Court of OwlsThe first appearances of Talon and the Court of Owls have been on the move this summer, and putting them back in the public spotlight will only add to it.

THE POWER OF FANDOME

Fandome has the comic book world talking about the DC Comics properties.

Not only are several blockbuster movies on the way, but Fandome embraced the upcoming video games. Along with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, DC released a trailer for the newest game in the Batman: Arkham series, Gotham Knights. Personally, I was not blown away by it until I saw the Court of Owls in the closing frames.

Court of OwlsTHE REAL SUPERPOWER IS MARKETING

This won’t be the first time the Court of Owls has been taken off the comic pages.

They were featured in the Fox series Gotham as well as 2015’s animated Batman vs Robin. With the popularity of the Arkham games, however, this will put the Court on full mainstream display, which will translate into higher prices for their key issues.

There is no question that the biggest influence on comic inflation is live action. Still, a major video game is a hefty platform. After news broke that Miles Morales would star in the Sony Spider-Man game sequel, his first appearance went nuclear. While I am not saying the Court of Owls will reach these levels, being in a high-profile game release will add to their appeal. 

THE MARKET

BATMAN #2

The Court’s signature undead, ninja henchman made his debut ahead of the Court. In the second issue of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s New 52 Batman run, we see Talon and get a mention of the Court of Owls. 

There is much to be negative about with the New 52 relaunch, but the Court of Owls was one of the better additions. I predict we will see those white masks on the big screen soon, and that is when these issues will explode.

There are three editions of Batman #2 to collect. In today's era of variants, that's next to nothing. As it were, the sketch edition has been the most valuable, though it is been losing money for two years. In 2018, the 9.8 carried a fair market value of $157, then it dropped to $120 last year. Over the past three months, it has a $95 FMV.

Next is the variant edition with Jim Lee cover art, which pulled in eye-catching figures last month when two sales reached $130 graded at a 9.8. A year prior, the variant averaged $51, and it was a $74 comic in 2018.

Finally, we have the standard edition. At a 9.8, it has remained steady for a year. Since 2019, it has consistently averaged $61. That is a decline from 2018 when it sold for $75.

BATMAN #3

In this issue, there is another cameo, this time with the Court in a photo, and some regard it as their first appearance.

Like Batman #2, has a standard, variant, and sketch edition. Again, the sketch cover sports the highest prices, with the most recent sale netting $190 in May for a 9.8.

The standard and variant cover 9.8s have been the two on the rise. While they aren't approaching the sketch cover's prices, each has jumped considerably. The standard, which averaged $56 in 2019, has a 90-day FMV of $80. In August, one sold for as much as $90.

Likewise, the Ivan Reis variant averaged just $40 a year ago and has sold for $70 and $88 in 2020. Keep in mind that $88 sale matched the high of 2018.

Court of OwlsBATMAN #6

Finding the first appearance of the Court of Owls is tricky because Snyder left so many clues along the way. In Batman #6, the Court wearing their owl masks is revealed, which is why this issue is generally considered their first full appearance.

The 9.8 standard cover reached a six-year high of $100 in May. Although there have yet to be any sales following that, the triple-figure is nearly double the 2019 average of $58.

There has only been one sale of a sketch cover in 2020, and that was when a 9.8 sold for $129 in June. The thing to pay attention to is that only a year ago, that same comic averaged $94.

Lastly, there is the variant cover. There is not much to talk about here because the only recorded sale in the past two years was a 9.8 that sold for $52 in 2019. Back in 2017, this was a $100 comic, and it could bring in those figures once again. Still, it is a great cover and worth collecting if only for that.

 

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