By and large, the biggest comic of the year so far (at least in terms of a series debut) in collecting circles has been Image Comic’s “Redneck.” I realize that we are here to invest in comics and analyze things from a stock market perspective, and that leads us to buy comics we never read because we’re protecting the value. I can say that I bought my copy of “Redneck” #1 (shout out to my LCS, What If Comics and Collectibles in good ol’ Rome, Georgia) without a lot of interest in reading it. However, after picking up issue two, this one is worth the read. I’m not a fan of the vampire genre, but Donny Cates’ writing has me hooked. This only makes watching the “Redneck” market that much more fun. For a guy from Georgia, typing “Redneck” market is fun in itself, but I digress.

To get back to the investment side of things, “Redneck” #1 lit up the market after rumors spread that, even before it was published, it was being eyed for a television series. Some were even calling it the next “Walking Dead,” and the limited first print run sent investors and collectors alike into a frenzy. Issue two keeps the momentum for the new series going in the right direction, and that makes for a solid (and cheap) monthly investment.

Whether or not “Redneck” reaches the lofty popularity of “The Walking Dead” will be a test of time. For now, get these while they are hot. Get your LCS to hold first print issues of “Redneck” for you and you’ll be keeping your overhead low. But take my advice, and don’t forget to be a comic fan, too, and enjoy the so-far masterful storytelling of what remains one of the industry’s top books.

All that being said, “Redneck” #1 has seemingly capped as far as the frenzy to grab up the limited copies of the first print. Finding a copy of any of the variants (ash can or gold foil, anyone?) on eBay is easy enough. In the mad dash last month, retailers were selling their copies for selling in the $70-$90 range. Some of the gold foil variants would occasionally crack the $100 mark. The price has deflated and sales are more in the $50 range and dropping. There are a few copies that are going unsold for less than $40. If you’ve already got your copy of issue one, the best bet is to be patient and hold out for a television series announcement. However, it’s a buyer’s market right now, so if you don’t have it in your collection, now would be a good time to get one as less patient investors are abandoning ship. In the long run, you’ll likely get your money back.