I just rewatched Guardians of the Galaxy 2 and I was reminded just how fun and enjoyable that movie franchise is. It also reminded me that Star-Lord has become a pivotal player in the Marvel Universe.

Long ago and far away...

Prior to the MCU, I don't think anyone would have said that Star-Lord was an A-list hero in the Marvel Universe. It might even be safe to say that none of the heroes that appear in Guardians of the Galaxy movies were A-list characters. We have seen it time and time again. The announcement of a movie and the correlated comic book characters' first and key appearances increase in value.

While I'm sure that this has happened with the first appearance of Star-Lord, Marvel Preview #4, I'm not so sure that it has risen as high as other characters. With his first appearance coming in 1976, the book will obviously not be as scarce as, say, a Tales of Suspense #39 that was published in 1963, but it does have a lot of things going for it.

The Selling Points for Marvel Preview #4

When I look at a key book, I look at a few different factors. The first being whether or not it features a first appearance. We all know, as collectors, that first appearances really drive the market. The second thing I look for is whether or not that character appears prominently on the cover of the book. In today's day and age where nearly every key book is slabbed, in my opinion, it is important to have a book that has a striking cover since you will never again flip through those pages.

Star-Lord doesn't appear in his costume that we see in the movies. Still, it is a solo cover with him front and center. The third thing I look for in a key first appearance is whether or not the book includes an origin story of that character. Is it just an appearance? Marvel Preview #4 checks all three boxes that I listed above. This leads me to believe that it is a key book that will likely continue to go up in value.

The Future of Star-Lord

We know that Star-Lord will appear in the upcoming Thor movie.  In addition, there are at least two more Guardians of the Galaxy-related movies to be made. Obviously, the character will remain prevalent in the MCU. With Chris Pratt giving life to the character that many of us have come to know and love, it's great to see that he is also involved in voice acting (LEGO movie.) This means that he could, at a minimum, voice the animated character for many years to come.

Pricing on Marvel Preview #4

I checked eBay today to see what this book was selling for and I could easily pick up a 9.0 CGC copy around $425. Again, this is not a hard-to-find silver age book, like the first appearance of Iron Man. When it comes to Bronze Age books, however, there are only 107 copies of Marvel Preview #4 graded at 9.0 on the CGC Census, while in comparison there are over 880 Incredible Hulk #181's registered at a 9.0. All of these factors lead me to believe that this book has some room to grow!

Have you taken a look at the GoCollect Concert Poster Price Guide yet? There's so much to see and do!