With season two of Umbrella Academy dominating Netflix, how are those key issues you bought at the onset of season one?
THANKS, NETFLIX
I will admit that I had no idea what the Umbrella Academy was before Netflix. Last year, I gave season one a go, but it didn’t immediately grab my attention. Here we are a year later, and I have been binge-watching the series. Others must be doing the same thing as an Umbrella Academy comic made it to the Hottest Comics Biggest Movers list last week.
As an old X-Men fan, I cannot ignore the parallels, but they seem more like an homage to Marvel’s merry mutants rather than a copycat. Here we have a wealthy philanthropist adopting a group of "special" children and turning them into a superhero team, not without their missteps along the way.
When season one debuted, suddenly everyone became an Umbrella Academy fan. Personally, I love seeing the interest in comics published outside the worlds of Marvel and DC. If a hit live-action show puts a Dark Horse title on the mainstream radar, that is good for comics and keeps the hobby alive.
COLLECTING THE ACADEMY
Speaking of collecting, were you among the droves who scrambled for the Academy’s early issues? Let’s check-in to see how some of those are faring in the wake of season two.
The team debuted in the six-issue limited series in 2007. Like many Dark Horse titles, this one flew under the mainstream radar, although it was filling its trophy case with recognitions for comic excellence. It is no wonder it translated so well to the small screen.
When it was first published, there were three different covers: the standard, the variant, and the special edition. Let's breakdown all three.
UMBRELLA ACADEMY: APOCALYPSE SUITE #1 (STANDARD EDITION)
By far, the standard cover has been the most popular. Selling 33 times in the past three months, the 9.8 has averaged $140 in that span. That is down compared to 2019’s $182 fair market value. However, it appears to be on the way up after the last two sales on August 16 and 17 netted $190 sales each.
UMBRELLA ACADEMY: APOCALYPSE SUITE #1 (SPECIAL EDITION)
The special editions may not sell as often as the standard, but they nonetheless pack quite the punch.
At a 9.8, the SE has a 90-day FMV of $848. Earlier this month, one reached the $1k mark, while the most recent sale on August 17 sold for an impressive $905. Two years ago, that same grade for the SE was selling for about $300, and last year saw it average $638. At this rate, it will average over $1k by the time season three debuts.
UMBRELLA ACADEMY: APOCALYPSE SUITE #1 (VARIANT)
Over the past 12 months, just 15 copies of the variant edition have traded hands online. Before season two was released, it stayed in line with the standard cover, which was impressive in itself. In recent months, it has surpassed its brethren. Last year, its FMV held at $179 - just $3 behind the standard cover’s average. What the standard edition lost in FMV, the variant has gained. Over the past 90 days, it has averaged $242 across seven sales. Since the end of July, all three sales have been between $200-$250.
