I've talked a lot about Hulk #181 and its near-daily price jump, but there's another comic that can keep pace: FF #48. While the statistics are interesting, the bigger picture is that it is quickly approaching the out-of-reach stage.

The X-Men aren't the only ones coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With Disney's purchase of Twenty-First Century Fox, Marvel Studios will get to add the Fantastic Four and its family of characters to their massive sandbox. This has brought attention to an already-popular comic, Fantastic Four #48.

I'm not the only one excited about the FF's addition to the MCU. The classic FF issues have been on the up since the deal was first rumored to be happening (then it looked like it wasn't happening, then it was on again, and now it's done). With Thanos and Infinity War ruling the box office this year, it's no wonder that comic collectors are looking for Silver Surfer and possibly Galactus to enter the fray at some point. Of course, we won't be seeing them on screen for a couple more years, but that's not subduing the excitement.

In the pages of FF #48, you get the first appearance of Silver Surfer and the cameo first of Galactus. I don't think there's ever been a time when this issue hasn't been popular, but lately, it's been skyrocketing. If you don't have a copy of your own now, you'll want to get it soon before it hits the truly ridiculous phase.

In 2006, an incomplete graded 0.5 sold for a measly $23. Here we are 12 years later, and that 0.5 has already brought $175 as recently as July. According to that statistic, the cheapest you'll find an FF #48 nowadays is still pushing $200. That's still less than half of what a 0.5 The Incredible Hulk #181 will cost you, but it could be hitting those numbers in the future.

Here's an eyeopener - the FF #48 in a 3.0. This low-grade gem has jumped an incredible 220% in fair market value in the past three months. For 2017, a 3.0 brought respectable numbers; it averaged $201 and sold for as much as $249. But the three month average? It's a whopping $642. All year, it's been gradually rising and had been selling for about $300-$350 up until May. That's when it simply exploded to $780 on May 27. The following two sales have been for $620 and $525, so those $300 prices are now a thing of the past.

Let's say you want a higher grade than a 3.0, but you don't want to have to pursue a career in armed robbery to afford it. We'll assume you're wanting to stay below $1,000. Two years ago, that would put you in the market for anything below an 8.5. Those were the good old days, for sure. Based on the 90-day averages, for you to keep within your $1,000 budget, you won't be buying anything above a 5.5. In fact, anything above a 7.0 will cost you more than $2,000.

What have we learned? If you're like me, you wish you'd ponied up and bought an FF #48 years ago. However, even at the 2018 prices, it's a sound investment, so if you do jump on the bandwagon now, you won't regret it.