The entry of Wookie Bounty Hunter, Black Krrsantan into the official Star Wars canon via The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+ has driven up prices on that character's comic book debut in Darth Vader #1. But what about the original Wookie, Chewbacca, and Star Wars #2?

Gotta Love Wookies

When The Mandalorian premiered as part of the Disney + launch it became quickly apparent that all new Star Wars lore would be a blend of nostalgia for the original Trilogy and a springboard for original characters and content from more recent sources including animated and printed media.

The impact of this well-received streaming series on comic collecting was swift. Prices on the first appearances of original Mandalorian, Boba Fett, and the legacy character of Yoda saw a stark, upward rise which further extended to astronomical prices on the first printed appearances of Ahsoka Tano, Admiral Thrawn, and virtually all subsequently introduced characters with comic book origins.

Earlier this month, when Wookie bounty hunter Black Krrsantan appeared on multiple episodes of The Book of Boba Fett, his first appearance in 2015's Darth Vader #1 saw several record-breaking sales. A raw copy of the standard cover (pictured here) sold for $225 and a CGC 9.8 sold for $350. A ComicsPro variant in 9.8 has sold for $1000 and the 1:2000 ratio Alex Ross Sketch Variant has sold for close to $1300.  There's no telling how many of these are waiting to hit the census since so many were submitted for grading back when rumors first generated interest in this book, but the rising prices on this key have led to rising prices on other Black Krrsantan key issues (check out columnist Matt Tuck's list here).

The attention on this new character allows an opportunity for very smart investment opportunities elsewhere.

Just as Marvel Super Special #16: The Empire Strikes Back increased in value ten-fold as the first printed appearance of Boba Fett, Yoda, Rogue Squadron, Lando Calrissian, Palpatine, and various bounty hunters, the comic-sized serialization in Star Wars #42 (the first cover appearance of Boba Fett) went nuclear –and did so a full season before Boba Fett would re-appear in new Star Wars content. That initial rise in pricing was for the legacy characters of Yoda & Boba Fett who had so clearly inspired Din Djarin and Grogu.

If you are looking for some serious bang for you buck, there is an investment imperative to pick up Star Wars Vol. #2, which features the first in-story appearances of Ben Obi Wan Kenobi, Han Solo, and the debuts of Greedo, a very different version of Jabba the Hutt (later ret-conned as Mosep) and the original Wookie, Chewbacca.

Why Does Legacy Matter?

Nostalgia is the catalyst of collectibility. Nostalgia for collectibles of a certain age by adults in a position to buy back their childhood totems powers the value of all comics, toys, video games, movie posters, trading cards, and just about anything else you could want to collect. When a character serves as the model, prototype or inspiration for a subsequent character, a legacy is established. As a derivation, the newer character owes a debt to the original. In most copyright scenarios, the creator of the original character must also be compensated for a proportion of rights to the new character. And while that level of legalese is probably off the radar of most collectors, origin is quite relative to investment.

Beyond serving as an introduction to the wookie species, Chewbacca is a beloved character. Every on-screen appearance has elicited cheers from audiences and made him one of the highlights of the relatively poorly received third trilogy. There is a good chance that we'll see Chewie again in any number of now-filming Star Wars shows or films, and we already know that Ben Kenobi is getting his own show on Disney+, so the fact that both make their first appearances in the same comic is significant. Considering the amount of Intellectual Property that includes Chewbacca, Han, and Obi-wan, Star Wars #2 may be the most underrated comic book of the Bronze Age.

Star Wars #1 has a 30-day average of about $6000 in 9.8. There are 691 on the census in that condition and 12,114 across all grades. Contrarily, Star Wars #2 has a 30-day average of $3150 in 9.8. There are 138 in that condition and 2,375 across all grades. It is rarer by a ratio of 5:1 but currently valued at half.

Bottom line: We have not seen the last of Chewbacca, Obi-wan Kenobi, or even Han Solo. We know that one of them is getting at least two seasons of new stories. That will only feed the frenzy for this comic.  If you can find the scarce 35¢ variant, even better, but don't overlook the Whitman editions or reprints, either since there are significantly fewer of those in the census –especially the Whitmans, which are frequently misclassified as reprints.

What do you think? What are some other overlooked Star Wars keys? Comment below!

This blog is written by freelance blogger Matt Kennedy: Matt Kennedy is owner of Gallery 30 South and author of Pop Sequentialism: The Art of Comics. The first comic he bought on the newsstand was Werewolf by Night #32 which he somehow managed to keep in good enough condition to get it graded 9.0 forty years later. Please follow him @popsequentialism on Instagram & Twitter and visit his website: www.popsequentialism.com

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*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not reflect advice on behalf of GoCollect