As everyone scrambles for the first appearance of Morpheus, you'll want to find two of his sister's keys, Sandman #8 and Death: the High Cost of Living #1, before prices erupt.
In the pages of Sandman #8, Neil Gaiman personified Death not as the Grim Reaper, but as a kind, gentle woman whose presence is welcomed by the souls of the deceased. Serving as a guide, she aids the dead in finding their ways to another realm. She also is Dream's sister, which leads to all sorts of discussions on the connection between sleep and death, and it's clear that's intentional on Gaiman's part. In the Sandman Universe, Death, like her brother, is immortal and ever-changing in her appearance.
When the Sandman series premieres on Netflix, it's a given that Death will be featured. She's much too popular and too important a concept for the show runners to leave off. In what capacity we'll see her remains to be seen, but it's certain she'll be included.
It won't take long for this issue to stop being a sleeper pick (pun totally intended). Truth be told, I use the label "sleeper pick" loosely for this particular issue, though the 90-day averages aren't too far above the 12-month values quite yet. However, once she is cast for Sandman (and she will be, trust me), then collectors will push this issue into the stratosphere, and it's already moving that way for the highest grades.
The best selling grade has been the 9.4, so I'll start there. While it has been on the rise, it's still affordable. As I wrote in "Are Sandman Prices Through the Roof Yet?," the price jump for Morpheus keys started on June 30, and it's the same for Sandman #8. Prior to that date, Death's first appearance in a 9.4 averaged a modest $75. Since June 30, it hasn't sold below $100 and has a fair market value of $107 in the past week.
The 9.8 and the 9.6 grades are already getting out of reach. Since June 30, the 9.8 has averaged $491 when it had been closer to a $400 comic prior to the Netflix announcement. The last sale for a 9.8 was for $480 on July 7, and it's cracked the $500 mark twice in the past week. The 9.6 has been climbing as well. On July 4, one sold for $195 when the 90-day average had been $140. Before June 30, it stayed in the $100 range, but since then it hasn't sold below $175.
As a side note, DC has said that Death's true first appearance was in 1971's Weird War Tales #1, and that the being has taken on many forms throughout continuity. However, many in the collecting community view Sandman #8 as the debut of the modern incarnation of Death and see Gaiman's version as an original creation.
DEATH: THE HIGH COST OF LIVING #1
For those collectors finding a Sandman #8 too expensive, her first solo title is the next best thing and much more affordable. Last August, a 9.8 sold for a record-high $93, but that appears to be an outlier at this point. The other three sales since 2018 have been for almost half that amount. In fact, the last sale was on July 6, and it was for $59.
As I mentioned earlier, Death is certain to make her live-action debut in the Netflix series. Let's play the speculation game for a moment. If Sandman is a big enough hit, then there could be room for an entire Sandman Universe with a Death spin off. I imagine the basis for a Death solo show would be based on this series, and that would add value to the entire series, particularly issue #1.
DEATH: THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE #1
The second self-titled Death series written by Gaiman, the issues from Time of Your Life can be bought for bargain prices. Only one 9.8 has been sold on eBay this year, and it went for $60 on May 11. Before that, a 2006 sale netted just $26.
Not the most coveted of the Death key issues, Captain Atom #42 marked the first time Death interacted with the DC superheroes from the regular continuity. The behind-the-scenes story is that Gaiman did not approve of her inclusion, but he was overruled, and his character was added to the issue.
There are no records of any graded sales for Captain Atom #42, which means Death fans can add it to their collections for very little.
