As anticipation builds for the release of the second season of Invincible on Amazon Prime later this year, we should think about Invincible's key issues before more FOMO sets in. In my opinion, the market undervalues Invincible's first appearance in Savage Dragon #102. Let me explain why I think this issue flies under the market's radar.

Invincible #1 has held more of its value in comparison to other Modern Age keys.

In terms of market value, the market clearly values Invincible #1 the most. According to GoCollect, the FMV of a CGC 9.8 copy of Invincible #1 is $3,600, which is rarified air for a Modern Age comic. Invincible #1 has also proven to be resilient even during a bear market. Although it has lost roughly 39% of its value since it reached its peak of nearly $6,000 during the comic boom of 2021, it has actually lost less of its value than many of its Modern Age peers.

Savage Dragon #102 contains the first appearance of Invincible in a five-page "preview."

As some collectors know, Invincible #1 doesn't actually contain Invincible's first appearance. That honor belongs to Savage Dragon #102. Savage Dragon #102 doesn't have the first appearance in cameo of Invincible. Rather, it has a five-page "preview" of Invincible #1 or the first five pages of that issue. Throughout those five pages, you see Invincible 16 times both as Mark Grayson speaking with his mom, and as his alter ego, Invincible.

You can't consider this a first appearance in cameo; yet the market clearly views it as though it were. Even though Savage Dragon #102 had a low print run (only 13,009 copies according to Comichron), the FMV of a CGC 9.8 copy is only $290, according to GoCollect.

The market prefers Spider-Man 2099's first appearance as a "preview" in Amazing Spider-Man #365.

In other situations, the market has decided that five-page previews of new characters DO count as first full appearances. Let's take a look at an example of another character: Spider-Man 2099. Like Invincible, Spider-Man 2099's first appearance occurs as a five-page preview in Amazing Spider-Man #365. This preview contains the first five pages of Spider-Man 2099 #1. In addition, like Invincible in Savage Dragon #102, Spider-Man 2099 also does not appear on the cover of Amazing Spider-Man #365. Spider-Man 2099 doesn't appear on a cover until Spider-Man 2099 #1.

Yet CGC doesn't treat Amazing Spider-Man #365 in the same way that it treats Savage Dragon #102. On its label for Amazing Spider-Man #365, CGC describes the five-page preview as the "1st appearance of Spider-Man 2099." On the other hand, on its label for Savage Dragon #102, it describes Invincible's appearance merely as a "5 page Invincible #1 preview."

Similarly, although CGC has described Invincible #1 as including the "1st full appearance of Invincible," it describes Spider-Man 2099 #1 as only including the "origin [of] Spider-Man 2099."

CGC's inconsistency in describing these five-page previews appears to have had an impact on the value of issues like Savage Dragon #102 and Spider-Man 2099 #1. Considering that Savage Dragon #102 has such a low print run, and there is precedent for CGC describing five-page previews as first appearances, I personally think this issue is flying under the radar and potentially undervalued by the market.

Do you think Savage Dragon #102 is undervalued? Let us know your opinion in the comments section below!

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