The Legend of Zelda is making headlines thanks to a new game and movie rumors. That could have huge implications for those key issues.

Nintendo can do no wrong at the moment. The Super Mario Bros. Movie launched to an amazing box office draw, claiming over $1 billion before it moved to streaming. It’s left fans wondering what could be next for Nintendo’s movie division. Naturally, that turns the attention toward The Legend of Zelda

The latest Zelda game, Tears of the Kingdom, is leaving fans in awe. The new entry has received solid praise across all the major gaming news outlets. In fact, it’s received such high accolades from critics and fans alike that the rumor is that Nintendo is considering adapting TOK for its next silver-screen adventure. 

With Zelda being the fan-favorite choice for the next Nintendo movie, it makes for an interesting market for Link’s key issues.

NINTENDO COMICS SYSTEM SNEAK PREVIEW

In December 1989, Valiant launched its wave of Nintendo-themed comics. It began here with an eight-page preview of things to come. Included with Comics Buyers Guide #849, this was intended to showcase the titles on the horizon. This included the mostly forgotten Captain N and, more importantly, the first appearance of Link. While this isn’t a traditional comic, it does feature a sample that was intended for Legend of Zelda #1. That’s why many collectors look at this preview as Link’s first appearance.

Back in 2021, a graded 9.8 sold for an astounding $8,000. That appears to be an outlier since most copies have brought closer to the $2,400-$2,800 mark. 

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA #1 (1990)

The first official comic book that featured Link and the mythos that is The Legend of Zelda, this has been the go-to target for Zelda collectors for years. With the possibility of a movie on the horizon, especially after the booming success of Super Mario, it could be enough to take Link to a new level in terms of pop cultural awareness.

That should make this a must-have for any of you Zelda fans who still don’t own a copy. As recently as May 15, a graded 9.8 sold for an impressive $1,599. If that’s too rich for your blood, try the 9.6; it averages $431.

There’s also a variant floating around without a price on the cover. There’s no record of a graded 9.8 having been sold, but a 9.6 brought $750 in March.

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA #1 SECOND PRINT (1991)

Although virtually identical at first glance, 1991’s Zelda #1 is a reprint of the 1990 series. The easiest way to tell the two apart is by the price. Where the 1990 issue was priced at $1.95, the reprint was marked down to $1.50. In today’s market, grabbing those reprints is never a bad idea, and this could pay dividends in the not-too-distant future.

If you are gunning for a graded 9.8, you can expect to pay about $500. Downgrade to a 9.6, and the price tag shrinks to $325 based on the 30-day average.

THE LEGEND OF LINK

Out of all Nintendo’s properties, The Legend of Zelda is by far the most likely intellectual property next in line for the big screen. While we may be thinking of an animated adaptation after Super Mario Bros., Link’s sweeping epic would make for a great live-action blockbuster.

If done correctly, it could be a major film franchise in waiting. That’s going to drive up prices for the above-mentioned keys, so don’t delay in adding them to your collections.

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