UPON FURTHER review is a new feature on GoCollect.  Fans of the NFL know about coaches throwing a red flag to request an official's review of a play.  This blog will look from a reader's perspective at the intent of the blog and if the author was correct with their advice.  I want our readers to know I have the benefit of time on my side in this review.  No reviewer can be perfect all the time.  So let us throw a red flag on....  Matt Tuck's "Investing in the Green Lantern Corps" from October 24, 2020. 

1st Review Issue....General Information

Purpose

The MCU is a driving force in comics.  Matt tries to let readers know of the HBO Max Green Lantern project and how investing in some key books associated with the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) could have similar results.

Did he get both feet down?

Matt is a teacher by trade.  His article is a perfect example of how he is influenced by his profession.  He attempts to instruct his readers on following the MCU model and extrapolating it to the DCEU.  This is a tried and true formula and Matt tries to get the reader to see it. This should then allow you to repeat the formula and target comic book keys that could see action because of the HBO Max series. The first foot was down on solid ground, but what about the second?

I always suggest readers read the bios of the people writing comic book blogs.  If you did, you would have seen that Matt is also a novelist.  He chooses words carefully.  It is with that eye that I picked up on something that maybe others had missed. Matt did not even bother to keep it hidden.  "HBO Max has lit fires under those Green Lantern keys hiding in your long boxes" is the first line of the article.  The word hidden is the key.  This should have told the readers that these are books that right now may not be drawing attention on the markets, but they should be.  These are your "blue ocean" books that you can find very few people looking at in comparison to the hot books on the market. Such a subtle toe-tap of hitting at a spot of the market that others may miss.

Matt got both feet down and was on solid ground with this article.

2nd Review Issue... Examples Cited

Purpose

Matt chose three Green Lantern keys as his target books to take advantage of the HBO Max news.  The books selected were Green Lantern #59, Justice League #31 and Green Lantern #201.

Did He Catch the Ball?

I am looking for the cleanness of the catch.  I do not want to see juggling or the ball move here.  Matt selected three issues that contain first appearance books.  First appearances are solid investments that usually hold their value because of the significance to the character.  Even if the HBO Max series turns out to be like the Inhumans, these first appearance books should be insulated from a serious loss in value.  Where Matt shines in my review is the books he selected.

First Selection

Writers can focus on one book and really support their positions.  Matt went another way and selected three key books to focus in on with this article.  Where this article succeeds for the readers is that three types of investors were targeted.  Green Lantern #59 contains the first appearance of Guy Gardner.  Matt goes into the history of the character to explain his importance to the DC Universe.  This book in high grades may be cost-prohibitive to many investors.

670776_justice-league-31-195x300 Investing in the Green Lantern CorpsSecond Selection

Matt then goes to the next tier of investments with Justice League #31 and the first appearance of Jessica Cruz. She is a newer character, but her popularity has driven the interest in this book.  One criticism is that Matt never touched upon the fact that she had already appeared in the DC Comics animated film "Justice League vs The Fatal Five".  He noted other television appearances for Guy Gardner but failed to mention those appearances for Jessica Cruz.  This failure continued with his next book as well. This book is geared more to an investor that has some money and may want to take the risk.

Third Selection

The final book Matt mentions is a favorite of mine.  Green Lantern #201 is a very undervalued book when one considers the book's historical importance.  This book contains the first appearance of Kilowog.

As mentioned before, Matt never mentions he has appeared in both animated and live-action projects.  He is a veryGreen-Lantern-201-196x300 Investing in the Green Lantern Corps important Green Lantern.  You also have an additional first appearance with this book. Remember Matt is a teacher and teachers love to give out extra credit.  This book has extra credit in that it also has the first appearance of the Green Lantern Corps as a group.  Two for the price of one! This book is maybe for those investors who have limited resources or those that want a solid book with great upside at a reasonable price.

Matt caught the ball when he targeted three great choices to invest in.

Final Review Issue...Do the Numbers Back Him Up?

Purpose

Matt wrote this article with the expressed purpose invest in these three books to see gains from the HBO Max series.

Did Matt Complete the Process?

Let us review the numbers used by Matt. This is the best way to review his work. Please note though that these books could still see further increases with the release of the Green Lantern HBO Max series.

Green LanternFirst Choice

Matt stated that the highest grade that sold that year was a 9.4 copy of Green Lantern #59. He then stated it had an FMV of $1,537.  Right now the highest-graded copy that sold this month was a 6.0 so it looks like people are holding on to this book.  The FMV for the 9.4 copy now is listed at $2,150.  That is an increase of almost 40%.  This book should only rise in value more with the series release. Furthermore, Guy Gardner is an iconic Green Lantern that is well worth holding onto in the long term.

Second Choice

Justice League #31 lacked a specific grade listed when he described its value.  Again it can be figured out if one puts in the time but that is not the point of the article.  For my review, I want to review it based upon how the reader can use the data. Was there anything that Matt gave me to figure it out?  Matt mentions that the last five sales were all over $300 during the window he looked at so I will use that as my measuring stick.  The last five sales of a 9.8 book averaged $250.78.  That is a loss of roughly 16%.

Third Choice

I think Matt saved the best for last in his article.  When Matt wrote the article he stated that only 9.8 copies of Green Lantern #201  sell for over $100, and yet now 9.6 have reached that threshold.  The FMV for a 9.8 copy is $220, but the last price two copies sold for was around $320.  That is an increase of 122%!

My view is that the ball jumbled a little with the Justice League #31, but regained control with Green Lantern #201.

Rule Changes

I want to point out that the price of comics has increased rapidly. Even during the six-month period since Matt wrote this article, we have seen a very volatile comic book market.  Can one attribute the price increases to this phenomenon? That is possible.  Matt though did a great job in writing about books that should increase in value and that is what has happened for the most part. The release of the series could further prove Matt was right on his picks.

I really liked this article in the long-term vision it had for these characters forgotten in the comic book market.  How ignored are these books?   As of right now in a review of the monthly lists:

Green Lantern #59 sits at #106 of the top Silver Age comics, rising 307 positions;Green Lantern

Justice League #31 does not crack the top #1000 of the top Modern Age Comics; and

Green Lantern #201 Does not crack the lists either.

Final Call

Matt did a great job. I strongly believe in Guy Gardner and the Kilowog/Green Lantern Corps first appearance books.  In contrast, I have more reservations about the Jessica Cruz book because she is rather new and lacks the comic book history the other first appearances possess.  I believe that is why in the short term that book rose quickly and then was saw a re-adjustment.  That does not negate the long-term investment potential of this book.

Now may be a good time to buy on the dip and maybe see some profit when the HBO Max show is released and is fresh in the mind of fans. I look to these books as blue ocean targets with great long-term potential.  I think this article stands on its merits and his calls stand.

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