Wonder Woman 9 1987 Series by George PerezWonder Woman 84 flew into theatres and streams on Christmas day.   Not everyone loved the movie, but I enjoyed it.  Comic book and art collectors rallied around the magic lasso for the confrontation between Wonder Woman and Cheetah.  Let's look at Wonder Woman 84 related art and comic sales to see if speculators and fans got it right.  Particularly, we'll focus on comics and art featuring the ferocious feline.  We'll journey through the decades with art by H. G. Peter, George Perez, and Jose Delbo on our way from Paradise Island to Washington, D.C.

By the way, take notes for your "Cheetah" sheet.  There will be a quiz at the end!

Wonder Woman 9 cover art by George Perez pitted Wonder Woman against Cheetah in the reboot by Perez.  Cover art sold for $22,800 in late 2019.  Eighteen years earlier the art sold for less than $2K.  GoCollect Fair Market Value sits at $130 for a graded 9.8 Wonder Woman 9.  The comic and art epitomize WW84!

Before 84, Wonder Woman and Cheetah by H. G. Peter and Others

H G Peter Illustration of Cheetah and Etta CandyThe Cheetah originally tangled with Wonder Woman during the Golden Age. Wonder Woman #6, published in 1943, featured a character named Priscilla Rich.  Put on your clawed gloves and snag a mid-grade copy for around $8,000.  Artist H. G. Peter collaborated with Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston way back in All-Star Comics 8 and Sensations Comics 1 where WW got her start.  Peter's 1943 illustration of Etta Candy and the Cheetah duking it out sold for $1,852 in 2011.

Wonder Woman 230 cover art by Jose Luis Garcia LopezSince 1943, the Cheetah rarely appeared in Wonder Woman comics.  One battle between Diana and the ferocious feline occurred in Wonder Woman #230.  That comic with cover art by Jose Luis Garcia Lopez and interior art by Jose Delbo sports an FMV of $350 in 9.8.  The 1977 issue sells much higher than non-Cheetah stories from the period.

Jose Delbo and Vince Colletta Art From 1977 WW Issue 230Interestingly, a seller sold 10 pages from the story including the two shown for $657 in 2010.  Similar Delbo penciled WW pages sell for about $500 to $1,000 each currently.  With Cheetah featured in this high demand issue, no doubt the WW #230 pages would now sell much, much higher than the $68 average price from 2010.

More Wonder Woman Pre-84 Art from Jose Delbo

Wonder Woman 274 introduced a new CheetahAnother pair of comics and related art that have benefited from Wonder Woman 84 are Wonder Woman #274 and #275 featuring a new Cheetah.  Debbi Domaine, an ecological activist and wealthy niece of the original Cheetah, met Wonder Woman in WW #274 but was brainwashed by the Kobra to be his agent.   These comics enjoy hot collector demand with FMV of $230 and $180 for issues #274 and #275, respectively.

Wonder Woman 240 Page 1Jose Delbo illustrated these early Eighties stories.  Group art sales from issues #274 and #275 averaged roughly $60 a page ten years ago.  In 2018, just before the announcement of Cheetah's appearance in WW84, Delbo art from issue #275 sold.  That art featured WW, Cheetah, and Kobra.  It fetched $454, but how would it have done a couple months later?

Delbo Wonder Woman splash pages popped up in several Heritage auctions in the last few years.  Even without Cheetah, the title splash from WW #240 fetched $3,000.  We can look at some non-key Wonder Woman art in another article to see if the movie has helped.

Thirty-Three Years Ago: Wonder Woman 1987

WW 7 from 1987 featured the first appearance of Barbara Minerva

In issue #7 of Wonder Woman 1987, Doctor Barbara Ann Minerva made her first appearance.  Minerva went full-on Cheetah in issue #9.  The new Cheetah was a close similarity to the new movie version.  Or at least as close as a fanny-pack wearing Steve Trevor!  As mentioned above, issue 9 boasts an FMV of $130 while the first appearance issue 7 enjoys an FMV of $170 in graded 9.8.

Other WONDER-ful Artists

Art sales featuring Cheetah are too old to make any definite speculative statements.  It would be nice to see some of those $70 pages come to auction to see what art would do now that Wonder Woman 84 is out.  Clearly, the comics specifically related to Cheetah appearances are highly sought.  In my next Amazonian article, I'll look more generically at recent WW art sales.  That article will focus on legends like Ross Andru and John Byrne.  I'll also review some art by newer artists.  Finally, if the film WW 84 just didn't do it for you, consider reading my blog on the movie poster art of Drew Struzan!

Pop Quiz

  1. Name three alter egos for The Cheetah.
  2. Who drew the first Cheetah?
  3. What is the compounded growth rate for George Perez Wonder Woman 9 cover art that sold in 2001 and again in 2019?  (Sorry, I snuck a math question into this quiz!)

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