I have written plenty about Shuri in recent weeks, and for good reason: she is the hottest character in comics, at least from the collecting side of things.
Back in 2018, Marvel was riding the wave of success from the Black Panther movie. In a movie with several scene-stealing characters, Shuri truly stole the show. Fans liked her sarcastic demeanor, and rumors immediately started about her possibly assuming the mantle of Black Panther.
To promote the movie and take advantage of Shuri’s onscreen popularity, Marvel launched the Shuri solo series. When it first hit comic stores, this was not a great seller. In fact, I recall a local comic shop owner in my area saying he could hardly give away copies of Shuri. In the blink of an eye, things have completely changed.
Now that the role of T’Challa is in question since Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing, everything Shuri is on fire. On that note, let’s break down the current market for these highly collectible issues.
SHURI #1
Last year, there were only six Shuri #1 9.8s sold online. The most any of them brought was $60 that January. The rest stayed in the $30-$40 range. Then the speculation market started to boil over, and one 9.8 of the standard cover sold for a whopping $325 on September 10.
The other issues worth mentioning are the Jamal Campbell and Travis Charest variants. Before August, there had not been any graded copies of the Campbell variant sold online. Then on August 28, one brought an impressive $150.
The Charest variant has traditionally been more popular than the Cambell cover. Although there have not been any sales since last March, the two brought $150 and $81.
Like all the other Shuri keys, there is the second printing to search for. While there are no graded sales on record, the eBay sold listings for raw copies show this one bringing anywhere from $60 to $99 at the moment.
SHURI #2
As I detailed previously, the Shuri #2 variant market has been the biggest winner of all the comics in her series. The standard cover for the first print may not necessarily be a prized comic, but the second print has exploded. Raw copies are bringing $175 and more at the moment, and the ceiling does not appear to have been reached just yet.
SHURI #3
If you want a copy of the first print, that is easy enough to find. In fact, most copies go for $5 or less. Again, it’s the subsequent printings that are generating excitement.
Thanks to its lower print run and Shuri’s skyrocketing popularity, the second print of Shuri #3 has received a boost in sales. While it doesn’t compare with issue #2, the raw copies of the #3 second print are selling in the $20-$40 range on eBay.
SHURI’S FUTURE
Whether or not these issues will hold their values depends on what Marvel Studios does with the Black Panther franchise. Will the studio cast a new T’Challa or will the mantle pass to Shuri? Either way, it will make for an interesting news day when it becomes official.
