You may be glad you bought all those Image Comics in the early 1990s. Thanks in part to the upcoming Spawn movie, the original Image titles are experiencing a resurgence.
Image Comics has undergone major changes in its titles over the 26 years since the company launched its first comics. Back in 1992, the company gave us a slew of mature superhero titles that until now have been mostly collecting dust in your comic collections. It may be time to dig them out.
Yesterday, I filled you in Youngblood #1 almost doubling in value over the past two years (for more on Youngblood and the first appearance of Shadowhawk, check out, "Party Like It's 1991"). It's safe to say that much of the sudden boost in popularity is due to Todd McFarlane finally getting a Spawn movie off the ground, which you can read about in "The Impending Spawn Boom." Personally, I'm excited for Spawn getting a second shot at the silver screen, and I think it's shaping up to be a hit. As a collector, you'll want it to be successful because that will pave the way for more Image Comics' characters making their way onto movie screens.
Here's four Image titles not named Spawn or Youngblood that would be prime candidates for feature films.
Erik Larsen's Savage Dragon isn't new to screens; he had his own cartoon in the mid-1990s. He's also had his share of first issues, but I'm going back to his first appearance in the limited series from 1992. The direct edition sold for a record $170 last December (before 2017, it had never brought more than $90), and it's sold more copies of 9.8s than ever since the beginning of last year. Since this time last year, it has averaged $72 while the newsstand edition is averaging $84.
If McFarlane decides to keep the ball rolling and put other Image properties on big or small screens, Shadowhawk could be a logical choice. He's like Batman mixed with Black Panther without being rich. He's also infected with the HIV virus. After the success of Luke Cage and Black Lightning, it wouldn't surprise me for networks to consider bringing Shadowhawk to life. I must not be the only who thinks this since the fair market value of his debut issue nearly doubled between 2016 and 2017, jumping from $43 to $83.
This is my personal favorite on today's list. The Maxx is a high-concept, psychological endeavor into PTSD, and what it means to have fantasy and reality blurred. MTV produced a mature cartoon that aired in 1996 and continues to have a cult following (I highly recommend checking it out if you haven't already). The regular edition in a graded 9.8 has held steady around $50, but if you bought the glow-in-the-dark cover, then you've got something a bit more valuable; it's averaging $134 and has sold for a high of $146 last September.
We know that Spawn is going to be more of a horror movie than a superhero movie, which could be very interesting. If that works for movie audiences, then Pitt would make for a great follow up since this is basically a horror version of the Hulk. At the moment, Pitt isn't lighting the collector's market on fire; a 9.8 has been hovering around the $40 mark for years. However, that is good news because you can get one cheap with a chance at a decent payoff if he ever makes it to the big screen.