One of the best features of the GoCollect articles is that it makes readers see comics in different lights. So many times buyers and collectors get caught up in the subject matter of the series and forget the real talent behind those issues. Comic books are a visual medium and a great artist can stand out even with subpar writing or characters. Sometimes these artists create iconic covers that are known by even the most novice a hobbyist. That makes their earlier works also desirable. Here are a few books from some notable artists that may not break your wallet but should be on your range finders.
You are traveling through a dimension of sight
Mention the name Frank Miller and automatically people think of this classic masterpiece from Gold Key...um huh? Every great artist has to start somewhere and for Frank Miller a glimpse of his future abilities were on full display in this issue as an artist. A quick review of the GoCollect data sees less than 200 copies in the census with a FMV of $475 for a 8.0. When all the world is going after his more famous works why not go for something notable yet affordable?
His 1st, but he was back many times
Terminator: The Burning Earth #1
Alex Ross is one of the greatest comic book cover artists ever. His work is gallery quality. Ross covers for DC Comics and Marvel generate sales even on substandard projects. Here is his first published work and the FMV for a 9.8 is only $160! What is more unbelievable is that the one year average for that grade is $13 less at $147. 330 total copies exist in the census with around a quarter in this grade. That shocked this journalist until upon closer inspection it was revealed that a 9.8 signed copy sold for $350 in January of this year. That was the same price another copy sold for 8 months earlier. Add the grading and shipping fees and one can see what a great deal they got for this key book.
Old school masterpiece
Berni Wrightson has produced one of the most famous covers from this series that introduced the Swamp Thing. That does not mean the rest of his work should be ignored. Take this dark cover where the subtle image of a skull is revealed in the smoke. This book is very hard to find in high grade because of the black background. A 9.2 that still presents well costs around $500. That is a small price to pay for such a powerful cover by an artist the caliber of Wrightson. Less than 200 exist in the census so finding one is the hard part but if you do locate one you will not be disappointed.
A work of beauty by another name
Mention the name Stanley Lau and most fans would go huh? Sadly most fans only know him by his monicker of Artgerm. That is a tragedy because he should get a lot more notoriety under his real name. He has produced some of the most in demand variant and regular covers in recent years. Some say his work has anime influence while others say it is more westernized. There are so many great picks one could choose from but buyers cannot go wrong with this book. In the end it is just beautiful art. The reason this book was chosen was because it has that classic Artgerm cover but a 9.8 copy only has a FMV of $130. That makes this a nice pick up.
It spawned a great career
Except for a few minor first appearances, there is not much great going on for this series. The only notable significance one can find for this series is that this issue has the first published Todd McFarlane cover. Wait, that is important! Many McFarlane fans only focus on his Spawn, Spider-Man, or famous Wolverine/Hulk cover. That is the only reason to justify a 9.8 FMV of only $110. What is more tragic is the fact a signed copy in this grade recently sold for $307. This is a value for any collector of his work, and it all began with this issue.
An iconic cover from an icon
John Byrne is a forgotten artist by many. That is despite the fact he worked on such titles as Uncanny X-Men, Superman, and the Fantastic Four. In that Marvel series run this issue is one of his more memorable covers. The sheer scope of what the heroes must overcome is barely contained on the page. Byrne was a master of getting people to focus on areas that he believed were important and this cover is a classic example of that gift. The simple white background highlights the heroes' battle but it also makes it hard to find in higher grades. A 9.8 has an FMV of $160. The reason for such a low FMV is that there are over a thousand books in the CGC census. Maybe set your sights on the newsstand variant with a FMV of $240 in the same grade. Both of these books are primed to go up in the future so why wait and pay the price later.
