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Rating spec books
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354 posts in this topic

1 hour ago, the authority said:

Next we have Astro City #1. Wow, wow, wow. The Watchmen would probably be the first group that wasn’t the JLA, Avengers, Defenders, or JSA that I looked at seriously, as if of course they belong in this big beautiful family of comicdom. Astro City was the next book that kind of hit me that way. Great stories and Alex Ross covers. There really wasn’t a group book I liked as well the first year this was out. I believe Rising Stars came later and I felt it was on the same level. 

Back to this issue. A sure bet in my opinion. Especially raw in high grade. There is a lot of room between raw and 9.8. Highly suggest buying these if you find them in great condition.

I own 1 CGC 9.8 and 1 CGC 9.6. Many more in VF/NM. 

Rating 

raw 9.4 = 7 out of 10

CGC 9.8 = 7 out of 10

A79A345E-A1D3-41C3-8DD5-930E28148F78.jpeg

Anyone know if there's a newsstand version of this?  @fastballspecial

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10 minutes ago, Wolverinex said:
1 hour ago, the authority said:

Next we have Astro City #1. Wow, wow, wow. The Watchmen would probably be the first group that wasn’t the JLA, Avengers, Defenders, or JSA that I looked at seriously, as if of course they belong in this big beautiful family of comicdom. Astro City was the next book that kind of hit me that way. Great stories and Alex Ross covers. There really wasn’t a group book I liked as well the first year this was out. I believe Rising Stars came later and I felt it was on the same level. 

Back to this issue. A sure bet in my opinion. Especially raw in high grade. There is a lot of room between raw and 9.8. Highly suggest buying these if you find them in great condition.

I own 1 CGC 9.8 and 1 CGC 9.6. Many more in VF/NM. 

Rating 

raw 9.4 = 7 out of 10

CGC 9.8 = 7 out of 10

A79A345E-A1D3-41C3-8DD5-930E28148F78.jpeg

Anyone know if there's a newsstand version of this?  @fastballspecial

Seems like the kind of thing that Chuck would have found and priced at $300.  He doesn't have a newsstand listed for any of the series.

http://milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=list&title=05862708608&snumber=1

 

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2 hours ago, valiantman said:
2 hours ago, Wolverinex said:

Anyone know if there's a newsstand version of this?  @fastballspecial

Seems like the kind of thing that Chuck would have found and priced at $300.  He doesn't have a newsstand listed for any of the series.

http://milehighcomics.com/cgi-bin/backissue.cgi?action=list&title=05862708608&snumber=1

This book was not distributed on the newsstand.

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16 hours ago, the authority said:

Next up, Captain Marvel #14 and #17. These are the 1st appearances in civilian form and in costume of Kamala Khan. Isssue #14 has bothers me personally ever so slightly because of the way it was later revealed that “hey, this is Kamala Khan, but you’ll never know unless someone ask the writer about it..” thing. Still, that’s what they stated it so that’s how it is, just always struck me as both odd and convenient. Issue #17 is the other end of the spectrum. She appears in costume and its obvious that this is her. To me, this is her most undervalued book. 

I understand that issue #14 is her first appearance. I just think it probably will have slower longterm growth than #17. My ratings on these too definitely reflect the difference in current prices realized. I  believe both books are worth owning but variants and 2nd prints will hold down their prices somewhat. This is why the Point One issue shines. 

I have 1 of each in NM. I’ve sold a TON of these including more than a couple on #17 2nd print...way too cheap. 

 

Rating 

#14 

raw NM = 5 out of 10

CGC 9.8 = 6 out of 10

 

#17 

raw NM = 6 out of 10

CGC 9.8 = 7 out of 10

 

D66E7BC7-4CFF-4C21-9851-1869A579F8B0.jpeg

4B078B95-825A-434C-BE55-EB21AC65B853.jpeg

She does not appear in costume in issue 17. She's just wearing a T-shirt and pants. Her first costumed appearance was the 2nd print of CM17 on the cover.

CaptainMarvel17-KamalaKhan.jpg

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1 hour ago, djinn155 said:

She does not appear in costume in issue 17. She's just wearing a T-shirt and pants. Her first costumed appearance was the 2nd print of CM17 on the cover.

CaptainMarvel17-KamalaKhan.jpg

I corrected the error. Its funny as time passes what we think we remember. The emblem on her shirt stood out to me. I blended that into a costume. Thanks for helping as I’d like this to be a factually accurate thread. 👍 

I think this makes her 1st  full appearance in Marvel Point One even more important. The 2nd print is obviously a fan favorite. I see it as similar to Incredible Hulk #180 and the Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars cover featuring Gwenpool. 

 

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5 minutes ago, the authority said:

I corrected the error. Its funny as time passes what we think we remember. The emblem on her shirt stood out to me. I blended that into a costume. Thanks for helping as I’d like this to be a factually accurate thread. 👍 

I think this makes her 1st  full appearance in Marvel Point One even more important. The 2nd print is obviously a fan favorite. I see it as similar to Incredible Hulk #180 and the Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars cover featuring Gwenpool. 

 

There are a *lot* of books like Hulk 180. It's a first appearance, but as a teaser. (There are a lot of Valiant first appearances like this.) Gwenpool is its own thing. Same for Ms Marvel cover I'd say. But I imagine it will happen more.

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3 minutes ago, GeeksAreMyPeeps said:

There are a *lot* of books like Hulk 180. It's a first appearance, but as a teaser. (There are a lot of Valiant first appearances like this.) Gwenpool is its own thing. Same for Ms Marvel cover I'd say. But I imagine it will happen more.

Yeah, that’s why I’m thinking this adds more value to Marvel Point One. I actually thought she appeared in costume in CM #17. Old man memory acts up from time to time 😆

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Next is Cowboy Ninja Viking #1. This book has been rumored to possibly be made into a movie with Chris Pratt’s involvement. I don’t know if it’s true or not because some sites say it will be out June 28 of this year and some say production has been delayed. I say we proceed as if the movie isn’t happening. 

Its an Image book with relatively low distribution. It has Riley Rossmo art which is nice. It’s an odd size book. Somewhere between magazine and comic size. I’ve not been able to find many of them other than on eBay. They don’t fit ina comic box so tough on storage too.

I own a CGC 9.6 and a 9.4. No raw copies.

Rating

raw NM =6 out of 10

CGC 9.8 = 7 out of 10

 

8EFE683E-93DF-4BE1-9B65-9573F8F1EB30.jpeg

Edited by the authority
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17 hours ago, the authority said:

Alrighty then, how about Batman #608 ? This is Jim Lee’s first Batman ( to the best of my knowledge ) and the beginning of the Hush storyline. 

There are many Batman artists that I collect and love their work. Adams, Aparro, Breyfogle, Miller, Capullo, and the list is mighty long. Jim Lee draws a very mean Batman. He looks like a guy that villains would fear. Sleek and powerful. I’m very high on this book. It’s a big deal.

I own a VF and 2 NM copies along with a good number of duplicates in the entire run. 

 

Rating 

raw NM = 8 out of 10

CGC 9.8 = 9 out of 10

 

You should focus on the newsstands for Batman 608 and 612.

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Next up is Origin #1. Wolverine’s name was Logan and only Logan for about 20 plus years. Then this book arrived and voila, name extension. Lol

This was a good but not great book. My expectations for the story were so high, I was a little disappointed reading them. I’ve done that with some Marvel movies too. My fault.

On one hand, the book does has some historical significance. On the other, I bought 25 or so of these the day they came out and sold them for $15 each the same day. You can nearly buy the whole set for kind of money now. This may never and probably won’t be a big money book in the future. It will probably get back to the $15 or so range where it started. 

I own a few sets in NM.

Rating 

raw NM = 4 out of 10

CGC 9.8 = 4 out of 10

3681BB03-F61C-4CA5-B0B5-7C8F0914A356.jpeg

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2 minutes ago, darkstar said:

You should focus on the newsstands for Batman 608 and 612.

Good idea. I’m no expert on newsstand issues. I am noticing more and more people talking about them. I barely know enough about what I’m discussing on the books I have listed in this thread.  Not 5 pages in and I’ve already made 2 mistakes. 😝 

I’d love to to hear more about them. Always eager to learn more about comics. 

I’m also open to differing opinions on the ratings if anyone wants to share theirs. The best thing about this site is the people and the vast amount of information we have to offer as a group.  👍

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37 minutes ago, the authority said:

Good idea. I’m no expert on newsstand issues. I am noticing more and more people talking about them. I barely know enough about what I’m discussing on the books I have listed in this thread.  Not 5 pages in and I’ve already made 2 mistakes. 😝 

I’d love to to hear more about them. Always eager to learn more about comics. 

Since it's a speculation topic, that's the key aspect for newsstands.  They have the same covers as the direct edition, but different distributions. Direct editions (by design) often go to collectors are usually protected well, bags/boards. Newsstands (in theory) went to buyers who wanted to read it, possibly save it, and maybe bag/board it.  If there were equal numbers of each, we might expect the newsstands to be a little harder to find in high grade. That is true up until the mid-1980s (ASM #252).  After that time, there were fewer newsstands, so we have more reason to expect newsstands to be a little harder to find in high grade (ASM #300). By the 2010s, there were almost no newsstands, so we should expect almost no high grade copies (Ult.Fallout #4). Marvel, DC, Image, etc., don't make (returnable, traditional) newsstands anymore. If you're speculating on moderns (this topic), then the newsstand versions (if they exist) probably have the most upside potential if the contents of the book are ALREADY worth having in their direct edition counterparts. Every newsstand isn't a winner, just like every variant isn't a winner, but if you can identify a much-harder-to-find version of something that is already important, and if there's no easy way to stock up on them because they're all distributed who-knows-where, then you've got a little "perfect storm".

Edited by valiantman
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12 minutes ago, valiantman said:

Since it's a speculation topic, that's the key aspect for newsstands.  They have the same covers as the direct edition, but different distributions. Direct editions (by design) often go to collectors are usually protected well, bags/boards. Newsstands (in theory) went to buyers who wanted to read it, possibly save it, and maybe bag/board it.  If there were equal numbers of each, we might expect the newsstands to be a little harder to find in high grade. That is true up until the mid-1980s (ASM #252).  After that time, there were fewer newsstands, so we have more reason to expect newsstands to be a little harder to find in high grade (ASM #300). By the 2010s, there were almost no newsstands, so we should expect almost no high grade copies (Ult.Fallout #4). Marvel, DC, Image, etc., don't make (returnable, traditional) newsstands anymore. If you're speculating on moderns (this topic), then the newsstand versions (if they exist) probably have the most upside potential if the contents of the book are ALREADY worth having in their direct edition counterparts. Every newsstand isn't a winner, just like every variant isn't a winner, but if you can identify a much-harder-to-find version of something that is already important, and if there's no easy way to stock up on them, then you've got a little "perfect storm".

That makes great sense. Thanks 🙏 

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I’m a little old school in that I still like #1 issues. Specifically, the #1 of the 1st limited or full run series featuring a character. Like Wolverine from 1982 or Longshot #1 from around the same time.

so here are 3 #1 issues featuring some previously mentioned up and comers. All have a big to somewhat big $ first appearance and all have even bigger $ variants. How about their own books ?

I have a Three Bears approach with these books as you’ll see further down the line. 

Starting with Kamala Khan and Ms Marvel #1 This book already does very well relative to the other two. I don’t think that she’s more popular than Spider-Gwen overall but..maybe she is. Her #1 in CGC 9.8 is usually around $100. 

Silk #1 is next on the list. She really hasn’t hit it big yet. Where Marvel is marketing Ms Marvel with posters on shows like Modern Family and Spider-Gwen went from unknown to big screen in around 5 years, Silk is the ugly girl at the dance. Not ugly girl but the book with the slowest time to be noticed outside of comic audiences. A CGC 9.8 might sell for $40 to $50.

Spider-Gwen #1 is the current best bet for a steady return. Her book in CGC 9.8  sells for $60 to $75 in CGC 9.8. Keep in mind that all of these books are easy to get in high grade. Gwen seems very likely to continue to grow though Carol Danvers role in the MCU might bode well for Kamala and Monica Rambeau for that matter. 

I’m well aware of the fact that a lot of people wouldn’t give 2 cents for a #1 that isn’t a 1st appearance but there are a lot of us who still like them.

I’ve had more than 10 of each of these in CGC 9.8

I'm down to 3 Ms Marvels, 12 Silk, and 10 of Spider-Gwen. They won’t make you rich but very cheap with good returns.

Ratings

 

Ms Marvel #1 = too hot 

raw NM = 6 out of 10 ( less room for growth ) 

CGC 9.8 = 6 out of 10

 

Silk #1 = too cold

raw NM = 7 out of 10 ( lots of potential growth ) 

CGC 9.8 = 7 out of 10

 

Spider-Gwen #1 ( just right ) 

raw NM = 8 out of 10 ( too cheap considering her role in movies and other media )

CGC 9.8 = 7 out of 10

 

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B2ABAA6E-1D1B-49EF-AB5F-743BC9D04A5F.jpeg

D32CDC42-2C25-4D00-BE8B-9EB1F3B5A46C.jpeg

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You ever see a book and think WOW ! That’s way too cheap even though you probably have plenty of them ? Yeah ? Me too. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen #1 is that book for me...or one of them. 

Here is why I believe it’s way undervalued. It’s written by Alan Moore. Okay, not every Alan Moore book is amazing but Swamp Thing Thing, The Watchmen, and this are definitely amazing. This is another once a year, vacation read for me. 

I think the movie may have had the opposite effect that most movies have on a comic. They weren’t all that true to the original series. 

I think it would make an outstanding movie or even TV show with a good budget. Did I mention that  it’s one of Alan Moore’s finest stories ? Bias could be getting me on this one so tread with care. 

I own too many of these. I literally have no idea how many. 

Rating

raw NM = 7 out of 10 

CGC 9.8 = 7 out of 10

2633A143-E5B9-489E-950B-3D847C022E2B.jpeg

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A little out of my comfort zone because I’ve made plenty of mistakes on small press books. One minute they can be as hot as fire and the next, as cold as ice. So keep that in mind with these comics.

The Untamed #1 Niobe She is Life #1, and Tales of Asunda #0. The reason these books are worth looking for is that HBO is developing a new series based on these books. The star is supposed to be Niobe. The show as of now will be called Asunda. 

In the last couple of decades. HBO has dominated TV in terms entertaining TV series. From Rome to the Tudors to Deadwood to Game of Thrones, they clearly are as good as it gets in the production of the highest quality TV shows. Netflix has more but HBO is the gold standard. 

These books were really hyped by some spec sites a year or two ago. I bought some just in case. Never expected the great results. When I buy in bulk, I sell until I get my money back. There are occasions where this doesn’t happen but it’s more rare than not. Being too attached to something will cost you money. So I don’t have as many as I started with on the first two series and never had any of the Asunda books.

I have 2 NM untamed and 2 NM Niobe. I believe the Asunda book is still for sale on the Stranger website for $20 each. Niobe #1 is still cheap. 

Ratings

Untamed #1

raw NM = 8 out of 10

CGC 9.8 = 9 out of 10

 

Niobe She is Life #1 

raw NM = 8 out of 10

CGC 9.8 = 8 out of 10

 

Tales Of Asunda #0

raw NM = 6 out of 10

CGC 9.8 = 6 out of 10

 

 

 

4E5CA138-D4C4-4F78-A901-68BFB5BA3FBA.jpeg

C30F9D47-1C6C-4517-9A7F-E2B3A8F13537.jpeg

61B622F4-567C-4A0E-876E-FD4DB2CA1FA4.jpeg

Edited by the authority
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