Gotham Gazette

Black Panther

Deadpool

Solomon Grundy

This Week in Geek is a weekly blog about new comics written by WorthPoint Comic book Worthologist Matt Baum. Every Wednesday, Matt takes a look at the week’s new comics from a collector’s point-of-view and discusses which books may be hard to find in the near future and why. Make sure to click on the hot links for previews and more information on the comics, characters, story-lines and creators discussed here. Also, feel free to post your comments in the new “comments” section below.

It’s finally here. “Watchmen” opens in theaters everywhere this weekend. My only worry is that no matter how good the film is, I may be disappointed. Perhaps the hype could be the very thing that brings the Watchmen movie adaptation down. Then again, I remember and even bigger hype behind the second Batman film, “The Dark Knight,” and geeks everywhere are still living happily ever after. Maybe, just maybe, director Zack Snyder will meet or even exceed our expectations and “Watchmen” will join the small, elite fraternity of successful comic book adaptations. We shall see very soon. I’ll post my reaction to “Watchmen” on this blog late Thursday night so check back here Friday.

In other news, the un-restored issue of Action Comics #1 that went up for auction last Friday on comicconnect.com is up to $277,300.00, which buries my bid of $10. Like the guy on eBay that drops a $10 bid on a Porsche, I was thinking, “hey, it’s worth a shot.” For more on the 6.0 CGC graded action #1 click here.

And now onto discussion of the new comics for the week of Wednesday, March 4, 2009. Below you will find my pile of comics that I’ll be adding to my collection. For a complete list of this week’s comics click here. To find a comic shop near you click here.

Agents of Atlas #2
Black Panther #2
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #23
Cable #12
Daredevil #116
Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #1 of 5
Deadpool #8
Gotham Gazette: Batman Dead?
Hellboy: The Wild Hunt #4 of 8
House of Mystery #11
Punisher #3
Secret Six #7
Secret Warriors #2
Solomon Grundy #1 of 7
Superman: World of New Krypton #1 of 12
War of Kings #1 of 6

So let’s discuss this list briefly. As you can see, there’re a couple of new additions to the pile. I’m giving Reginald Hudlin’s Black Panther a chance, for the second time, mainly because I love Ken Lashley’s art, and to be quite honest, the first issue was pretty good. I’m picking up Deadpool #8 because it’s a tie-in with Thunderbolts centering around Deadpool’s plan to assassinate Norman Osborne. It could be fun. In the DCU, I’ll be checking out Gotham Gazette: Batman Dead, which sets up the upcoming “Battle for the Cowl” storyline but probably won’t sort out any of the confusing details of Bruce’s “death.” Also, Solomon Grundy looks to explore the role DC’s second most loved swamp monster, behind the Swamp Thing, of course, will play in the upcoming Green Lantern: Blackest Night event. Also of note this week; I’ll be taking a look at New Avengers: The Reunion, the story of Mockingbird’s return to the Marvel U after being replaced by a Skrull (it was a whole, huge thing too long to go into here), but not buying until I give it a good skimming. This stuff is getting expensive you know.

And now, on to the Speculator Picks of the Week. These are books that, for one reason or another, may sell out quickly and become instant collectibles. If you don’t pay attention and get to your local comic shop in a timely fashion, you could be paying way too much for these comics very soon.

Dark Reign: Fantastic Four #1; Marvel Comics
Solicitation: Dark Reign strikes Marvel’s first family—in an explosive way! Prepared to be blown away as HAMMER agents attack the Baxter Building. Reed changes everything. The Human Torch suffers a horrible loss and Franklin and Val go shopping. There’s time travel, alternate realities, Celestials, Eternals, Deviants and Doombots… and more important than all of that, we find out the answer to the question: What is the Bridge?
• 32 PGS
• $2.99 US
• JAN092472
Written by Jonathan Hickman; Art by Sean Chen; Cover by Simon Bianchi; Variant cover by Marko Djurdjevic

Why it’ll go fast: It’s no secret that I love Jonathan Hickman, and until each-and-every one of you love him as much as I do, I will continue to pick his comics as “must-haves” every week. I’m calling my shot here; This FF limited is the Hickman’s try-out for the regular series, and if it sells well I’m guessing he takes over writing duties on the regular FF monthly after Mark Millar finishes his run. If you’ve read Hickman’s Sci-Fi work then you know he’s perfect to write the FF. If you haven’t, check out Red Mass for Mars and Transhuman from Image comics if you can find them.

Superman: World of New Krypton #1 of 12, DC
Solicitation: Following the events of the “New Krypton” crossover, the Man of Steel has had to embrace his past to ensure humanity’s future. And while a devastating armed conflict with Earth may have been averted, keeping the peace will be Superman’s greatest challenge yet. Hot new writer Andrew Kreisberg (BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL) and fan-favorite artist Pete Woods (ACTION COMICS, SUPERMAN: UP, UP AND AWAY!) lead Superman through a world of interstellar treachery and deadly machinations where the lives of two races hang in the balance!
• $2.99 US
• 32 PGS
• JAN090192
Written by James Robinson and Greg Rucka; Art by Pete Woods; Cover by Gary Frank; Variant cover by Jose Ladron.

Why it’ll go fast: It may not go fast at all. This title seems like a pretty big gamble on the part of DC. Although sales on the title have been good (#25 on the top 300 comic sales for Jan 2009) Robinson’s Superman book has yet to break the top 20 in monthly sales since his run began. To give him and Greg Rucka a title that puts Supes on a different planet for a year raises some questions. Will fans be turned off by the main character leaving earth for a year? Will retailers order more of Supes WOK than of the regular title or vice versa? We’ll see very soon.

War of Kings #1 of 6; Marvel Comics
Solicitation: In the aftermath of the Secret Invasion, Black Bolt has led the Inhumans on a shockingly savage path to restore their strength and security. But that path has brought them into direct confrontation with the Shi’Ar Empire—and their mad ruler, Vulcan! Who will get in the first strike? Who will fall on the bloody battlefield? Who will rule? The Imperial Guard, the Starjammers, the Inhuman Royal Family and more of your favorite sci-fi characters are locked on a collision course… and it all starts here! Join the acclaimed team of Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning (NOVA) and Paul Pelletier (GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY) for a pivotal turning point in Marvel’s cosmic history! Rated T+
• 32 PGS
• $3.99 US
W: Andy Lanning; W: Dan Abnett; W: N Dan Abnett; P: Paul Pelletier; C: Brandon Peterson

Why it’ll go fast: Even though this book has the same team that brought fans the hugely successful Annihilation series Marvel, in their infinite wisdom, is not calling this comic Annihilation: War of Kings. WHY? Both Annihilation series sold very well, reinvigorated Marvel’s cosmic characters and made me care about the Guardians of the Galaxy yet Marvel is not going with the Annihilation title even though War of Kings has the same writing team, takes place in space and stars many of the same characters. (Was that a run-on sentence or what?) I don’t get it, and I’m guessing not using the Annihilation title will make most retailers scale back their orders slightly. $3.99 for a Marvel cosmic—event that isn’t a proven seller—is a high price tag for retailers who have seen negative or no growth in the comic market for the past two months. With that said, regardless of the title, War of Kings is going to be a great read and will sell out very quickly.

Indy Comic of the Week:

Strongman, Slave Labor Comics

Imagine the Dark Knight if Batman had been a Luchidore. Tigre, a masked Mexican wrestler, was huge in Mexico in the 1970’s, a crime-fighting movie star. These days, he’s 65 and drunk, living in Manhattan. When a beautiful woman begs him to stop an organ trafficking ring, the old warrior decides to take one last, epic shot at redemption.
• $9.95 US
• JAN093940
• 120 pages
Written by Charles Soule; Drawn by Allen Gladfelter

Why you should care: Does it get any better than aging Mexican Wrestlers fighting crime? Strongman looks like and homage to El Santo, a famous Mexican wrestler from the ’50s-’80s who made several movies where he battled supernatural villains such as Dracula, witch covens and zombies. I came to own two Santo films on VHS years ago and fell in love with the campy Mexican horror films and the legend of Santo.

Nerdy Question of the Week???
The last time Superman took the back seat in Action Comics was back in the late ’80s and resulted in Action Comics starring WildDog, Deadman and a host of others. Starting next month Superman is off-planet dealing with problems on New Krypton and Nightwing (not Dick Grayson) and Flamebird, along with Mon El or Valor (I’m not sure what he’s called now), will be protecting Metropolis. Are you in? Do you care about these Superman replacements or are you skipping the whole thing all together?

Thanks again for your continued input and keep the answers to the nerdy questions coming. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join WorthPoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask A Question” section. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price.

Matt Baum is a Worthologist who specializes in comic books.

WorthPoint—Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Action Comics #1. An unrestored copy of Action #1 went up for sale on Feb. 27, and experts expect it to draw bids up to $400,000.

The first appearance of Superman in the pages of Action Comics #1, which originally went on sale in June of 1938, has long been considered the birth of the Superhero comics in America. Whether or not Superman was the first superhero is a discussion in and of it’s self, but one thing that is for certain: Action Comics #1 is one of, if not the, most expensive and rare comics in existence. Currently there are 100-150 known copies of Action #1 in varied conditions, and about 80 percent of those have been restored in some way.

It’s been a while since an unrestored copy of Action #1 went up for sale, but today on Comiclink.com, collectors can place their bid on one of the highest graded, unrestored copies of the comic in recent memory.

Graded in Fine condition (6.0 out of 10) by CGC, a professional comic grading service, this copy of Action #1 had not been part of the collectible comic market previously and made it’s public debut at the Comiclink.com booth at the 2009 New York Comic-Con. The owner’s identity is being withheld, but according to Comiclink.com owner Stephen Fishler, the comic was purchased for .35 cents in 1949-1950 in a used book store. The comic was then stored in the owner’s mother’s basement until 1966. Since then the comic’s owner has been waiting for its value to increase. Which it has.

Even though Action comics #1 guides for around $130,000 in Fine condition, experts are predicting this copy to sell for $400,000, due to the low number of unrestored copies in circulation. Another CGC graded, unrestored copy of Action Comics #1 in Good condition (2.0) sold for $85,000 in March of 2007, more than twice the $42,000 it guides for, on a similar comic book auction site. More recently, in May of 2008, a restored copy of Action #1 CGC graded at Very Fine + (8.5) sold for $116,512.50 on the Heritage.com vintage comics auction site. In 2003, Stephen Geppi, CEO of Diamond Comics Distributions, offered a $1-million-dollar reward for an unrestored copy of Action Comics #1 that would grade out in Very Good condition as graded by CGC.

Bidding for the comic started on Feb. 27 at $1 at 12 noon Eastern Standard time and as of 6 p.m. was already up to $200,200 with 36 bids. The auction closes on Friday, March 13 and collectors everywhere will be watching to see how high the winning bid will be. Click here to watch the bidding.

Matt Baum is a Worthologist who specializes in comic books.

WorthPoint–Discover Your Hidden Wealth

Speaking of great gifts for nerds-and I hope you’re reading this, mom-Marvel has collected the complete Secret Wars event of the 1980’s in one giant omnibus edition, assembling Secret Wars #1-12 plus Thor #383, She Hulk (2004) #10, and What If? (1989) #4 and #114. The Secret Wars was the first major crossover event that made me branch out from my X-Men comics and set the standard for future crossovers. Nothing better defines Marvel Comics in the 1980s.

Can’t find that perfect gift for the filthy-mouthed, overly-sarcastic, dark-humor-craving-comic- nerd in your life? Search no more; the new Definitive Edition of Garth Ennis’ The Boys collects the meanest, nastiest, most controversial and perversely-funny superhero comics ever written. Ennis is famous for work on DC’s Preacher and Hellblazer and Marvel’s Punisher, but has never been allowed complete free reign with his stories until now. Not for the faint of heart or easily offended, The Boys examines the absurdly dark side of superheroes with deep character flaws. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Here’s my pile if comics for the week of Wednesday, Dec. 17. As always, I welcome your criticism, praise or threats of bodily harm based on what I am or am not reading/collecting. For a complete list of this week’s new comics click here. To find a comic shop near you, click here.

Avengers: The Initiative #19

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #20

Conan The Cimmerian #6

Dark Reign: New Nation

DCU Holiday Special: 2008

Ghost Rider #30

The Invincible Iron Man #8

Madman Atomic Comics! #12

Mighty Avengers #20

Punisher: War Zone #2 of 6

Robin #181

Supergirl #36

Thor: God-Sized

Thunderbolts #127

Uncanny X-Men #505

X-Factor #38

X-Men: Kingbreaker #1 of 4: Kingbreaker

Now let’s talk speculation. As you may or may not know, the purpose of this part of This Week in Geek is to arm the comic nerd with the information he or she needs to make an informed and quality new comic purchase every week. While they might not be worth piles of money, these issues may be pretty hard to find in the near future.

Supergirl #36; DC; Written by Sterling Gates; Art by Jamal Igle; Cover by Josh Middelton, variant by Chris Sprouse; $2.99.

Why it’ll go fast: In October, Supergirl #34 came in at 75 on the top 300 selling comics for that month. November’s Supergirl #35 jumped to number 34. What does this huge spike in sales mean? Fans are sold on the new creative team of Gates and Igle, and tying Supergirl’s story directly into the “New Krypton” storyline running through the Superman books was a great idea. I, myself, have never cared about Supergirl as a character before but now find myself calling issue #36 my pick of the week at my local comic shop. Yeah, I’m pretty important. If you’re thinking of jumping on to the “New Krypton” storyline issues of Supergirl, #34 and #35 are still available but going fast.

Thunderbolts #127; Marvel Comics; Written by Andy Diggle; Art by Roberto De La Torre, Cover by Francisco Mattina; $2.99.

Why it’ll go fast: Another book spiking in sales, moving from 64 in October to 57 in November on the top 300 actual comic sales list, is Andy Diggle’s Thunderbolts. After the events of Secret Invasion #8, Thunderbolts leader, Norman Osborne, is a national hero. For those of you who didn’t know, Norman Osborne is Spider-Man’s nemesis the Green Goblin and a millionaire business owner who’s spun his tech-business, Oscorp, into a full fledged political career. Osborne is now not only running the Thunderbolts, a group of “reformed” super villains working for the US government, but has been offered a promotion after being branded the hero of the failed Skrull Invasion. Tony Stark, Iron Man, is out and Norman Osborne is running things now. Just one problem, he’s still evil and totally insane. The new “Dark Reign” storyline looks like it’s going to be just as much fun as “Secret Invasion” and it starts here in Thunderbolts #127.

X-Men: Kingbreaker #1; Marvel Comics; Written by Christopher Yost; Art by Dustin Weaver; Cover by Brandon Peterson; $3.99.

Why it’ll go fast: Fans of the Marvel “Annihilation” story-lines, which reinvigorated the Marvel space heroes and reinvented Marvel Sci-Fi, are excited for the third installment in the series “War of Kings”. Well, it all begins here in Kingbreaker #1. Scott Summers’ Cyclops, leader of the X-Men, power mad brother, Vulcan has seized power of the alien Shiar Empire and plans to make war on the entire universe. While “Dark Reign” is happening on Earth, the “War of Kings” is beginning in outer space. I’m guessing that retailers will order lighter on this series based on the disappointing sales of the previous X-Men: Emperor Vulcan mini-series that established Vulcan as a universal threat. Kingbreaker looks to tie the story in with the rest of the Marvel Universe, is written by fan-favorite Chris Yost (X-force, New X-Men: Mutant Academy) and leads directly into War of Kings. All of which adds up to a quick sellout of issue #1.

Indy Comic of the Week:

Beanworld Holiday Special; Dark Horse, Written and drawn by Larry Marder; $3.50.

I’ll be honest, I’ve never read Beanworld, but as I’m a sucker for holiday comic specials, and most that I’ve picked up so far this year don’t look too promising, I’ll be picking up the Beanworld Holiday special to see what the buzz is all about. Here’s the solicitation:

“The first new Beanworld story in print in over a decade, the Beanworld Holiday Special is the perfect introduction to Larry Marder’s inimitable creation!

As enjoyable for children as it is enlightening for adults, Beanworld is a grand adventure that explores social dynamics, culture creation, and ecological networks-all in great fun! Take a tour of this magical world, from Proffy’s Fix-It Shop to a Fabulous Look-See Show, in this issue that introduces toys to the baby Cuties and plunges readers into one of the most original and brilliant comic-book universes ever created!

You’ve never seen anything like it–unless you’re a longtime fan of Marder’s, in which case you’ll be thrilled by the return of this wonderful and peculiar comic-book experience!”

“Larry Marder’s Beanworld is a vegetarian update on Krazy Kat with a world and lingo unto itself.”
-Smithsonian Studies of American Art

“One doesn’t read Beanworld at all, one lives it. Beanworld draws you into its world and plays out in your mind. This is a rare feat in any medium, and a treasure in comics.”
-Feature Magazine

That’s all for this week true believers. I truly hope this blog has inspired you to pick up at least one comic book you may have passed on otherwise. If not, email me and tell me what I’m doing wrong. I love criticism, both creative and purely insulting. Also, the end of the year is almost upon us and I want to know your favorite comic of 2008. It can be a single issue, new series, or one-shot. Email me and let me know. Until next week, keep the questions coming. Also, check out my other blog The Comic Speculator, where I discuss classic yet still affordable back-issue comics. If you have any questions about these books or anything else in the comic book world feel free to contact me or post your question in the Comic Book community forum. Want to know what your comics are worth? Join WorthPoint for free and post your titles in the “Ask a Question” section. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price.

For 38 years the Overstreet Comic Book price guide has been the standard price guide of the comic book back issue market.

During it’s tenure as the most used price guide in the industry, Overstreet has kept a careful eye on the ever-changing comic back issue market. With each new edition (released annually in March), Overstreet prints several different lists of top comics through different ages and how much they are expected to appreciate in value for the coming year. The first list collectors scan is the Top 100 Golden Age Books. All collectors dream of finding a title on this list in their grandparents’ attic or while shuffling through boxes at a garage sale. The Top 100 Golden Age Books list represents the most expensive and highly treasured books in the comic collecting hobby. The Golden started with the first appearance of Superman in Action Comics #1 (1938) – this issue historically has been in the number one spot on this list every year and 2008 is no exception. Here’s a look at the top ten comics on Overstreet’s Top 100 Golden age comics and how much they are expected to increase in value this year.

Title 2008 Rank 2008 NM Price 2007 NM Price %Increase
Action Comics #1 1 $675,000 $600,000 13%
Detective Comics #27 2 $525,000 $485,000 8%
Marvel Comics #1 3 $440,000 $420,000 5%
Superman #1 4 $400,000 $360,000 11% All-American Comics#16 5 $245,000 $220,000 11%
Batman #1 6 $185,000 $165,000 12%
Captain America Comics#1 7 $175,000 $160,000 9%
Flash Comics #1 8 $130,000 $125,000 4%
More Fun Comics #52 9 $115,000 $105,000 10%
Adventure Comics #40 10 $95,000 $85,000 12%

With fewer than 100 copies of Action Comics #1 known to exist there is little or no chance of it losing the number one spot in the future. Ironically there are only 20 known issues of Detective Comics #27 (1939), the second rarest Golden Age comic, however the first appearance of Batman guides $150,000 less than Superman’s first appearance. The only change to the top ten this year was Adventure Comics #40 (first appearance of Golden-age Sandman) bumping Whiz Comics #2 (first appearance of Shazam) from the number ten spot.