Wow! Just when everyone thought the MCU was beginning to hit the skids, they release their first one-off Disney+ special, Werewolf by Night, and it’s a hit with fans and critics. Let’s see how the comic-collecting market reacted.

Werewolf Keys

With the acclaim for the Werewolf by Night Disney+ special came the inevitable attention to Werewolf keys. Jack Russell’s first appearance was in Marvel Spotlight #2, cover dated February 1972. Although there are few if any similarities between the comic book version and the MCU version, this is the character collectors gravitated toward.

While there was an increase in volume – 9 copies sold since October 7 – gone are the halcyon days when we would see 50 or more copies of a book sold based on a Disney+ premiere. The high since last Friday was an 8.5 graded copy selling for $1,100 in a fixed-price eBay sale. Curiously, a 9.0 sold for $1,075 in an eBay auction. It’s not a hard and fast rule, but careful bidding in eBay auctions will often save you a little more than going for the fixed price dollar amount, particularly in a down market such as we’re seeing now.

The all-time high price paid for an 8.5 graded copy was $2,550 in a fixed-price eBay sale in July 2021. So, we’re looking at a book that has lost 50% in value. I would wait a month or so and see if you can get this book below four figures for an 8.5 or even a 9.0.

The first issue of the Werewolf’s first series – Werewolf by Night #1 – also saw a very slight uptick in volume, with four copies sold. The high was a 9.4 going for $2,950 on eBay. That’s down 23% from the previous 9.4 grade high of $3,840 set just a little over three months ago in a Heritage auction on June 28.

I would definitely keep an eye on these two comics. The inevitable downturn post-MCU debut is right around the corner, and both these books may be found then at relatively cheap prices.

All Hail Ted!

The Man-Thing made his MCU debut in Werewolf by Night, and quickly became a fan favorite. Much was made of the Man-Thing after the debut of the Werewolf by Night trailer, so it’s not surprising that we didn’t see a huge increase in volume of copies sold of any one issue.

There’s also the fact that Man-Thing’s earliest appearances are really spread out across multiple comics, some of which are in magazine format. These issues include Savage Tales #1, Astonishing Tales #12, Fear #10, Monsters Unleashed #3, and even Marvel Two-In-One #1, all of which saw one or two graded copies sell since the premiere of the Disney+ special. The big winner? Man-Thing #1, the comic most readily apparent to a casual collector.

There are 1,139 copies of Man-Thing #1 in the CGC census and five of those copies sold since October 7. The high was a 9.0 graded copy selling for a slashed $400 on October 7, squeaking in a little under the high in this grade of $399 set just a week ago in an eBay fixed price sale on October 3.

Keep an eye on Ted Sallis keys. Now that he’s in the MCU, Ted’s back story as part of the Super Soldier program (he is Weapon IV, after all) could tie him to both Captain America (Weapon 1) and Wolverine (Weapon X).

Both Bloodstones

One of the highlights of the Werewolf by Night Special was the reanimated corpse of Ulysses Bloodstone, a character who made his first appearance in Marvel Presents #1. Seven copies sold of this previously ignored Bronze Age comic since the premiere of the special. It’s also our first record-breaking sale. A 9.6 graded copy sold for $350 in a fixed-price eBay sale on October 10. Sure, it’s only $10 more than the previous 9.6 high of $340 set in an eBay sale in October 2021. But it’s still a record.

Elsa Bloodstone’s first appearance in Bloodstone #1 was the pacesetter for volume increase based on the Werewolf by Night special with 10 copies sold. The all-time high for this book was set in November 2021 when a 9.8 graded copy sold for a slashed $1,300 on eBay.

Yes, there was a sale for $2,350 on April 18, 2022 on eBay. However, that was for a lot of three comics that also included Eternals #3 and Thor #338, both in 9.8 grade. So, it’s really hard to tell what percentage of that price was for Bloodstone #1.

The high since Elsa made her debut in the MCU is $700 for a 9.8 graded copy in an eBay fixed price sale on October 7. That’s right in line with pricing from August 2021, just before this book went really crazy. With mid-2021 to early 2022 pricing looking more and more like an anomaly, you’re likely better off looking at how trend lines would have continued without that big bump to determine what you should be paying now. It’s less a factor of pricing being down and more of a normalization.

Want more Market Reactions?

Did you watch Werewolf by Night? Do you think Ted has a chance of being the next Groot? Let us know below.

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