There is growing interest in the third print of Thanos #13, but why is it suddenly popular?

THE ARGUMENT

Is this the first cover appearance of the Cosmic Ghost Rider?

There is not much of a debate here. Simply put, no. CGR was on the cover of the Thanos #13 second print, and more importantly, he was on the cover of Thanos #14. That makes the argument a moot point, right? If you think so, you must be new to comic book collectors.

Since this is clearly not his first cover appearance, why all the commotion? I equate that more with the print run and it being the early cover appearance of a Donny Cates creation.

THE KNULL EFFECT

The other part of the equation is becoming rudimentary: the Venom #3 third print. It is well documented and indisputable that this is the first cover appearance of Knull. When the God of the Symbiotes took off, the third print became the issue to have. It has reached astounding levels in a short amount of time, and collectors are looking for the next comic that will reach Knull levels.

Cosmic Ghost Rider came on the scene first, and he was a significant part of Cates marking his territory on the Marvel map. Since then, CGR has starred in his own different limited series, and he has made other guest appearances. In the past year, his stock has apparently fallen, and he has been moved out of the spotlight.

A CGR RETURN

Given Cates' status at Marvel and the push his characters are garnering, it stands to reason that CGR could return to the grand stage at any moment. Piecing everything together, it seems collectors are prepping for a Cosmic Ghost Rider resurgence, which would help his early appearances get a huge boost in fair market value.

Speaking of FMV, let's compare the Thanos #13 second and third prints.

SECOND PRINT

This one may be earning less than the third print, but it is still bringing in decent figures. Back in 2018, a 9.8 averaged $61 over 18 sales. It has not sold that many copies since then, but the 90-day FMV stands at $73. What should grab your attention is that both sales in June earned respectable numbers. On June 18, one brought a year-high $85, while the other sold for $76 on June 30.

 

 

 

 

THIRD PRINT

Outside the first print, the third printing is bringing the highest value of all the prints of Thanos #13. Aside from the cover art debate, the story is that this print run was limited to somewhere between 3,000-5,000 copies. While that is not enough to call it rare, it does make it enticing to collectors.

At a 9.8, it is currently averaging an impressive $94. Last year, this was a $41 comic, and it had never sold for more than $80 before 2020.

The thing to keep in mind is that there have only been three recorded sales for graded 9.8s this year. Granted, the values have been gradually increasing. On May 21, it tied the record high with an $80 sale. Next, it nearly matched that with a $77 sale five days later. What has people buzzing is the $125 price tag from July 3. We will see if that becomes a trend or an outlier.

Even the raw copies are doing well. If you check the eBay sold listings, the third print is routinely selling in the $50-$80.

 

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