There is definitely a craze when it comes to cameo collecting, and often these very cool, very small appearances in limited panels excite me even more than the first actual appearances. Really it's the suspense rush, the wondering, speculating, making off the chart conclusions from the smallest brushstrokes that I think are the greatest draw to these issues. So in case you haven't already grabbed these, here are three great cameos to add to your collection.
Amazing Spider-Man #1 (2014)
Cindy Moon (a.k.a Silk)! Huge blindspot at the moment for this book. Silk is getting BIG, like angry Banner big, and for some reason, her very first cameo still hasn't seen a huge rise. Truly a great addition to Modern Age cameos, but so far it's really her first full appearance that has seen the gains in terms of both price and popularity.
It's interesting to note that while Cindy's first cameo is only two panels long, it still has a huge weight about it. I mean the whole lead-in for this series of comics is "A lot can happen in a split second." Referring to the focus of the cameo, Cindy being bitten by the same spider as Peter. From the sepia style coloring to the way Cindy is crouched, her hair veiling her face, the cameo just screams, "Amazing Hero Origin" to me.
Honestly, in the wake of Silk getting her own title, starring in other big titles, and talks of Amazon creating a live feature with Variety, it wouldn't surprise me in the least for both this issue and Amazing Spider-Man #4 to see a fair rise in value and demand going forward. ASM #1 2014 is going for $15 - $30 USD right now. A good cameo pick that will only get better.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #5
Kicking off cameo number two is someone who has been on my shortlist for a while. Tiana Toomes (a.k.a. Starling) has a first cameo that is probably on my top 10 favorites, due in part to Miles' inner thoughts as he spots her for the first time. (If you haven't read this issue, do yourself a favor and find it.)
Mainly though, it's because she comes right out and introduces herself to Miles while gliding in the air holding two unconscious men. The color of her wings against the dark sky, part of her shoulder shadowing the full moon. Truly just a beautiful piece.
For me, this was a personal collection book regardless of where Starling went. Tiana's entrance was way too awesome not to consider her as a milestone in Miles' marathon.
I think Starling is truly a great character. Not only is she Adrian Toomes' granddaughter, and has a suit made by him, but she is also coming back as a part of the new Champions #1 in October. So, she has another big chance to gain fans and start making her mark as a new-age hero. Miles Morales: Spider-Man #5 is poised at the $15 - $25 mark currently. Be on the lookout for the 2nd print; it's not as prominent and could be harder to find.
Venom #25
Crazier, colder, Codex. As far as cameos and first appearances, this is by far the most recent, and I think worth picking up for your collection. Codex is only featured for a single glorious panel. We see him striding forward, next to Knull's opened mouth. The whole page just grabs you and pulls you in with its massive level of detail. But it really doesn't tell us much about Codex.
Even Venom #27 didn't really give us any more information than we already had on this character. It mostly just gave us a real first appearance and a shot of The Hive. So more than anything, this issue just left me parched and craving more. More Codex, more Knull, more Avenger/Venom hybrids (Seriously, that was cool).
Right now this cover is about $15 - $25 and has plenty of room to grow. This cameo is insanely cool. Just the fact that these new Venom Avengers WORK for Codex inside The Hive, oooh, serious shivers, Marvel. Be on the lookout for the Wal-Mart exclusive variant, going from $25 - $60. It comes in a three-pack (HTF Mint). Is pure black (Harder 9.8), and is going to be a variant that takes off when this book inevitably shoots to the heavens. WHEN that will be, remains to be seen. Regardless, I can't wait for more Venom!
Last Remarks:
No matter the future of these three characters; I certainly think their first cameos are all very visually appealing. Certainly worthy of remark in this age of so many fantastic titles. Each of these titles is rather cheap at this point as well. Especially seeing as the demand for these characters is already fairly high.
