Hello everyone and welcome to another installment of Investing On A Budget!  The goal of this article series is to provide investors and speculators with low-cost ways to invest in hot properties within the comic book community.  The focus of this article: Angela!!

Who Is Angela?

That is a surprisingly difficult question to answer, at least in a concise way.

Angela first appeared in the pages of Spawn as a bounty hunter and was created by Neil Gaiman.  After several years, Todd McFarlane, the founder of Image Comics and writer of Spawn, began to claim that Gaiman had created Angela under a work-for-hire contract and, thus, was not the owner.  This led to a protracted series of legal battles that ultimately went in Gaiman's favor.  Gaiman subsequently sold the character's rights to Marvel.  This new version of the character was not the same one from the pages of Spawn, but something else altogether.

Eventually, it was revealed that Angela was Thor and Loki's sister; she had been abducted during a great war between Asgard and the realm of Heven.  Angela is a forthright character who lives by the motto of "nothing for nothing", the idea that no deed should ever be done without the promise of some kind of reward.  The character has been very well received since her creation and has been heavily rumored for an MCU appearance.

The following is an attempt to help investors identify which Angela books can still be found for a reasonable price that could one day see a big increase in value.

Spawn #9

This marks the very first appearance of Angela in any comic.  Normally, first appearances of highly speculated characters are not affordable. This book, however, has a really high print run, meaning the available supply is more able to meet demand.  Sadly, that also means the book has a lower value ceiling; it would be fairly easy for current owners to undercut one another on price.

Even so, the book has seen a steady increase in value over the years as MCU rumors have swirled and would likely see an appreciable jump if/when the character becomes more prominent in the comics or actually shows up in the MCU.

Original Sin #7 Adams Variant

Covers done by Arthur Adams tend to sell very well, ESPECIALLY when the covers depict women like this one does.  Furthermore, this variant is part of a connecting set of variant; it can also draw interest from collectors looking to complete their sets.

This book will never break the bank. Still, with three different ways of drawing interest (cover appearance of Angela, Art Adams cover work, and a connecting series of covers), the book is essentially zero risk. It could easily see an appreciation in value with an MCU appearance.

Angela #1

The first solo title for Angela.  Like Spawn #9, the high print run and the fact that it is an Image book (rather than a Marvel book) make the book more affordable, but also imposes a lower value ceiling than some might want.  Even so, the book is a key artifact in Angela's overall comic book journey and as such has a lot of room for growth regardless of any movie news.

Be on the lookout for the newsstand version of this book. It is easy to miss, but can fetch a much prettier penny.

Angela: Asgard's Assassin #1

Angela's first solo series in the Marvel Universe and the first appearance of Angela's lover Sera.  I buy this book whenever I see it in a shop and that is because it just has so much going for it.

From a storytelling perspective alone, the book is absolutely fabulous.  Every page is filled with incredible writing and backed up by the truly stellar artwork of Stephanie Hans and Phil Jimenez.  I always encourage people to invest in quality storytelling because it is usually those stories that form the basis for movies and subsequent comic book arcs (Spider-Man: No Way Home's adaptation of the absolutely reviled One More Day storyline obviously being an exception).

Second, this is a first solo book, albeit one with something of an asterisk due to Angela's time in the Spawn Universe.

Third, Sera is a phenomenal character with a really interesting backstory.  As a key member of Angela's supporting cast (arguably the only member), there is good reason to believe that she would eventually join Angela in the MCU if/when Angela herself makes that jump.

This connects well to the final compelling point to buy this book; Sera has a unique transgender identity. (It is hard to explain why; you kind of need to read the series in order to understand what makes it special.) Given Marvel Studios' repeated commitment to telling stories about more diverse characters, speculators would be wise to pick up books like this that render those diverse stories so beautifully.  Add all that up and you have an insane amount of value for a book that can sometimes be found for cover price.

Angela: Queen of Hel #1 Hip Hop Variant

The logic on this one is very simple. Hip Hop variants for characters that make it into the MCU basically always see a big spike in value.  Do you think, as I do, that Angela is a great, compelling character? One who is destined to one day show up in the MCU? Then you should be able to invest in this book with confidence.

Original Sin #5.5

As my friend Ben Stein loves to say on his phenomenal channel, House of Stein, a character's origin should be their second most important book after their first appearance.  Well, in this issue, readers are finally treated to Angela's new origin story in the Marvel Universe; she is the daughter of Odin and Freya. She was abducted by the Angels of Heven, the newly discovered tenth realm.

This is a really important book in Angela's Marvel comics history, as it fleshes out who the character is and provides the basis for many subsequent stories, including Asgard's Assassin and several elements of the blockbuster event War of the Realms.  Like others on this list, this book will never break the bank. It is still a key issue for Angela and thus would almost certainly see a rise in value as Angela gains greater prominence within Marvel.

Conclusion

That's all for this entry of Investing on a Budget!  Let me know of any other great budget Angela books you can think of. Or if you have any suggestions for characters you'd like to see a writeup for.  Happy Hunting!

Want more Angela spec?

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.