Whether you are drawn to the bleak, gothic aesthetics, or just the fact that he’s a blind guy beating the absolute crap out of thugs in Hell’s Kitchen, Daredevil is a seriously cool part of comic culture.

Bendis' first foray into the character began back in 2001 and more or less continued for half a decade. He did a fine job, too, winning multiple Eisner Awards for his work with the character and others. I don’t necessarily want to focus on one single issue of Daredevil. Rather, I would have you seek out the copies in which Bendis partners up with artist Alex Maleev. Alex's artistic style really lends itself to Daredevil’s goth tones and pairs nicely with Bendis’ gloomier storytelling. I believe the duo captures the essence of Hell’s Kitchen’s resident blind boxer in a way that would make Frank Miller proud.

Fortunately, many Bendis/Maleev copies aren’t going to bankrupt you should you go looking for them. Daredevil #26, for example, does not appear to have much in terms of pricing data on GoCollect, but we are able to see the sale of a few 9.8 copies anywhere between $20 to $30. Fortunately, a quick eBay search supports that data. This particular issue happens to be the first collaboration between both Bendis and Maleev, and finding a well-kept copy should not prove to be much of a challenge and the same goes for most of their work. Personally, I’d snatch up any good deals I could find because quality like this begs to add value over time.

Avengers, Assemble, Again

The Avengers have dominated the silver screen and the comic book world alike, so it goes without saying that anything Avengers-themed might just be a good investment. This is especially true, given the opportunity for movie tie-in price inflation in the inevitable MCU future.

Bendis’ work on the Avengers stretches over the course of several years, yielding many options. For now, let’s just take a look at New Avengers #30. This is a key issue for the series as it sees Clint Barton, as Ronin, joining the world-saving super gang.

GoCollect data seems to show very little difference between the prices of 9.4 and 9.8 graded copies. Luckily, I was able to find several seemingly excellent-to-the-eyes copies on eBay for as low as five dollars. It may not be a totally viable option in terms of short-term investment, but picking up a cheap copy now and getting it graded will almost guarantee a profit. The free real estate being offered to collectors with the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a godsend.

Scarlet, a Letter to Fans

Bendis and Maleev team up once more to bring us, Scarlet. A gritty, contemporary series that pits the protagonist, Scarlet, against a "broken world". Scarlet takes it upon herself to do the fixin’ that’s necessary to mend the world, and that means kicking a lot of ass.

Taking strides away from the typical hero template, this creator-owned series beautifully matches Maleev’s edgy art style with Bendis’ very human script. This combination creates a truly fantastic story that delves deep into the horrible sides of humanity. Further, it engrosses readers in the intricacies of Scarlet’s emotions and the pain that she feels.

Investment-wise, a 9.6 copy of Scarlet #1 looks like a pretty solid bet at this point. According to GoCollect sales data, this particular grade has seen a 61.1% increase in sales value since 2016. This is great, considering prices are fairly low for the grade, so this would be an easy "buy low, sell high" scenario.

Bendis Beyond

You know Brian Michael Bendis, everyone does. He’s crafted entire worlds that we, as collectors, readers, and investors, love and adore. Bendis is a giant, and he holds the comic book world upon his shoulders at times. There simply are not very many writers in the Modern Age who have been more influential and prolific than him.  He gives collectors so much to work with; the man stays busy. There are a plethora of books under his name out there, and, as I’ve said before, quality likes this begs to be worth money in time.