Informed Comic Book Speculation and Pop Culture News
So as we reported, ‘Hoax Hunters’ has been optioned for a movie deal. The back issue prices have been moving up nicely. But how many issues are there out there? Well Here you go. I do not have a solid number on #2 yet as it did not appear on the top 300 list for books shipped but it is an estimate. All in all, pretty low number for a Modern Comic.
#0 – 5,779
#1 – 6,973
#2 -4,000 (estimated)
#3 -4,404
Larry’s Comics Market Report
Every Tuesday Larry Doherty from Larryscomics.net in Lowell, MA puts out a market report of books that are selling well in his shop and books that are heating up the secondary market. He also speculates on new books. (We tend to think most of the same books are worth picking up.) We will be running his mini-blog post each week. Here is this weeks:
Hey guys,
here is my shops weekly report for 5/1/13
It contains A LOT of recycled information because it’s weekly & the market doesn’t change that fast.
Enjoy it. Don’t take it too seriously.
Top ten Regular issue new comics by sales:
Here is the top ten list of actual sales in my shop. These are our just one shop out of 1,900’s actual sales.
#1 – Guardians of the Galaxy #2. “Alpha Dog”. Huge sales, however fans complaining about the “movie like” redesigns for the visuals on most characters.
#2 – Uncanny Avengers #7. Fans like the new art. Cassaday was stagnating.
#3 – Jupiter’s Legacy. Indy “rock star of the day”, The fact that Mr Millar did NOT release this book digitally helped sales immensely.
#4 – Uncanny X-Men #5 . The new Cyclops is bad ass.
#5 – Avengers #9. Johnathan Hickman weaves a complex tale fans enjoy .
#6 –New Avengers #5 . Kindly refer to the above line.
#7 –Deapool #8. This book has been piss your pants funny lately!
#8 – Injustice Gods among us #4. The video game release really pumped numbers up .
#9 – Batman Incorporated #10. The death of Damien is in most fans buy pile.
#10 -East of West #2. Impressive showing for a number two. Universal positive buzz.
Top “ten-ish”Regular issue new ( last year ) comics by aftermarket:
Modern comics that are seeing aftermarket activity. Ebay, Amazon, CGC boards, Bleeding Cool,conventions & my Phantom retailer network of 25+ shops are the primary source of this information. Not the top selling books in comic stores, rather the currently published, modern books that are selling above cover price for a variety of reasons. Prices are so volatile, in some cases they are out of date upon publication. This is just a guide, you figure them out. It’s simple, search E-Bay under completed auctions:
Hoax Hunters. The latest recipient of Hollywood love.
Rachel Rising #1. Yeah, rising in price due to TV rumors. Up to $200
Pilot Season Declassified #1 & The Test #1. TV development is stirring interest.
Uber #0. Nazi shock violence for the sale of shock violence
Polarity #1. This band tie in dual collectable.
East of West #1 Quality new mythology has this on everyone’s radar.
Nowhere Men Fabulous word of mouth. Under-ordered. Settling.
Peter Panzerfaust. Rumored stop motion animated show for BBC Low Print run.
Helheim #1 regular #1. Obscure indy publisher. Low print run. Killer material.
Injustice #1. This video game tie in hasn’t even begun. Great word of mouth. $25
Hawkeye. Recent trade release should quiet down this back issue juggernaut.
The Sixth Gun. NBC TV show has put the spotlight on this indy gem.
Mind MGMT. The recent movie development news has fans scrambling. #1-$50
Saga. This is the title defines the recent Image revival. #1-$75
Five Ghosts #1. Positive word of mouth.
Top ten “ish” up & coming modern Key issues.
Modern comics that are just starting to see aftermarket movement. Books that were recently not in demand, and are finally experiencing aftermarket activity for a variety of reasons.
Spawn #9. First appearance of Angela.
Dark Knight Returns #2. First full in costume Carrie Kelly.
Guardians of the Galaxy #1 vol 2. Fans are starting to focus on this affordable #1
Wolverine #166. 1st appearance Dog
Uncanny X-Men #282. First Bishop.
Guardians of the Galaxy 24 & 25 (vol 2), return of Thanos.
X-Factor #5 & 6. First Apocalypse. Rumored villain in upcoming X-movie
Batman #7. First full appearance Harper Row. Rumored new Robin.
Captain America vol 5 #6. First full appearance of the Winter Soldier
New Mutants #16. First Warpath $10
Top ten modern Key issues at my shop.
Modern comics that sell off my wall constantly. My shop sales are primarily new material, & my back issue sales tend to be related. I have a waiting list for most of these books.
Kimota! All Miracleman issues have been flying amidst Marvel rumors.
Walking Dead #1. The undisputed king of the modern era. Actually ANY WD pre 100.
Marvel Super Hero Presents #18. Guardians are really heating up. $50+
New Mutants #98. 1st Deadpool. $100 king of the modern X keys.
Uncanny X-Men #266. 1st Gambit is always a $40 instant sale.
Uncanny X-Men #141 &142. Days of future past movie source
Captain Marvel #33 – Origin of Thanos $50
Incredible Hulk #271. 1st comic book App Rocket Raccoon. $50
Nova #1. The new marvel series has fans scrambling for this relatively inexpensive bronze age key. $40+
Batman Harley Quinn. Iconic Alex Ross cover $50
Infinity Gauntlet, War, Crusade, Abyss. Thanos, Thanos Thanos.
The Killing Joke. It’s simply the best Joker wall book in the 25 year history of my shop. $25
Batman Animated #12. Every Bat fan wants the first appearance of Harley Quinn. $85
My Top ten “ish” under-valued modern comics.
These are books I’m speculating will soon see aftermarket activity, & are currently under-valued in my humble opinion, some may even be found in the bargain bins. I want to buy these books on the cheap. They’re long-shots.
Action Comics Vol 1 #845 January, 2007. First modern day General Zod.
Uncanny X-Men #282. First Bishop is a steal at $
Hank Henshaw appearances. The new 52 version is coming.
Eric O’ Grady key’s: Irredeemable Ant Man #1-12, Secret Avengers #23 & #32
Marvel Red Sonja #1. Gail Simone is taking over Dynamite series.
Rom #1 IDW just untangled the rights. If Nova & Ms Marvel can get hot, why the hell not Rom?
Starlord #1 the special edition 1982. first comic appearance of Star Lords father J’son of Spartax
Uncanny X-Men #172-3.Movie source material with Mariko Yashida
New X-Men #134. First Quentin Quire.
Star Brand #1. First New Universe & brand/tattoo: The Star Brand.
Thor #344. First appearance Malekith ( In upcoming Thor-2 movie )
Invaders vol 2 #1. First Dr. Nemesis
Uncanny X-men #317. First Blink. In upcoming X movie.
Marvel Point One. First Sam Alexander Nova
Battle Scars #1 & #6. First full Phil Coulson & Marcus Johnston.
The Invincible Iron Man #10. First Pepper Potts as Rescue.
Young Avengers #1. First Kate Bishop. My favorite Marvel female.
Ms Marvel #1. She’s rumored to be in Avengers 2 movie.
Ultimate Team Up #5. First African American Nick Fury in comics.
Captain America #157. first appearance of Viper
Batman Beyond Unlimited #3. First Luke Fox in comics. New Batwing. (The armor appears to be a Beyond armor prototype.) The first new 52 version of Luke Fox is Batwing #19
Deathshead appearances. Absolute quarter box fodder. I’m currently researching which to buy.
Top ten modern variant comics by aftermarket:
Variants are versions of the regular issue comic. They are NOT regular issue comics.
They are distributed / created for a variety of reasons.
Order incentive / retailer incentive, produced exclusively for shops/shows,events.
Peter Panzerfaust #10 C2e2 variant $100+
Adventure Time Marvel parodies. Delightful. $35+
Star Wars #1 Alex Ross sketch. Promo, limit one per Diamond account. $100+
Polarity #1. Strong debut. 1:10 $10, 1:25 $15
East of West #1 Forbidden Planet $30, ComicsPro/Ghost $15
Batman #1. Dc’s flagship title. $50
Nowhere Men #1 Thought Bubble, ComicsPro, CBLDF.
Skottie Young marvel Babys. fans simply adore these.
Hellheim #1 NYCC $50, ECCC $100
Blank sketch covers. There seems to be an insatiable need for these by auto / sketch seekers.
Five Ghosts #1 ECCC. $50+
Spawn homage covers.
Phantom variants. You know you love them. Generally sold $3.99 in shop sell for $10 online.
Incoming!
My pick of the week. The comic shipping this week that will be worth your valuable speculator y consideration, and why.
FCBD 2013 MASS EFFECT KILLJOYS RIPD
(W) Jeremy Barlow & Various (A/CA) Garry Brown & Various
Three blockbuster titles fill this FCBD offering! In R.I.P.D., a séance goes terribly wrong! Then, in Mass Effect, follow a flight-school grad as he breaks the rules to prove himself in space! Finally, check out the police-state landscape of the highly anticipated miniseries The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys!
This weeks pick shouldn’t cost you a dime as it is part of Free Comic Book Day. It is out of stock at Diamond. It has a lot going for it, but the Killjoy’s & Gerard Way’s involvement is why it is on my radar. Umbrella Academy set records at my shop with online sales. ( I bought a Google ad word early on & cleaned up )
Also: Boom Studio’s Regular Time #1 has been delayed several weeks due to a licensing issue, that makes the Kaboom FCBD special the 1st appearance of the regular show. Not a bad pick up for the price of FREE.
A lot of people ask me why I like to speculate on modern comic books. Original Art, Gold, Silver & Bronze age comics are a much better investment. I’m a comic book fan, a voracious reader of new material. I love how new books set the pace for back issues. It is fast paced & never stagnant due to the constant release of new material. Right now modern comics are the petri dish of pop culture, comic shops the breeding ground.
I have been collecting comics since the 1970’s & been in the business of selling them since the 1980’s. I love a quality story & a great buy, equally.
I speculate on new comics every week. I always have & I always will. Purchasing modern comic books with the intent of making a profit is my hobby of choice. It’s impossible that every new comic week will generate a book of “Walking Dead class” potential, but it’s still fun to try to make savvy buys. You can sit back & wait for aces, or you can play the hand your dealt to the best of your ability.
Sometimes, I’m right. Sometimes I’m wrong, but I play every week.
Thanks to Jim Parente at Finar comics for his help with this weeks report.
If you notice a trend developing email me: larryscomicsinc@aol.com
Larry Doherty
Larry’s Comics
66 Lakeview Ave
Lowell, MA 01850
Wednesday 9a-8p
Thursday 10a-7p
Friday 11a-11p
Saturday 9am-7pm
Sunday 11a-4p
Monday 11a-7p
Closed Tuesday.
You can buy Regional Shop Variants produced for my store
978-459-5323
LarrysComics.net
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LarrrysComicsInc@aol.com
I am getting this one out a little early this week. Here are my picks of the week for Wednesday 5/1/13.
1. Ten Grand by J. Michael Straczynski and Ben Templesmith. This one is on the list for several reasons. One, it is the return of JMS to a monthly series. Two, art by 30 days of night creator Templesmith. Three, it has been called John Constantine done right (sorry New 52 Constantine). Finally, because it was featured on the Advance Reorder List from Diamond comics. See it here.
2. Also on the list is Polarity #2. A great story of a guy who stopped taking his meds for bi-polar and suddenly gained super powers. #1 sold well and gained a bit on the secondary market.
Also out this week are a couple of cheap trade paper backs worth picking up.
1. Bedlam Vol.1 from Nick Spenser. Madder Rose, a Joker-esque character gets “cured” and goes about helping the police to solve a series of brutal crimes. The first story arch is fantastic and features art by Riley Rossmo. At $9.99 this is worth the pick up.
2. Great Pacific Vol.1 Trashed comes out this week from Image as well, and also value priced at $9.99. This is one of my favorite new books and wish that is would get the exposure it deserves. Joe Harris spins the tale of Chaz Worthington who claims the great floating pile of plastic in the Pacific Ocean to start a country. It features pirates, nukes, and a giant squid. Yup, giant squid. Worth the look. Amazon has this for $6.14 or 33% off.
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=F50A0A&IS2=1&bg1=F50A0A&fc1=2A2A2A&lc1=0000FF&t=comheaup-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=tf_til&asins=160706684X
Seems these announcements come out every day now, and when they do the market takes notice quickly. Steve Seeley’s Hoax Hunters has been picked up for a movie deal and prices are shooting up.
Issue 0 is closing in the $37 range. A set of 0-5 went for a best offer with an asking price of $75.
Issue 0
a href=”http://www.ebay.com/itm/161017536848?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
Issue 1
http://www.ebay.com/itm/161017562211?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
Issue 2
a href=”http://www.ebay.com/itm/151036925341?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
Check out the closed highlights here:
http://www.ebay.com/csc/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=Hoax+hunters&LH_Complete=1&LH_Sold=1&rt=nc
Sorry, I was away this weekend camping (and hitting a bunch of shops) and I didn’t get the reception from my phone or iPad to get this out.
Bleeding Cool has noted that the Guellermo Del Torro horror comic is heading to FX. Looks like a pilot has been ordered. In turn, prices on #1 have started to shoot up. The first issue was released for $1 and is now going for $13 with the 1 in 5 variant going for $15. A quick scan of eBay shows people are asking for, on average $24.95 for a buy it now.
Issue #1
http://www.ebay.com/itm/151036932182?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649
We will see how this book does.
One way to gauge how hot a comic will be is by looking at the Diamond Comics Advanced Reorder list. This is where retailers can up their orders on books before the final order cut-off. This list tends to be where retailers, who were playing conservative on certain books, go all in after buzz picks up. This week’s highlights are dominated by (Injustice Gods Among Us, and Spider-Man) reprints:
1. Amazing Spider-Man #700 4th Printing Variant – People just cannot get enough of the death of Peter Parker (for now) and the great homage covers Marvel is doing on each of the subsequent reprints are sending completists scrambling for them.
2. Injustice Gods Among Us #2 3rd print – This under ordered book has been hot on the secondary market in 1st print form, and now people are trying to read what all the buzz is about.
3. Injustice Gods Among Us #3 3rd print – See Above
5. East of West #1 3rd print – Even With a 54,000 copy print run, the book sold out. With the book being so good, and positive word of mouth, this Jonathan Hickman book keeps growing. 1st prints sell for around $10 for now. I am sitting on a little stash of these. (should have done the same for ‘Saga’)
6. Superior Spider-Man #1 3rd print – see Amazing #700 above.
7. Superior Spider-Man #3 3rd print
13. Five Ghosts Haunting of Fabian Gray #2 2nd print – Awesome book, great word off mouth, selling out within a week of printing, now retailers are going back for more. Can’t wait for the prices on these to jump.
15. Regular Show #1 – See what happened with Adventure Time? Well this book got pushed back to May delivery giving retailers a chance to order more. May be hot.
18. Dream Merchant #1 – A New Image #1, on everyone’s radar for potential heat.
Over on the regular reorder chart (books Diamond still has in stock) ‘Batman and Red Robin’ #19 still leads the pack. First appearance of Carrie Kelley has been hot. Has not translated into big dollars yet, but once the stock at Diamond dries up it may.
We talked about Rachel Rising #1 hitting $200 last Friday. http://comicsheatingup.wordpress.com/2013/04/19/rachel-rising-optioned-for-tv/
But a copy closed out a few days ago (April 21) for just shy of $1000.
A CGC 9.8 copy closed out at $949.99 on eBay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/RACHEL-RISING-1-CGC-9-8-TERRY-MOORE-FIRST-PRINTING-/111057397710?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item19db8967ce
Looks like this price increase could be the real deal. People are already talking ‘Walking Dead’ prices here. I would suggest scouring stores not to secure copies while/if you can.
Larry’s Comics Market Report
Every Tuesday Larry Doherty from Larryscomics.net in Lowell, MA puts out a market report of books that are selling well in his shop and books that are heating up the secondary market. He also speculates on new books. (We tend to think most of the same books are worth picking up.) We will be running his mini-blog post each week. Here is this weeks:
Top ten
Regular issue new comics by sales:
These are the top ten new comics sold by volume in my shop this week. My shop. A medium volume, single storefront destination location in Lowell, MA. I’m certain Phat Collectables list is different, as is Coast City Comics. These are my actual sales.
#1 – Age of Ultron #6. ”Alpha Dog”. Marvel Universe altering time travel story sold like mad!
#2 – Superior Spider-Man #8. Twists, turns, fun in the Octo-Pete saga.
#3 – Justice League #19. Proof that DC fans want Icons. ( not Vibe )
#4 – Nova #3. Fans digging this new take on an old character.
#5 – Savage Wolverine. It boggles the mind how EVERY cover looks the same.
#6 -Nightwing #19 . Let’s call it Batman runoff, shall we?.
#7 -Wolverine & the X-Men #27 AU. Great Marvel crossover!
#8 – Green Lantern New Guardians #19. DC on life support.
#9 – Cable & X-force #7. Great cover! Cyclops has NEVER been more popular.
#10 -Five Ghosts #2. Indy rock star of the day. Under-ordered. Positive buzz.
Top “ten-ish.”Regular issue new ( last year ) comics by aftermarket:
Modern comics that are seeing aftermarket activity. Ebay, Amazon, CGC boards, Bleeding Cool, conventions & my Phantom retailer network of 25+ shops are the primary source of this information. Not the top selling books in comic stores, rather the currently published, modern books that are selling above cover price for a variety of reasons. Prices are so volatile, in some cases they are out of date upon publication. This is just a guide, you figure them out. It’s simple, search E-Bay under completed auctions:
Rachel Rising #1. Yeah, rising in price due to TV rumors. Up to $200
Pilot Season Declassified #1 & The Test #1. TV development is stirring interest.
Uber #0. Nazi shock violence for the sale of shock violence
Polarity #1. This band tie in dual collectable.
East of West #1 is a rock solid $10 it’s week of release.
Nowhere Men Fabulous word of mouth. Under-ordered. #1-$30, #2-$20, #3-$10
Peter Panzerfaust. Rumored stop motion animated show for BBC Low Print run.
Black Beetle Pulp-esque hit by Francesco Francavilla & Dark Horse #0,#1-$7
Helheim #1 regular #1. Obscure indy publisher. Low print run. Killer material. $6
Injustice #1. This video game tie in hasn’t even begun. Great word of mouth. $25
Hawkeye. Recent trade release should quiet down this back issue juggernaut.
The Sixth Gun. NBC TV show has put the spotlight on this indy gem.
Mind MGMT. The recent movie development news has fans scrambling. #1-$50
Saga. This is the title defines the recent Image revival. #1-$75
Amazing Spider-Man #700. Top volume wall book sold this week. $10. Everybody wants the last issue.
Five Ghosts #1. Positive word of mouth.
The Activity #1. Movie rumors have this once stagnant book at $20
Top ten “ish” up & coming modern Key issues.
Modern comics that are just starting to see aftermarket movement. Books that were recently not in demand, and are finally experiencing aftermarket activity for a variety of reasons.
Dark Knight Returns #2. First full in costume Carrie Kelly.
Annihilation Conquest #6, First Movie Guardians team.
Wolverine #166. 1st appearance Dog
Uncanny X-Men #282. First Bishop.
Guardians of the Galaxy 24 & 25 (vol 2), return of Thanos.
X-Factor #5 & 6. First Apocalypse. Rumored villain in upcoming X-movie
Batman #7. First full appearance Harper Row. Rumored new Robin.
Captain America vol 5 #6. First full appearance of the Winter Soldier
Top ten modern Key issues at my shop.
Modern comics that sell off my wall constantly. My shop sales are primarily new material, & my back issue sales tend to be related. I have a waiting list for most of these books.
Kimota! All Miracleman issues have been flying amidst Marvel rumors.
Walking Dead #1. The undisputed king of the modern era. Actually ANY WD pre 100.
Marvel Super Hero Presents #18. Guardians are really heating up. $50+
New Mutants #98. 1st Deadpool. $100 king of the modern X keys.
Uncanny X-Men #266. 1st Gambit is always a $40 instant sale.
Uncanny X-Men #141 &142. Days of future past movie source
Captain Marvel #33 – Origin of Thanos $50
Incredible Hulk #271. 1st comic book App Rocket Raccoon. $50
Nova #1. The new marvel series has fans scrambling for this relatively inexpensive bronze age key. $25
Batman Harley Quinn. Iconic Alex Ross cover $50
Infinity Gauntlet, War, Crusade, Abyss. Thanos, Thanos Thanos.
The Killing Joke. It’s simply the best Joker wall book in the 25 year history of my shop. $25
Batman Animated #12. Every Bat fan wants the first appearance of Harley Quinn. $85
My Top ten “ish” under-valued modern comics.
These are books I’m speculating will soon see aftermarket activity, & are currently under-valued in my humble opinion, some may even be found in the bargain bins. I want to buy these books on the cheap. They’re long-shots.
Eric O’ Grady key’s: Irredeemable Ant Man #1-12, Secret Avengers #23 & #32
Marvel Red Sonja #1. Gail Simone is taking over Dynamite series.
Rom #1. IDW just untangled the rights. If Nova & Ms Marvel can get hot, why the hell not Rom?
Starlord #1 the special edition 1982. first comic appearance of Star Lords father J’son of Spartax
Uncanny X-Men #172-3.Movie source material with Mariko Yashida
New X-Men #134. First Quentin Quire.
Spawn #9 & Angela #1-3. Marvel will be publishing material with Angela.
Star Brand #1. First New Universe & brand/tattoo: The Star Brand.
Thor #344. First appearance Malekith ( In upcoming Thor-2 movie )
Invaders vol 2 #1. First Dr. Nemesis
Uncanny X-men #317. First Blink. In upcoming X movie.
Marvel Point One. First Sam Alexander Nova
Battle Scars #1 & #6. First full Phil Coulson & Marcus Johnston.
Iron Man #10. First Pepper Potts as Rescue.
Young Avengers #1. First Kate Bishop. My favorite Marvel female.
Ms Marvel #1. She’s rumored to be in Avengers 2 movie.
Ultimate Team Up #5. First African American Nick Fury in comics.
Captain America #157. first appearance of Viper
Batman Beyond Unlimited #3. First Luke Fox in comics. New Batwing. (The armor appears to be a Beyond armor prototype.) The first new 52 version of Luke Fox is Batwing #19
Deathshead appearances. Absolute quarter box fodder. I’m currently researching which to buy.
Top ten modern variant comics by aftermarket:
Variants are versions of the regular issue comic. They are NOT regular issue comics.
They are distributed / created for a variety of reasons.
Order incentive / retailer incentive, produced exclusively for shops/shows,events.
Adventure Time Marvel parodies. Delightful. $35+
Star Wars #1 Alex Ross sketch. Promo, limit one per Diamond account. $100+
Polarity #1. Strong debut. 1:10 $10, 1:25 $15
East of West #1 Forbidden Planet $30, ComicsPro/Ghost $15
Batman #1. Dc’s flagship title. $50
Nowhere Men #1 Thought Bubble, ComicsPro, CBLDF.
Skottie Young marvel Babys. fans simply adore these.
Hellheim #1 NYCC $50, ECCC $100
Blank sketch covers. There seems to be an insatiable need for these by auto / sketch seekers.
Five Ghosts #1 ECCC. $50+
Spawn homage covers.
Phantom variants. You know you love them. Generally sold $3.99 in shop sell for $10 online.
Incoming!
My pick of the week. The comic shipping this week that will be worth your valuable speculator consideration, and why.
TMNT ONGOING #21
IDEA & DESIGN WORKS LLC
(W) Tom Waltz, Kevin Eastman (A/CA) Kevin Eastman
In this special issue drawn by TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman, the Turtles have struggled to survive against unstoppable enemies and impossible odds. The time has come for the next stage of their training to begin. The lesson turns deadly, though, when a mysterious new opponent arrives and teaches the Turtles they have MUCH left to learn!
Kevin Eastman returning to the Turtles?!
Ok, I’m in.
Twenty+ year old property collected by Twenty somethings that now have jobs & disposable income.
Word on the street is that Eastman is hungry to make the Turtles better than ever. Big story lines coming that will attract a lot of attention. It starts here.
It was overlooked by retailers & is already out of stock at the distributor level.
A lot of people ask me why I like to speculate on modern comic books. Original Art, Gold, Silver & Bronze age comics are a much better investment. I’m a comic book fan, a voracious reader of new material. I love how new books set the pace for back issues. It is fast paced & never stagnant due to the constant release of new material. Right now modern comics are the petri dish of pop culture, comic shops the breeding ground.
I have been collecting comics since the 1970′s & been in the business of selling them since the 1980′s. I love a quality story & a great buy, equally.
I speculate on new comics every week. I always have & I always will. Purchasing modern comic books with the intent of making a profit is my hobby of choice. It’s impossible that every new comic week will generate a book of “Walking Dead class” potential, but it’s still fun to try to make savvy buys. You can sit back & wait for aces, or you can play the hand your dealt to the best of your ability.
Sometimes, I’m right. Sometimes I’m wrong, but I play every week.
If you enjoy this new micro-blog format of my weekly market report.
Please re-tweet it. Post it online.
Thanks to Jim Parente at Finar comics for his help with this weeks report.
If you notice a trend developing email me: larryscomicsinc@aol.com
Larry Doherty can be reached at:
LarrysComics.net
LarrrysComicsInc@aol.com
#comicmarket
With the heat being on Rachel Rising back issues, I though it would be nice to see how many copies of each book have been put out. So here is the estimated print run:
1. 10,989
2. 8,189
3. 8,872
4. 9,068
5. 8,592
6. 8,399
7. 8,210
8. 8,103
9. 8,194
10. 8,330
11. 7,915
12. 7,987
13. 7,782
14. 7,747
15. 7,612
Thanks to Rpenny88 at comic book realm for the info.
There are a good crop of books coming out this week and I always put out my picks of the week the day before the books come out. So here are my speculator picks of the week for Wednesday April 24th 2013.
1. Jupiter’s Legacy #1- I know I ranted about how the regular cover will be so over printed that there is very little chance for the book to shoot up in value. But I still see the potential for a good story, great art, and variant covers that can be flipped in the first week if you get them cheap enough.
2. Helheim #2 – First issue of this Cullen Bunn book did well on the secondary market. Second books usually are printed less than the first so there is a good chance this one could do as well.
3. East of West #2- Again, first issue sales, did well on the secondary market. Book has heat.
MTV and several other news sites are reporting the Indy Gem ‘Rachel Rising’ by Terry Moore has been optioned for a tv series.
Terry Moore, best known for his 1990’s book ‘Strangers in Paradise’ and for more recently ‘Echo,’ has another hit in his hand with the “thinking man’s” horror book ‘Rachel Rising.’ With it being optioned for a tv show, could prices be on the rise like with ‘Sixth Gun.’
Yeah they have started to shoot up. One copy sold for $200 while other copies have b.i.n for $75-$99. We have to see how auctions end for a true price but this one is out of the stable.
Issues 1-6 going for $75 currently with 60 views and 17 watchers.
One way to gauge how hot a comic is/will be is by the Diamond Comics advanced reorder list. His is a list of the top 25 most reordered comics before the release of the books. We post and analyze the list each week bringing you the highlights.
1. INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US #1 3RD PTG: first printing for the sold out video game tie is is a solid $20 book.
2. BATMAN AND RED HOOD #20: Aftermath of the death of Robin continues.
3. WALKING DEAD #110 (MR): this is the big one on the list folks. Walking Dead is always a good bet to pick up at least two copies of. This one features a showdown between Michonne and King Ezekiel
4. ÜBER #0 ENHANCED ED: Another good one to pick up. This is the second and final printing of the already hot Über #0. This version has more pages with bonuses and is limited to 7500 copies?
7. SEX #2 2ND PTG: Hot series and in demand. Will see back issue prices shoot up as series continues.
8. POLARITY #1 2ND PTG: great first issue moves to second print. Already some movement on the secondary market.
10. MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC #2 3RD PTG: the hipsters love ponies
20. GRIMM #1: TV show tie in could bring the shows fans and fans of Fables
21. BLACK BEETLE #4: End of the first already hot mini-series
EAST OF WEST #3 : Some retailers are still trying to scramble to get enough copies of the third book in this hot series to cover the demand.
‘Jupiters Legacy’ is the new Mark Millar and Frank Quitely superhero comic book coming out from Image Comics soon. There was much hype on this book and it was even featured highly on the Diamond Comics Advance Reorder List for 4/7/13.
http://comicsheatingup.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/diamond-comics-advance-reorder-4713/
The combination pre-release buzz and advanced reorders usually lead to speculation gold (or at least silver or bronze), but Image has killed any chances of this getting big on the secondary market. Sure, the publishers, artists and writers, do not care about books becoming big money makers on the secondary market, but the heat it can generate can lead to more people picking up future issues. Books like ‘The Walking Dead’, ‘Chew’, ‘Saga’ and ‘Peter Panzerfaust’ all benefited from new readers picking up the books on the secondary market.
‘Jupiters Legacy’ probably will not reap the same rewards because of the distribution plan that they are using. The plan is this, retailers can order as many copies of the book as they like and return ones that do not sell as long as their order is above their ‘The Walking Dead’ 106 order. In other words, a retailer can order hundreds of copies, get all the variants, sell them at the inflated variant price, and return all the regular copies that do not sell. The total print run for ‘The Walking Dead’ 107 was in the 75,000 unit range. The total orders for ‘Jupiters Legacy’ is in the 150,00 range. This effectively kills the secondary market value on the regular covers, in fact this helps kill the variant market as stores who normally wouldn’t order so high on a new book have done so to get the variants, after all, they can return the unsold ones.
Sorry for getting this out late, hope you haven’t been to the shop yet if you are a regular reader, but here is my picks of the week.
Picks, because there are two.
1. Five Ghosts, Haunting of Fabian Gray #2: This was the fifth most reordered book on the 3/27/13 Diamond Advanced reorder list. Retailers had strong sales on the first issue of this mini-series. The 2nd issue was ordered at mini-series levels, and there is rumor that this is being picked up as an ongoing series. Plus, did you see the Phantom Variant for this issue?
2. Miniature Jesus #1: Again, this was on the 3/27/13 Diamond Comics Advanced reorder list as retailers were scrambling to order extra copies as a buzz picked up on the book. It was the 10th most reordered book of the week.
As we said the other day, what a difference a few days can make in selling a comic book. Top Cow Pilot Season 2011 now has a confirmed break out star in Matt Hawkins, ‘The Test.’
The one book that had been up on eBay has moved nicely in the sub-$30 range and is creeping up. With 16 bids the book is currently at $27.
Other copies are now available starting at .99 cents but there has been no bidding activity to date. There also have been no buy-it-nows or completed auctions for the book with sales. This is the test for “The Test.”
See our original post here. http://comicsheatingup.wordpress.com/2013/04/12/the-test-top-cow-pilot-season-coming-to-scyfy/
What a difference a few days can make. This seller currently has the only copy of The Test by Matt Hawkins and Joshua Hale up on eBay and it’s going for $10.50 at this time with 16 bids.
Just a few days ago, the seller couldn’t even get .50 cents for it.
Whats changed?
Syfy Channel is developing the Top Cow Pilot Season 2011 comic “The Test” into a tv show. Spearheaded by Robert Zemeckis. http://www.superherohype.com/news/articles/176113-syfy-developing-comic-the-test-for-television
One way to gauge how hot a comic is/will be is by the Advanced Reorder list from Diamond Comics. This is a list of books being most reordered by retailers before the publication date of the comic.
This week is a weird one as speculation wise there is not too much. Uber dominates the chart this week for single issues.
1. Doctor Strange The Oath TPB
2. Uber #0 Enhanced Edition – This is the second printing of the hot sold out book. Avatar books are greatly under ordered and this one sold out due to the demand and the fact Kieron Gillen is writing it. The Enhanced Edition costs $1 more at $4.99 but features 60 pages.
3. Thanos Rising #2 – Thanos is popular with his appearance in The Avengers movie and all things Guardians of the Galaxy being hot due to the upcoming GoG Movie.
4. Superior Spider-man #9
5. Age of Ultron #2 2nd printing
6. Iron Man #9
7. Amazing Spider-man #700 4th printing
8. Polarity #2 Boom Studios- 1st Issue flew under the radar and sold well now retailers are trying to stock enough of the second issue. Orders usually drop from the 1st to 2nd issue of a book as many people try the first issue and may not continue to pick it up.
9. Wake #1 DC
10. Avatar the Last Air Bender TPB Vol. 5
11. Ten Grand #1 Image- This is the big speculator book of the list. JMS returns to monthly (single issue) comics with the launch of this book. Art by fan favorite Ben Templesmith.
14. Image Firsts Peter Panzerfaust #1 – Try buying a first print of PP for under $300 any more is almost impossible. There was a second print which also commands big bucks.
15. Regular Show Phantom Variant #1 Boom Studios- This is a must buy in any cover. Just look how well Adventure Time did.
25. Ten Grand #1 Bill Sienkiewicz Variant Image- See #11
Oh boy here is one that went under the radar and was just announced today. Batgirl #19, which shipped today, has a big reveal. Barbara Gordon’s friend, Alysia Yeoh, tells Bab’s that she is transgender. The reveal happens while Barbara is opening up about her paralysis, the Joker (The Killing Joke), and about the wheel chair ramp in her van. Alysia lets loose that she is transgender.
So, big reveal that was not covered in the news, yet. Might be worth picking up. The story just came out about 30 minutes ago.
Saga #12 drops tomorrow and there is already some controversy on it. Seems that Apple censors have banned the sale of it due to sexual content. Saga has been no stranger to sexual content in the past but this one apparently has graphic male on male sexual content. You can still buy this one in stores tomorrow. Saga back issues always do well and the added press it’s getting could help fire up the prices on the secondary market.
Sure, this is an easy one. Walking Dead issues are a safe bet because of the tv show that has helped drum up interest in the book. But Walking Dead 109 is my pick of the week for several reasons.
1. There is a rumored death. The only thing more popular in Walking Dead than a new character is the death of one.
2. It features a blank sketch variant cover. Even the Walking Dead 50/50 split variant covers have done well on eBay.
3. It is already selling for up to $15 on eBay the day before the release.
So this one is a no brainier. Pick up the Walking Dead 109 tomorrow in your local comic shop. Try for both covers. Especially the blank sketch cover.
So there you go. Happy hunting.
Spoiler alert follows:
No death this issue. It’s Glen’s grave on the cover.