In the comic book universes where superheroes manipulate matter with their minds, travel through time, and fight off alien invasions, it is interesting that there is still room for characters such as Lucifer, the bringer of light and OG antagonist. With various depiction of his abilities, where does he fit on the power level food chain? How well would Superman face off against Lucifer? Debatable ad infinitum. What we can determine, however, is how Lucifer’s key comic books perform in the market just like any other comic book character; in particular, the 1st appearances of DC and Marvel’s Lucifers.
At the moment, the most popular depiction of a comic book Lucifer is perhaps DC’s Lucifer Samael Morningstar, who first appeared in Neil Gaiman’s critically acclaimed The Sandman series; specifically, Sandman #4. To date, he has received much screen time in the form of the Constatine (2005) movie and the long running Fox television series aptly named Lucifer (2016-present). Furthermore, the upcoming Netflix adaptation of The Sandman is sure to feature more Lucifer.
Below is sales data for Sandman #4; graded CGC 9.8 and 9.6, which is the top 19.7% and 58.6% of the census, respectively:
The market behavior for 9.8 of the book was a bit of a wild one. It saw a huge spike in late 2015. The explanation for this is likely the news surrounding the production of the first season of Fox’s Lucifer, which premiered in Jan 2016. It hit a high of $350, but dropped to a low of $143.50 within a few months. Very disappointing returns for anyone who purchased close to the top. Pessimistically, it took 3 years for prices to breach above the $300 level; optimistically, it finally did even if it took that long. The performance for the book in 9.6 has been worse with lower lows and lower highs, a slight downward trend. The outlook for the book is mixed as Netflix has renewed Lucifer for the fifth and final season, but at the same time has greenlit The Sandman series.
In the Marvel Comics universe, the Lucifer moniker has been utilized by two different characters. The first of which was an alien agent from the planet Quistalium. On multiple attempts, this Lucifer would unsuccessfully invade Earth. This Lucifer’s 1st appearance was in X-Men #9 (1965).
Sales data for the book in grades 8.0/8.5 and 6.0/6.5 are below (32.7/23.6% and 67.7/59.7%, respectively). The grades were grouped together due to low volume:
Interestingly, the sales prices for this book were flat until 2016 when it experienced a sudden upward pressure. It wasn’t just a spike up; rather, this higher growth rate has been sustained for the last 3 years with no signs of slowing down. This behavior is present in both high and low grades of the book. The event that may have led to this noticeable change in sentiment is a mystery that warrants further examination; if clarified, could point to other books with promising value growth.
Marvel’s other Lucifer character, one depicted in the more demonic sense, first appeared in Marvel Preview #7. This book does also have the 1st appearance of Rocket Raccoon, which we examined in a previous article. Below, the sales data is extended from previous tables; showing the book in CGC 9.0 and 8.0 (22.6% and 44.0% of the top):
With sales prices trending downwards and low volume, this book would not be optimal for long-term investment. On the bright side, at least the value loss is occurring very slowly.
THE OTHER KING OF HELL
Related to the Lucifer theme, an interesting comic issue worth a read is Superman #666 (2007). When Krypton was destroyed, a demon from Krypton’s hell catches a ride on Superman’s rocket to Earth. After the demon corrupts Superman, Superman goes on a destructive rampage, which includes taking over as the ruler of Hell.
THE BOTTOM LINE
- Sandman #4 - HOLD
- X-Men #9 - BUY
- Marvel Preview #7 - REDUCE
- Superman #666 - READ
“Do you mind? I'm trying to enjoy the sunset.” – Lucifer Morningstar
