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 the biggest Marvel event ever - Secret Wars!!

Secret Wars 2nd Prints

Even by Marvel event book standards, Secret Wars has a huge print run.  Every single issue has a print run over 145k, with issue #1 having over 520k copies out there.  So, suffice to say that the first prints are not exactly rare.  And since there is so much supply, it is very unlikely there will be enough demand to cause a meaningful increase in value.  That is where the 2nd prints come in.  None of the 2nd prints had a print run larger than 8k, making them SIGNIFICANTLY rarer than any of the first prints.  Furthermore, each of the 2nd prints features virgin versions of the first print covers.  Virgin variants are very popular with comic book collectors and investors and almost always sell for more than the versions with a trade dress.  That difference in cover art, combined with the aforementioned rarity, makes these 2nd prints incredibly investible.

Graded Analysis: Due to the rarity of these books, there really is not a lot of sales data to operate from.  So, instead of getting into the FMVs, I am going to provide the census counts for the first and second prints of every book in the Secret Wars series.

Nightmask #1 and Star Brand #1

I am writing just one entry for both of these books because the underlying logic for investing in each of them is exactly the same.  Both Nightmask and Starbrand were created for the New Universe imprint, a failed attempt by Marvel to create a new universe free from the obligations of previous continuity.

Both of them were revived in the pages of Jonathan Hickman's run on Avengers and played key roles in setting up Secret Wars.  Very few details have been released about The Avengers: Secret Wars, so there is no certainty how much, if any, of the 2015 event and its leadup will be adapted for the film.  Fortunately, neither one of these books is expensive, making them relatively low-risk options with a lot of upside.

Graded Analysis For Nightmask #1: There are only 14 copies of this book in the CGC census and only 7 recorded sales.  Out of those 7 sales, only 2 of them were within the last year and neither was graded above 9.2.  This means that there is a potential untapped market for higher grade copies.

Graded Analysis For Starbrand #1: Save for books graded at 7.0, the FMV for this book has been on a fairly consistent upward trajectory in every grade for the last several years.

Thor #440

This book features the first appearance of the Thor Corps, who played a major role in Secret Wars and many of its tie-ins.  Like Starbrand #1 and Nightmask #1, there is no certainty that this element of the 2015 event will be adapted into the eponymous film.  That being said, there is still a lot to like here.  Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: No Way Home have all but proven the commercial viability of these kinds of multiversal team-ups.

Furthermore, the Thor Corps, as a concept, really embodies the potential of the Multiverse and are thus a significantly more appealing proposition than the two books above.  Marvel has already established several different Thors in its cinematic universe, meaning a lot less legwork would be necessary in order to pull this idea off.

Graded Analysis: Copies of this book graded at 9.2 or above have typically sold for $60 or more.  This means that, so long as you are able to obtain a higher-grade raw copy at a decent price, submitting this book to CGC and selling it should be a profitable venture.

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #1

This book is too good not to invest in.  The fundamental concept of Secret Wars started in this book and features the first appearance of the Beyonder and Battleworld.  Not a lot to say here because not a lot needs to be said.

Graded Analysis: The current FMV for CGC 9.8 copies of this book is $425.  That represents a 428% increase in present dollar value over the last 14 years.  Hard to argue with that kind of ROI, especially when there is a lot more potential room to grow.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments!

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