The MCU has sucked all of the oxygen -- and money -- out of the room for most comic collectors. Collectors have pored over recent episodes of WandaVision looking for clues and speculated about potential characters who might appear in upcoming Disney+ shows such as Falcon & the Winter Soldier and films like Black Panther 2. Because of the great content it has produced, Marvel has drawn most of the buyers. In contrast, movies taking place in the DC Extended Universe have been uneven at best. That's why now may be a good time to consider purchasing some DC Comics keys while there's less competition. I discuss a couple of possibilities below.

Adventure Comics #260

After a series of poorly received films such as Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Suicide Squad (2016), and Justice League (2017), Aquaman (2018) turned out to be a smash hit for DC. Warner Bros. took a major chance on Aquaman, a character subjected to frequent ridicule. That risk paid off handsomely -- the film earned more than a billion dollars at the box office.

Taking into account the film's financial success and the fact that Aquaman is a founding member of the Justice League, his first appearance in the Silver Age, Adventure Comics #260, is surprisingly inexpensive and dropping in value. Although no one has sold any high-grade copies of AC #260 during the past two years, prices for mid-grade copies have plummeted, in some cases by as much as 37%. Mid-grade copies have recently sold for $200.00 or less on eBay. Considering that Warner Bros. will release Aquaman 2 in December 2022, it might be a good time to buy a copy before we see a trailer.

Shazam! #1

Similar to Aquaman, David Sandberg’s Shazam! (2019) also turned out to be a surprise hit for Warner Bros grossing approximately $366 million worldwide. Although Shazam first appeared in 1936 during the Golden Age, his first appearance in DC Comics occurs in Shazam #1 (1973). Although this is an important key for Shazam, it's still very affordable -- and also dropping in price. For example, CGC 9.4 copies of this book have dropped over 21% over the past two years. Raw mid-grade copies have recently sold for less than $50 on eBay. Considering that Warner Bros. will release Shazam! Fury Of The Gods in November 2022, this is another book to consider picking up before we see a trailer.

Batman #171

In contrast, consider what happened to Batman #171, the first Silver Age appearance of the Riddler, shortly after Warner Bros. released a trailer for Matt Reeves' The Batman. Not surprisingly, once fans learned the Riddler would have a starring role in the film, prices for his first Silver Age appearance have exploded. For example, during the past year, GCC 8.5 copies have risen nearly 40% during the past year according to GoCollect. Low-grade CGC copies have recently sold on eBay for around $300.

Closing thoughts

To me, AC #260 and Shazam! #1 are comparable to blue chip stocks -- they have well-established brands, have shown reliable (if not explosive) growth, and are experiencing a momentary downturn. It might be time to buy the dip?

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