Covers come in all varieties but occasionally they are an homage to earlier artwork. The most prevalent is the homage to Amazing Spider-Man #300 by Todd McFarlane. This was the first appearance of the character Venom in a comic book. This Mc-Flourish has nabbed a ton of fans. Even I have fallen under the homage spell and purchased comics because they are simply stunning to look at. It appears that many homage covers have a slightly higher worth than regular non-homage covers, all things being equal.

Marvel Tales has a long history with reprints, including some striking homage covers. This series reprinted Spider-Man stories each issue from Marvels Tales #32 going forward. The Spidey based Marvel Tales lasted from July 1966 thru Nov 1994 (Source: Wiki). Some of these reprints had minor details changed in the story to more contemporary settings or references. One of the best covers this series produced was an homage cover for Amazing Spider-Man #129 appearing in Marvel Tales #106. Many of these early homage covers are worth a good chunk of change today. Are homage covers more valuable? How do we define an homage cover? What exactly is an homage cover?

 

 

An homage, as defined in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is:

  1. A feudal ceremony by which a man acknowledges himself the vassal of a lord
  2. The relationship between a feudal lord and his vassal
  3. An act is done or payment made in meeting the obligations due from a vassal to a feudal lord
  4. Expression of high regards: respect-Often used with pay: Her work pays homage to women artists of the past.

Let's see we don't have to pay homage to Marvel (not yet at least). The first appearance of The Punisher, though a great anti-hero I would not consider him my feudal lord, (All you in Punisher fan club members excluded of course). This is not an act done as payment to a feudal lord; nope, therefore, an homage cover must mean "high regard or respect for another's work." For instance, the featured image of Spawn #227, in this case, a Todd McFarlane homage. After all, the guy re-imagined Spider-Man.

Marvel Tales #106

The tale of the Punisher is a tale of caution. He is the epitome of Ahab. Except where Ahab had his whale; The Punisher has criminals. He punishes all evil doers, criminals, and a fair share of narcissistic individuals with sociopathic slights. The Punisher first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #129 and has been a huge hit ever since. He has one of the few remaining Netflix shows still running. Marvel Tales #106 is a reprinting of his first appearance and weird alliance with The Jackal. This is an homage to the original cover, instead of yellow they went with the awesome red background which looks even better. Color coordination is not the only thing this comic book has succeeded with. It has been a big earner over the course of the last twenty years.

In November, (2018) Marvel Tales #106  sold a(9.8) copy for $475 in mint condition on eBay. The current returns are grade (9.8) mint at positive +43%, (9.0) very fine to near mint at positive +90%, and even a grade fine plus (6.5) in this comic has returned positive +19.9% ROI. You could pick up a (6.5) for around $50 online, not a bad investment to lock in a 20% return. Bet on the center mass hit of Marvel Tales #106 while you still can.

 

 

 

Spawn #227

This is the special #227th-anniversary issue and provides new details about Spawn's latest origin. This comic is nothing more than a blatant ripoff of Amazing Spider-Man #300 by Todd McFarlane. Sure it is an awesome sketch of Spawn and cool pose, but the strength of this comic comes from the homage to ASM #300, more than any other reason. The most recent sale of Spawn #227 was on Jan 18, 2019, on eBay for $100. Given the fact this particular book is six years old, that return is absolutely amazing. It is a great sign for all homage covers. The returns for mint condition grade (9.8) have been as high as positive +42.7%. Not bad for a modern comic that hasn't seen the recent racks in six years! There is something to these homage covers, they really ring true for the fans. I picked up Spawn #227 as a fan of the original nothing more. It has made money to be sure. Grab a copy by web or chain and secure it in your collection. The homage cover industry is here to stay.