Something is Killing the ChildrenSomething is Killing the Children is turning heads in the comic market. If you haven't jumped on the bandwagon, you aren't too late.

WHAT IS "SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN" IT ABOUT?

Last year, the Boom! Studio's horror title caught the attention of comic fans across the country. What began as a five-issue limited series morphed into an ongoing title thanks to its immediate popularity.

Something is Killing the ChildrenSet in a small town (because what's a horror story without a small town?) called Archer's Peak, as the title suggests, the children begin disappearing. The lucky few who find their ways home describe fantastical monsters. The protagonist is Erica Slaughter, a teenager who can see these creatures and is bent on destroying them.

WHY THE EXCITEMENT?

What is driving much of the market speculation for this series is the Boom/Netflix partnership. Basically, Netflix has a deal with Boom to have the first right of refusal when it comes to developing the publisher's titles into movies or series. With that in mind, many speculators are banking on Something to become the next The Walking Dead or at least Locke and Key.

 

Something is Killing the ChildrenSOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN #1 (STANDARD COVER)

Like all modern comics, collectors had seven variants to choose from. For the sake of brevity, I will focus on the standard edition, but there will be follow up posts for those who snatched up those variants. Even if you skipped the alternative covers, the standard edition is holding its own and already has a fair market value in the triple digits.

Week after week, the prices are rising for a 9.8 Something #1. At the tail end of 2019, it was selling for $68. On April 20, it reached the $100 threshold. By mid-June, it had eclipsed that mark and was selling for as much as $180.

Since June 25, there have been four sales of 9.8s, none of which were below $170. In fact, the most recent sale was for a record-high $185 on July 3. It's safe to say that figure will be pushed over the $200 point by the end of the month.

If you check the eBay sold listings, you can still get your hands on raw copies of Something #1 for $50 or less, but that price will be rising quickly if Netflix decides to make a move.

Something is Killing the ChildrenA WORD OF CAUTION

We have been down this road before, and it is most definitely a gamble. Remember when everyone jumped on Image Comics' Redneck #1? Before Donny Cates conquered the Marvel Universe, he was writing hit independent comics. With the success of TWD, rumors began circulating that Cates' Texas vampire series would be adapted into a television series before the first issue was ever printed. By the time it hit store shelves, speculators were clamoring for it. At its peak, the retailer incentive gold foil Redneck #1 was going for as much as $162.

Since then, nothing has happened with a live-action Reneck project, and that has deflated those prices. These days, you can have a 9.8 for about $90.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Speculating is always a gamble, especially when it comes to the independent titles. Of course, that is part of the fun, but keep in mind that those inflated prices may not come to fruition if a movie or television deal stays in development purgatory. Something is Killing the Children has great potential with the Boom/Netflix partnership, but nothing is certain at this point.

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