Another week and we have a new Marvel announcement via the Hollywood press.  This time around, it was the Hollywood Reporter letting us know that Wonder Man would be coming to the MCU.  Let’s see how the market reacted to this latest news.

Wonder Man – First Appearance

On Thursday, June16. an article in The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Marvel had tapped Destin Daniel Cretton – director of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – and veteran scriptwriter Andrew Guest to develop a Wonder Man series for Disney+.  Wonder Man, as many of you are aware, first appeared in Avengers #9, released by Marvel in October 1964.

In the week since the announcement, there were 24 sales of graded copies of this Silver Age key.  To put that in perspective, prior to June 16, it had been 10 days since there had been ANY sales of graded copies.  17 of those sales occurred on the day of the announcement.

The top sale on the 16th was an 8.0 graded copy selling for $1,900 in a fixed price eBay sale.  Typically, the high price will come in that initial day of absolute frenzy following an MCU announcement.  Not in this case, however.  On June 20, another 8.0 graded copy sold in a fixed price eBay sale, this time for $2,200.  While not a record in this grade, it’s getting really close.

The top price paid for an 8.0 prior was $2,280 in a Heritage auction in March 2021.  This was a high volume of sales in one week for a Marvel Silver Age key.  Keep an eye on this book.  This is likely the highest price we’ll see for an 8.0 this time around, but we could be looking at big numbers for higher grades if they come up for sale.

First Grim Reaper

Simon Williams’ second appearance came in Avengers #52, albeit in a flashback.  The issue also marks the first appearance of the Grim Reaper, Wonder Man’s brother, as well as Black Panther joining the Avengers.

Eight graded copies have sold in the week since June 16, with the highest sale being a 9.2 selling on eBay for $485 on June 18.  While not a record in this grade, it’s a significant uptick on the $337 average price for this book in this grade over the past six months.  No doubt there will be a cool down over the next few weeks.  However, this book may not fall to early 2022 lows for a while.

First Solo Issue

Marvel Premiere #55 is the first solo appearance of Wonder Man.  While there were only three sales of graded copies post-TV series announcement, each set a record, with a 9.6 copy selling for $225, a 9.4 for $178, and a 9.2 for $150.  These numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, however.  This wasn’t exactly a book that was in high demand prior.

Only 55 copies appear in the CGC census and there have only been six sales of copies in any grade this year.  It stands to reason that some collectors would pay top dollar for a seemingly rare book.  This is a common raw book, however, easily found in local comic book shops and shows.  The price will likely stabilize as more copies are graded.

Both Wonder Man #1’s

Wonder Man #1 – the one-shot from 1986 – didn’t see a huge increase in volume.  However, the price for a 9.6 graded copy shot from $80 to a slashed $250 in the course of June 16 alone.  This is a Copper Age book with few graded copies in the CGC census – only 54.

It will be interesting to see if this comic will continue to see any kind of bump from the Disney+ series, or if it will continue to be overshadowed by our next book.

Wonder Man #1, the first issue of Wonder Man’s ongoing series, published in September 1991, saw an enormous increase in volume of sales, with 17 copies sold in one week.  9.8 graded copies sold for $125 on June 16 and then bumped up to an average price of $165 on the 17th.  Each sale on the 17th topped the record, with the last selling for $179.

The cool down likely won’t come as quickly for this book as some of the others.  There are 206 copies in the CGC census, with 131 of them graded at 9.8, so it’s definitely not as hard to find graded copies, especially in high grade, as other Wonder Man keys.

Collectors appear to be willing to spend more for high-grade copies than they were prior, and it’s possible that the book has now reached a higher floor than its admittedly bargain-basement price was prior.

Potential Sleeper

Wonder Man is a character who has died and risen from the dead a couple times; he has shown up with multiple costumes and multiple looks.  Depending on how the character is depicted in the Disney+ series, we could see a few of those costumes and looks or none at all.  Or, we could even see the full ionic appearance of Wonder Man. There, he’s just a human-shaped mass of ionic energy.

If that happens, don’t be surprised to see Avengers #3 (3rd volume), his first appearance in that form, and with an absolutely gorgeous cover by the late George Perez, shoot up in value.

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What do you think about the Wonder Man series?  Are you collecting or investing in Wonder Man keys?  Let us know below.

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