‘Brave and the Bold’ Sets Damian Wayne Keys Ablaze

We knew it would eventually happen, and now we finally know when Damian Wayne will make his cinematic debut. Trigger the key issues avalanche.

Eat your heart out, Kevin Feige because James Gunn set the secondary market ablaze with his huge DCU Chapter One reveal. Of all the movies and shows he named, The Brave and the Bold has generated the biggest initial secondary market impact, all thanks to Gunn confirming that Damian Wayne will be in the film. That has lit a fire underneath these keys.

BATMAN: SON OF THE DEMON

Think of this as you would a What If…? key. Despite being a noncanonical Elseworlds story, collectors and investors still recognize the graphic novel, Batman: Son of the Demon, as Damian’s true first appearance. Here we see the unnamed baby born to Talia al Ghul and Bruce Wayne. Grant Morrison would later retcon the story to fit into the Earth-1 universe, and that is what makes this issue so important to Damian collectors. 

Son of the Demon had two editions — a hardcover and a softcover. Obviously, the grading companies can’t slab a hardcover, so there are no graded sales of that edition. Even for the softcover, there’s only been one 9.8 to sell online as of late, and that happened to be in December when a copy brought $185. Over on eBay, both editions have been earning around $25.

BATMAN #655

Although we only see his eyes in the shadows, Batman #655 is recognized as Damian’s first canonical appearance. Since we don’t actually see him, that makes this more of a cameo first, but that didn’t matter to buyers.

On the back of the Chapter One confirmation, the graded 9.8 went from a $172 three-month average to suddenly earning as much as $500.

BATMAN #656

Damian finally made his full debut here, appearing in one panel at the end of the comic. As you may have expected, this issue has exploded in the secondary market. After averaging $166 for the past year, Jan. 31 saw the graded 9.8 hit $300. Meanwhile, the raw copies were earning in the $60-$70 range on eBay. 

BATMAN #657

All things Damian Wayne are on fire, and his first cover appearance was hauling in top dollar. Although he’s not in costume on the front artwork, this issue also marks the first time he suits up as Robin. That prompted buyers to take aim at Batman #657.

No doubt, the Chapter One news pushed this comic to a new level. Before Jan. 31, the previous 9.8 sold on Jan. 12 for $99. As soon as Gunn’s video dropped, they were selling for anywhere from $145 to as much as $225.

BATMAN #666

Since Damian is co-starring in the upcoming movie, it will inevitably lead to speculation that he is the future Dark Knight. As such, collectors and investors are targeting Batman #666.

This standalone story is set in a future Gotham City protected by an adult Damian under the cape and cowl. There is a solid chance this could happen in a future DCU chapter, which is why it’s a red-hot collectible. Shortly after Gunn’s announcement, eBay saw raw copies earning $40-$50. As for the graded variety, the 9.8s were earning anywhere from $200-$300.

THE BAT-FAMILY

Will we finally see the entire Bat-Family on the silver screen? That’s the question being asked around the comic campfires. Given that Gunn is basing The Brave and the Bold on Grant Morrison’s Batman run, it does lead to theories that Damian will be the first of several characters to get their live-action spotlight. Maybe now we can finally get that cinematic Nightwing we’ve heard about for years.

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