The Punisher has been a fan favorite for those who love the entree of justice served with a steel-jacketed appetizer. Few anti-heroes have graced the screen with as much violence or pure adrenaline as Frank Castle a.k.a. The Punisher. As recent as early November, additional media hype started to percolate that he is returning to the MCU. There was subtle confirmation that John Bernthal would reprise the role. I am very hopeful that Bernthal's performance will keep this character kicking in the MCU. What does this mean for speculators of Marvel's ultimate vigilante? Can Bernthal pump new life into this key Bronze Age character a second time? More importantly, can speculators earn "Bernthal Bucks" from this Marvel killing machine?

 

 

 

 

 

Amazing Spider-Man #129

The first appearance of Punisher and a little known villain Jackal was in Amazing Spider-Man #129. This book has been one of the top sellers in the Bronze Age, also the most consistent earner. Much like Castle himself, this comic book is a survivor. It barely flinched after the dropkick from a canceled Netflix series in early 2019. Not many speculations have faired as well or returned to their previous value after TV series cancelation. Punisher was created by Gerry Conway (writer) with Gil Kane and Ross Andru (art). Since it's first store date of January 31, 1974, this character has been a huge favorite in Marvel; attracting members of the "armed forces, law enforcement" (Bernthal's opinion) and his popularity has spread across generational lines. Castle is the avatar of Marvel mayhem. Since the cancelation, how much has this book lost and is it on a price rebound now?

 

Short-Term (1-year)

  • Grade 9.8 $13,000 FMV returns positive +14.3%
  • Grade 9.2 $2,150 FMV returns negative -0.9%
  • Grade 8.0 $1,250 FMV returns positive +6.3%
  • Grade 6.5 $775 FMV returns negative -2.2%
  • Grade 4.5 $600 FMV returns negative -11.9%

Obviously, with these returns, the Punisher is as fearless at speculation as he is at killing villains. But these numbers only lead to more questions: like has the last 10-days, 1-month, and or 90-days shown any price improvement? Perhaps by following the shorter-term trend, we can correlate the rise in Amazing Spider-Man #129 prices, from media hype to the Punisher's return to the MCU.

 

 

Short-Term (10-days)

  • Grade 9.4 $3,000 FMV returns positive  +6.7%
  • Grade 6.5 $775 FMV returns positive +11%

Short-Term (1-month)

  • Grade 9.4 $3,000 FMV returns positive +6.7%
  • Grade 6.5 $775 FMV returns positive +11%

 

 

 

Short-Term (3-months)

  • Grade 9.6 $4,900 FMV returns positive +13.7%
  • Grade 9.4 $3,000 FMV returns positive +0.9%
  • Grade 9.0 $1,850 FMV returns positive +0.6%
  • Grade 5.0 $675 FMV returns positive +9.2%

Now obviously I have cherry-picked these results somewhat, but do you notice some similarities? First, the higher-end purchases seem to do well, grade 9.4 chief among them. In addition, grades 6.5 and 5.0 appear to come to life the closer we get to the catalyst of media hype about the Punisher's imminent return.  Further, the category Short-Term (1-year) shows plenty of negative returns. The series cancelation felt like a Jigsaw inspired face-meet-glass scene (Season One: Punisher) for speculators; despite the declines, this book still has some positive returns.

 

Conclusion:

Basically the closer we get to an MCU return the better these numbers will get. After all, the long-term returns are still secure, and this key has never let me down as long as I have owned it. In fact, it is so popular that my local retail store cannot keep it on the wall. It ALWAYS moves! In the target-rich environment of the comic book speculator, don't lose sight of the obvious big keys like Amazing Spider-Man #129. This book is the ultimate flak-jacket for speculators as it is a major key of the Bronze Age and more of an investment than speculation. With the Punisher returning to the MCU we can count on this Bronze Age key having positive returns.

 

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