First Appearance
If James Gunn and Peter Safran want to eventually include Darkseid in the DCU – and why wouldn’t they? – a comics-accurate portrayal would have to include the New Gods.
Created by Jack Kirby in 1971 as part of his Fourth World, the New Gods – particularly the key characters of Orion, Lightray, Highfather, and Metron, as well as the worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips – first appeared, appropriately enough, in The New Gods #1.
There are 2,623 graded copies in the CGC census, of which only 65 are graded 9.8. And those 9.8s are scorching hot. One sold in the April 2 Heritage auction for a record-setting price of $3,960.
In the more pedestrian 8.5 grade, the 30-day average stands at $175, down from its 2020 peak of nearly $300.
Other Fourth World Firsts
Highfather, ruler of the New Gods, and Darkseid traded sons in the distant past. Orion, Darkseid’s son, we have already mentioned. Highfather’s son, Mister Miracle, made his first appearance in Mister Miracle #1.
There are 1,776 graded copies in the CGC census with only 18 reaching the 9.8 grade, a scant 1%. It’s been more than four years since a 9.8 last sold for $4,250. It isn’t hard to imagine it reaching a price of $5,000, even in today’s market. In the 8.0 grade, the current 30-day average is $210.
A group of young citizens of New Genesis took residence on Earth to combat Darkseid’s presence there. Essentially Kirby’s take on the “flower children” of the 1960s, they made their first appearance in The Forever People #1, an issue that also marks the first full appearance of Darkseid (his first cameo appearance was in Superman's Paul Jimmy Olsen #134).
It’s really the latter that drives sales of this back issue more than the Forever People. The CGC census reveals 2,504 graded copies. Since reaching a high in the 9.8 grade of $4,500 in early 2021 prices have dropped considerably. The most recent sale, in an April 23 eBay auction, was for $2,025. In the 8.5 grade, the 30-day average stands at $250. While down quite a bit, it has held its value better than The New Gods #1.
Other Keys
The New Gods have always been somewhat problematic for DC. While the multiple Fourth World series offered up perhaps DC’s most powerful villain in Darkseid, as well as the worlds of New Genesis and Apokolips and concepts like Boom Tubes and Mother Boxes, the characters themselves have strayed far from Kirby’s initial concepts of a new race of gods who arose from the destruction of a previous race.
Most creators have struggled to incorporate them into stories. As a result, there are a few important issues outside of Kirby’s initial series.
Orion fought the Justice League in Justice League of America #183. While the issue has its fans, it’s not pivotal reading. Nor is it highly sought after by collectors, outside of JLA completists.
There are 86 graded copies, and any of them can be purchased for under $100.
The finale of “The Great Darkness Saga” in The Legion of Super-Heroes #294 – a storyline that shows the New Gods and Darkseid 1,000 years in the future – is slightly more highly regarded by collectors. There are 111 graded copies with 9.8s having a one-year average of $164.
Other Series
1980s series, New Gods, written by Jack Kirby assistant Mark Evanier, hews more closely to The King’s initial vision for the characters than most.
Of course, you’re likely to find New Gods #1 languishing in cheap bins in shops and at shows, and those copies can affordably be sent in for grading. Should you choose to purchase a graded copy, the most recent sale of a 9.8 was for a slashed $85, while a 9.6 last sold for $24.
John Byrne and Walt Simonson attempted a run on the characters, beginning in 1996’s New Gods #12. However, the series is a jumbled mess, replete with title changes, artists and writers swapping around, and general overall confusion.
Other than those two creators’ names, there’s nothing that really sets these works apart from the other lackluster efforts, and you’d be best off searching for raw copies if you’re interested in them.
One of the few bright exceptions is Tom King’s take on Scott Free beginning in Mister Miracle #1 from 2017.
While highly regarded at publication and with initial back issue sales jumping to $160 for a 9.8 in 2018, in the same grade you can find copies for around $50 nowadays.
Final Analysis
The New Gods would make for excellent DCU source material, provided Gunn and Safran stick to Kirby’s initial vision, however incomplete it may be. There’s the potential for epic storytelling there, with worlds of ultimate good and profound evil pitted against each other in an unceasing struggle.
The swapping of Mister Miracle and Orion at birth would make for an amazing film or series and could be used as a dramatic introduction to the epic villainy of Darkseid.
