Thanks to Knull's popularity, it would be well worth your investment dollars to pick up the second prints of Thor #4 and Venom #25.

It is no secret that subsequent printings are highly collectible these days. In fact, there have been several recent blogs on the topic, two of which I wrote. With the huge numbers Knull has been generating in the past month, it has upped the ante for collecting second prints as soon as they hit the market.

A DIFFERENT TIME

When I first began seriously collecting comics in the late-1980s and early-1990s, second and third prints - even variants, for that matter - were the leftover pizza of comics; it was better when it was fresh, but this is good enough if you were late to the party. The ones I recall did not typically have all-new cover art but instead had different color backgrounds. For instance, the first appearance of Cable in New Mutants #87 was reprinted with a gold background while Amazing Spider-Man #361's second print had a purple backdrop. It was just a slight variation to help differentiate between printings.

 

 

THE AGE OF THE SUBSEQUENT PRINTS

In recent years, the subsequent printings have taken on a collecting life of their own. Some have totally different covers from the first prints and variants, and in the case of the Venom #3 third print, they can become more collectible than the original printings. Ever since that particular issue took the collecting community by storm, it warrants a second look at any subsequent printings. Specifically, if a new character is featured on the cover. After all, that is what makes the Venom #3 third print so special - it is considered Knull's first cover appearance.

With that in mind, here are two-second prints that have major investment potential.

 

THOR #4 SECOND PRINT

It is no leap in logic to say that Black Winter's popularity is closely tied to Knull's success. After all, here is another Donny Cates creation with a power set that leads us to believe Black Winter is on par with Knull. It is too soon to say, but there is speculation that Cates could position Black Winter as another cosmic-level threat to the Marvel Universe. Collectors do not want to miss the opportunity to get his early appearances at ground zero.

As prices for Black Winter's first appearances inflate, Thor #4 has gone to a second print. What is significant here is that it features Black Winter on the cover for the first time. Seeing how Knull's first cover appearance exploded, it is worth the gamble to buy a raw copy just in case Black Winter makes huge gains.

VENOM #25 SECOND PRINT

Anytime Marvel announces a new character's debut, that issue gets a huge boost in sales. In this instance, Cates scripted the premiere of a new symbiote, Virus, in Venom #25. It is no surprise that sales warranted subsequent printings, but the one you will want is the wraparound cover. Not only does it feature Knull, but it is being regarded in collecting circles as the first cover appearance for Virus. Again, following what we have seen happen with Venom #3, it is worth a gamble. Just in case he becomes the next big thing.

We are already seeing impressive figures for the first graded sales of a 9.8 second print. Although only two have traded owners, they brought $124 and $100, respectively. My advice is to peruse eBay for a raw copy for half the price.

 

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