Upcoming Comic Book Films Can Guide Your Investing Choices
(Image courtesy SciroKun)
It has never been a better time to be a comic book collector. You don’t have to know anything about comic books to make prudent comic book collecting choices.
I think you should be a comic book fan. I grew up reading comic books. Understanding comic books, the eras they were published in, the storylines, and the characters will help you to understand why they are so precious to collectors.
If you are interested in collecting and selling valuable comic books, then you must understand your buying audience.
However, we are literally living through a pop culture shorthand moment in history. When I was a kid, and before 2008, to be considered a comic book fan, one actually had to read comic books.
Comic book fans were not cool before 2008. Reading hundreds of consecutive issues of a title, memorizing every minutia of a pivotal storyline, and recognizing an artist’s work with a passing glance was considered a badge of honor in the geek community. In that era, society at large viewed comic book readers as socially maladjusted, immature, and weird.
After the release of Iron Man in 2008, suddenly everyone became a comic book fan. And weirdly, now you can be a comic book fan without ever having read a comic book. That’s because comic book culture has invaded every medium of popular entertainment.
Just as weirdly, it has never been easier to become a comic book collector, relatively speaking. A decade ago, one should at least have been a fan to recognize the sentimental worth of a comic so as to monetize such knowledge for financial gain.
But now, all you have to do is wait for the next blockbuster comic book movie to come out, research the characters, and watch the collector’s market.
Don’t believe me? If you aren’t a comic book reader yet interested in collecting and investing, watch these titles in the future.
The Hands of Shang Chi: Master of Kung Fu #115 (Marvel) August 1982
(Image courtesy Atomic Robot Comics and Toys)
I have a near-complete run of this series. I have this exact issue!
And I recently called my brother, who now owns these comics, to let him know that value of some of these comics is about to skyrocket.
Shang Chi is an old Marvel comic book about a martial artist and super-agent who was modeled after Bruce Lee, a superstar actor and martial artist of the 1960s and 1970s.
The world was recently electrified by the release of the trailer for Shang Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings. Shang Chi is not a new character – he was introduced in Marvel Comics in 1974. But he is a brand spanking new to a generation of non-comic book readers who love comic book movies.
However, this comic is the first appearance of Death Dealer, a minor character in the comics who has a major role in the upcoming film.
No one knows who the actor portraying Death Dealer in the film is yet, adding to the excitement and mystery.
In January 2021, a mint copy of this comic was worth $40. Before January 2021, a copy of Master of Kung Fu #115 was worth $0 to $32. Now, a copy of this comic with a CGC grade of 9.8 sold for $325 in June 2021.
If the film is a hit, who knows how much more valuable this comic may become.
Inhumans #5 (Marvel) March 1999
(Image courtesy Comicana Direct)
I have this comic too! I actually paused in the middle of writing this to message my brother on social media and make him aware.
Anyway, explaining the Inhumans to the uninitiated will take too long.
All you need to know is that this comic features the first appearance of the second Black Widow.
Scarlett Johansson immortalized the role of Natasha Romanov, the Black Widow in several MCU films. However, the character died in Avengers Endgame and her upcoming solo film is a prequel.
Inhumans #5 introduced Yelena Belova, who trained with Natasha in the Red Room, as the second Black Widow in the comic books. English actress Florence Pugh will portray Belova in the upcoming Black Widow film and will also appear in the upcoming Disney+ Hawkeye streaming series.
Rumor has it that Pugh will assume the title of the new Black Widow in the MCU sometime in the future.
In early June 2021, a copy of Inhumans #5 with a CGC rating of 9.8 sold for $425. That price might heat up after the release of Black Widow, so watch this comic.
One cannot deny that these comics, which weren’t that valuable a year ago, significantly increased in value due to the upcoming appearances of new characters in major MCU roles.
You don’t need to be a comic book reader to make some good comic book investments. You can pay attention to the trends and buzz attached to upcoming comic book projects.
But doing some research wouldn’t hurt. Nor actually becoming a comic book fan.
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Editors Note: if you’re reading this because you’re interested in getting started in comics, consider checking out dinksfinance.com latest article on the basics of investing in comics. If you’re a beginner, its a good read.
Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including saving and investing in your own small business.
