There are a lot of different ways to approach comic book investing and speculation.  Some people tend to focus on covers, others on print runs, and others still on first appearances.  With so many different ways to engage with the hobby and the boundless creativity that the medium affords, trying to predict which characters will make it big, which covers will catch people's eyes, and which low print books could become collector's items down the line can be incredibly difficult.  Difficult, but not impossible.  One variable that can really help illuminate things is the quality of the storytelling.

For all of my talk about considering the wider entertainment industry or minimizing risk, a lot of my success with buying and selling comics has just come from reading a lot of comics on Marvel Unlimited and buying the ones with great stories.

It is important to remember that writers often use classic and acclaimed stories as jumping-off points, making them solid investments for comic and/or movie-based speculation.  Over the course of this article series, I will try to highlight some of my favorite Marvel comics, explain why they resonated with me, and hopefully get you to check one or two of them out along the way.

Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E.

Nextwave is one of, if not THE great hidden gem in all of Marvel Comics.  Way back in 2006, writer Warren Ellis and artist Stuart Immonen were essentially given carte blanche with a series of minor / no-name characters and told to go wild.  The result is one of the funniest, most creative, and off-the-wall stories ever put to page.

Nextwave tells the story of a group of heroes that discover that their organization, H.A.T.E. (Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort) is actually a front for the evil Beyond Corporation and decide to fight back against their former benefactor.  Despite their common goal, the team members could not be more different and work more poorly together, as every scene is rife with antagonism, mocking, and occasionally derelict behavior.

The series famously played fast and loose with continuity, usually in an effort to mock comic book tropes of both the industry overall and Marvel specifically.  The humor is top-notch and a testament to what can happen when creativity is placed at the forefront of an artistic and comedic endeavor.

Speculation Advice For This Entry: The Confusing History Of The Bloodstones

Abnett and Lanning's Marvel Cosmic Epic

This is one of the few entries I am genuinely nervous to write because I am not sure how I will ever be able to adequately explain the utter brilliance of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning's run on Marvel's cosmic books.  For several decades, the cosmic corner of the Marvel Universe was largely the product of the imagination of Jim Starlin, who produced some of the most acclaimed books Marvel has ever released.  When Starlin decided to step away from Marvel, a new era kicked off for Marvel Cosmic that began with the grand story of Annihilation, primarily written by Keith Giffen (which I truly cannot recommend highly enough).

Following the events of Annihilation, which included the death of several Starlin-era mainstays and the almost total destruction of the Nova Corp, Marvel handed the keys to the cosmic kingdom over to the duo of Abnett and Lanning, who had helped to flesh out many elements of the Annihilation event.

Over the next 7 years, Abnett and Lanning (or DnA as their fans lovingly refer to them) redefined what a stellar Marvel story could be.  Rarely has a world felt more fleshed out, complete with its own vernacular, legends, and highly individualized character arcs.  To this day, the effects of this seminal run are still being felt.  The DnA era of Marvel cosmic is not a short read, but readers will plow through it all the same, as few stories, comic or otherwise, have ever felt more immersive or moved with such incredible pacing.

Speculation Advice For This Entry (I have a LOT for this one):

Unbeatable Squirrel Girl

Unbeatable Squirrel Girl is quite possibly the most unique comic book series Marvel has published since Nextwave.  Up until this point, Squirrel Girl had never really been given much of a chance to shine or achieve a truly consistent characterization. Writer Ryan North and artist Erica Henderson take full advantage of this to redefine the character as a bubbly, high-energy computer science college student with a cast of characters as whacky as the title character.

Every page of the comic has jokes in the margins, which perfectly compliment the incredibly meta nature of the series. Throughout both volumes of this incredible book, Squirrel Girl constantly defies expectations and goes on wild adventures that readers cannot help, but be sucked into.

Whether it's becoming best friends with Galactus, creating the Iron Squirrel armor, or resolving conflicts with heart instead of hate, Squirrel Girl is always an absolute delight that all true comic book fans should check out.

Speculation Advice For This Entry:

Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows

Incredibly few stories are as near and dear to my heart as Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows because few stories ever manage to match its insights and subversive brilliance.  Set on an alternate earth against the backdrop of the mega-crossover event Secret Wars, Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows (ASM: RYV) tells the story of a married Mary Jane and Peter Parker and their child, Annie May, who has begun to demonstrate spider powers.

In the first volume of the series, authorities are on the hunt for powered individuals, while in the second volume the Parker family acts as a superhero team (Peter managed to find a technology that allows him to lend some of his spider-powers to Mary Jane).  The result in both cases is a fascinating deconstruction of Spider-Man and his central tenet of "With great power, there must also come great responsibility".

ASM: RYV explores what it means for Peter and MJ to be responsible not just as people with extraordinary abilities, but as parents to a young child who is exhibiting grand abilities herself.  Seeing the Spider-Man ethos reinterpreted through the lens of children and family is a wonderfully refreshing take that provides a fresh angle on its characters (which is no small feat given Spider-Man's multiple decades and thousands of comics in publication).  Peter shines in the role of a father, as his penchant for incredibly dry humor matches the dad joke aesthetic to a tee, while Mary Jane is finally able to engage in and stand as an equal in the Spider-Man side of Peter's life.

ASM: RYV is my ultimate comfort comic, as it is a celebration of the greatest couple in comics and what can happen when they are given the space to grow and change without losing who they are.

Speculation Advice For This Entry: Secret Invasion, Spider-Verse, and Two Heroes Nobody Is Talking About (YET)!!!

Slott and The Allred's Silver Surfer

If you are a fan of Doctor Who, you need to read this series.  Over the course of two volumes and 29 issues, Dan Slott crafts one of the most beautiful love stories ever told that simultaneously redefines the Marvel Universe and functions as its own complete story.  In this effort, he is aided by Mike and Laura Allred, whose gorgeous pop-art style renders the glory of the cosmos in a way few other approaches ever could.

The book is titled Silver Silver, but it is really about Dawn Greenwood, a young woman with no powers who accompanies the Surfer on his adventures.  Through her eyes, readers discover dozens of new worlds and come to understand the title character in a whole new way.  Every scene, every word, every panel is done very deliberately and, when the story is all finished, adds up to a journey so grand in its goals that it boggles the mind that the creators executed them so perfectly.

Slott and The Allred's Silver Surfer is a grand testament to the narrative power of the comic book format and wild beauty it can present.

Speculation Advice For This Entry: The Hood, Throg, and More!!

Conclusion

That's all for this entry folks!!  Make sure to check back soon for some more amazing stories in the Marvel Universe.  See you next time!!

Check out the other parts of this series!

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