I have been charting comic books for years to see what books are moving.  A book on the move may not be a positive characteristic. Recently I started a regular column on the Bronze Age comic books on the move.  The analysis contained in that column should appeal to investors looking to make a profit and collectors looking to add books and save money.  In my opinion, this is the age of books that has a lot of investment potential, while still being still affordable, and that should appeal to collectors and investors. So let us get into the books that are "hot" and the methodology I used to review them.

Methodology

I go to the main GoCollect page and hit on the comics section on the left.  Next, I hit Market Overview and focus only on Bronze Age books.  I use the 30-day analysis feature to eliminate any abnormalities.  If you want, you can put it to the Past 10 Day analysis to reveal the hot books for the week, but this is a small snapshot of the market that sometimes reveals impulse buying rather than actual trends.  You can look at it, but you should really pay attention to the sales numbers if you select that function.

My focus in this installment is to review books that are new to the list.  A book that jumps from relative obscurity in sales to a Top 100 mover has to be watched.    These are books that were not mentioned in our chartbuster article, but these books should still be on your watch lists.  This list was compromised around March 24-25.

I.  New to the List #1 Riser - Honorable Mention

Joker #1

Reasons for Book's Movement

The recent Batman movie dropped and people loved the film.  The DCEU still moves comic book sales.  I do not print spoilers, but one should assume that with any Batman film release that any and all Joker keys will see a bump.  The question is always not "if" he will appear in a movie, but "when".  High-end Golden Age and Silver Age Joker keys are always valued and moving.  The movie surge is seen more in lower-valued and secondary keys.  Joker #1 is the first issue of the villain's self-titled book.  This is a key book that has seen renewed interest in recent years.

Reviewing the Numbers

The numbers do not look good for this book.  Only the 9.0 and 5.5 grades saw an increase in value from the 90 to 30-day averages.  This book peaked in value in the 90-day averages but seems for the most part to be holding or declining in value.

Future of the Book

Joker #1 may be one of those books that is a long-term hold.  You can buy it for a low price when compared to other Joker key books. This book has a cross-appeal that investors should love.  The issue is a Joker key because it is the first issue of the character's first self-titled book.  I know of collectors who collect only first issues and love this book.  Other collectors I know must have Joker key books.  Cross-appeal is what you want when trying to move a book and this book has that cross-appeal.

This book should now also serve as a monitor to the comic book market.   We are now facing inflation and rising fuel costs.  Hobbyists discretionary income may be limited and thus the range of books that they focus on may be dwindling.  Joker #1 is a book now moving on the market, so it is important.  Investors and collectors should watch this book and other lesser keys to see if there is a greater pattern emerging.  This also shows that a book with at least 56 spots to make it to the top 100 and could be deemed "hot" may only be hot because it is moving in volume. Is this a sign that "lesser" keys are being sold as a result of the economy?

II.  New to the List #2 Riser - Honorable Mention

Star Wars #4
Reasons for the Book's Movement

Star Wars books have been on the move for a long period of time.  The crossover appeal for Star Wars and comic book fans makes this an in-demand series.  This issue may be seeing an increase based upon the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series that will drop on the Disney streaming service.

The issue is also a key book. This issue features the death of Obi-Wan Kenobi.   I looked at other Star Wars books that have also appeared on the market report and this may be only part of the story.  People are buying affordable Star Wars keys and the death of this main character can be considered a key. Any and all Star Wars key books are now on the move.  The low price of this book makes it one of the few affordable early key books to own.

Reviewing the Numbers

This is another book that is seeing movement but not a lot of price gains.  9.8 to 9.0 all saw gains from the 90 to 30-day averages, but not enough to warrant excitement.  Some of the sales increases were almost non-existent.

The 8.0 and 7.0 saw a decrease from their 90 to 30-day averages.  Also, take a special look at the 5.0 grade and see how those averages actually are higher than some higher grades.  This is why you have to look at the sales data and try to eliminate irregularities with a wider sampling.

Future of the Book

This is a book that is a key because of the death of Kenobi.  Fans may be buying the book because of the series, but this still is an affordable book to add for the long term.  Kenobi's legacy will impact the Star Wars universe for years to come, thus, this is a key book worth adding to your collection when prices are affordable.

The problem is that any short-term gains this book may receive may be only because of the series and the perception this is a "hot" book.  A book moving in the market may not be seeing gains because of the census population.  The supply still is larger than the demand.  As a result, years from now, this book may appreciate in value but you have to see it as a long term investment.  The concern is that most people buying it now are looking at it as a short-term investment and those individuals may not see the bump they expect because of the series.

III.  New to the List #3 Riser - Honorable Mention

Ms Marvel #18
Reasons for the Book's Movement

This is the first appearance of Raven as Mystique. Mystique has had a major impact in both comics and the Fox movie series.   Affordable X-Men keys are being purchased by fans after the Dr. Strange movie trailer dropped. You may not be able to purchase many mutants' first appearances, but this is one that is still in the reach of many hobbyists.

Reviewing the Numbers

Higher grade books are either rising or holding their values.  The 9.6 to 9.0 grades that have seen action all report either the same or rising values from the 90 to 30-day averages.  I like to see that increase in value in the 30-day averages and the higher grades did not disappoint.  The lower grades at least held their value.  That is not a bad thing during this investment period.

Future of the Book

Mutants may be target books for the budget-minded hobbyist. People are looking to invest in the future, but with the potential opportunity that a casting report can bring quick short-term gains as well. Mystique has a proven track record and connections to many characters that could be involved with future MCU projects.  Would it not be great to see in Secret Invasion that one of the shapeshifters was not a Skrull, but a mutant hiding among their ranks? Mutants WILL appear in the MCU, so get your keys while they are affordable.

I would also keep a close eye on Ms. Marvel #16 and Ms. Marvel #17.  These are earlier cameos of Mystique as other Marvel characters.  If demand goes up for her first full appearance the market may shift to these earlier cameo appearances like Wolverine.  I like this trio of books because I believe the census numbers will be always on your side because this first appearance was of a character introduced in a female-led title in the Bronze Age.   Better to be a day early than one day too late.

Conclusion

Reviewing the sales numbers is very important. Analysis of hot books shows that sometimes these books are rising in value, but these books can also be "hot" because they are moving.  Watch the market trends to see what books are moving but also look at the census numbers.  Books that move that also have a large population will result in a small increase in value until demand for that book explodes.  Some books that are now moving are seeing an increase in demand, but not enough to warrant interest in those books for the short-term investor.  That does not mean these books are not long-term holds.

The sales trends are very important.  You should also study the census numbers to determine if a low population of books could result in a greater increase in the FMV if demand goes up for the issue.  Books with poor short-term investment potential may still have long-term viability.  The Bronze Age offers great short and long-term investment potential for investors and collectors, but only if you put in the energy and study the numbers.

He's the data-dude. Check out more of Joe's work below!

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not constitute investment advice on behalf of GoCollect.