There has been some media hype over who will play Carnage in Venom 2, it looks like Woody Harrelson is in. Further, it seems that fans are clamoring for all things Venom and Carnage. Not to be outdone, Deadpool was also among the top three Modern Age comics last month. We will not see any of these characters appearing in movies this year. Deadpool is on ice until Disney decides to reactivate him with a team movie. But for some reason, these three characters and their first appearance books keep percolating to the top of the Modern Age. Is there a commonality among that we can discern? Furthermore, has it been profitable to own each of these issues over the last 90 days?

Deadpool's first appearance has responded well to the first two movies. This is a solid bet on the Modern Age as we have not heard the last from this wise-cracking assassin. He is still just as hot as "Mamma June's pants!" Deadpool first appeared in the New Mutants #98. He was created by Rob Liefeld (script, pencils, and inks) in 1991. This character has been a hit with the Millennials ever since his creation. Deadpool is a trained assassin with the ability to heal from almost any wound. He is like Wolverine with a sense of humor and no claws. New Mutants #98 was the "first appearance of Deadpool; first appearance of Domino; and the first appearance of Gideon." We saw Domino in the second version of Deadpool 2 and she rocked in my opinion. This complete oddball character (Domino) fits well with Deadpool's quirky humor. Is Deadpool's first appearance profitable?

New Mutants #98 has the following short-term return (90 days):

  • Grade 9.8 $775 FMV has returned positive +1.8%
  • Grade 9.2 $300 FMV has returned positive +10.7%
  • Grade 7.0 $190 FMV has returned negative -3.1%
  • Grade 4.5 $130 FMV has returned N/A

Overall this book has retained its positive short-term returns. They are hanging on like Deadpool's regenerative tissue, barely alive, still intact. The fact this book has returned anything positive and still continues to surge up is a great sign. After all, Modern Age books often do not fare well after the hype has died down. Also, it should be noted this issues lower grades have great returns and are no longer cheap. Yet another positive sign that the "Merc with a Mouth" will pay off.

 

 

 

Amazing Spider-Man #300

Spidey has been profitable as long as I can remember. It doesn't matter if it is Venom's first appearance or an early appearance of the Punisher, Spidey spins a web of profit wherever he goes. Last month Amazing Spider-Man #300 breached the second most popular Modern Age comic rank. The month before this comic was either number one or in the top three, as the first appearance of Venom has been for the last year and a half. Does this popular title provide positive returns short-term?

Amazing Spider-Man #300 has the following short-term return (90 days):

  • Grade 9.8 $1950 FMV has returned positive +1.1%
  • Grade 9.2 $375 FMV has returned negative -0.4%
  • Grade 7.0 $230 FMV has returned positive +6.5%
  • Grade 5.5 $210 FMV has returned positive +27.9%

This book looks very similar to the strata of data from NM #98 above. It gets high marks for profitable books in the lower grades, constant popularity which appears to have no end. Or, as my Uncle Thomas likes to say, "Buy 'em all!" It seems like the fan base at large is doing just that. Why there is such a demand for this book is telling. As it speaks to its permanence in the collector psyche; everyone wants to own not one copy, but several. It is like Venoms vaunted appetite has infected his fan base and now they can't get enough.

Amazing Spider-Man #361

Carnage first appeared in a Spidey comic and has been a thorn in Spidey's side ever since. Amazing Spider-Man #361 was the first appearance of Carnage a character created by David Michelinie (script) and Mark Bagley (pencils). This is the villain version of Venom and this character recently appeared as an amalgam of Green Goblin and Carnage in ASM #798. If you haven't read that story pick it up, the writing is superb. I suppose some credit should go to the original creators of Carnage. This comic is now number one in the Modern Age of comics for last month. Check out the short-term returns for Amazing Spider-Man #361 below.

 

 

 

Amazing Spider-Man #361 (90 days):

  • Grade 9.8 $400 FMV has returned negative -17.1%
  • Grade 9.2 $120 FMV has returned negative +8.8%
  • Grade 7.5 $85 FMV has returned negative -11.1%
  • Grade 5.5 $42 FMV has returned positive +53.8%

Obviously, this book is losing some of its liftoff at least in the higher grades. Recently, both 9.8 and 9.6 are negative -15% range over the last 90 days. Fortunately, the lower grades have increased in price to offset this discrepancy. I would rather bet on ASM #300 as it appears to have greater staying power. However, you can expect a media bump once the movie hype for Venom 2 hits the internet. This could make Amazing Spider-Man #361 a solid bet for 2019.