Web of Spider-Man #32
With the SONY announcement of a Kraven movie in August, the first appearance of Kraven in Amazing Spider-Man #15 has received a lot of attention from collectors. I recently wrote about Vermin's first appearance, his role in Kraven's Last Hunt, and the likelihood of a film adaptation-but what about the six issues of the Last Hunt storyline itself? They span all three Spider-Man titles published at the time: Spectacular Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man, and Web of Spider-Man. Masterfully written by J.M. Matteis and beautifully drawn by Mike Zeck, this story arc is about as close to comic book perfection as you can get. One issue, in particular, stands out from the rest as having the most iconic cover of the series, Web of Spider-Man #32. Mike Zeck's work on this issue has inspired countless homages and frequently finds itself atop the list of best Spider-Man covers of all time. Let's take a look at how it has performed as an investment.
GoCollect data shows us there are currently 185 9.8s and 204 9.6s on the CGC census, giving it a relatively low population. They are priced at $220 dollars and $95 dollars respectively. Web of Spider-Man #32 is a mixed bag, giving us year-to-date returns of -12.3% in a 9.8 and +11.3% in a 9.6. You will find that I often use financial terms in my articles (more to come), and with that said I would give Web of Spider-Man #32 a buy rating. Considering the possible catalyst of a movie on the horizon, the general uptick in Copper Age comics during the pandemic, a low CGC population, and all-time classic cover status, Web Of Spider-Man #32 is a fun and worthwhile speculative purchase. At this price point, you really cannot lose much money, and if Kraven's Last Hunt is adapted for the big screen, this will be the issue of the story arc to take off. I would especially look for 9.6s and the lower grades with their frequent bargain-basement prices.
Secret Wars #1
When thinking of Mike Zeck and the groundbreaking Secret Wars storyline, Secret Wars #1 and its classic cover often come to mind even before Secret Wars #8. The premiere issue of the first big crossover event in comic history, Mike Zeck's Secret Wars #1 brought all of our favorite Marvel characters together on a cover for the first time. Like much of Mike Zeck's work, Secret Wars #1 has inspired many a tribute cover since its 1984 release.
The downfall of Thanos in Avengers: Endgame and the resultant void has led collectors and fans alike to theorize as to what the next phase of the MCU will be. Will we see Wolverine with the New Avengers? Galactus or another cosmic-level threat? Korvac and the Korvac Saga? Will Kang the Conqueror be the antagonist of the MCU for the entirety of the next phase? Time will tell, but personally, I like the odds of Secret Wars being the larger story arc for the MCU in the years to come. Secret Wars is on the epic scale necessary for the MCU and would make sense with its ability to tie together all of the MCU's characters. Also, and this is wishful thinking, with a Kraven movie and Spider-Man 3 on the horizon, a Secret Wars movie could tie all of Mike Zeck's work together nicely between the three films and bring us black suit Spider-Man as well. There should be no Kraven's Last Hunt or Secret Wars without the black suit.
Secret Wars #1 was a heavily printed comic and for years you could find most issues from the series in dollar bins and yard sales. Despite being widely distributed, Secret Wars #1 is having a great year due to movie adaptation rumors. If you picked up copies of this issue in the last few years, good job. GoCollect data shows us that there are 1,006 9.8s and that their fair market value is $250 dollars. The year to date return on a 9.8 is +44%. If your 401K did this, you would be jumping for joy. A 9.6, coming in with a CGC population of 841 and a current FMV of $95, has a year to date return of +21.5%. Not so shabby either.
After such a rapid increase in FMV, coupled with plenty of copies circulating and a future based on pure speculation, I personally would not buy this comic right now. If a Secret Wars adaptation is announced, this issue will show some upward movement. If another story arc is adapted, I expect this to drop back to where it was before 2020. You could sell and take some profits now given the rapid increase in FMV or you might want to hold in case of a movie announcement depending on how willing you are to embrace your gambling spirit. Either would be an acceptable move with this Mike Zeck favorite.
