A new trailer just dropped for Avengers: Infinity War, and quite simply it looked up to specs. The main villain is Thanos and his goal: death. Thanos first appeared in Iron Man #55, script and art by Jim Starlin, and Mike Esposito is on the inks. The additional interest in this issue could see a significant rise in price and ranking, especially with the new movie set to come out May 4, 2018. Typically, Marvel starts the hype a few months out and prices go up with movie speculation; check the box for a prime catalyst: movie premiere.
This comic is not cheap. But represents a triple threat: First, this book is a great short-term speculation e.g. the movie as a catalyst. Second, Iron Man #55 can be held as a long-term asset due to limited supply (Silver Age) and happens to be a foundational key book supporting an entire storyline from Avengers to Thanos. Third, it has five character first appearances: 1) Thanos lover of death 2) Drax the Destroyer and nemesis of Thanos 3) Starfox member of the Avengers 4) Kronos also an Eternal 5) Mentor tied to Drax and the Eternals. All that in one comic!
Quantitatively, Iron Man #55 ranks 16th most popular comics of the Bronze Age. Currently the ranking has slipped one spot in the last month. GoCollect has a low-grade copy listed at $360 on eBay as of this writing. That is not cheap. But remember the old saying, “you’ve gotta pay to play.” Those of us that own the issue are thanking our lucky stars. Those that don’t own a copy; I would suggest searching the GoCollect database immediately. No luck, then do the comic store shuffle but make sure you are on the team for the battle with Thanos, with your copy of Iron Man #55.
Some tips for finding a decent Silver Age key: 1) call ahead to all stores in your region and verify they even have the book, save gas and time 2) Check your old back issues you may have overlooked it in your old Iron Man collection (it could happen) 3) Don’t be afraid to pay a couple of hundred dollars for a good to very good copy. Remember, we only live once and you probably spend more on your car regularly anyway, keep perspective and a spine.
In the final analysis,Thanos is one heck of a villain, and though expensive this book should go higher. Buy yourself a copy and just remember Iron Man #55 is five keys for the price one! What a great buy for a tie-in comic, short-term speculation, long-term investment, a nexus of key characters, including a great Iron Man cover that delivers one of Marvel’s most iconic villains.
Thanos Resurrected
If the Silver Age is a little too expensive try the Modern Age of comics. There are always alternatives for Thanos speculators. For instance, Silver Surfer #34 the resurrection of Thanos and possibly one of the best collaborations of the early 1990’s with Ron Lim, on art and Jim Starlin on scripts. Side note: In my opinion, Jim Starlin is one of the most prolific creators in comics even today. (If you are not familiar with him check out his Dreadstar series.)
If you buy a raw copy of Silver Surfer #34 and can find Ron Lim at a convention near you to get an autograph, do so. Part of the fun of comic collecting is actually meeting the creative genius that we all read and follow. He is a really nice guy, a great artist and will continue to be a force in comics for the next 30 years. The current GoCollect database price is $100. This is very reasonable for a 9.6 key grade. You won’t have to resurrect your bank account after the purchase, always a plus. Happy Holidays!
