We’re continuing our coverage of James Gunn’s announcement of Gods & Monsters, the first phase in his and Peter Safran’s all-new DCU. Let’s see how the comic collecting market reacted to the news of more of the DCU movies and TV shows coming soon.

The Authority

One of the bigger surprises in Gunn’s announcement was an upcoming film called The Authority based on the Wildstorm property that initially arose in the Image series, Stormwatch. The Authority are a group of superheroes with some loose approximations to the Justice League who are more violent than average in their approach to fighting crime. It’s an interesting choice for a DCU production.

The Authority team members are spread out across multiple comics in terms of first appearances. Jenny Sparks, Rose Tattoo, and Jack Hawksmoor made their first appearance in Stormwatch #37, while Apollo and Midnighter made their first appearance in Stormwatch #4 from the second series of that name.

They finally made their first full team appearance in The Authority #1, cover-dated April 1999 and published under the DC imprint Wildstorm. Of the above, the two to focus on are Stormwatch #4, as Apollo and Midnighter are the two most well-known characters from the team, and The Authority #1.

There are 144 graded copies of Stormwatch #4 in the CGC census. Six of these copies have sold since Gunn’s announcement of the film, and prices have been rising quickly. Two 9.8 graded copies sold on January 31, the first for $480 and the second for $500. By the next day, February 1, a 9.8 sold for a record $599.

Considering a 9.8 sold for a slashed $300 on January 29, we’re looking at a book that has more than doubled in value in just two days.

While we didn’t see the same increase in sales volume for The Authority #1, we did see a similar rapid escalation in value. A 9.8 graded copy sold on January 31 for a record $550. The previous 9.8 sale in September 2022 was for $125. That marks a 340% increase in value. Watch both Stormwatch #4 and The Authority #1 carefully.

It’s possible that the ship has already sailed if you’re looking for a cheap copy. However, census counts are low for both and it’s quite possible that there are raw copies floating around in dollar boxes at many comic shops.

Paradise Lost

Another TV series in Gunn’s lengthy announcement is Paradise Lost. The series will take place on Themyscira and tell stories of the Amazons. Little else is known of the series. The best guess is that the show is a bit of a placeholder as Gunn and Safran figure out what to do with Wonder Woman. Whether it’s Gal Gadot or someone new, odds are that Wonder Woman will make an appearance by the end of the series.

Gunn described the series as “Game of Thrones… on Paradise Island,” so it will be interesting to see how much of a fantasy element this provides for the DCU.

The Brave and the Bold

This is where things may get a little confusing for your average movie fan who knows little about comics. Matt Reeves take on Batman will continue to exist but out of continuity, in what will be referred to as DC Elseworlds. The DCU, meanwhile, will have its own Batman, with his first film being The Brave and the Bold.

The big reveal here, however, and the one most important to comic collectors, is that this time around Damian Wayne will be Robin.

Damian Wayne made his first appearance in Batman #656, and this is an incredibly hot comic right now. 41 graded copies have sold since the announcement. Prices, which had dropped as low as a $101 average for a 9.8 graded copy in September 2022, are rapidly escalating.

Sales in the 9.8 grade over the past few days have reached $300, nearing the peak of $306 for a Universal 9.8 set in August 2021. Expect prices to continue to escalate.

Booster Gold

The next TV series on the slate is Booster Gold. The first appearance of Booster Gold in Booster Gold #1 is likely the hottest book in the market right now. 56 of the 1,882 graded copies in the CGC census have already traded hands and I’m sure many more will sell in the next few days.

We’re at or near peak prices for Universal graded 9.8 copies with one selling on February 1 for a slashed $750 and one on February 2 for a slashed $725. And that’s up from the $491 average 9.8 selling price on January 31. There are two 9.8 copies that sold for higher, both with verified signatures: one for $900 in December 2020, and another for $1,000 in August 2021.

All of this analysis aside, I don’t think now is the right time to buy, not while prices are skyrocketing. No doubt the market will cool a bit for this book, and we’re looking at years until there’s casting news, production leaks, or a trailer. Let the market go crazy now and wait a couple months if you really want a copy of Booster Gold #1.

Join us in our next installment as we take a look at Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, Swamp Thing, and the already scheduled for release films coming out prior to Gods & Monsters.

Are you excited about the upcoming DCU productions? Which other DC characters would you like to see in the DCU? Let us know below.

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