Has Marvel Studios found its Kang the Conqueror? Time to sit back and watch Avengers #8's fair market value break the sound barrier.
Announcing Kang
The word on the street (by street, I mean the internet) is that Kang is on his way to the next installment of Ant-Man and the Wasp. News broke on September 14 that Jonathan Majors, the star of HBO's hit sci-fi drama, Lovecraft Country, was cast in the third Ant-Man standalone film. As of this writing, Marvel had yet to confirm anything and offered no comment, but it is likely that Majors will be playing Kang.
This will be a major (pun intended) move for the MCU if it indeed is true. There have been rumors of the time-traveling Kang since a fake Endgame script floated across the internet, falsely claiming that Tony Stark would transform into the villain. At the time, it sounded implausible, but it was enough to light the fires under Kang's first appearance. Now that we have credible news on the matter, those blazes will soon become bonfires.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the current market for two Kang keys.
AVENGERS #8
This was already a hot issue thanks to numerous rumors over the years, and it's about to set the comic world on fire.
In recent months, there hasn't been any major movement on the Avengers #8 front. The highest-selling grade has been the 2.5, and it's sold just six times since June. Overall, the past 90 days has seen just 42 total sales. However, it is still holding some impressive FMVs. That 2.5 I mentioned? It has averaged $229 in the last three months, with the most recent sale garnering $250. What makes this even more impressive is that it was over $100 cheaper on average only a year ago.
4.5 has been another popular grade. It has sold 16 times since this time last year. It stands at a $383 90-day average. To think that you could have bought this comic for less than $150 two years ago.
FANTASTIC FOUR #19
If Avengers #8 is too much for your budget, consider aiming for a copy of F.F. #19. As the story goes, before he was Kang the Conqueror, Nathaniel Richards appeared a year prior as Rama-Tut. While this is not the first appearance of Kang, per se, it is the first appearance for his alter-ego. It is a must-have for any true fan of the time traveler.
Between the two issues, this one is much cheaper. That same 2.5 Avengers #8 that is edging closer to the $300 range has averaged $129 over the past 90 days for F.F. #19. However, this comic is heating up, too. That 2.5 recently sold for $169 just a month ago. When the lower grades are commanding higher prices, that tells you everything you need to know about the state of affairs.
KANG THE CLOWN?
I'll be honest - I didn't enjoy Ant-Man and the Wasp. It's not to say I hated it by any stretch, but I found the plot trite and most of the characters were written as flat and one-dimensional. That is why I have reservations about Kang debuting in the third Ant-Man film. He's a powerful villain with overarching potential, and I hope he is given the proper treatment as the complex character we know and love from the comics.
