Like checking tomorrow’s weather forecast to determine whether or not to wear a coat, here we examine the market of some key comic books to determine the best course of action. In specific, the first appearance books of two villains introduced in the first wave of DC Extended Universe, Steppenwolf and Doomsday.

 

 

NEW GODS #7 (Feb 1972)

Steppenwolf first appeared in "The Pact!" story of New Gods #7; which focused on the war and peace between the planets of Apokolips and New Genesis. "The Great Clash" began with Steppenwolf killing Izaya’s wife Avia. Steppenwolf himself is later killed in battle by Izaya. After a long and bloody war, Izaya and Darkseid (the new leader of Apokolips) eventually settle on an uneasy truce, with both sides exchanging their firstborn children.

Due to the low number of CGC graded books that exist for New Gods #7, below is sales for the book in the multiple grades of CGC 9.4, 9.0 and 8.0. These represent the top 15.9%, 37.9% and 67.6% of the census, respectively.

From the above graphs, there is very little question to the price trend of New Gods #7. Sales prices across the various grades have been falling at a rather alarming rate since late 2016. On the high end of CGC 9.4, the book has dropped over 70% in value. It’s further concerning that Steppenwolf’s inclusion into the Justice League (2018) movie did little to lift the negative trend. The book graded in 8.0 did see a temporary spike in sales prices around the release of a trailer that showcased Steppenwolf; but within days, the prices returned to the previous levels. It is interesting that the recent sales for New Gods #7 graded in CGC 9.4 are approaching a similar level to that of the book graded in CGC 9.0. For an investor holding out hope for a reversal in the negative price trend, the outlook is unfortunately bleak.

 

SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF STEEL #18 (Dec 1992)

The genetically engineered Kryptonian villain known as Doomsday first appeared in Superman: The Man of Steel #18. In the issue, Doomsday breaks out of his mountain tomb and rampages through Metropolis.

Doomsday made his movie debut in 2016’s Batman vs Superman; but before this, his character was first revealed to be in the movie in the second trailer which debuted in December 2015. The day this occurred, the book (1st print) graded in CGC 9.8 spiked to $180. As fast as the spike in value occurred, it quickly fell back to the $100 level and stayed under it by movie's release in March. The books value has never recovered since.

Interestingly, the 5th printing of Superman: The Man of Steel #18 has managed to achieve a higher market value than the 1st printing; much of this higher value appears to be derived primarily from its low print run.  The main method to discern the difference in the 1st and 5th printings is that the 5th printing has a Roman numeral “V” beside the issue number and in the UPC box is a DC Universe logo.  Below is sales for the book, graded in CGC 9.8 and 9.6 (the top 32.6% and 50.6% of the census).

The volume of sales is too small and the price is too volatile to establish a trend. At best, it’s flat, but the high volatility is very concerning. In the last three years, auctions for CGC 9.8 of the 5th printing have sold, on the lower end of the range, for similar prices to that of CGC 9.6. Like Steppenwolf, it is highly unlikely that Doomsday will have any additional catalyst for the upside.

 

THE BOTTOM LINE

  • New Gods #7 – SELL
  • Superman: The Man of Steel #18 (1st and 5th Printing) - SELL

 

 

"You're stronger than you think you are. Trust me." - Superman