MorbiusAfter two years of waiting, Morbius has finally landed in theaters to dismal critical reviews. How that affects the Living Vampire’s key issues is the real issue on collectors’ minds. (SPOILERS AHEAD)

Far and wide, critics have lambasted Morbius. Some have condemned it as one of the worst superhero movies ever made. While it’s not a Marvel Studios production, it is still tied to the MCU (in one of the most underwhelming post-credits scenes to date), and that makes it a Marvel film, to some degree. As of Thursday night, it had a 17% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, for what that’s worth to you.

Knowing all of that, I had low expectations for Morbius. It exceeded my preconceived notions; that’s not saying much since I anticipated the worst movie since The Amazing Spider-Man 2. I can’t go so far as to say that I enjoyed the movie, but it had its high spots with decent action sequences and vampire CGI effects. Truth be told, it’s no worse than either of the Venom movies.

On that note, let’s take a closer look at three Morbius keys and see if the elevated values are holding despite the negative reception.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #101Morbius

Of course, the number one Morbius key is - and has always been - his first appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #101. In the two years between the first trailer and the film’s release, all grades have ballooned in value. However, the poor reviews could bring those fair market values back to reality. Take the 3.5. On March 31, it brought a year-low $350 after earning between $400-$500 since February. 

The biggest seller for the past 12 months has been the 7.0. In 2020, this was about a $500 comic, and that fair market value nearly doubled within a year. The last time one swapped owners online, it brought $888 on March 16. Where its FMVs settle in the next could be the barometer in this case.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #102

One of the featured supporting characters is Martine Bancroft. She serves as Morbius’ love interest and damsel in distress later in the movie. She also bites Morbius’ lip and turns herself into a vampire for a possible sequel.

By no means did she have a major star turn, but there could be collecting interest if Martine returns as a full-fledged vampire.

Heading into the movie’s opening weekend, values for ASM #102 are remaining steady. The last graded copy to sell online was the 8.5, which brought $350 on March 31, which is in line with FMVs all year. 

SPIDER-MAN #76

Doctor Who fans will appreciate seeing Matt Smith back on the silver screen. Then there’s the rest of us. Smith dials up the cringe factor in his portrayal of Morbius's villain, the Hunger. One scene features him dancing and strutting in front of a mirror that conjures images of Tobey “Bully” Maguire’s infamous dance scenes from Spider-Man 3. Still, there are fans of Smith’s villainous turn, though it doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing the Hunger return for a possible sequel, and that will bring down values for Spider-Man #76.

Due to the movie hype, Hunger’s first appearance (which sounds like a Snickers ad) has been setting a blistering pace this year. The last 9.8 to trade hands sold for a record $231 on March 18. There hasn’t been a sale since March 29 when a raw copy sold for $25 on eBay.

WAITING FOR THE FAN REACTIONS

Regardless of what critics think of a movie, the only thing that matters is the audience’s opinions. Sony is a master of piecing together absolute messes of films only for fans to widely enjoy the ride. Maybe it’s the trainwreck effect; you don’t want to look, but you can’t help yourself. Between the abrupt ending to Morbius and the post-credits scenes, the filmmakers set the table for a sequel. Depending on the fans, that could still be in the works.

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