hard on the secondary. I just read an e-mail saying 9.8 cgc’s selling down at $120 and raws down to $50.

          We still don’t know if she even has any powers yet. Just a twinkly suit sent by her auntie that looks like her daddies.

          She’s basically a knock off of Hope from the X-Men.

          5 issues so far without anything super or even heroic happening.

          Crush on the other hand has had a steady developing of her back story over the last year and relationships developing with other Titans.

          I would love to see Naomi develop into something but it’s going to forever have the stink of being a knockoff of the Hope story tainting whatever they do in the future.

          1. 3 sales is the last few days $147-$160. But yeah a lack of excitement has led to a price correction….people got a little crazy there. I usually don’t read a book until the story arc is complete, but started reading after issue 5 came out….of course no 6 keeps getting delayed….which is exactly why I WAIT! Still,haven’t opened up my doomsday clock issue 1 yet….or Batman damned…

            but I don’t think DC has to rush to give her powers and thrust her into a super hero roll. She’s still figuring out what’s going on…I’m ok letting it all develop organically. Story’s been good so far.

            1. Batman Damned finished Wednesday Morning. You are now green lighted to enjoy. Beware the Batwang.

              “but I don’t think DC has to rush to give her powers and thrust her into a super hero roll. She’s still figuring out what’s going on…I’m ok letting it all develop organically. Story’s been good so far.
              I was enjoying a nice slow development up until #5. Now we’re heading into #6 with one issue with her having done nothing so far and already in danger knowing that whatever she’s going to do, it has to be sooooo biiiiig and done in one single issue that it justifies the write up for Action Comics 1015 with Superman and Batman’s having needed to get involved in her life. I’ll avoid copy pasting the solicitation this time. It just starting to get a little tired of Bendis. It’s making me really nervous to think how he’s going to mess up the Legion of Superheroes. I’m starting to feel torn between wanting them back in my life but fearful they’ll get Bendisized and tarnish the history of something I loved. I like what Yang is doing with Phantom Girl in Terrifics. It doesn’t feel totally different but he’s gradually given her explosive touch ability instead of just becoming intangible between dimensions. I feel like if Bendis had been involved she would have been revealed to be an android built by Brainiac with the ability to get heavy added and to shoot heat beams from her necklace while having a personality downloaded from a template of Black Canarys memories/personality. Then we’d look back in a couple years and find her married to a warlock and building her own children.

          2. The delay in getting Naomi 6 out the door isn’t helping either and even the solicitation for an appearance in action comics doesn’t even sound like an issue destined to wow. You’d think she’d at least have a superhero name to solicit for Action Comics 1015 but it does stay in the “Hope Duplication” theme to not give her a superhero name and just keep calling her Naomi.

            1. Now I’m laughing at myself. I’d actually managed to forget Naomi exists!!! Nothing like a nice forgettable hero.

              1. If people would occasionally buy a copy off the shelf it might jog the memory since she hasn’t actually done anything memorable yet. I actually have more Naomi in stock right now than Marvel Comics Presents.

              2. Naomi is front and centre in this month Previews, as she is debuting in Action Comics #1015. Her 1st still commands decent coin. You shouldn’t scoff at her quite yet, imo.

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