One of the single biggest drivers of comic book speculation nowadays is the MCU.  From major characters like Spider-Man all the way down to D-listers like Frog Man, the MCU has fundamentally changed the way people look at comic books.  The goal of this article series is to provide investors of all stripes with some well-reasoned speculation opportunities so they can be one step ahead of a constantly shifting marketplace. So for this issue, let's talk about some of the best buys for the Bronze Age!!

Uncanny X-Men #129

Uncanny X-Men #129 features a bunch of first appearances, including the Hellfire Club, Sebastian Shaw, Harry Leland, and Donald Pierce, and is a pivotal chapter in the beloved Dark Phoenix Saga.  For me though, the main reason to pick up this book is the first appearance of Kitty Pryde and Emma Frost.  Kitty and Emma are two of the most beloved Marvel characters out there and their impact on the mutant mythos has only expanded in recent years.  With such enormous impact on the X-Men, strong fanbases, and phenomenally interesting powers, these two are about as close to a lock for the MCU as you can get.

Graded Analysis: For many years, this book enjoyed incredibly consistent year-over-year gains in value across grades.  As with most books, prices absolutely skyrocketed during Covid, but have come back to earth since.  Prices for this book seem to have bottomed out and reached their pre-covid levels, making now a good time to buy.  If / when these characters show up in the MCU, expect prices to shoot up once again.

Strange Tales #169

In the pages of Strange Tales #169, the world was first introduced to Brother Voodoo.  Voodoo is a Haitian shaman who is constantly followed by the spirit of his dead brother.  The character has experienced something of a comic book renaissance in recent years, appearing in far more comics than he ever did previously.

His unique history, diverse background, and multifaceted power set have made him the subject of much speculation.  One of the most common theories is that he will eventually replace Dr. Strange as Sorcerer Supreme in the MCU, just as he (briefly) did in the comics.

Graded Analysis: Unlike many other books, Strange Tales #169 was able to retain an incredible amount of its covid-era gains.  Recently, prices have been dropping a bit, but those are unlikely to last forever.  Higher grade copies and not particularly common, so those looking to invest, but unwilling to pay in the thousands should still have plenty of options in the middle grades.

Eternals #3

This Jack Kirby gem contains the first appearance of Marvel's version of Sersi, perhaps the most famous member of the Eternals.  There was a lot of hype for this book when The Eternals film was announced, but prices have absolutely cratered since then.  This is for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is the lukewarm reception of the film and the overall downshift in the market post-covid.

Despite that rough reception, however, Marvel has announced plans for an Eternals sequel that will presumably still star Gemma Chan's Sersi.  If Marvel Studios' recent comments about focusing on quality over quantity are to be believed, there could be some redemption for the Eternals in the eyes of moviegoers.  That is a lot of big ifs, but if it does happen, how is an INCREDIBLE buy-low opportunity.

Graded Analysis: Prices for this book have begun to sink below where they were before The Eternals was announced, which seems absolutely ludicrous to me.  Nobody had Eternals on their radar prior to the film's announcement, so it's not like the book's value was strongly coupled with the adaptation.  This feels more to me like an overcorrection than anything else, making now a strong, albeit risky opportunity to get in at a drastically deflated price.

*any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.