Bronze age comics seem to be all the rage in recent months, and I am beginning to see why.  Silver Age Marvel keys have priced many collectors out of the market.  Comic prices are showing trending gains and with a little push from Hollywood some comics are seeing gains that are keeping the markets interesting, and a bit hectic.  However, are all speculation gains the same?  What happens when the price of inflation seems too high when comparing a comic to its relative self?

With all the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) speculation out there, one commanding theory seems to point to an appearance by the Fantastic Four and the eventual coming of Galactus.  It is my assumption that they will tease the "birth" of Galactus in The Eternals and work forward to the need for a super team to take on the newest threat to Earth...or the galaxy...or whatnot.  Galactus has always been a hot property for collectors, but it seems that all associations with Galactus are currently gold.  The Heralds of Galactus have seen tremendous gains in their first appearance books and it appears that speculators are putting high-level faith in the collectibility of the Heralds.

One book that has seen some skyrocketing gains is Thor #225, which features the first appearance of Pyreus Kril, also known as the Firelord.  Pyreus was a Xandarian and graduate of the Nova Corps Academy before agreeing to serve as the newest Herald to Galactus.  Being imbued with the Power Cosmic, Firelord is a powerful and formidable foe to many in the Marvel Universe.

Copies of Thor #225 have been hot on the market. The Census shows 24 copies graded at 9.8.  In 2016, a 9.8 graded copy would have set you back around $600 (that seems like a reasonable price for a book like this. Bronze age, first appearance book, top condition, it all seems to pass the sniff test).  In 2018, that price point jumped to $1450 for a top-grade sale (okay...it is a rare book, so a premium is not outside the realm of possibilities...someone really wanted this book and took action when available...I can still believe it).  But the past 3 sales in 2019 have shown a steady stream of increases, from $1875 to $2040 and again to $2595 (wait...did I just type $2595...damn!)  Phew!  Anyway, I think you can see that I was not joking with the title...Firelord is on fire...from a market perspective.

So, is there value at picking up a copy of Thor #225 even with the recent price inflation?  Right now there is a 9.8 copy on sale for $2100.  I am guessing that the currently price point will settle just below the $2000 mark because collectors are starting to focus on other MCU potential characters.  Just because you think Galactus may be coming, does not mean that he will have his minions along for the ride.  Throwing the Heralds into the mix (other than Silver Surfer) may cause confusion among new fans and moviegoers.  Firelord may be re-purposed into the main villain for a film, but it is most likely that his role will be small or secondary at best.  So what will be the long term market gains with Thor #225, we will have a wait and see what Marvel decides to do.

Are you expecting the Heralds of Galactus to make an appearnce in the MCU?  Do you want the Fantasitc Four to be rebooted by Marvel?  Drop your comments and join the speculation.