Here we check out a few surprise comic books that have seen sharp increases in sales prices during 2020. One as much as 6x. Including Something is Killing the Children, Darth Vader, and Batman.
SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN #1 (2019)
One of the biggest winners in the 2020 comic book market has been BOOM! Studios’ originally 5-issue limited series, but now ongoing, Something is Killing The Children #1. The Eisner Award-winning series centers on the mysterious disappearance of Archer's Peak’s children, and the even more mysterious monster stories they return with.
In 2020, sales prices for CGC 9.8 copies of the book have skyrocketed nearly 6x from $50 to a current FMV of $300. The interesting with the book’s market history is that sales held flat at the $50 level for months after the book’s Sept 2019 release. Flat and low volume. See CGC 9.8 sales in the chart below. How big of a change? It was the Great Plains until suddenly in April 2020 it hit the Appalachians when sales prices climbed in the short span of just four months to a high of $400.
So what happens next? Unfortunately in the month following the highs, sales prices have been in slow decline. Between the short market history and sudden spike, the book’s long-term prospects do cause a bit of concern at the current price levels. With that being said, all bets are off if the series gets the old TV adaptation; which, to that end BOOM! Studios does have a newly inked deal with Netflix. Overall, this book could be attractive shorter-term speculation provided prices drop a bit more. Definitely keep an eye on this one.
DARTH VADER #3 (2015)
Another big winner in 2020 is Darth Vader #3, which boasts the first appearance of doctor Chelli Lona Aphra. While the market for Darth Vader #3 hasn’t jumped up as much as the book above, it has performed a very, very respectable 2x. CGC 9.8 slabs began the year at around the $100 level and have since climbed to a current FMV of $230; see sales data below. On a side note, perhaps a random coincidence, but the highest sales price for Darth Vader #3 occurred in early August 2020, just like Something is Killing The Children #1. Performing in kind is the 1:25 Larocca variant. This variant started the year in the $250-300 range but has since grown to an FMV of $775.
Much of the overall rise in Aphra’s key books is due to rumors that she will be introduced in the second season of the Disney+ Mandalorian series. Further compounded by rumors of a spinoff series for the character. How high can speculation based on a Disney+ series go? This is a relatively new frontier. To boldly go where no speculator has gone before… jk, a different franchise. Either way, this speculation should pan out late this year when the new series drops; probably best to take some money off the table before that.
BATMAN #635
Another book on the rise in 2020 is Batman #635, which features the first appearance of Jason Todd as Red Hood. Yes indeed, sales prices are growing, but the big concerning aspect, which also sets it apart from the above-mentioned books, is that it’s not the first time for Batman #635. The book began the year at around the $200 level and has since risen to an FMV of $325.
Looking at just 2020, this would be a very impressive performance and look very optimistic, but when you extend the timeframe further out, you’d see that this book constantly goes through a cycle of hitting the $300 level and falling back down to the $175-$200 range. It has done this in multiple instances including 2016, 2017, and 2019. Most concerning is that it might be doing it again. See the sales data below for CGC 9.8, from 2018 until now that shows the most recent cycle. Definitely check on the sales data yourself to observe the previous cycles. If you’ve been wanting to get in on this book, it could be beneficial to wait.
“I’m a rogue archaeologist, not a protocol droid.” – Doctor Aphra
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