Late printings often have far smaller print runs than first printings making them extremely collectible. This article features five late printings that you should keep an eye open for. As the comic book market evolves, these are becoming highly sought after books. Years ago late printings were considered virtually worthless, that is clearly no longer the case. If you want to read my prior posts on this topic you can find them here and here.
Howard the Duck #1 – 2nd Print
Gwenpool is super cool. She often gets left out of the mix when people talk about the characters that are the future of Marvel comics. Gwenpool is as important as any of them. This is her first appearance. She is not a Gwen Stacey version of Deadpool as many people who don't read her comics believe. This cover is a sketch version of the 1:25 variant from the first printing. That book is a wonderful addition to your collection if you can find it, but it is quickly getting “ghost” status. Raw copies routinely go for $300+.
The print runs on the second printing was 7,800. The total was split between two different covers meaning the print run on this cover is likely in the 3,000 to 4,000 range. This book currently sells in the $20 range and I think at that price it is a complete steal.
Marvel Point One #1 – 2nd Print
I am going to come right out and say it, THIS is the Kamala Khan book to get. I say this because the second printing of Captain Marvel #17 is not really attainable anymore unless you a looking to drop a couple grand. CGC recognizes Marvel Point One #1 as her first full appearance. Her first two appearances were very much the definition of cameos – very brief appearances in the truest sense. This book is very hard to find in high grade for some reason. Every copy I see has several color breaking spine ticks. Even at a 9.6 grade, this is book is massively undervalued. Go pick them up because there are not many out there.
The second printing came out in February 2014. It does not appear on Comichron’s list of books sold that month (they cut the list off after a certain number). The smallest print run they show for February is 1,285 meaning that this book has fewer copies than that. I can see this book going through the roof as Kamala begins to integrate into the MCU. This second print already sells for more than the first print in 9.8 and 9.6. That said if you hunt you can find raw copies for extremely good prices. There are 741 first prints on the CGC census and only 44-second prints. One final note, while the McNiven 1:75 variant is super cool, I do not like it as much as the second print because Kamala Khan is not on the cover.
Miles Morales Spider-Man #1 – 3rd Print
The opportunity for this book speaks for itself. Low print run, Miles Morales, #1 issue in the current run. You can find this book for less than $10 right now. Go get one and tuck it away. Miles is super-hot at the moment and will be for a very long time. He will certainly cool off here a little at some point but certainly, spike again. Sony’s new video game featuring him potentially has more impact on the younger generation than any movie or TV show ever will. This book does not show up in the GoCollect database or the CGC census. The print run is approximately 3,000.
I am still very much on the Punchline hype train. She is the anti-Harley Quinn and something about that resonates very deeply with me. I've written two articles on Punchline which can be found here and here. The purple tint on this cover is a clear nod to the character. I have not seen the print run on this book yet, but I suspect it was lower than the second printing which was around 11,000. This book is widely available for the cover price right now and seems like a good pick up to put away for the future. This book currently is so new that it does not show up in the GoCollect database or the CGC census.
Venom #1 feels like the most overlooked book in the market. Donny Cates’ run is nothing short of legendary at this 
point and he's just getting started. Cates has come out and said that there is a secret in this issue that only he and Stegman know about. Once they expose this secret, the demand for this book will almost certainly spike.
The print run for the first printing was massive at 225,000 copies. That said, the print runs for this fifth printing was in the 5,000 range. I know which book I am betting on. While not a late printing, the 1:100 variant is also a book to be looking for. You can find it for very attractive prices right now as it is on nobody’s radar. It is worth pointing out that there are a total of 14 of these fifth printings on the CGC census.
Conclusion
Well, there you have it. Five more late printings to be hunting for. I plan to drop an article on this topic every few weeks. This is one of my favorite niches of the comic book collecting market and there is endless opportunity to find hidden gems. Thanks for reading.
