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As the DCU prepares to officially shed the lingering threads of the DCEU, the long-awaited Blue Beetle trailer has finally arrived. It has the same lighthearted feel as Shazam!, which makes sense given that Jaime is a teenage superhero. While it’s not breaking any of Marvel’s YouTube viewing records, it’s generating plenty of buzz in the comic community. Naturally, that shifts to the secondary market, and these three issues are leading the charge.
INFINITE CRISIS #3
Before he bonded with the magical scarab, Jaime Reyes was your ordinary teenager. In fact, he appeared sans costume in Infinite Crisis #3 ahead of his debut as a superhero. That makes this the budget-friendly alternative to the increasingly popular Infinite Crisis #5.
If you happen to be in the market for an IC #3, you should be able to track down a high-grade standard edition without much trouble. The last time a graded 9.8 sold online, it brought $140 in May 2022.
Like all the other issues in the Infinite Crisis series, this one came with your choice of variants. The Jim Lee covers tend to be the best sellers simply for the beautiful artwork. Although the Lee variant is the most popular, it commands a smaller price tag than the standard edition. In fact, the most recent sale saw a graded 9.8 earn $85 on average for the past month. Meanwhile, the second print sketch variant last sold for $100 on March 23.
INFINITE CRISIS #5
DC Comics did collectors a favor by going with Jaime’s Blue Beetle. With a character as old as Beetle, buying up his Golden Age keys is a costly endeavor. For those of us without six figures to invest, it helps tremendously that Jaime debuted in the Modern Age. Even with prices peaking thanks to the new trailer, they’re still much easier on wallets than anything Golden. For that matter, you can get a George Perez standard edition graded at a 9.8 for around $100. There’s also a sketch variant of the Perez cover floating about the auction sites. On April 3, a 9.8 sold for $78. Clearly, these would be worth far more if Jaime had been on the cover, but at least it keeps the prices reasonable.
By far, the better investment is the Jim Lee variant. Not only do you get the stunning artwork, but Jaime is front and center on the cover in full Blue Beetle costume. In March, the 9.8 sold for nearly $300, and April 2 saw one go for $275. There hasn’t been a sale since the trailer debuted, so it will be interesting to see how that affects values.
BLUE BEETLE #1
As you put together your Jaime sets, you will want to add 2006’s Blue Beetle #1 to your shopping lists. Although not the first self-titled series in the character’s history by a long shot, it is the first time Jaime got the starring role in his own comic. That makes it a wise pickup at your local comic shop or favorite auction site. Of course, the movie interest has inflated prices, but you can still get a graded 9.8 for less than $200 on average.
A BLUE FUTURE
Although not part of Chapter One, Gunn confirmed earlier this year that Blue Beetle is part of the build toward his DCU vision. With Booster Gold getting his own series, it is likely that we will see Jaime on HBO Max. Whether or not he will get a sequel or if the role will be recast is a question for the future, but at least we can be certain that Blue Beetle will stick around in the meantime.
