Believe it or not, comic book collecting is not only about chasing a handful of first appearances, it is a far more diverse hobby than that. Yes, yes, yes, I know that there are plenty of people out there making noise about books exploding in price with no first appearances! To me, there is nothing more tiresome than someone who talks down the importance of a book because it lacks the first appearance. Stay tuned for a follow-up article on that. In this series of articles, I will touch on niche collecting opportunities. In this piece, I will discuss covers featuring bubble gum.
Ms. Marvel #2 - Molina Variant
Kamala Khan has several big-time books and this one it right up there with her biggest. I honestly believe that the appeal of this book is due to her standing there on a roof in New Jersey blowing a bubble. I know that seems crazy but say what you want this cover is super cool and we all wish we had one.
Ms. Marvel #31
While this book does not sell for anywhere near the price of Ms. Marvel #2 it is no less cool. If you are looking to have a Ms. Marvel comic in your collection with her blowing a bubble and do not want to break the bank, then this book is for you! It is available with or without the trade dress.
Outlawed #1 - 1:50 Variant
Few books get people more riled up these days than the Outlawed #1 1:50 Variant. I have said it before and I will say it again, Riri Williams attitude while blowing a bubble on the cover is simply awesome. Given the scarcity of this book, it is going to be really tough to track down. It amongst the most premium priced of all of the bubble gum covers.
Young Avengers #2 Vol. Two
On this cover, we have America Chavez blowing a bubble looking relaxed and chill. This book is not an easy one to find as it is a 1:50 ratio variant on the print run in the 44,000 range. This likely means that there are less than 800 of these books out there and more likely far fewer than that. Prices on this book are pretty reasonable given its scarcity.
All-New Ultimates #1 1:25
Bombshell is blowing a bubble on this cover. I think what I like more is that she is doing her own thing and not making eye contact with the viewer. She is putting off a similar vibe as Riri is on Outlawed #1. When I started doing research on
this comic, I was shocked to learn that retailers only ordered around 30,000 copies. This means that there are likely less than 1,200 copies of this book our there. There are two copies listed on the GoCollect census for the book. This could be one of the rarest of these bubble gum covers
X-Men ’92 Action Figure Variant
You cannot talk about bubble gum covers without mentioning Jubilee. She has far too many to mention. I was unable to find her first cover blowing a bubble, but if you know leave the answer in the comments! This cover looks just like the toys I collected as a kid. There are two other covers for X-Men '92 with Jubilee blowing bubbles. The Skottie Young variant is a must-have!
Conclusion
Collecting comics should be about having fun. Find a niche that speaks to you and go after it. These bubble gum covers are extremely cool and a growing niche. Several of these books are extremely expensive while others are cheap. Share other bubble covers you like in the comments. If you enjoyed this stay tuned for my article on lollipops!
Thanks for reading.
