To catch a glimpse of an alien world, you could trade in a telescope pointed at space for macroscopic images of insects here on Earth. With thousands of marvelous insect varieties, it’s no wonder many have served as inspiration for the creation of comic book characters, from The Tick to the Blue Beatle to Spider-Man. On a side note, it’s a bit curious how Spider-Man can be so beloved by many fans, while the sight of a real spider can strike bloodcurdling fear in the very same people.
Here we examine/follow-up on the current market for a few insect-inspired characters that have seen time on the MCU silver screen: Wasp, Mantis, and Yellowjacket.
The Wasp, aka Janet Van Dyne, first appeared in Tales to Astonish #44. In this issue, while Hank Pym deals with the loneliness following the murder of his wife Maria Pym, he recruits a young Janet van Dyne to be his sidekick. As a team, they battle the Creature from the Kosmos.
Below, we have the sales data for Tales to Astonish #44, graded CGC 7.0/7.5 and 4.0/4.5, which represent the top 26.7/19.7% and 77.0/66.6%. A sample cross section of the high and low.
Wasps can fly and so can the book. At the higher grades, Tales to Astonish #44 has been on a slow and steady climb, averaging just under +20% year over year. That kind of performance is better than most conventional financial instruments. While the rate of growth in the lower grades isn’t as high, it is consistently positive nonetheless.
Overall, there doesn’t appear to be wild volatility associated with the influence of movies. This stability coupled with the slow and steady growth make this book a solid investment. The future performance for Tales to Astonish #44 definitely warrants close monitoring.
On a side note, Hope Pym (van Dyne)’s first appearance occurred in A-Next #7 (1999). Comparatively, this book has not achieved a high volume of sales or market value; the current FMV for a 9.8 is $85.
While the Avengers are busy battling the Lion God, the side story follows Mantis and the Swordsman travel as they travel to join the Avengers. This key issue of Avengers #122 was the first appearance of Mantis and the Lion God.
Below is the sales data for the book, graded CGC 9.4 and 8.5, which represent the top 18.2% and 53.4% of the census:
Unlike the book above, Avengers #122 has been on a slow and steady decline. For the book graded at 9.4, it’s been a loss of about -10% every year. Furthermore, it’s performing even worse at 8.5 with a total loss of over half its value since early 2016. With an overall negative trend and no catalyst for reversal in sight, it would be best to sell as quickly as possible before the market value goes any lower. Who knows where the bottom for this book is?
In his first appearance in Avengers #59, Yellowjacket initially presents himself to the world as a hero. He attempts to join the Avengers by telling them of how he killed Goliath. After a fight ensues, Yellowjacket is able to escape with the Wasp captive. The issue ends with the Wasp mysteriously agreeing to marry Yellowjacket.
Below is sales for the book, graded CGC 9.2/9.0 and 8.0/7.5, which represent the top 31.6/44.0% and 66.0/72.9% of the census:
If only looking at the time frame between 2015 and 2016, it would appear the book was in a downward trend; however, this behavior changed towards the end of 2016. Since 2016, the book has not only stabilized but is experiencing slight positive growth. While this is most apparent in the higher grades of 9.2/9.0, the lower 8.0/7.5 has also done the same, but with the difference of lower growth following the stabilization. Value of the book appears to have found its bottom in 2016, so the downside risk at this point is minimal; unfortunately, its current growth rate might not be as appealing as other higher growth books.
THE BOTTOM LINE
- Tales to Astonish #44 – STRONG BUY
- Avengers #112 - SELL
- Avengers #59 - HOLD/REDUCE
“HI! I'm the Wasp! And you've just been STUNG!” - Janet van Dyne
