Classic Comic Cover of the Week: Grimm Fair Tales Phoenix Comic Con Jessica Nigri Variant

Anyone that has had to sort any sized collection of modern comics has likely encountered the main series and sub series headaches that come along with Grimm Fairy Tales. Of all the alphabetical pains that any title can bring, GFT really brings the heat.

Brought to life by Zenescope Entertainment, Grimm Fairy Tales has some of the most compelling and oversexualized covers in the existence of the comic book world. That being said, many of the limited editions and variants are constantly drawing higher prices. Collectors love them, but one that stands out because of affordability and style is the Phoenix Comic Con Oversized Cosplay Edition featuring Jessica Nigri on the cover. It's okay fanboys and fangirls, you can sigh (for whatever reason).

This book consistently draws interest with signed versions from the cosplay queen drawing huge sums. I've even seen a few that the collectors have had her kiss, which is interesting, but since signed books are not really my thing, I draw the line at the kissing of my treasured collections. Like I said, if you're into it and you can afford it, go for it.

Comic book fans seem to be split over cosplay. I'm in the camp that really enjoys the likenesses and costumes these men and women put into their outfits. Whether they are going for sexy, realism, genderbent, flair, or anything else, nothing let's your geek show like pulling on a super hero costume or some other fantasy outfit. Not going to lie, because it's painfully obvious, most female comic book characters flaunt a fair amount of skin, and just about every cosplayer I've seen demonstrates a level of comfort with their body that oozes confidence. I adore confidence, which means to say I have nothing but respect for the cosplay community.

Anyway back to the cover. With Jessica Nigri bringing a pretty interesting take on Little Red Riding Hood, this variant of the Oversized Cosplay Edition is actually pretty hard to find. Once you toss in condition controls, it was after all handled at a con, and other concerns, finding one for under ten bucks is huge, but finding one for under twenty is awesome.

The interesting part is that this book is popular for strictly the cover. Nothing tremendous happens in the pages. The value comes from Jessica on the cover and the scarcity of the convention variant. That being said, long-term value is likely plateaued. While CGC slabbed copies can approach $200, a lot of that value comes from the grading process. Yes, signed copies are worth more and kissed copies seem to generate some serious attention, but this one won't approach Amazing Spider-Man #300 anytime soon. Still it's a great wall book to have.

Some of the larger stores that regularly attend the convention scene have these at reasonable prices, but they are nothing short of hard to find. Toss in the celebrity (like it or not the woman has made a business out of being a cosplayer~again respect) of Nigri, and this comic is pretty much akin to chasing Bigfoot through the Pacific Northwest. If nothing else, the cover is pretty easy on the eyes.