What’s Happening to Wolverine? Does Anybody Care?

We’re three issues into Paul Cornell’s new Wolverine series. The reboot was accompanied by much fanfare and a rumour that something big was coming down the pipe for everyone’s favourite Canadian mutant.

So far, the gimmick is that in the wake of losing his mutant healing power Wolverine has put on a suit of body armour and teamed up with a group of super villains, financed by a mutant called the Offer who has the mutant ability to make anyone an offer they can’t refuse.

Cornell is employing multiple timelines, showing us Wolverine’s adventures in the present and gradually filling us in on how the hero got mixed up with this band of d-list bad guys in the first place.

Supposedly, this is all leading up to something big. Marvel has already put retailers and media outlets on notice that Wolverine #12, due out next September is going to be a major event. There have been whispers around the Internet that Wolverine might be killed off.

From a speculation standpoint, collectors should be on notice for Wolverine #12. If this marks the death of Wolverine, Marvel will sell a jillion copies. The immediate resale market won’t be great, because everyone will have a copy. Longterm that’ll be a significant issue, though.

But if this is supposed to be Wolverine’s swan song, it leaves much to be desired.

As a reader I don’t really care about this Wolverine. Placing him in a  totally unfamiliar context amongst completely new characters (none of whom are particularly interesting) makes it hard to sympathize with him. Wolverine’s move to the dark side doesn’t feel authentic. Normal superhero Wolverine is darker than this criminal version. It was supposed to be some kind of shock when Wolverine killed a person in cold blood at the end of issue #1, but this is Wolverine! He kills two guys before breakfast every morning!

Wolverine has wrestled with darker demons than the Offer (and Sabretooth for that matter). The arrival of a young Jean Grey from the past seems like it should have a much greater effect on Wolverine than the loss of his healing factor or some tension with Storm, but there you go.

There’s a chance that Cornell is going to keep the surprises coming, and maybe Marvel isn’t planning on killing Wolverine at all, but this series needs to find its mojo fast. Otherwise it’s all marketing sound and fury.

Copper and Chrome

What Did I Tell You About Deathstroke?

A trailer for the new arc on CW’s Arrow has been released. You can have a look. Deathstroke is the big bad here. I maintain that he may be DC’s most interesting (and most marketable) non-Bat-villain. He just doesn’t have the same brand recognition those other characters do, at least not yet.

As I’ve said, there’s an opportunity here for speculators and collectors.

What’s Worth Reading Now?

Shortly after starting this blog I put together a short list of four comics that I couldn’t get enough of. I’m still reading those books, and I still really love them. But I’m promiscuous in my affections; I can’t be tied down by any one universe or any few books. Here are a few more series I’ve had eyes for lately.

 I’m a big Superman fan, but I’m often disappointed by Superman comics. Maybe I’m too committed to a particular interpretation of the character. I don’ know. I do know that I love Pak’s Superman. This version of the Man of Steel feels fresh and classic all at the same time. Pak’s Action Comics has a sci-fi feel to it: Superman fights monsters and explores underground civilizations. There’s a retro vibe, but the story never feels goofy. Also, there’s a healthy dose of Lana Lang. (You know how much I love Lana Lang). So far in Pak’s run, Lana has been Clark’s foil. She’s ballsy and tomboyish and she has no problem giving Clark… er… Superman a piece of her mind. Lana also adds tenderness and warmth to the series though. As the figure of first love and missed opportunities Lana fills the pages of this book with an atmosphere of nostalgia that fits Superman perfectly.  I recommend you start reading Greg Pak’s Action Comics with issue #26. Skip the Zero Year tie-in (#25).

Alex + Ada is unlike anything else I’m reading. It’s a near-future sci-fi tale about young man whose grandmother buys him a fully functioning female automaton. Obviously, there are lots of potential  advantages to having a robot assistant/companion, but Alex’s grandmother clearly thinks that he should use Ada for … um… adult… things. The comic speaks metaphorically, of course, to the ways our friendships and relationships are increasingly digital.  People use the Internet in all sorts of ways to satisfy their social desires and exercise their sexual demons. Ada is just a logical extension of those drives. But Alex never feels quite right using Ada as a sophisticated scratching post. He begins exploring the taboo world of sentient A.I. That’s when things get interesting. The art in this series is superb. Everything is clean lines and subtle facial expressions. Beautiful stuff. I’ve never seen a comic that can make sitting down and having a conversation look so interesting.

Let me start by saying this: God bless the local comic shop proprietor. As I was perusing the rack today, the manager at my local shop came over and all but shoved a copy of Moon Knight #1 into my hand. I was considering picking up Magneto #1, but I had no interest in Moon Knight. None. I picked it up solely based on my comic guy’s enthusiastic recommendation. And I loved it. Normally, I like to wait a bit before giving my verdict on a new series. First issues can be a bit like movie previews – lots of promise, not a lot of substance. You don’t know how good the series is going to be until you’re into a story arc. Just like you don’t really know how good the movie is until you see it. All that said, Moon Knight is off to a very promising start. This may seem like strange compliment, but this is a Marvel book that feels like an Image book. It was dark, mature, and cool. I should stress that I had no previous experience with Moon Knight. I have no experience with the character, no knowledge of his back story, no attachment. Nothing. So, as “jumping on points” go… let’s just say “nicely done, Marvel.”

Note for speculators: if I had to put money on an All New Marvel Now series becoming “hot,” I’d put my money on Moon Knight.

Copper and Chrome

First Appearance of Quentin Quire Significantly Undervalued

A little while back, I wrote about the virtues of Grant Morrison’s X-Men run. Here I want to talk a bit more about one of the highlights of that run, the first appearance of Quentin Quire in New X-Men #134.

The most sought after comics from a collecting standpoint are the first appearances of significant characters. The more significant the character, the more valuable his or her first appearance. Slowly but surely, Quentin Quire is making a reputation for himself. Most recently, Quentin Quire was one of the focal points of Jason Aaron’s Wolverine and the X-Men. He’s also making cameos in other X-books.

Quentin (also known as Kid Omega) has telepathic abilities akin to Jean Grey’s. There are indications within X-mythology that he will eventually host the Phoenix force. His schtick is basically that he’s a prick. He gets off on being contrarian and getting underneath Wolverine’s skin. He’s one of the of the most interesting characters added to the X-canon in recent years, and since his first appearance occurred a decade ago, he clearly has staying power.

The X-Men are a bluechip property, significant additions to the mythology are sure to gain value over time. The Lyria Exchange tracks trends on eBay. Recently on Twitter @LyriaExchange has noted the following trends re: the first appearances of Gambit and Psylocke, respectively:

#comics #comicmarket http://t.co/P5rZwc6ZtO #XMEN #266, 1st app of Gambit, receiving a lot of attention. This NM… http://t.co/tRtfRJpOG8

— Lyria Exchange (@LyriaExchange) February 17, 2014

#comics #comicmarket http://t.co/Z63Fkb91XN Lyria Mobsters believe X-Men #256 could be the next big investment hit. Found out why.

— Lyria Exchange (@LyriaExchange) February 24, 2014

Another point of comparison: Fantomex also appeared in Morrison’s New X-Men run (#128), and that comic is currently going for about $30.00 on eBay.

You can snag Quentin Quire’s first appearance for $5.00, and in some cases less if you get it as part of a run. It’s probably a good time to stock up, because it doesn’t look like Quire is going anywhere.

Copper and Chrome

The Teen Titans Movie Has to Happen, Right? On DC’s Hip Problem

Marvel has always been hipper than DC. That much is indisputable. Marvel’s characters were born of the 1960s. Marvel’s most iconic characters first appeared in print a year or two before the Beatles debuted on the Ed Sullivan Show. They specialize in teen angst and social isolation (see Spider-Man, Hulk). Something about the strivings and anxieties, the hopes and fears of the young are sewn into Marvel’s very foundations.

By contrast, DC is your grandfather’s comic book company. Their origins are bound up with the greatest generation and WWII. Consequently, the contrast between good and evil has always been starker in the DC universe. Superman is Christ in a cape. Batman is a pulp detective in a cowl. Moreover, Aquaman is a king; Wonder Woman is a princess. DC comics is about the powers that be. Marvel is about the revolution.

But then there are the Teen Titans. Perhaps not coincidentally the Teen Titans debuted in 1964 (The Brave and the Bold #54), just as Marvel began making its mark. However, this team of sidekicks and other young heroes really came into its own in the 1980s under Marv Wolfman and George Perez.

The Teen Titans had, and continue to have, a “hip” factor that has been pretty hard for DC to bottle over the years.

There’s an undeniable awesomeness to characters like Superman, but he’s not exactly relatable. The same goes for characters like Green Lantern. The struggles DC has had with its movie franchises in recent years are all about translating that 1930s sensibility to modern audiences. The audience doesn’t understand why characters like Superman and Green Lantern do the things they do. They’re just good guys. That’s because they come from an era where it was okay, even expected of you, to be a good guy. But in the 21^st century, we have a harder time believing in good guys who are good for the sake of being good. It’s sad, but true. Marvel, hasn’t had this problem. Their films resonate because their films are extended metaphors about

a) minorities struggling to achieve equal recognition under the law,

b) teenagers reluctantly and unevenly accepting the responsibilities of adulthood,

c) billionaire tech geniuses whose ridiculous success has prompted them to do good works in an effort to justify their staggering good fortune.

Marvel’s narratives have currency and purchase for modern audiences. I think Batman and Superman have similar currency, but it’s less transparent. DC has to work a bit harder to make their characters sympathetic; that’s what tempts DC to “update” its characters so regularly: that’s why Superman turned blue for awhile in the late 90s, and that’s why he killed Zod at the end of Man of Steel.

But back to the Titans.  Over the past decade DC has signalled its commitment to the Titans property with two pretty good animated series. The 2003-2006 series Teen Titans and the present, goofier Teen Titans Go!, which premiered in 2013.

DC has swung and missed on a couple of recent screen adaptations. They hit a double with The Man of Steel. They need some home runs. Given that they’ve kept theTeen Titans in the popular consciousness with their animated series, a film adaptation has to be in their sights at some point. Doesn’t it? If not, they’re fools.

The Titans represent one of DC’s coolest and most marketable properties. Done properly a Titans film could do for DC what X-Men and the Avengers have done for Marvel.

If we see a Titans film, you can bet that it’s the Wolfman/Perez version of the team that we’ll be seeing, some combination of Robin/Nightwing, Kid Flash, Donna Troy, Raven, Starfire, Cyborg, and Changeling. The 80s version of the team has always been a fan favourite and that incarnation has staying power. It’s a version of that team that DC has used in both of its animated endeavours.

To you speculators out there, that means that Teen Titans comics from the 80s could become quite valuable. They’re a respectable investment even without the potential of a film, given that the Titans have a loyal fan base and the characters are safely second-tier. They aren’t Spider-Man or Superman, but they’re not Blue Beetle either. We’re probably talking the same kind of fan base that Thor, The Punisher, and Green Arrow command.

If there’s one Teen Titans book you want in your collection, it’s The New Teen Titans #2, which features the first appearance of Deathstroke the Terminator.

It’s funny, just as the Teen Titans are an uncharacteristically youthful team in the DCU, Deathstroke is an uncharacteristically badass super-villain for DC. Villains in the DCU tend to be a bit more “cerebral”: Joker, Two-Face, Luthor, Braniac, Sinestro. DC’s villains are like physical manifestations of their nemeses’ own fears and anxieties. Deathstroke just seems like a different animal. He’s part of that Punisher/Wolverine generation. He’s one of those characters who was born in the Bronze Age but signaled the coming of the Copper Age.

Deathstroke’s first appearance isn’t available for pennies. However, I was recently able to pick up a VF copy from a local collectibles store for $16.00. They can be had.

In summation, I think DC’s surest path to the pop-culture in crowd may require getting behind the Teen Titans in a big way. Collectors may want to jump on board before the train leaves the station.

Copper and Chrome

Speculation: Superior Spider-Man

Amazing Spider-Man #700 was the comic that got me back into comic books. I had been cruising my local comic shop for a couple of months. I’d step in with my wife and son, just to take a peek, just to reminisce and see what was new. The feeling of nostalgia was so strong. All those new books on the shelf, the colourful art… I couldn’t resist forever.

When I picked up Amazing Spider-Man #700, I didn’t even know it was supposed to be the last issue of the series. I had a pretty extensive collection of Spider-Man comics from the 80s. I grew up on Amazing Spider-Man. I thought I’d treat myself to a milestone issue and see what was going on with one of my favourite characters.

When I initially read the “Death of Peter Parker” story in that issue, I wasn’t impressed. I felt kind of ripped off. I was looking for a nostalgia high and instead got a story about the hero of my youth dying in the body of an old man. The metaphorical correspondences were not pleasant.

I didn’t pick up Superior Spider-Man #1 right away. The series had been running for about a year and a half before I actually picked one up and read. It was the Superior Venom story arc that piqued my interest. After that I started picking up back issues off the rack. I’ve now got most of the series in my collection.

It’s a good story. Surely you know the details by now. Doc Ock pulls a body snatcher routine and implants his consciousness in Peter’s body. As Spider-Man, Ock then starts applying a super-villain’s sensibility to Spider-man’s heroing work. He hires goons; he amasses an arsenal of evil genius weaponry; he stops showing mercy.

Most importantly Superior Spider-Man is fun. It’s an enjoyable read. Also, important: it’s coming to an end. The series isn’t wearing out its welcome. The publisher has never seriously suggested that Peter is gone for good and Spider-Ock is the new status quo. This is a self-contained story, that takes Spidey in an interesting direction for a limited period of time.

The story has been received very positively by Spider-Man fans, impressive for such a dramatic assault on the character mythology. When one recalls how vehemently fans objected to the Clone Saga, the support for Superior is all the more impressive.

All of these factors suggest that, over time, issues of Superior Spider-Man are going to go up in value. This isn’t a quick-flip proposition. A year from now, no one is going to be shelling out $40.00 for Superior #1. However, this series has all the necessary ingredients for long-term growth. Spider-Man is a blue chip character, and Dan Slott has written a good story that’s popular with fans and has lasting implications for the character’s mythology. If you’re looking to add a good series to your collection, a series that has a good chance to appreciate in value in the long term, go buy every issue of Superior Spider-Man.

Speculation: Superman: Doomed

The Internet rumours about Doomsday making an appearance in the forthcoming Batman / Superman flick sent Doomsday’s first appearance rocketing up the eBay charts. (Wait… does eBay have charts?)

News that Doomsday will be taking centre stage in Superman books this Spring will surely bolster the comic’s rise.

I think the takeaway here is that Doomsday’s appearance is a lock for long-term gain. After 20 years he’s entrenched himself in Superman’s rogues gallery, and there’s an additional attraction given his ties to the landmark “Death of Superman” storyline. The short term gains also look good, unless we get news that the Superman-killing monster won’t be appearing in the upcoming movie.

Speculation: Keep Your Eye on Spawn #1

So, in this recent interview over at ComicBook.com McFarlane says he’s working on an R-rated script for a Spawn movie. Obviously if the script isn’t yet written the film is still a ways off, and there’s always a chance that McFarlane gets distracted with other projects. But right now signs point to a Spawn movie sometime this decade. 

You may remember a Spawn film back in 1997. It wasn’t good. It seems like McFarlane is ready to take another kick at the can. And with all the success that superheroes have been having on the big screen as of late, you can bet Hollywood will be interested.

All of this is to suggest that you should keep your eye on Spawn #1. It’s price on eBay is all over the place, but you can probably score one for less than $15, definitely less than $20.

Speculation: Cyborg Superman

Cyborg Superman a.k.a The Cyborg first appeared in Adventures of Superman #500 as part of a year-long story following the death of Superman. It may be a bit hard to remember now, but for a couple of weeks the writers tried to persuade their audience that the Cyborg was Superman returned from the grave after his fatal battle with Doomsday.

Ultimately, of course, Cyborg Superman was revealed to be a villain. He was defeated, but he earned a place in Superman’s rogues gallery. Since then, he’s sprung up to battle with Superman every now and then. He’s also been a nemesis of the Green Lantern Corps in recent years.

So, is the first appearance of Cyborg Superman worth anything?

No. Not right now. His first appearance in Adventures of Superman #500 can be had for $1 on eBay. But that’s the kind of deal we love in the comic book speculation game.

Cyborg Superman is another one of those gimmick villains whose origin has been tainted by involvement with a giant cross-over money grab event. Worse, he looks like a gimmick character. I imagine the conversations that resulted in his creation went a lot like that episode of the Simpsons in which a committee of marketing executives invents Poochie.

Why do I think this? In part because Cyborg Superman looks exactly like the skeletal robots from the Terminator movies. Incidentally T2: Judgment Day was a huge hit at the box office in 1991. Cyborg Superman first appears… in 1992. In short, the character was part of a well-intentioned but misguided attempt to make Superman cool to 90s readers.

To make matters worse, Adventures of Superman #500 is one of those poly-bagged collector’s edition jobs. And lots of comic book fans recoil at the transparent marketing agenda there. Ironically poly-bags have probably hurt the collector’s value of these comics – at least over the short and medium-term.

However, the poly-bagged Superman #75, featuring the death of Superman is no longer a worthless comic. And, a month or so ago, in a post about 90s X-Men villain Onslaught, I made the case that things seem to be turning around for 90s gimmick villains. The first appearance of Bane, for example is currently going for about $50-$60 NM on eBay. Just recently, with the announcement that the character might appear in the upcoming Superman/Batman film, the first appearance of Doomsday has moved into the same territory.

It seems clear that fans who grew up in the 90s are starting to grow nostalgic for the “Death of Superman” story arc. The value of Superman #75 and Superman: The Man of Steel #17 and #18 are starting to increase. Adventures of Superman #500 is arguably the next most important issue in that run.

In time, then, I think the first appearance of Cyborg Superman will increase in value.

Wolverine: A Bronze Age Anomaly

I was in Wal-Mart the other day with my one-year-old son. I was looking for baby food and got lost in the toy section. That’s when I spotted this: 

Which one of these things is not like the others? Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, and Thor are four of the original Avengers. The inclusion of Wolverine in this package is, I think, both weird and important.

Keep in mind this is a toy for 3-year-olds. It’s supposed to serve as a kind of introduction to superheroes. These are the “basic” or “fundamental” superheroes we’re seeing here. Another way to think about it is that these are the characters Marvel thinks are most recognizable and the most marketable. If Spider-Man was the fifth character in the package, I wouldn’t have batted an eye, but Wolverine? Bit of a surprise. It suggests Marvel believes Wolvie is now one of their flagship heroes, one of the faces of their franchise.

Of course, Wolverine has been one of Marvel’s most popular characters for a long time. He’s always been able to move comic books. As I write this there are no fewer than four comics featuring Wolverine on sale every month (Wolverine, Savage Wolverine, Wolverine and the X-Men, Uncanny Avengers). And once Days of Future Past hits theatres this year, Hugh Jackman will have brought the character to the big screen six times. But here’s the thing: once Marvel starts making Wolverine toys for pre-schoolers, that’s a sign Wolverine has gone mainstream. He’s becoming a household name.

One of the reasons this is interesting is because Wolverine is the only hero in that box of toys created in the Bronze Age (approximately 1970-1985).

Most of the superheroes who’ve become household names were created in the Gold and Silver Ages. Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and Hulk  were all created between 1938 and 1963. Wolverine’s first appearance occurred a decade later in 1974 in The Incredible Hulk #181. When you think about it, there’s really no other character created in the last 40 years that has attained the popularity that Wolverine has.

If it’s fair to say that Wolverine has now ascended to the highest order of superheroes, then that makes his first appearance something of an anomaly, because, as a Bronze Age book, the first appearance of Wolverine is actually attainable.

I went through the Overstreet guide to compare the values of the first appearances of these top-tier, mainstream heroes. I chose VF condition (8.0), so we’re comparing apples to apples, and also because it’s a lot more likely you’ll be able to lay hands on a VF copy of one of these books than a NM copy. Here’s what I found:

Iron Man
First App. Tales of Suspense #39 (1963) VF $9,000

Thor
First App. Journey into Mystery #83 (1962) VF $13,000

Hulk
First App. Incredible Hulk #1 (1962) VF $30,000

Wonder Woman
First App. All-Star Comics #8 (1940) VF $31,500

Spider-Man
First App. Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962) VF $50,000

Captain America
First App. Captain America Comics #1 (1941) VF $84,000

Batman
First App. Detective Comics #27 (1939) VF $680,000

Superman
First App. Action Comics #1 (1938) VF $870,000

Compare these to the first appearance of Wolverine:

Wolverine
First App. The Incredible Hulk #181 (1974) VF $750

That’s a big gap. Granted, $750 is still a significant chunk of change. But it’s also a realistic goal. If I saved up $50,000 and spent it on a comic book, I’d better be able to make sweet love to it, because I’d be divorced shortly after purchasing it. If I had $870,000 to spend on a comic book, I would be Nicholas Cage. Since I don’t want a divorce and I don’t want to be Nicholas Cage, I’ll never own the first appearance of Spider-Man or the first appearance of Superman. But the first appearance of Wolverine? I can own that. It just requires time and a little bit of discipline.

I’ve decided I’m going to save up and buy a copy of Wolverine’s first appearance. It’ll make a great addition to my collection, and I don’t think there’s a better investment comic on the market. Wolverine has become a mainstream character. He’s not going anywhere, and his popularity is not going to decline anymore than Batman’s popularity is going to decline. Thus, his first appearance is very likely to appreciate in value significantly over time.

Now obviously, scarcity matters here. Golden Age comics are harder to find, so they’re worth more. That’s really the only reason the first appearance of Captain America is worth more than the first appearance of Spider-Man. It stands to reason that there are significantly more Bronze Age comics floating around than there are Silver Age books too, so it’s unlikely the first appearance of Wolverine is ever going to hit $300,000 or $50,000. But here’s the point: Wolverine has gradually clawed (HA!) his way into the top tier of the superhero pantheon. If you’re looking for one book that’s going to steadily and significantly increase in value over time, Hulk #181 is that book.

Copper and Chrome