We all know how big the new generation of Marvel is getting and with it new stories to tell. This in turn has caused a surge of new titles, new villains, and new Keys. We have seen a particular rise as of late with both Miles Morales and Kamala Khan. I like to think of them as the "Gem" tier of the current hero-scape.
While the market is very closely focused on this Gem tier; take the opportunity to check out some keys right under those. While these keys are still high in price, I think there is a significant gap in their current value to what they could be after even just a hint of news. Here are two New Generation Keys from what I consider the "Gold" tier.
Riri Williams (Ironheart)
Riri is a huge upcoming icon. Her first cameo appearance in Invincible Iron Man #7 is already a hot commodity and doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon. The first print is sitting around $60 - $70 at the moment. While the second and third normally hit the $40 range, all raw books. This is consistent with the print for all three prints, but the popularity of this character has just come down off a recent high. Great time to dive in.
Riri's first full appearance is in Invincible Iron Man #9. Which is sitting around the same price point as #7. The second print is a little wilder, it's normally around $10 - $15 more than the first print, but we've seen highs as far as $130 on a given day. My normal advice for second printing is; grab them if you have the early opportunity, but don't follow the hype trains. They tend to be erratic and prey on FOMO.
That being the case, I also wouldn't go hunting down the Age of Apocalypse variant. As it is atop the mountain for Riri's comics just kicking it around $400 for a raw book. $800 to $1K for a slab. So for those with a need, they are plentiful. In my opinion, both of Riri's books are already good blue chips. She's a stable character that doesn't look to be going anywhere; and if she's here for the long haul these two issues are only going to grow.
Sam Alexander (Nova)
The second Gold tier hero I want to talk about is the new Nova. Sam Alexander has been a big candidate for large growth for a long time now. He's a major part of the Champions and has been for a while. The new Nova is also in The Ultimate Spiderman cartoon alongside Peter, Danny, Luke, and Aya. Sam even has a solo title that is more than a little compelling. So the tipping point for Sam's rocket upward is right on the cusp.
Sam's first appearance is in Marvel Point One #1, a one-shot with a rather cool cover. Going around the $20 - $30 mark currently, this is one of those slow-burning picks that will ignite when Sam garners news or attention in the slightest. (Can you say Champions #1?)
There are two variants to Point #1. The first is the Bradshaw Wraparound, which displays a beautiful shot of an amazing battle between heroes and villains. (You can even see Namor in there if you look close!) Crazy wraparounds like this really get to me, the level of detail on this one is outrageous. This version is right around $40 - $60 and is a great choice for both key and cover collectors alike.
The second variant is the Bradshaw Black & White Sketch Wraparound 1:100. This is the beast in the briar, this single variant runs near $600 and up. Now, this inflated price could be due to the scarcity on the market at the moment. As of September, there were only two sold and three up for sale. So this might be a wait and watch situation at this point, the other two are much more reasonable currently.
Final Remarks:
The new generation of Marvel's heroes is here. We're seeing a very big transition across all our media sources, movies, shows, even video games are switching gears and putting new readers into shops. This is a wonderful time to look at the keys that are going to continue to be popular going forward. Especially with all the eyes on higher shelf items right now.
Riri and Sam are no longer hidden gems. They are in plain sight and fans are flocking to them. They are Gold tier right now, but they're primed and set to move up any day. If you're a Nova or Ironheart fan then these are solid keys to move to your stash.
