Sony just scored a major boon with its new director for the Venom sequel, and it will boost collectors' enthusiasm for Amazing Spider-Man #300 and Amazing Spider-Man #361.

Face the facts: last year's Venom solo movie wasn't good. Granted, it's been called a "good bad movie," but it was far from a classic. It even dropped the ball in the post-credits scene with director Ruben Fleischer choosing to put Woody Harrelson in a red clown wig for who knows what reason. While I have been eager to see a live-action Carnage, in the hands of the same crew who put together the first movie, I wasn't looking forward to the sequel. Then came today's news that Andy Serkis will be taking the director's chair, and my faith has been restored.

After Venom premiered on October 1, prices for ASM #300 took a hit, and many grades have been heading back to their 2017 averages. Look at the graded 9.8, which was averaging nearly $2,300 a year ago, but the 90-day average has fallen below $2k. That's still above the 2017 figures, but prices have been gradually falling. The 9.6 took a harder hit. After earning a fair market value just shy of $750 last year, it has fallen by almost $100 on average compared to its $660 fair market value for the past 90 days. Dropping down the list, the 5.0 is only $4 short of its 2017 average of $151.

Before you argue that Venom was profitable at the box office, that is a fact I can't dispute. Venom made money, and there are plenty of fans of the movie. Despite that - and even with the obvious tease of Carnage for the sequel - it's still not been enough to get collectors paying those inflated 2018 prices. Now that the excitement for Venom 2 is bubbling, collectors will be driving the Venom first appearance values back up.

The story with ASM #361 has been different. While it's remained a huge seller, its prices haven't begun to truly backslide. Take the 9.8. It averaged $387 a year ago, and while the 90-day average is down, it's only by $10. The same goes for the 9.6, the 9.4, etc. What we are seeing across the board is that the values have plateaued and are remaining in the same ranges as those from 2018.

 

 

 

 

 

Particularly with ASM #361, you've got the recipe for this issue to spike very quickly. Having an A-list actor like Woody Harrelson lined up to bring Carnage to life was enough to keep the FMVs high. Factor in the Andy Serkis announcement, and this is going to have the Carnage fans foaming at the mouth, which will translate into peak values for that first appearance. Within the next few weeks, I predict that several grades will reach new highs simply out of anticipation for what may come. The real treat will be that first trailer when we are teased with Harrelson donning the Carnage symbiote. That's when this issue will set its new standard.

For me, the bottom line is not the value on those Venom and Carnage key issues; it's being excited again that two beloved characters will get the onscreen treatment they deserve.