How is Amazing Spider-Man #361 faring now that we’ve seen the first footage of Woody Harrelson in costume on the Venom 2 set?

It’s almost like a picture of Bigfoot - a tad dark and not really showing much. Still, Carnage fans are buzzing since getting their first look at Harrelson (minus a CGI symbiote). This isn’t enough to bolster prices...yet.

As I have been saying for months, just wait until the first trailer drops that teases Carnage. That’s when it will be the summer of 2018 all over again. You remember that, don’t you? When Harrelson was announced to portray Cletus Kasady in Venom, the market for ASM #361 exploded. Most grades, especially those on the higher end, saw record-high sales. Since then, sales remain steady, and although prices have come down, they aren’t in the pre-announcement range. As long as Sony doesn’t drop the ball and put out a cringe-worthy Carnage, those values won’t take a dive for a long time.

How is the Carnage market looking at the moment? Like virtually every other key issue, the market has seen a downward turn since November. However, there are signs of life. As I explained in "When Will the Market Pick Up for the Holy Grails of Comics?" the comic market as a whole will get a boost from tax season when those returns are mailed out. By April, I expect this will be one of many keys that will be on the mend. 

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #361

By far, this is the Carnage comic to have, and now is a good time to buy. Certainly, many of us are still recovering from Christmas, but if you have the budget, relatively speaking it’s a buyer’s market for ASM #361. Out of the 10 different grades that have sold so far in 2020, six have a 90-day average that’s down from its 2019 fair market values. At the top of the heap is the 9.8, which is at a two-year low of $360. It will eclipse that mark when a trailer debuts, and you’ll wish you had invested when you had the chance.

There is a distinct drop in price when it comes to the 9.6. It’s still a great looking copy, and it currently has a three-month FMV of $151, which will be a steal a year from now.

 

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #359

The debate as old as comic collecting: is the cameo the true first appearance or is it the full appearance? At any rate, this is a great addition to your collection especially if those ASM #361s are too pricey for your budget. You can go with a 9.8 and only spend a fraction of the price. Still, values are on the rise. Earlier this month, one sold for $80, which is above the 90-day $70 average.

 

 

 

 

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #344

The first appearance of Cletus Kasady doesn’t turn heads as much as when he debuted as Carnage. Still, this is an issue worth collecting for any symbiote fan. Like we’ve seen with Venom and Eddie Brock, it’s just not Carnage unless Cletus is sporting the red and black. 

At a 9.8, it has a 90-day FMV of $146, but two of the past three sales were for $160 and $170, respectively. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

The future is bright for all things Carnage. If you want a piece of the action, you need to act quickly before we see those 2018 prices again.