Comics You Need to Own: Sinestro Corps Special #1

Sinestro Corp #1 first printing

It seems like it has been an eternity since any type of Green Lantern comic made it onto the hot lists around the hobby world. Over the last few weeks the character with the power ring has been heating up want lists and rumor mills like crazy.

With Green Lantern Vol. 4 #25 and #28 heating up tremendously thanks to the first appearances of Atrocitus, the Geoff Johns run on this famed superhero is spawning a number of hot issues. Because rumors and other media appearances has become something of a driving force in the comic book world, the latest word that the Sinestro Corps will making a significant appearance in an upcoming movie another GL book is breaking into the hot sheet.

Sinestro Corps #1 fourth printing

Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1 is the first appearance of the Sinestro Corps and the book has started to make big secondary market gains. Printed in 2007, with four printings with different characters on the cover to boot, the book has proved to be scarce enough to send prices into the $15 range for nice copies. Not too bad for a book that pops up in the dollar bin of many comic book shops.

Over the past few years, the comic book collecting crowd has seen many books receive bumps in price as collectors try to find key issues on existing properties that really start to increase in popularity. It is this popularity spike that drives these books to new heights, both in price and in scarcity. What was once thought of as an easy-to-find comic becomes nearly impossible.

That being said jumping on a Sinestro Corps Special #1, and just about any printing, at a reasonable price seems like a good idea for the long-haul. Once trailers for the GL movie, which isn’t due until 2020, start to hit the Internet, all bets are off if the Yellow Lanterns and Atrocitus make appearances in those few minutes of footage. This is one of those comic books you’ll wish you bought low four years from now.

Sinestro Corps #1 third printing

Comic Books You Need to Own: Green Lantern Vol.4 #25 Atrocitus

Green Lantern Vol. 4 #25

Few things drive the collectors market on short term runs better than rumors. The rumors can be anything connected to print run, television shows, movies, hidden appearances, and really just about anything that has the potential to really bump a character’s popularity. After all, more fans chasing the same amount of books equals a price jump; it’s just basic economics folks.

So on that note, this week is seeing some interesting gains with respect to a character that many comic book fans might not even know exist, and pertaining to the first paragraph most of this price bump is a result of rumored appearance in a movie that is not even due to hit theaters until 2020: Green Lantern Corps.

While it is pretty much a given that Sinestro will likely be featured in the flick, another character rumored to be making an appearance is Atrocitus, founder of the Red Lantern Corps. Since the first appearances of Green Lantern and Sinestro are pretty much out of the range of the average collector with regards to price, many are jumping all over Green Lantern Vol.4 #25, which is the first appearance of Atrocitus created by Geoff Johns in 2008.

Most of these copies are still available at reasonable prices. Better yet, some comic book stores still have these in the dollar bin. For being eight years old and what could be a key first appearance, this is a comic book that you really need to pick up before the rest of the collecting world catches on. The price is going to start climbing.

On another note, there is also a Gary Frank cover variant for this book, according to Comic Book Realm, and it is also something that is jumping off the charts in the short term. Who knows where this value will be when the movie finally drops in 2020, that is if the rumors end up being true. You can never really tell with comics.

Of course, there is another level to this whole story as well, because the first full Atrocitus appearance is in Green Lantern Vol. 4 #28, which is also poised to rock and roll up the charts. So savvy collectors are scanning the long boxes of any source they can find to pick up what they can. So be on the lookout, because this one is probable a must have as well with a lot of long-term upside.

Green Lantern Vol.4 #28

Classic Comic Book Cover of the Week: Swamp Thing #37 First Appearance of John Constantine

Swamp Thing #37

When it comes to comic books and first appearances, Swamp Thing #37 has something of a cult following. Why? Well for those new to the comic book game, this issue represents the first appearance of John Constantine. That's right, the Hellblazer himself comes into the DC Universe in this very issue.

For that reason, prices for this issue hover around $90 in VF according to Comic Book Realm, but in the most recent Overstreet the book is $130 in NM. Of course, graded copies can get even more pricey, but again, it's all up to the collector. Not everyone can have near mint or CGC 9.4 copies of every comic book. I mean where would the fun be?

What makes Swamp Thing 37 so legendary besides the whole Constantine appearance has to do with the people on the book itself. Yep, that's Alan Moore and John Totleben on the cover, and they were something of a dynamic duo for a few years.

Swamp Thing is a series that does not necessarily get a whole lot of love from the comic book world. However should the whole Justice League Dark animated movie get a lot of fan love, this could become a pretty investment. Still, Constantine gets more and more fans every year despite having some issues getting his own television series up and running smoothly.

Of course, this post is supposed to be about the cover and what is not to love from Steve Bissette on this gem? The mystical floating image of old swampy hovering over his green body is somewhat intriguing. Best of all, this is one comic book that every collector should know at first glance, so take a hard look, this is one for the keeper bin.