Everything Sandman is hot thanks to the announcement of the coming Netflix series. While you may already know to pick up the first appearances of Morpheus and Death, there are more potential recurring characters whose comic debuts could surge.
On the heels of last week's announcement that Netflix is adapting Neil Gaiman's Sandman for the streaming platform, all things from the Dreamworld have been on the move.
Earlier this week, I speculated in "Sleep Picks: Sandman #8 and Death: the High Cost of Living" that Morpheus' sister, Death, would be adapted for the series and prices for her debut would balloon. Two lesser-known characters I envision appearing in the show are Cain and Abel, and it's a buyer's market for their first appearances.
There's also a chance that Constantine could be part of the Netflix Dreamworld. DC recently announced that he would be part of its recent Sandman Universe comic series, which makes me curious if this is a setup for Hellblazer to be incorporated into the live-action show. After all, we've already seen Constantine in his own NBC series, then he crossed into CW's Arrow and DC's Legends of Tomorrow. Why not place him in Sandman, too?
For an update on the current prices for Morpheus' first appearance, check out "Are Sandman Prices Through the Roof Yet?"
Out of the four issues listed in today's post, Swamp Thing #37 is less of a sleeper pick than the other three. John Constantine has been an established player in the DC Universe with a growing following. His story has been adapted to both film and television. On the outside chance he crosses over into the Netflix series, it would only make prices for his debut even more expensive.
While a Swamp Thing #37 graded at a 9.8 is averaging over $600 at the moment, the other grades are far more reasonable. The 9.6 has a 90-day average of $239, and the 9.4 has a fair market value under $200 in that same span. Those prices aren't bad considering Constantine's popularity. If you are willing to aim for a mid-grade copy, the 5.0 has averaged $54 since last summer, which makes it budget friendly.
This is a true sleeper pick. According to CGC, there are only 48 graded copies on the company's registry. While Cain and Abel are not necessarily integral to Gaiman's Sandman run, they are established members of the Dreamworld, and it's hard to imagine a Sandman series without them.
I expect this issue to get a boost in popularity from a live-action casting, and now would be an opportune moment to get a copy. The 9.0 has been falling for the past two years, selling for $265 in 2017 to $161 this past December. The 7.0 hasn't fared any better; two years ago, it sold for $130, and last May it went for just $61. This isn't necessarily bad news since it makes it attainable.
A year after Cain made his DC Comics' debut, his brother, Abel, followed in his footsteps. According to the CGC census data, this is considered the first appearance of DC's version of Abel. Like HOM #175, this is very much a sleeper pick as CGC only has 37 graded copies listed in its census data. Better still is the price. Two 9.6s have sold this year, giving it a 12-month average of $237. Last year, a 9.0 sold for only $51.
Although not technically his first appearance, Abel first appeared as the host of House of Secrets in this issue shortly after he premiered in DC Special. The DC Comics version of the character became famous for his role in the House of Secrets with Cain hosting the sister title, House of Mystery.
HOS #81 is faring better than DC Special #4 in terms of FMV. In 2017, a 5.5 averaged $55, but it jumped to $120 just last month. The only other universal graded copy sold this year was an 8.5, and it brought $300.
