My entire approach to this hobby focuses on finding cracks in the comic collecting market.  There are many different types of cracks. First are books that collectors underestimate in the long run. These books feature characters that I believe will have an impact on the hobby for generations to come. The market often gets distracted by the new shiny book of the moment and leaves these books ripe for the picking at attractive prices.

The second area I like to focus on is different versions of comics (variants if you will). These books can include late printings, variants, and newsstand editions. There are so many moving parts in this area of the market, it is easy for books to go overlooked. In this article, I will touch on a few books that have fallen through the cracks in the comic collecting market and have big potential upside.

Miles Morales Spider-Man #1 – 4th Print

I am not exactly sure how I missed this book, but somehow it snuck by me. Retailers ordered this book to the tune of 2,500 copies making it the smallest print run of all the late printings for Miles Morales Spider-Man #1. It seems like a smart pickup at current prices in the $10 to $15 range. This book is so obscure GoCollect has no record of it in their database.

Spider-Gwen 0 – 2nd Print

This book is not exactly easy to find but I think it is a true gem if you can get your hands on it. This is technically the 7th print of Edge of Spider-Verse #2. This book had less than 5,000 copies ordered by retailers. Super rare books of super-popular characters have super return potential.

Ultimate Fallout #4 2nd Print

Wait, what??? This is the definition of a book that has fallen through the cracks. Before Miles mania took over the second print in 9.8 was starting to sell above the first print in the $380 range. Miles mania took over and people started bidding up the first prints. The book currently still sells for $375 to $400, meaning it didn’t take off like other Miles Morales books did. Miles mania is certain to come in giant waves over the next decade. This book seems like a sure winner given its short print run of around 15,000. I think collectors should be careful with the white second printing of this book. From what I can tell it was given out to comic shops for free and has a far larger print run. This is evident by the sheer number available for sale online.

 

Hawkeye #1 – 3rd Print

Momentum for the Hawkeye Disney+ series is picking up with the confirmation of Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop (please see my article on her here). Matt Fraction’s Hawkeye run is simply legendary and rumor is the show will draw heavily from it. This purple third print is just stunning would be a jewel in anyone’s collection. These third prints are not easy to come by so get hunting!

Nova #1 – 1:50 Variant

When it comes to young Marvel heroes, no character is more overlooked than Sam Alexander. However, Marvel keeps telling us how important he is to their plans by regularly featuring him on covers with Miles and Kamala. This is the first issue in Sam’s first solo series. This cover is my favorite of the bunch even though there are others with higher ratios. I have a lot to say about Sam. Stay tuned for that…

Conclusion

The modern comic market has created a collecting environment where books fall through the cracks due to the volume of news and a large number of new comics week after week. This is a dream scenario for collectors looking to uncover hidden gems. Thanks for reading.