Like looking up an old friend on Facebook to see how they’re doing and not having much to say after a short conversation; here we will be doing a quick check in on a few key comic books that have previously been the topics of much speculation. Specifically, the 1st appearance comic books of: Mera, Antiope, and General Zod.

 

 

AQUAMAN #11 (1963)

Mera makes her first appearance in Aquaman #11, in which she is running away from the rebel Leron, who has succeeded in taking her throne. She happens upon Aquaman and his crew, who help fight back. Shown below are sales for Aquaman #11, graded CGC 6.5/7.0/7.5 (the top 26.6/19.1/14.5%) and 4.0/4.5/5.0 (the top 73.8/62.1/52.8%).

On the higher end grades, Aquaman #11’s sales prices have been relatively flat over the last five years with low volume. The lower end grades paint a slightly different picture; in that range, the book’s sales prices have been trending slightly negative until the 2018 appearance of Mera in the Aquaman movie. At that point, the lower grades benefited the most with a larger upward movement in prices and increased volume of sales. Overall, the lack of positive growth prior to 2018, coupled with a return to low volume of sales in 2019, is a recipe for higher risk; definitely keep your eye on the sales prices over the next few months.

 

 

WONDER WOMAN #312 (1984)

Antiope, a character based on an Amazonian warrior from Greek mythology that was the daughter of Ares, made her first appearance in Wonder Woman #312. She made no secret of her disdain for Queen Hippolyta’s leadership and even plotted to remove her from her position. Antiope’s life is cut short just a few issues later in Wonder Woman #328 (1985), amidst an attack by Anti-Monitor's shadow demons.

In light of Antiope’s appearance in the 2017 Wonder Woman movie, the market for Wonder Woman #312 never developed. The number of copies accounted for in the CGC census remains extremely low. The latest copy graded CGC 9.8 sold for $56 in April 2019, which is similar to the only copy sold in Jan 2015 for $56.55. The book is not a bad pickup to complete an Amazonian who’s who collection, but there is no aspect for financial investment.

 

 

ADVENTURE COMICS #283 (1961)

The story in this issue follows Superboy as he comes upon a Kryptonian device, Phantom Zone Projector (1st appearance), that has fallen from space. Superboy learns about the Phantom Zone and the dangerous criminals such as General Dru-Zod imprisoned within; this flashback marks General Zod’s first appearance. Unfortunately, Superboy accidentally activates the device, sending himself in.

Due to the low volume of sales, a wider range of grades were examined. On the higher end is CGC 7.0/7.5/8.0 (the top 33.6/24.4/15.2%) and the lower end is 5.0/5.5/6.0 (the top 72.8/62.0/52.0%).

Sales prices for Adventure Comics #283 experienced a peak in the timeframe surrounding the 2013 release of the Man of Steel movie; subsequently, for both grade ranges, the book fell in the following months. At the moment, sales prices appear to have flatted; the range remains relatively wide, but on the plus side, the lower end of the range does not appear to be falling further downward. On that note, it is also interesting that there are the occasional sales that reach similar price levels seen in 2013; it doesn’t point towards a change to a positive trend, but it does offer a glimmer of positive sentiment for General Zod’s key book.

 

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

  • Aquaman #11 (1963) – HOLD
  • Wonder Woman #312 (1984) - SELL
  • Adventure Comics #283 (1961) - HOLD

 

 

“My name is Zod. And I have always loved monsters. They force us into action. They show us what we can be. They make us great.” - General Zod

 

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