The Omega Men team isn't exactly high on the list of superhero teams, but we'll give them a look. And who knows, there could be some value in the long run.
The Omega Men
I recently discovered the Omega Men through their most recent series written by the great Tom King and illustrated by the also great Barnaby Bagendas. I read the twelve-issue series in one sitting. The story was mainly propelled by philosophy, with apropos William James quotes at the end of each book, with less interest paid to each individual character. If anything, the series focused more on the character of the villains than the heroes.
Maybe that doesn't vibe with you, but I think King's series fills a void in mainstream comic publishing that asks difficult, unanswerable questions, and expects a lot of its readers. There's the gratuitous violence and beautiful sci-fi cityscapes penned by Bagendas, but there's more. And for a lot of us, the more is uncomfortable.
Speculation
The spec is simple. The Omega Men offers DC a Star Wars-like space opera. This isn't a joke-cracking team like Guardians of the Galaxy, but a team fighting against oppression against the Viceroy to free the planets of the oppressed Vega system. (Sound familiar?) If the Omega Men were picked up for additional comic runs, TV shows, or films, then King's series would be a good starting place. The only trick would be selecting a centerpiece hero to follow throughout. Given her history, witty personality, and character design, my first choice would be Scrapps, but beggars can't be choosers.
Anyway, Tom King recognized the beauty of the Omega Men: they are fringe to the rest of the DC universe. That's how he was able to write an almost standalone story while still being a part of the canon. The possibilities of the Omega Men are endless and it could be a breath of fresh galactic air to get audiences excited to enter a new and totally-unrelated-to-Star-Wars epic space opera. Is it a longshot? Sure. But audiences will eventually fatigue from the same old superhero story. Aliens can be a lot more fun.
First Appearance
The Omega Men first appears in Green Lantern #141 making the book by far the most valuable Omega Men comic. With a 9.8 FMV of $425, it's not a bad rate for the first appearance of a team that's barely done anything. (No offense to them, they just aren't mainstream) But $425 is nothing to scoff at either. Clearly some investors and collectors are finding the value of the Alpha appearance value of the Omega team.
First Title Series
The Omega Men got their titular comic in 1983, two years after their first appearance in Green Lantern. Surprisingly, The Omega Men #1 has almost no traction with a 9.8 FMV of just $42. That's barely covering the price of shipping and slabbing. I always like books like this because they barely feel like a gamble. There isn't much floor to drop to with only the Vega system skies above.
Other Series
The Omega Men have been rebooted twice since 1983. The first (and often forgotten) reboot was a savage-land type series in 2006. Not enough data to get an FMV, but don't worry. Nobody's saying you're missing much.
Tom King's most recent reboot in 2015 also lacks enough data for an FMV. You can get a Near Mint copy in the raw for less than $10. That seems like a sadly undervalued book by a modern master in Tom King. There is little risk with a longshot reward. While the series isn't as hard-hitting as Vision or Miracle Man, it has plenty to offer in its own faraway system.
Possibilities
Would this pay off in the long run? Maybe. If the Omega Men were ever allowed on the big screen there'd be no telling where they could go. The similarity to Guardians of the Galaxy as an unknown space-based team is unavoidable. But the Omega Men offer a very different story and an alternative to franchises rehashing the same characters over and over again. When we get through the alphabet of superheroes and teams, at least we have Omega waiting for us at the end.
