InvestComics Hot Picks #312
Every Wednesday, new comic books are released. Hot Picks are an overview of the new release comics and back issues coming out 3/19/14. This is a speculative look at the comic book hobby.
Iron Man #23 & Superman Unchained #6
(Disclaimer: all comic recommendations are from a speculative vantage point. Not all comics are to guarantee a return on your investment. This article is used as a guide for investments and more so for entertainment purposes. Any opinions or expression of investments should be used as a judgment upon the investor, not InvestComics. Please use your own discretion when investing and have fun.)
InvestComics Hot Picks – New Release Comics on 3/19/14
For the second straight week we have another extremely slow week for the speculators. This should not be a bad thing; this is actually a very good thing. With the lull in the spec market this week, one should be hitting those back issue bins or scouring the internet for that back issue they have been putting off.
A quick variant cover lesson coming up…….
Let’s get this out of the way. Marvel’s version of their New 52 seems very forced and makes absolutely no sense. While we all have to understand that Marvel Comics is in fact a company and they have to make money to stay in business; hence their relaunch of many titles, there is a certain feel to hearing the words in the New Daredevil (2014 4th Series) #1 solict that reads “BECAUSE YOU DEMANDED IT!”. “I” didn’t demand it. Do you know anyone that demanded a restart on the Daredevil title?? I didn’t think so. This is the first part of these relaunch titles that seem to be so forced. The second is the variant craze.
If you have friends that are “speculators” and buy most of the variants, I’m challenging all of the specs that read this column and are followers of InvestComics to tell them to stop buying the variant covers thinking they will make money on them. The majority of them they won’t. It’s the speculator with the 90’s mentality ruining it for everyone else. Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, Dynamite, IDW, etc. have all recognized the fanboy wannabe speculator and are sucking them dry of their money and in turn are making it worse for the real spec to sell their variant. Now granted, there are some seriously nice variant covers that fans want for their collection, but know the difference here. Collection vs. market.
Some readers right now may be asking the question; “Well how do you know that these companies know about these fanboy wannabe specs?” How about Superman Unchained (2013 DC) #6 this week? This comic is a perfect case in point to the aforementioned. Superman Unchained #SIX, not number 1, not number 50, 100, 500, 1000, no a number SIX comes with ELEVEN variants. Absurd. DC Comics labels the variant “75th anniversary” to lure the uninformed. They know by publishing all of these variants that many “collectors” will get them all thinking they will be worth money 20 years from now when in fact many of the variants will be worth cover price. The variants worth the time of day are the variants that no one expects to be worth the monies they get. The true speculator learns (through here mostly!) that they need to strike at certain points to maximize their payday. The second thing to know is that your variant has to be graded; signature series is even more preferred.
Know how to work the variant market, teach the speculator that buys them all that it will be better for all of us if they’d refrain from doing that. Maybe just maybe we’ll get back to the 2 variant cover deals (maybe even 3) from these companies and the market won’t be so inundated with 11 variant covers to a Superman Unchained #6 comic.
Iron Man (2012 5th Series) #23 will be introducing its own infinity gems into the Iron Man lure. The epic storyline is called ‘Rings of The Mandarins’. Check out that cover from Mike Del Mundo, very nice. One thing worth noting too about this issue, remember how for weeks I kept talking about how Marvel/Disney is probably testing the market on the Marvel UK characters? Well guess what, a “classic Marvel UK character” will be making an appearance in this issue in a “reintented form”. So about that testing the market stuff…….
A few number one comics coming this Wednesday; Sovereign (2014 Image) #1 will be sold out by Friday, Anne Bonnie (2014 Blue Juice) #1 looks very interesting and did you catch their Accelerators title? Good stuff. Fans of the mega talented rock group Rush will have much to look forward to this week. Rush Clockwork Angels (2014 Boom) #1; The comic book is based on their music and is co-written by drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. Yes my friend Mandi is in heaven! She is the ultimate Rush fan and Rush fans will be out in droves to get this comic. And rounding out this week is Witcher (2014 Dark Horse) #1.
Invest wisely. Carpe Diem.
Jay Katz
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