Swamp Thing has been a fan favorite ever since Bernie Wrightson's art graced House of Secrets #92. Since then there have been several TV shows, multiple iterations of comics, and at the center of it all, Bernie's original run of Swamp Thing #1-10. Each one of these covers is enough reason to own these comics. Unfortunately, this masterful macabre artist passed away in 2017. Afterward, his books really picked up steam. Then on the heels of that loss, DC Entertainment created Swamp Thing 2019 the TV series. I watched every episode, some of it was good, but most of it was great. A slight tweak on the character origin but great writing none the less. What did Warner Bros. do with a show with positive reviews? Why they canceled it of course! House of Secrets #92 and Swamp Thing #1-10 had been quietly escalating in value. Where has this premature and petulant cancelation of a series left these supernatural collectibles as investments?
The first appearance of Swamp Thing was written by Len Wein, with the Master of Macabre Bernie Wrightson in 1971. The character was popular for a brief time but mainly created several spinoffs. As an investment over the last 6 years, this has been a solid big key to own. To quote my local retailer, "When they come into the store they don't last long, and they are hard to come by." Owning a near mint copy is very difficult to acquire as many owners don't want to part with such a rare key. Lately, with the cancelation of the TV series; has the popularity and price increase abated?
Short-Term (60-Days)
- Grade 9.0 $3500 FMV returns negative -24.9%
- Grade 8.5 $2800 FMV returns negative -17.3%
- Grade 7.5 $1900 FMV returns negative -10.2%
- Grade 7.0 $1550 FMV returns negative -7.8%
- Grade 6.5 $1250 FMV returns negative -25.7%
The negatives here are quite frightening and my hope is that the red stops flowing at some point. The peremptory cancelation of the series was honestly a kick in this comic's "nether regions." Time will tell if this book can resume its upward trajectory. I have faith in the artist and the fan desire to own a copy of Wrightson/Lein's work. However, it is a bit too early to jump in now. Wait another six months and watch the pricing on GoCollect. If it stabilizes, then buy. At that point, it will have probably reached a bottom.
Swamp Thing #1Personally, I prefer the self-titled series of Swamp Thing #1-10 more than the first appearance. Yes, they are cheaper but also have had great returns up until now. Does Swamp Thing #1 follow House of Secrets #92 right into the swamp outhouse? Perhaps this comic book series did not inflate in value from the new TV series; therefore the cancelation had little impact. Swamp Thing #1 is the first issue of Swamp Thing's titled series, Wrightson cover art and the origin of the Swamp Thing all rolled into one package. This time Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson had control of this comic book for about ten issues. Does the Swamp Thing #1 still percolate toward the heavens or has it sunk into the bog of speculation?
Shot-Term (60-days)
- Grade 9.6 $1200 FMV returns positive +24.9%
- Grade 9.4 $500 FMV returns negative -2.3%
- Grade 9.2 $400 FMV returns negative -27.8%
- Grade 6.0 $150 FMV returns positive +9.8%
Conclusion: Out of the Swamp
Swampies everywhere can breathe a collective sigh of relief. As the swamp gas from the TV cancelation doesn't appear to have caught up with Swamp Thing #1 yet. These are in fact great numbers and we can all continue to hoard Swampies into the future. Though grade 9.4 and 9.2 show some weakness the fact that the high-end 9.6 and the lower grade 6.0 are increasing in value means the series books are probably still a solid investment. Now, this is only the last two months and prices could fall further. In my opinion, Wrighton's art stands the test of time, and collectors everywhere seem to still desire the Swamp Thing #1.
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