Anybody who loves horror genre in DC Comics; knows who Bernie Wrightson is. He is an absolute master of the horror art form. His books are highly sought after, not only for their collectible value both also as speculations. He is known for his reimagining Frankenstein the boogeyman of the scientific community. His most essential must-own works are Swamp Thing #1 thru #10 and House of Secrets #92 the first appearance of Swamp Thing. Bernie was part of a pencil and ink team that created House of Secrets #92. It is notable that he did both the pencils and the inks. Owning any of Bernie’s splash pages would be a dream come true. However, holding his key comics is still within reach of most of us.

House of Secrets #92

This comic book was created in June 1971 and sports a classic cover with Swamp Thing descending on an unsuspecting female heroine. Since Bernie Wrightson’s unfortunate death in March 2017 this book has approached escape velocity. Currently, a grade of (9.2) has returned 70.7% in the last year alone, and even the lower classes have participated with a (4.5) reaching $750 for a 41.5% ROI. These have been the price increases over the last year since his death. The top FM value is currently at $49,000 for a mint (9.8) cover of House of Secrets #92. Anybody ready for a second mortgage? Me neither, stick in the mid-range and you can purchase a fine (6.0) for about $850 FM value. The (6.0) has returned 138.6% over the last 18 years (GoCollect). This kind of staying power only comes from an essential key book. Ultimately, much of what Bernie has done is rising in value.

Swamp Thing #1

Bernie Wrightson not only created the Swamp Thing but he also did most of the work on the first ten books in the Swamp Thing self-titled series #1 thru #10. Bernie, did the pencils, the inking, and the colors. More importantly, he did the cover art, which in and of itself is awe inspiring. Swamp Thing #1 has had 14 sales with an FM value of $3100 for a grade (9.8). There are only 23 books noted in CGC census in the (9.8) range. Don’t you wish you read these books when they first came out? “Se lave,” always look on the bright side; currently the grade very good (4.0) has gone up 117.4% over the last 18 years. You can pick up a book like that for around $200 or less online. In a higher grade, you will still get a decent return of 21.2% same time frame, that will cost you close to $600.

We are not even at a true catalyst yet for Bernie’s books. DC Comics will eventually branch out into other genres. Perhaps the Swamp Thing will rise out of the swamp gases and consume the entire superhero genre. If they do a good movie, these books will get a nitrus shock to their prices. Check out all the Swamp Things #1-10 they are not easy to find in very fine condition, they are prized by collectors and move on eBay quickly. Swamp Thing #3 is the first full appearance of the Patchwork Man, a principal villain for the Swamp Thing story and a significant investment in a key comic.