Black WinterYet another new character has been introduced to the Marvel Universe, Black Winter, which puts the investment target on Thor #5.

THE MIDAS TOUCH

Since Donny Cates joined Marvel's writing team, he has been handing out the new characters like candy on Halloween. In 2017, he gave us the Cosmic Ghost Rider. A few months later, he followed that with Knull before bringing Eddie Brock's son, Dylan, into the Venom-verse. Only a month ago, Venom #25 introduced Virus.

Now we can add Thor #5 to that list.

SPOILER ALERT: If you haven't read Thor #5, continue at your own risk.

Along with making the big change of having Thor take on the Power Cosmic and serve as Galactus' herald, Cates has thrust a new character into the Thor pantheon, Black Winter.

Black WinterWHO IS BLACK WINTER?

It appears Black Winter could be a cosmic threat akin to Knull, God of the Symbiotes, only bigger and stronger.

In the pages of Thor #5, readers learn that Black Winter caused Galactus' creation. As Galan, Galactus' universe was destroyed by this powerful entity. Black Winter later revealed that Galactus was, in fact, his herald. That completely changes the cosmic hierarchy of the Marvel Universe and drops the World Eater down a peg.

 

 

 

Black WinterTHE BIGGER PICTURE

I have said it before, and I will say it again: two things gives a new character's first appearance long term value. First, there is popularity, and in the case of Cates' characters, this is almost a given. Both Cosmic Ghost Rider and Knull were instant favorites, and it helped usher in the second part of the equation, staying power.

Certainly, prices will automatically inflate when a new face is thrown into the mix. That is the number one sales tactic for Marvel and DC these days, and rightfully so. Whether or not those issues retain their high values greatly depends on how the characters are used in the big picture. Both CGR and Knull have seen their roles expand beyond those early appearances, and their first appearances have reaped the rewards.

In the case of Black Winter, having him already appear more powerful than Galactus puts him as a cosmic-level threat to the entire Marvel Universe. Considering Cates is Marvel's top writer, I would guess that Black Winter will be used in greater capacity going forward much like Knull.

Black WinterINVESTMENT POTENTIAL OF BLACK WINTER

As with any new addition to the comic world, prices are inflating for Black Winter's first full appearance.

There are three different covers to choose from, but that's typical in today's market. There's the standard edition followed by the Esad Ribic variant and the Jung-Geun Yoon Marvel Zombies variant. It's too early for graded sales to be listed, so I have relied on eBay for a data snapshot of the raw, ungraded copies.

The standard cover hasn't skyrocketed just yet, and that's great news for collectors. For the most part, this is a $15-$20 comic. It won't stay this cheap for long, so don't hesitate to get yours before it jumps.

Yoon's Marvel Zombies variant is moving for about the same price, though some have sold for less than $10. For those prices, it is worth buying both the standard and Yoon covers.

The Ribic variant is selling for quite a bit more, but that's because it is a 1:25 ratio variant. What that means is that comic shops had to order at least 25 copies of the standard edition in order to get one Ribic variant. At a glance, the sold listings range from as low as $62 to as much as $120, but most appear to have gone for about $70-$80.

FINAL THOUGHTS

With Cates' Midas touch, the future is bright for Black Winter. Since he could have larger implications for the Marvel Universe, it is a good time to invest in Thor #5.

 

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