GoCollect Blog: Hottest Copper Comics September '22: Streaming Makes Waves (hottest-copper-comics-september-22-streaming-makes-waves )

The Copper Era market guide at GoCollect is often dominated by Spider-Man, so it is fun to point out other interesting moves from time to time, including books that might have recent drops in sales position. Let's take a look at some moving and shaking Copper comics! Note that sales positions are as of when this is written in order to give you a feel of what is happening at one point in time, but it is good to check the Market Overview section often because the popularity of a book and sales volume can change quickly. It will surprise no one that action based on the rest of the entertainment market - movies and tv shows - happens often. Where would we be without streaming?!

Enter the Sandman

Sandman #1 leads off, dropping down 13 spots recently after bouncing in and out of the top ten spots on the sales charts the past few weeks. Clearly, there is a lot of interest in the 1989 Neil Gaiman book. I have always found this book interesting for the wide variety of artists used and how it feels like the classic horror/mystery comics of the 1950s.

Gaiman gives us Morpheus as the character Dream, but I find the best character is actually his sister. Netflix is bringing us the series and it has been met with good reviews, so I expect it to be in the sales charts while this show finds its footing.

She-Hulk: Sometimes Sensational

Also subject to the winds of streaming is the Copper Era Sensational She-Hulk #1. This book leaps 23 places to be in the #21 spot on the sales charts. This 1989 book is the second ongoing series for the female version of the Hulk. The first book, Savage She-Hulk #1, continues to hold down the #2 spot in overall sales, as it has for some time.

Besides having a better title adjective, the Copper Age book has fantastic cover art and story by John Byrne. The 9.8 graded copies continue to hold value around the $200 level as the Disney+ series continues to roll out. It doesn't seem to have the buzz of other shows (such as Moonknight or WandaVision,) so I am just holding on to this book until I see more.

Wolverine Starts

Our favorite Canadian named Logan has two books that are perpetually in the top 40 in sales action. Both are trending down at the moment, but they seem to always find footing in the sales action. Currently, Wolverine #1 (1988) is at #15, down 6 spots.

Like Spider-Man, Wolverine is an iconic character that belongs in every collection. This book is the first issue in the ongoing series (rather than the four-issue mini-series which preceded it).

Interestingly, the GoCollect records show a 2016 sale of a graded 10.0 book. Recognizing how hard it is to get a perfect grade and that this has so much black on the cover and along the spine, I would love to see that book in person. And the sales price was upwards of $17,000!

An interesting companion is Marvel Comics Presents #72. I remember this coming out and not loving the story or cover. Still, the origins of the Weapon X program have stood the test of time. A 9.8 grade book has an FMV of around $250, whereas Wolverine #1 is routinely twice that value.

When the Value is the Grade

The Auction section of GoCollect often has some interesting sales information. Usually, the top auction books are covers you recognize on sight. Much to my surprise, under Copper Era auctions was the not-so-recognizable Justice League of America #220. Sure, it is the 'new' origin of the Black Canary, who, as an early comic reader, I often got confused with Marvel's Black Widow. But this is not what even lovers of the JLA storylines would call a key book.

That didn't stop someone from closing an auction for this book for over $5,000 last month. The catch was that it was a 9.9 grade. Proving again that the demand for a spectacular grade is still out there and that scarcity is a huge part of value.

Someday, I'd like to own a 9.9 or a 10.0 graded book, but I'm pretty sure my books don't get to my LCS in that grade to begin with. Would you pay up for a 9.9 graded book?