With the debut of Disney+ upon us, our collective lives are about to be inundated with even more Disney, Marvel, Simpsons, and Star Wars than we can handle. Just on the Marvel side of the streaming service, there are no less than eight shows planned or already in production, plus seven MCU movies that will be available immediately with eight more in the year to follow. While we won't get our first glimpse of the new superhero stories until 2020, it behooves us to use the start of the service to check in to see what is happening with the first appearances of each show's character.

As each one gets closer and closer to its debut, the hype train will gain steam, benefiting speculators who bought in at the right time. Some of these key issues remain globally attainable, while some are out of reach except for the upper crust investors. Where are your dollars best spent? Let's find out.

The Falcon and The Winter Soldier - Captain America #117, Captain America #6

Falcon has been around since the late Silver Age (1969), so the value of Captain America #117 has only grown over time. Anthony Mackie has been universally regarded as strong in the MCU role, creating an interesting backstory and friendship with Captain America. With the shield being passed, as it were, I personally cannot wait to see where they take that story and the dynamic with Bucky Barnes. Falcon's first appearance in a CGC 9.8 doesn't come up for sale very often with only nine on the cenus, so focusing in the 9.0-9.6 range is more realistic. With more than 300 available in that range, collectors can buy in at 9.0 or - if lucky - 9.2 for under $1,000. It is striking, however, to see the two most recent sales of a 9.0 on eBay. In June it sold for $635. In August? $989. Behold the power of the Marvel announcement

My personal copy cost three bills for a CGC 6.5, and I'm looking forward to seeing the value rise when Falcon is front and center in the MCU next year. Only have $100 to spend? You should be able to grab a 3.5 if you search hard enough.

Bucky has been around as long as Captain America in the Golden Age, so forget about getting a first appearance there unless you are Jeff Bezos. And if you are Jeff Bezos, please buy me a copy. Winter Soldier was not fully introduced until Captain America #6 in 2005. Since he first appeared in the Modern Age, there is a hefty supply of 9.8s around, and these are a speculator's dream as they are selling for under $200 presently. There is really nowhere to go but up here, so hold this issue until 2020 if you have it.

WandaVision - X-Men #4, Avengers #57

With Scarlet Witch, you are battling multiple first appearances in the Silver Age key X-Men #4: Quiksilver, Toad, Mastermind, and the Evil Mutants. At a five-figure price tag in the upper range, this is likely out of reach for many of us. Prices in the mid-range are trending upward, but if you choose to wait out the initial excitement of the show announcement, prices should drop back under $1,000 for a CGC 6.0. A much more reasonable investment for Scarlet Witch might be Avengers #16, her first appearance with the team, with mid-range copies consistently selling between $100-$200.

Vision's first appearance - a classic cover - comes in Avengers #57, and he joins the team in the next issue. While not quite at their peak in 2016-2017, high-end copies (9.2-9.4) of #57 have been consistently selling between $1,200-$2,000 in the past year and will likely increase to an average well over $2K when we get WandaVision on screen.

If you want to cheap spec this show, head towards the relationship angle of the two characters, and pick up a copy of Giant Size Avengers #4, where the two characters get married. A CGC 9.6 can be yours for under $200 at any number of retailers.

 

Loki - Journey Into Mystery #85

Following the success that Thor received in Journey Into Mystery #83, Marvel continued to roll out the Norse mythology with Thor's mortal enemy in Journey Into Mystery #85. In the MCU, Tom Hiddleston's Loki has unknown whereabouts after disappearing during Endgame, and his standalone show plans to pick up at that cliffhanger to determine where the mischievous magician relocated.

We are going back more than 57 years for this book, which includes first appearances of Asgard and Odin as well, so more power to you if you can afford one of the precious few high-end copies (there are no 9.8 in the census and less than 20 at 9.2 or higher). The most recent low-grade copy of this book sold in early October for $576 at a 2.0, confirming this is the priciest of our first issue keys.

I would like to find the guy who bought a 0.5 copy in late 2016 for $67 and shake his hand.

 

 

Hawkeye - Tales of Suspense #57

For an amazing, full recap of this character and his key issues, read Matt Tuck's blog about Clint Barton and Hawkeye's various iterations. He reminds us that Tales of Suspense #57 has rocketed to the #25 spot among most popular Silver Age comics in recent weeks.

With the addition of Kate Bishop and Barton's alter ego Ronin to the MCU, there are so many ways Marvel can take this family tree, so searching for these rare mid-range gems under $500 is a smart move as the Barton family is likely around for years to come. If you want to spec on Kate Bishop, prices of her first appearance - Young Avengers #1 - are finally starting to creep down on a 9.8 after the summer hype drove them over $300.

 

 

 

 

Ms. Marvel - Ms. Marvel #1?, Marvel Super-Heroes #13?, Captain Marvel #14?, All New Marvel Now! Point One #1? 

So this one is a question of what do you really want and what can you realistically afford. Do you want the first appearance of:

Carol Danvers - Marvel Super-Heroes #13 - $2,000+ for high-end, $300+ for mid-range.

Ms. Marvel - Ms. Marvel #1 - $1,000+ for high-end, $50+ for mid-range.

Kamala Khan - Captain Marvel #14 - $300+ for high-end, $75+ for mid-range. Plus there is a #14 variant that is in the four-figure stratosphere if that is your kind of thing.

Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel - All New Marvel Now! Point One #1 - $300+ for high-end, no mid-range exist in the census (comic is from 2014).

With the show focused around Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel, the last two books on the list are not only the most affordable but also the most likely to gain value. Point One has begun to drop in price since its peak over $450 this past summer. Waiting this one out and buying in the valley is advisable as we have ample time before this show debuts.

 

Moon Knight - Werewolf by Night #32

We have also covered Moon Knight extensively on these pages, including other key issues to own. It won't be a surprise to you that prices for Werewolf by Night #32 are still disgustingly high - a 9.6 just sold on eBay for $12,000!!! I don't know if that's more surprising or that a 0.5 sold for $375. People love themselves some Moon Knight. If you want in on this issue, go right ahead, I just can't see how it gains much more value.

Moon Knight #1 in a 9.8 can be bought for a fraction of that #32 price, selling several times recently for under $300. That's a book that has room for some upward trajectory.

 

 

 

 

She-Hulk - The Savage She-Hulk #1

Savage She-Hulk #1 is a lesson in how to be patient. Basically, if you bought this book at a 9.8 in August-September, you paid between $500-$600. If you bought in October, you likely got it under $400. Not getting caught up in the wave is part of collecting, it's part of speculating, and it's part of understanding the life cycle of these trends.

With the show likely two years away, this book has enormous amounts of time to continue dropping before hype builds back up again. Try to pick it up in-between news cycles - production dates, casting, a trailer, etc. The She-Hulk show also interests me as there has been significant speculation about other characters that could tie into her backstory: Spider-Man, Daredevil, Hulk - appearances by any of these would just drive prices even higher.

So which show are you most excited about? And will you be buying any of these books ahead of the show's release? Let me know in the comments.

 

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