One of the flagship TV series announced for the upcoming Disney+ streaming service is an animated series based on Marvel’s comic book series “What If?” Comic books benefit from the MCU bump; what if, they also benefit from a Disney+ bump? Puns aside, it’s certainly possible, but not very sustainable for limited resources and a comic series with hundreds of unique scenarios.
The purpose of this article isn’t to guess at which particular What If comic issue any of the show’s episodes will be based on. Even if a guess is correct and the episode is popular, it’s no guarantee that the value of the one issue will sky rocket. Rather, here we will examine the market trends of the current standout issues.
A good place to begin collecting the series is with #1. The first issue of the What If series was published in 1977 with What if Spider-Man Joined the Fantastic Four?
The book was on a steady decline for almost 3 years; losing over 65% in that time with a sale as low as $135.86 in 2018. Suddenly, when the TV series was announced in early 2019, the price jumped. Below you can observe the stark contrast before and after the news (CGC 9.8):
With declining value before the news and flat prices after, it’s difficult to weigh an unknown upside from the current fair market value of $270 versus the mid-$100s seen in 2018.
Below is the sales data for the book in CGC 9.6:
Unfortunately, the book at a CGC 9.6 grade has shown even more volatility; with no value increase after the news. Either there is upside opportunity in 9.6; or room for 9.8 to fall. Caution is advised here.
As the #1 issue of the series, this book is a must have for any completionist. From a Disney+ speculative standpoint, the animated rights to the Spider-Man character could prevent this What If scenario from seeing the light of day on the Disney+ platform; at the very least, a speed bump the other issues don’t have.
Another notable issue in the series is What If? #10 where the hypothetical story explored is: What if Jane Foster Had Found the Hammer of Thor? Below is the sales data for the book graded CGC 9.8:
It would appear that news of the TV series has not affected this book. On the positive side, at least the value hasn’t been on a decline.
With the popularity of Incredible Hulk #181 (1962), it’s no surprise that What If #31 has found favor in the market with its striking cover: What If Wolverine Had Killed the Hulk? Below is sales for the book in CGC 9.8:
Of all the issues mentioned so far, this book has been experiencing the best kind of growth in value. It exemplifies the idea of slow and steady wins the race; with its gradual/steady increase of selling price and large volume of sales.
WHAT IF VENOM POSSESSED DEADPOOL? #1
This 2011 issue is just a fun mashup. What more can be said? Below is sales for the book in CGC 9.8:
While the selling price has been volatile over the last few years, the overall trend is slightly upward. Compared with What If #31, the growth in value isn’t as past, but it is indeed upward.
With the various hypothetical mix and matching, it’s inevitable that the 1st appearance of a new major character would appear in a What If. This exemplified by the 1st appearance of Spider-Girl in What If #105. May "Mayday" Parker, the daughter of Peter Parker and Mary Jane, fights against Normie Osborn. Below is sales for the book in CGC 9.8:
Most notably, the selling prices for this book spiked late 2018. This may have been due to various rumors/news around that time; specifically, Sony announcing plans of an all-female animated spider-women film. This price spike was unstable as it immediately plummeted in the following weeks; dropping over 40%. It’s possible that the value could decline back to mid-2018 levels. Caution is advised here.
THE BOTTOM LINE
- What If? #1 - HOLD
- What If? #10 - HOLD
- What If? #31 - BUY
- What If Venom Possessed Deadpool? #1 – MODERATE BUY
- What If (vol. 2) #105 - REDUCE
“If you ever wondered if you were Michael Scott, here's a quiz to help. If you ever put sunblock on a window, you might be Michael Scott.” – Angela
