Independent comic publishers such as Image Comics, BOOM! Studios, Bad Idea, and others have been gaining traction amongst fans and collectors for years now. Especially during the Modern Age of Comics, where their titles are having the ability to be adapted to a television show or movie. These publishers have more creative ability to produce a series without the restrictions of the big-name publishers such as Marvel and DC Comics. Streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are examples of platforms where independent titles have found success in media outlets. In return, the copies of these titles are receiving more demand and it results in the value of books to rise. Examples of this demand include titles such as Locke & Key, Umbrella Academy, and The Boys.

Here are some independent books worth keeping an eye out for. But first, a book that has jumped on the lists because of a recent celebrity death.

All-New Wolverine #1 Keron DMX Hip Hop Variant

Our only non-independent on the list is All-New Wolverine #1 Keron DMX Hip Hop Variant. The increase in sales actually has nothing to do with comic speculation on the character or the title. The demand is actually due to the passing of a recent American rapper, Earl Simmons, who also goes by the name of "DMX". Unfortunately, comic collectors feel the need to rush in and get any memorabilia ready for the passing of a celebrity with the hopes of the value of it going up in the near future.  This item is an outlier to the main discussion at hand.

Geiger #1

A title that has been surging in the last week is Geiger #1. The demand is mainly due to the speculation of the book possibly being optioned in the near future.

The comic comes from Geoff Johns, who is the head of DC Entertainment. This is a huge reason for speculation and the rush for collectors to buy a copy before the price explodes. The regular cover of this title sold 87 copies this week with a 7-day trend of 243% and a high sale of a raw copy of $20. That is a big profit for a comic, considering the cover price is around $4-5.

BRZRKR #1 & Shadecraft #1

The next two titles are BRZRKR #1 and Shadecraft #1, as both books share a common detail and differ as well. One commonality between both titles is that they have received the "option treatment" either before or after the book was released to the mass public.

The ability of these titles to be adapted to either a movie or television show increases the value and demand of the book. However, BRZRKR #1 is on the list for another reason.

The super-successful versions are the 2nd & 3rd prints of the first issue. The potential low print of the later printings has caused more demand for collectors. This demand has resulted in people buying more copies of this title. In regards to the 3rd print, the issue is not out yet. Still, pre-orders are already coming in hot and the demand is super crazy right now.

The Rise #1 & Death by Life #1

The next two titles are once again boosted by speculation by collectors.  The Rise #1, and Death By Life #1 are on the list due to the recent success of recent horror titles by independent comics publishers. Meaning, collectors are speculating that these titles could be the big hit horror genre book.

Recently, books such as HAHA, Something is Killing the Children, and Ice Cream Man have produced incredible demand amongst fans and collectors. The values of these mentioned comics are commanding way above the original cover price. In fact, graded copies of these books are even higher than their raw counterparts. For example, Something is Killing The Children #1 is currently projected at $550 for a graded 9.8  copy of Cover A. To close, comic collectors are hoping to bank on these new horror titles as the next big hit. Of course, that's with the hope of flipping it for a big financial gain in the future.

ENIAC #2

ENIAC #2  is from Bad Press publishers. This title has surged in demand and value since the premiere issue came out last month. The demand for this title is purely on the print run of its comic. The low print of issues #1 and #2 spark the interest of collectors to buy the comic.

In return, the hope of the low print drives a bigger price tag if the book gets "optioned". There is no confirmed print run for issue #2, but it is a very hard comic to find in stores. The result is individuals trying to purchase the title on third-party sites. Another example of the low print is in issue #1. The premiere issue had a limited distribution to only 200 comic shops. Low print and interest from the comic community create demand and concurrently increases the value of the book.

Conclusion

To sum up, independent comic titles are gaining popularity in the comic market due to various factors. Titles that have the ability to be adapted to other media outlets and have very low print runs are important details to keep an eye on if you want to invest. This does appear to be a trend ongoing for the foreseeable future. The collectibles category has surged in all facets in the last couple of years. Otherwise, other than making some money, some of the mentioned titles could also be a good read as well. I mean, wasn't that the original purpose of a comic after all?

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