Incredible Hulk #1

The Comic Speculator is a blog written by WorthPoint Comic Book “Worthologist” Matt Baum that takes a look at each week’s hot new comics and back issues and the comic market place in general. Prices discussed here are taken from the Overstreet Guide to Comics (OVST), Comicspriceguide.com (CPG) and current online auction sales. Sales numbers and rankings are courtesy of ICV2.com. Lists of new comics are courtesy of Previewsworld.com and Comicslist.com. Make sure and click on the links to learn more about the titles and creators discussed here. The codes under the prices and next to the new titles are Diamond Comics order codes that can be used to help your local comic retailer in ordering the issues discussed..

Back Issue Report:

Gold and Silver Oldies:

The case of the Larson Superman #1 on eBay has become even more interesting as, once again, the auction has ended only to resurface but for an even higher price. Let’s trace the history here: the comic first popped up with a $100,000 price tag, a bad photo and many questions surrounding the identity of the buyer. Then the auction ended with a “sold” status and a “this item has been re-listed” message. Which it was? With a $20,000 “buy it now” option. Again, the auction ended with a “sold but re-listed” status, and now you can buy the comic at the new price of $220,000. Quite a price jump and the auction still has the same crappy picture and no new information as to the identity of the seller. The description still lists the “Buy it Now” price as $121,000, which I don’t recall seeing that price ever attached to this auction. What the hell? I’m still hunting for info on the seller but not coming up with much. For now I’m still going with my Theo Holstien theory.

In Silver-Age news: an auction for the Incredible Hulk #1 (Marvel, 1962) with a CGC Universal grade of 6.5 and an Incredible Hulk #181 (Marvel, 1974) with a CGC Universal grade of 9.4 sold for $9,117.11 on March 21, 2010, with nine bids. Auctions like these tend to bother me. The reason being, when looking at auction results for multiple comics, it’s hard to get an idea of what the comics are actually selling for. The Incredible Hulk #1 currently guides for $9,000 in 6.5 condition, while Hulk #181 (the first appearance Wolverine) guides for $700 in 9.4. Which begs the question: did this buyer get a Hulk #1 for a good price, or pay too much for a Hulk #181? We may never know.

Incredible Hulk #181

Another good example of a collection of CGC graded Marvel Silver-Age selling in one auction ended on March 13. A lot composed of Journey into Mystery #83 (first appearance of Thor, 1962, CGC 7.0), Amazing Spider-Man #6 (first appearance of the Lizard, 1963, CGC 9.0), Incredible Hulk #181 (first appearance of Wolverine, 1974, CGC 9.0) and Tales of Suspense #57 (first appearance of Hawkeye, 1964, CGC 9.0), along with New Mutants #98 (first appearance of Deadpool, 9.2) and six random Thor comics sold for $7,099 with 26 bids—a steal considering that the comics guide for a combined $7,650. Had the seller listed these comics separately they could’ve made considerably more. A copy of Tales of Suspense #57 with a CGC Universal grade of 9.4 sold for 7,100 in 2008. Take the time and piece them out; you will always make more money. That, and guys like me can see what these comics are worth.

Case-in-point: A copy of Thor #112 (Marvel, 1965) with a CGC Universal Grade of 9.4 sold for $4,995.95. The comic features the origin of Loki, a battle between the Hulk and Thor and is a part of the Mound City collection (a recently named pedigree for a collection of very high grade Silver-Age comics).

Bronze-Age and Beyond :

Iron Fist #1

Iron Fist #1 is one of my favorite Bronze-Age Marvel comics, but as of March 20, I’m quickly realizing I’ll never own a copy in Near Mint condition. A copy of Iron Fist #1 (Marvel, 1975) with a CGC Universal grade of 9.8 sold for $2,555 with 30 bids. This is by far the most expensive copy of Iron Fist that has sold at auction. Previously, a copy in CGC 9.4 condition set the record at $200 in 2006. Not a bad jump in price in just four years.

Iron Man #282

Shortly after writing last week’s piece about War Machine appearing in the upcoming Iron Man 2 movie, I noticed sellers began listing his appearances on eBay. With “buy it now” prices anywhere from $35 to $250, sellers are hoping for War Machine to break some poor nerd’s bank. It seems Rhodey-mania has officially hit as of March 21, when a copy of Iron Man #282 (first appearance of James Rhodes in the War Machine armor, Marvel, 1992) in CGC 9.8 condition sold on eBay for $105.38. Keep in mind Iron Man #282 guides for $4. On a related note, I have a good friend who has scoured Colorado looking for this comic and has now tasked me with finding him one in Nebraska. One problem Big Mike; I don’t own Iron Man #282 either. Maybe I’ll send you one, if I can find two copies (insert evil laughter; preferably Jabba the Hutt’s).

Bone #1

I don’t always get to write about independent comics in this blog so I was thrilled to see that Jeff Smith’s Bone #1 (Cartoon Books, 1991) in CGC 9.6 condition sold for $1,700 on eBay also on March 20. Bone was an amazing series, in the vein of Walt Kelly’s Pogo, that probably had a maximum print-run under 10,000 copies. Issue #1 currently guides for $200, but I would expect that price to be climbing with sales nearing $2000 on high grade copies.

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Matt Baum is WorthPoint’s comic book Worthologist. 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 below in the “comments” section below. Also, you can follow him on Twitter, where he’s always screaming about something nerd-related. Thanks to all Matt’s new followers and keep the comments coming! Want to know what your comics are worth? Join WorthPoint to search its database or use its “Ask A Worthologist” feature. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price. And finally, a word to the Federal Trade Commission; all the comics discussed here are purchased solely by the writer, who receives no gifts or free merchandise from any publishers, even though he would graciously accept them.

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Superman #1

The Comic Speculator is a blog written by WorthPoint Comic Book “Worthologist” Matt Baum that takes a look at each week’s hot new comics and back issues and the comic market place in general. Prices discussed here are taken from the Overstreet Guide to Comics (OVST), Comicspriceguide.com (CPG) and current online auction sales. Sales numbers and rankings are courtesy of ICV2.com. The codes under the prices of new titles discussed are Diamond Comics order codes that can be used to help your local comic retailer in ordering the issues discussed.

Back Issue Report:

No million dollar comic sales this week but plenty of fun stuff to talk about.

Gold and Silver Oldies:

A copy of Superman #1 that is being billed as from the Larson collection (one of the most famous Golden-Age collections in existence) has been popping up on eBay on and off for at least a month now. This particular issue is missing its back cover but, according to the seller, might otherwise be the highest-graded copy of Superman #1. Which seems strange because, well, it doesn’t have a back cover. Most collectors would probably agree, no matter how nice the comic looks, incomplete is incomplete. That’s just the beginning of the weirdness here, however. While the seller does have very high feedback, he (or she) does not go into who he is, exactly, and when offering very famous comics with pedigrees for sale on the Internet, it might be a good idea to introduce himself and mention where the comic came from.

It’s one thing to say that this is a Larson Copy of Superman #1 but you might want to back a claim like that up with some provenance if you expect anyone to believe it. Especially if you are asking for a $10,000 “good-faith” deposit before bidding. There aren’t a lot of these comics in circulation and collectors know the dealers who are selling them on a regular basis. The fact that no one seems to know who this seller is and how he came into possession of such a famous comic is troublesome, at least. There’s a theory circulating on some collector web-boards that the seller could be a famous collector named Theo Holstien. However, if it is, Theo isn’t talking. I’ll be watching this one closely and I guarantee there’s an interesting story behind this auction.

Detective Comics #28

On March 8, 2010, a copy of Detective Comics #28 (DC, 1939), with a CGC Universal grade of 3.5, sold for $11,377, attracting a total of 17 bids. Detective #28 is the second appearance of Batman but does not feature the Caped Crusader on the cover. Even with a detached page, this comic guides for $4,200. But with last month’s sale of a Detective Comics #27 for more than a million dollars, prices on all Golden-Age Superhero comics have gone through the roof. Some collectors online are even calling this sale a steal.

Blue Beetle

On the same day, a run of Blue Beetle (Fox 1939-1950) #1-#60 sold on eBay for $6,999. The run is actually only 59 issues, as issue #43 was never published. On a side note, I couldn’t find any info on the reason BB #43 wasn’t published but would love to hear from anyone who has any. These issues were listed as “good reading copies,” which usually means poor condition. The fact that they still sold for $7,000 shows how rare it is to come upon a run of any Golden-Age Fox comics.

Bronze Age and Beyond:

The new Iron Man movie trailer has hit and it’s official: James Rhodes will be wearing the War Machine armor. If you’re an Iron Man nerd like me, then I don’t have to tell you why you’re excited. But we’re not here to discuss bad-ass-black superheroes; we’re here to talk back issues. So let’s take a look at Jim Rhodes most collectible moments and what they’re selling for as excitement builds for Iron Man 2.

Iron Man vol. 1 #118

Iron Man vol. 1 #118 (Marvel 1979) was Jim Rhodes first appearance. Until recently, #118 was collectible because it was one of only two Iron Man issues penciled by John Byrne. Now that Iron Man is a box office blockbuster and Jim Rhodes is one of the main characters, well, Rhodey is finally getting his props and #118 is starting to sell for real money. Currently, the issue guides for $10 in Near Mint condition but is selling for anywhere from $12-$20. Most recently, on March 4, an issue of #118 with a CGC Universal Grade of 9.8 sold for $255 on eBay.

Iron Man vol. 1 #170

Iron Man vol. 1 #170 (Marvel, 1983) was the first appearance of Rhodey as Iron Man after Tony had given up the armor for a brief stint. Currently, #170 guides for $4 in Near Mint condition but this is another one that will be going up soon, as #170 is selling for anywhere from $10$12 on eBay.

Iron Man #282

Iron Man #282 (Marvel, 1992) is the first appearance of Rohodey in the War Machine armor (Wikipedia lists it as #284, which is why you should never use Wikipedia as a sole source). Currently, #282 guides for $4 in Near Mint condition but is selling for up to $26 on eBay.

Len Kaminski, writer of Iron Man #282, would be given the helm of the 1994 War Machine vol.1 series, which seems to be the only series that collectors aren’t scampering for yet. War Machine #1 guides for $3 in Near Mint condition and isn’t selling for much more. War Machine wouldn’t see his own title again until 2001 under the Marvel Max banner (the Marvel adult comic line). This 12-issue series didn’t sell well at the time and isn’t drawing much attention now either. The three-issue U.S. War Machine Max series from 2003, however, is a different story. Issues #1-#3 of U.S. War Machine vol. 2 currently guide for $3 each but the set of three is selling for around $20 on eBay, presumably because the print-runs on the series were low and certainly not because the story was good. The most recent War Machine series, vol. 2 Marvel 2009, also didn’t sell very well and was cancelled with issue #12. Full runs are selling for $12-$15 and are bountiful on eBay right now as speculators are looking to cash in on the summer comic book movie season while the cashing-in is good.

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Matt Baum is WorthPoint’s comic book Worthologist. 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 below in the “comments” section below. Also, you can follow him on Twitter, where he’s always screaming about something nerd-related. Thanks to all Matt’s new followers and keep the comments coming! Want to know what your comics are worth? Join WorthPoint to search its database or use its “Ask A Worthologist” feature. Remember to post the title, issue number and cover price. And finally, a word to the Federal Trade Commission; all the comics discussed here are purchased solely by the writer, who receives no gifts or free merchandise from any publishers, even though he would graciously accept them.

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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.

Happy New Year, nerds, and happy anniversary to me! It’s been one year since I started writing This Week in Geek and, as of today, I still have a job. I just want to take a minute to thank my WorthPoint overlords for giving me a chance and a place to write about my passion, comics both old and new. Thanks to you, as well, for reading this blog and keeping me busy with valuations, questions, and even the occasional insults and threats. Thank you all and stay tuned, because there are huge changes coming to WorthPoint very soon. Over the past year I’ve received a lot of e-mails detailing a ton of criticisms of the site and the good news is, they’ve listened! I can’t reveal details yet, mainly because I don’t have them, but there are big changes on the way. You’re going to love it.

Now, let’s talk new comics. With X-mas and New Year’s Day giving the good people of UPS two days off in one shipping week nerds will find themselves waiting until Friday to get their comic fix. Also because of the holidays you can expect a light comic week. Everyone is broke, not just due to crappy 2008 economic year, and the comic gods know it. The holidays are gone and the first real New Comic Wednesday of 2009 is just five days away.

Here’s my pile if comics for the week of Friday, Jan. 2, 2009. As always, I welcome your criticism, praise or threats of bodily harm based on what I am or am not reading/collecting. You may have noticed a new section below where you can respond to this article, it’s the perfect place to agree with or lash out at me for all to see! For a complete list of this week’s new comics click here. To find a comic shop near you click here.

Avengers: The Initiative #20
Batman #684
Batman: Cacophony #2 of 3
Captain America #45
Green Lantern #36
Guardians of the Galaxy #8
Incognito #1
Incredible Hercules #124
Justice Society of America #22
Punisher War Journal #26
Punisher: War Zone #4 of 6
Superman #683
War Machine #1
Wolverine #70
X-Force #10

Now let’s talk speculation. As you may or may not know, the purpose of this blog 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.

Green Lantern #36

Green Lantern; DC; Written by Geoff Johns; Art by Doug Mahnke and Christian Alamy; Cover by Shane Davi; $2.99.

Why it’ll go fast: “Blackest Night” prelude. The Green Lantern story you’ve been waiting for since the “Sinestro Corps War,” “Blackest Night,” begins here! Writer Geoff Johns has been building up to this story since “Green Lantern: Rebirth,” which brought Hal Jordan back to the DCU. I would guess retailers are going to order lightly on this one as GL #36 is just a prelude to “Blackest Nigh.” After it sells out instantly the GL #36 re-order madness begins and you can bet eBay will light up with ridiculous prices on this issue. “Blackest Night” sees the birth of the final Lantern Corps, the Black Lanterns, which represents Death. Is there anything cooler than an army of Zombie Black Lantern soldiers? Oh, and Johns promises we’ll see some of our favorite dead DC characters making re-appearances. I can’t stop giggling just thinking about this one.

Punisher War Journal #26

Punisher War Journal #26; Marvel Comics; Written by Matt Fraction and Rick Reminder; Art by Macdonald; Cover by Dave Wilkins; $2.99.

Why it’ll go fast: PWJ is being canceled. Not because of poor sales or fan backlash, quite the contrary, I would argue this Punisher series has been the most enjoyable romp I’ve had with the character for years. (I loved the Ennis Punisher stuff but longed to see Frank in the mainstream Marvel U.) Marvel is retitling the series The Punisher and starting over with a new issue #1 this month. The new series will pick up where War Journal ended showing us the adventures of Frank Castle as he deals with the Dark Reign event. I adored this series and will be sad to see Fraction go, however, I’m excited to see what Reminder can do with his first major Marvel book. Being this is the last issue look for it to be under-ordered at most shops (There were two copies left at my shop when I got there.). PWJ 26 marks the end of an excellent Punisher run by one of my favorite new writers. Here’s to more quality Punisher stories in 2009.

War Machine#1

War Machine#1; Marvel Comics; Written by Greg Pak; Art and cover by Leonardo Manco; 1:10 variant cover by Mike Deodato; $2.99.

Why it’ll go fast: What sells out faster than final issues? First issues, of course. War Machine #1 follows the adventures of Iron Man’s Brother in Arms Jim Rhodes in the post-Invasion-Dark Reign Marvel Universe. For those of you who read and loved Warren Ellis’ Authority (if you haven’t, you should), Greg Pak seems to be taking War Machine in a similar direction tackling real-world problems with super-heroics. In the preview War Machine confronted a corrupt Oil-pipeline-developer and will later take on the likes of African Warlords, corrupt genocidal regimes and other menaces overlooked by the world for too long. This is going to be a hot book much in the vein of Pak’s Incredible Hercules which you may recall retailers had a heck of time keeping in stock. Like Hercules, War Machine is not an A-list character but has a lot of potential. This seems to be where writer Pak works best, fleshing out a secondary character and making them infinity more interesting. Pair Pak’s writing with artist Leonardo Manco, who was already legendary but seems to have hit his stride here, and you have a runaway hit that comic fans will be clamoring for in the upcoming months.

Indy comic of the Week
Why I Killed Peter; NBM/Comics List; Written and Drawn by Alfred and Oliver Ka; $18.95 (mature readers).

Why I Killed Peter is one of the reasons I love independent comics. Alfred and Oliver Ka tell the true story of Oliver’s relationship with a pedophile priest and examines how he dealt with experiences and what happens when he confronts the Priest later on in his life. It’s hard to imagine a movie being made that could deal with such controversial topic in such matter-of-fact words directly from the person affected. The short distance from creator to reader without the interference of large publishing houses or entertainment companies is one of the best things about Indy comics. It’s not going to be a happy story, but Why I killed Peter is near the top of my “to-read” pile.

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. Thanks for sticking with me for a year and here’s to a happy and healthy 2009. 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.

Matt Baum is a Worthologist who specializes in comic books.

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