Opinions are easy to produce. Everyone has one and can give it in a second. Research takes time. It requires gathering and then delivering a careful analysis. The benefit of gathering this data is that it goes beyond mere opinion-based speculation. Here is some research that GoCollect has been reviewing that may be an interest to you the reader.
Bad Sign for the MCU
Excuses are like opinions
People rather stream their favorite films than go to a movie theater. Fans are getting tired of sequels. Disney has lost it. These are but a few excuses given to explain the failure of recent MCU's box office returns. Since Avengers: Endgame the movie landscape had evolved. Thanksgiving weekend 2025 changed many people's minds of that belief.
Zoo crew beats an immortal
The MCU should have been more concerned with a bunny and fox than Galactus. Disney's Zootopia 2 had a worldwide box office of $556 million with $272 million coming from China alone. That is for only the opening week. Fantastic Four: First Steps had a total worldwide box office of $522 million. The Thunderbolts* did a little worse with $382 million. That is not good news for the MCU.
Mouse not looking for moldy cheese
Disney is a business. The bottom line matters. If something is not profitable it is shelved. The lack of any Star Wars films beyond The Mandalorian is proof of that. Big budgets and mega deals with stars will not be the norm much longer for the MCU. People excused MCU box office returns because of a changing economic environment. Zootopia 2 silenced those apologists. Feige and his staff must now rethink their products. Sadly, comic book fans have already cast their votes on the future of the MCU.
Comic impact
Fans in attendance at the Motor City Comic Convention seemed to suffer from MCU and Marvel apathy. Marvel comic books were there for the taking but very few fans were willing to overpay for even bargain keys. Instead, DC Comics were on their wishlists. Green Lantern keys were actively being sought out. While Jordan's first appearance is probably off the table, Green Lantern #87 was on fan radar. The first appearance of John Stewart with an outstanding Neal Adams cover is a good layup. The book also having the 2nd appearance of Guy Gardner is not a bad selling point either. 30 day sales data right now show 9.4 & 9.2 CGC around the $950 range. Good price for a book close to 25 years old!
DC Comics Again?
Square peg in round hole
Comic book investors and sellers have for years been praising Miles Morales as the next big thing. He was being equated as the Hal Jordan and Barry Allen for the younger generation of comic fans. He was the transitional bridge from Peter Parker. These same people have also tried to drum up support for Young Avengers #1 as a mega key because of past and present MCU casting news. The chorus screamed the future was now. As mentioned in the previous segment, fans are not buying hype. As one younger attendee said at MC3, " ...Miles is too expensive for the younger fan. He is not ours." What was interesting was where he and others told GoCollect to go.
Absolutely amazing
Sometimes publishers do not have to make a character younger for youthful fans to appreciate them. Absolute Batman #1 is proof of this fact. Gen Z and older fans appreciate the fresh take on Batman. The best part was it was not drilled into them. People were not trying to force them to accept this new Batman as the next big thing, but instead allowed interest to grow organically. This has resulted in genuine interest in the line. The real gold though is in Absolute Batman #1.
People want this book. They are not being told to want it. If done right this book could be what they hoped for Miles Morales. That is not opinion but a fact that buyers are showing through sales.
Global Market
Playing the trumpet
The reason GoCollect visits shows and talks to people is to see trends BEFORE they become mainstream. That saves readers money. Buyers can purchase books ahead of a potential rise in value. Sellers can seek out books that may offer them chances for good returns. That is why it is rewarding to see one of the trends we were first to notice becoming more prevalent.
Hot stuff
GoCollect was the first to notice the emerging market for foreign comics through this author's conversations with Hotkey Comics. They were the leading sellers/buyers of foreign editions in the States, thus their staff were the best authorities on the subject. This author does not have any financial interest in these books. He is unbiased but not blind. Much like a baseball umpire, I call them as I see them.
Absent but still present
Interest in this niche market was small but GoCollect noticed acceptance in these editions. Hotkey was not in attendance at the Motor City Comic Con, but that did not mean foreign editions were absent for the show. Several mainstream vendors had copies for sale. Tim, from Lantern Comics had a few early Japanese comics that went out the door. Other vendors had foreign editions of US comics up for sale on the walls! That is big because every square inch has to generate dollars and wall books are stars of the booths.
Niche is nice
The demand for foreign editions might not have caught on with most mainstream collectors and investors now, but acceptance is only a matter of time. This hobby is global. Interest in books is not restricted to our USA borders. The GoCollect price guide shows fans this already has occurred with sales data from books that were once ignored as inferior by hobbyists only a few years ago.
Goin to Timmies, eh?
Savvy investors and collectors know how desirable and hard to find some Canadian price variants are in the wild. These books are now readily accepted by the vast majority of fans. Most Golden Age collectors and investors dream of finding some Canadian whites that others still ignore. Once considered a niche, these books are now grails for fans because of their scarcity even in Canada. How many people reading this column have even heard of Canadian whites? Canadian books were once taboo for hobbyists and now are accepted as mainstream. How soon will other foreign editions be considered the same.
Scary truth
The one bad thing about foreign editions is establishing the FMV. There are so few copies in existence, much less graded copies. This makes it difficult for dealers to sell sometimes because they are hard to price. A hard to calculate FMV may be a problem but also a benefit. Many sellers undervalue these books because time is also money. They think immediate gratification instead of playing it smart. Years ago Laszlo Hanyecz once paid 10,000 bitcoins for two pizzas. That is probably a hard deal for many readers to swallow now when you realize those pizzas cost him $3.8 million in USD today. Play it smart and if a deal on foreign books appears do not be afraid to bite.
