On Tuesday, September 27, Ryan Reynolds released a bombshell announcement that Hugh Jackman will be returning as Wolverine in Deadpool 3. Let’s take a look at how the market reacted.

Deadpool & Wolverine – Game On!

The first battle between Wolverine and Deadpool occurred in Wolverine #88, cover dated December 1994. There are three editions of this comic: a deluxe edition released in the direct market, a standard edition for the direct market, and a newsstand edition.

For the sake of brevity, we’ll focus on the deluxe edition here. There are 1,165 graded copies of this book in the CGC census. In one week no fewer than 104 copies have sold, an incredibly high increase in volume from the four copies sold the week prior.

The high price paid since the announcement is $810 for a 9.8 graded copy in an eBay auction on September 28. There were 88 bids in the auction. That’s down 12.4% from the overall high for this book of $925 set in an eBay auction in March 2021.

While I wouldn’t expect Wolverine #88 to reach higher than that based on this announcement – it would have done so already – it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on it. Don’t be shocked if it comes close to or breaks that record when we see a Deadpool 3 trailer sometime in 2024.

Wolverine vs. Deadpool – Grudge Match!

Deadpool and Wolverine met for round two in the Wolverine 1999 Annual. With only 81 copies in the CGC census, this is a much harder book to find graded, although raw copies are plentiful.

Since Tuesday’s announcement, five graded copies have sold, surpassing the total number of graded copies sold to this point in 2022. A 9.8 graded copy sold on September 27 for $180. That’s down 29% from its all-time high of $255 set way back in February 2014.

There were no relevant Wolverine or Deadpool films out at that time, so not completely sure why the high price at that time.

Two-Part Showdown

Wolverine and Deadpool would fight again in a two-parter taking place in Wolverine #154 and Wolverine #155, with art in both by Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld.

Of the two, collectors would appear to prefer Wolverine #155. This is likely due to the fact that both characters appear on the cover. 10 copies have sold since the announcement; the high price paid during the week reached $275 for a 9.8 graded copy, down 16% from its all-time high of $329 set on July 20.

Wolverine #154, meanwhile, saw five graded copies sell with a high of $140 for a 9.8, down nearly 18% from its previous high of $170 set in June 2021.

Stabilization for a Monster Bronze Age Comic?

Like most comics, even Incredible Hulk #181, the first appearance of Wolverine, has not been immune to falling prices. However, there was no holding this book back from fans turning their attention to everything Wolverine and Deadpool.

18 graded copies have sold since September 27, compared to 11 copies selling the week prior. Included in these sales was a 9.4 copy going for $15,750 on eBay on September 27.

While it’s down considerably from the high of a slashed $29,150 set in July 2021, it does mark a stabilization in the price. That's a 64% increase in volume and prices that are holding steady and no longer dropping. This could be a promising period for this critical Bronze Age behemoth.

Deadpool First Still Sinking

Alas, the same could not be said for Deadpool’s first appearance in New Mutants #98. While we saw an increase in volume from 19 copies sold the week prior to the announcement to 44 copies sold since, prices were still dropping.

A 9.8 sale for $1,600 on eBay on September 27 shows how far this book has fallen. Gone are the heady days of September 2021 when a 9.8 brought in a slashed $5,000. An ample supply of 24,999 graded copies is keeping the price low.

Until the demand side improves, don’t expect the freefall to cease.

Want more MCU spec?

Are you excited for Hugh Jackman’s return as Wolverine in Deadpool 3? Let us know below.

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