Anyone that has played poker knows that the Jokers are usually for home games only; otherwise, they are removed during a real poker game. In DC Comics, however, the Joker is probably the most popular villain ever created and has been showcased everywhere. The latest buzz is that director Todd Phillips will take us on Joker ride with zany Joaquin Phoenix as the lead of his biopic: Joker. What kind of impact will this have on Joker issues? Should you buy Batman the Killing Joke a classic Joker tale? Or, would a better offering to the gods of profit and loss be spending a fortune for Batman #1? However, Batman The Killing Joke seems like a good pick for this particular catalyst. After all, this book is ubiquitous and provides some background on his heinous crimes like the crippling of Batgirl. When you follow the Joker down the rabbit hole of profit who knows where it will end?
In this Joker story, Barbara Gordon is crippled by Batman's nemesis. Batman the Killing Joke written by one of the great writers of the comic book genre (at least on the DC side) Alan Moore, with Pencils by Brian Bolland. Considering it was scripted so long ago with so many prints runs (I counted at least 14 prints!); it is surprisingly still popular today. This is a classic tale and one that is a must own for Batman fans and Joker devotees everywhere. The truly funny thing about The Killing Joke is multiple print runs are still worth money today. Crazy huh? The question is: will speculation on Batman The Killing Joke end, with a happy profitable chuckle, or a cackle that leaves your sides aching in pain from profit loss?
Long-Term Returns:
- Grade 9.8 $160 FMV returns positive +2.2%
- Grade 9.2 $75 FMV returns positive +6.9%
- Grade 8.5 $48 FMV returns negative -10.4%
- Grade 7.5 $46 FMV returns negative -16%
Mixed results over the long term are not exactly the barrel of monkeys you want to buy. However, this illustrates an important point regarding Modern Age comic print runs. They can destroy value over time. In the short-term, this trend is reversed and positive gains have been made see below:
Short-Term Returns (6-months):
- Grade 9.8 $160 FMV returns positive +0.4
- Grade 9.2 $75 FMV returns positive +23%
- Grade 8.5 $48 FMV returns positive +42.3%
- Grade 8.0 $46 FMV returns positive +24.9%
I believe these short-term price hikes are from the Joker movie set to come out in October 2019. The build-up is going to get huge. I don't know if they can really match the previous versions of the Joker onscreen, but mark my words with Todd Phillips at the helm (Hangover Director) it will be huge worldwide. Every maniac that feels his or her inner sociopath will slither toward this Joker origin movie.
So we have a popular story, one of the top directors in Hollywood, a zany lead actor and multiple prints of this Joker classic. We need to make one more stop on this roller-coaster ride of the sinister sociopath: CGC Census data. What does the CGC Census show? With over 6,000 copies this is not unreasonable and leaves room for the price to run up. Relatively, a moderate amount of GCC issues, and not a problem for speculators to worry about. It is worth noting that 9.8 grade is not the King in this house of cards, merely a Jack. The Queen is a grade 9.9 issue (51 copies) and the King (14 copies) at Gem. The "gem" classification is so rare I have yet to hold one in my hands.
In home games, the Joker is usually wild; but in the game of speculation, Batman The Killing Joke is a solid speculation play. Buy at least a grade 9.2 and sell the month before the movie premieres.
