Donny Cates has the Midas touch when it comes to new characters, but will Black Winter rise to Knull levels?
Venom #3 has grabbed all the speculators' attention now that Knull is poised to take over the Marvel Universe.
But there is another Cates creation that has the potential to be a larger cosmic threat: Black Winter. Will he reach the heights of Knull? It is too early to say, but with Cates essentially steering the Marvel ship, Black Winter could be in line to have a major impact.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the current market for Black Winter's initial appearances.
Black Winter Keys
THOR #1
The buildup for Black Winter has been a slow burn for Cates' Thor run. Little did we know that in the first issue, the important piece of the puzzle was not the God of Thunder becoming the Herald of Thunder. No, it was the flashback that recapped Black Winter destroying Galactus' home universe.
While this issue has gotten the rub from the Black Winter speculation, the standard cover is earning the amounts you would expect for a mention of a new character we don't see. On May 3, it peaked at $80, but the past two sales have been for $50 and $55.
THOR #2
This is the issue that is firing up the market. While Thor #5 is so far the comic to have, his first official appearance is earning big returns. At a 9.8, the standard cover has averaged $101 since it first hit store shelves. Since the end of last month, it has been reaching new heights. Back on June 27, one reached $125. Since then, two more have sold for $100 and $124 on July 13 and 14, respectively.
As the speculation surrounding Black Winter continues to grow, expect prices for this issue to continue percolating. If Black Winter is indeed made into a larger threat to the Marvel Universe outside the pages of Thor, which is a distinct possibility, this comic will skyrocket.
THOR #4
Another of the Black Winter cameos, this issue is gaining modest values. Over five sales, the standard cover - at a 9.8 - has been steadily climbing. There have not been any sales since the end of June, but the last sale was for $60 after staying in the $40 range for the first four sales.
Considering the ridiculous prices for the third print of Venom #3, which featured Knull's first cover appearance, it is worth investing in the second print of Thor #4. Like Venom #3, this printing features the first cover appearance of Black Winter. At the moment, you can find the trade dress for cover price and the "virgin" variant for between $25-$30.
THOR #5
After a mention and a flashback cameo, Black Winter's full debut helped make Thor #5 a top seller. There is only one graded sale listed so far, which was a 9.8 that sold for $124.99. That will not be an outlier, either, at least initially.
Certainly, the value of these issues, specifically Thor #5, depends on how Black Winter is positioned in the overall Marvel Universe. As I mentioned earlier, BW is being billed as on par with Knull, so naturally, that comparison will boost values in the short term. Past that, everything is in the air.
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