2016 was certainly a banner year for comic books and the
corresponding characters. The year started off with a bang and has pretty much
continued the hot streak of recent years. It’s a good time to be a comic
enthusiast, a great time to be a collector, and it’s never too late to jump
back into the fray.
The old favorites are always hot and selling. The Silver and Golden Age Classics like Detective Comics #27, Amazing Fantasy #15, and Action Comics #1, etc. are always bringing bigger and bigger money as supply dries up. However, what has been selling fast and consistent over the current (and soon to be past) year? Well, first hand knowledge of working for a large comic book retailer grants some interesting insight into what is moving and what is pretty much staying put.
That being said, as everyone knows some books move faster
than others. Some back issues heat up quickly and cool even faster, others stay
hot for the entire year driving prices to unbelievable heights. So taking a
careful look back at the previous year, here is a look at the Top 10 Hottest
Comic Books of 2016.
1) New Mutants 98
Everything is simply coming up Deadpool these days. A hit
video game, a hit movie, and a really hot first appearance is pretty much a hat
trick of greatness for the Merc with the Mouth. A lot of watchers have been
waiting patiently for the price to drop on this book, but it seems destined to
approach the solid $300 mark ungraded. (Graded copies 9.6 and above can get
really expensive). Still this book ended up flying off of shelves anytime it
showed up.
2) Walking Dead #100
Well, just about everyone expected this book to be on this
list, and it makes a huge gain in price. With so many variants running around
and an estimated print run of nearly four-hundred thousand copies (thanks to all
those variants), the first appearance of Negan and Lucille can still easily
fetch $35, the second printing with Negan on the cover can garner even more
attention above $50. How long will this book stay on the list? Hard to say, but
the character is certainly raising eyebrows on the show.
3) Flash Rebirth One Shot
Godspeed means business in the pages of the Flash, and his
first appearance in the highly sought after one shot issue of the Flash has
remained the only real Rebirth book to stay white hot. The variant can fetch
$30 and the standard can get $20 without breaking a sweat. Who knows where this
one will end up? The TV show is helping drive this character to new levels of
popularity.
4) NYX #3
X23 has been a pretty popular character for a while, but the
first appearance of the little girl getting a big role in the upcoming Logan
movie has really started to sell well. This is already a $400 book, and it
flies off the shelf nearly as soon as it pops up. This book is rapidly rivaling
(see what I did there) other modern first appearances in terms of sales value
and demand.
5) Walking Dead #108
Yep, another Walking Dead book makes the list, which
testifies to the pop culture power of the AMC television series. The first
appearance of Ezekiel and Shiva was always an easy $10 sale, but now after the
TV show appearance $30 to $50 for a non-graded copy is pretty much the
standard. It doesn’t hurt that simply having a tiger is pretty cool, which
makes for a lot of demand for copies.
6) Wolverine Volume 2 #66
The Old Man Logan storyline is buzzing with a couple of
re-releases over 2016, but the original story got started in this gem and it
has become one hot book. Again, buzz about the movie sent speculators into
overdrive, and collectors have answered the bell here. This one is a $40
bargain, because the future looks even brighter thanks to some Hollywood magic.
7) Crisis on Infinite Earths #8
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| Crisis on Infinite Earts #8 |
The television show on the CW has brought renewed interest
to the Barry Allen version of the Flash. So when the character meets his
ultimate demise saving the world in Crisis on Infinite Earths #8, just about
every reader sheds a bit of tear. Since this book is tied to the death of Supergirl
as well (which occurred just one issue prior in #7), it remains a steady seller
and nearly impossible to find below the $10 mark. This one sells well—period.
8) Seven to Eternity #1
The Rick Remender series shows no signs of fading, even
after its release. All first printing copies easily fetch three to four
times cover price, and some second printings are hovering around twice cover.
When a series stays hot four months after release, it could be signs of some
pretty amazing things.
9) Infinity Gauntlet #1
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| Infinity Gauntlet #1 |
Way back before there was something like an Infinity story
every other year, Marvel hit comic book gold with the original Infinity
Gauntlet story. These were all over the place a few years ago, and now they
seem to have mostly found a home. The first installment of the series can be
found for a reasonable $15 to $20, and anyone wanting to see some great art and
get introduced to Thanos, Mephisto, and the Silver Surfer needs only scan the
first few pages. Of course, some guy named Adam Warlock also drops by later in
the series.
10) X-Force #2
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| X-Force #2 |
With the first appearance of Deadpool quickly spiraling to
uncomfortable spending heights for new and seasoned collectors, many have
turned toward the more easily attainable second appearance. X-Force #2 has the
right mix of availability and price for many, which is one reason why the book
flies off the shelf with regularity. Even in the seven to ten dollar range,
this is one comic that will continue to get attention as the years progress.
Well, that's the top ten. Like any great list, the inclusion or lack thereof does not guarantee a specific dollar amount either way, and condition maters greatly in terms of price. Either way fellow geeks, continue to let your geek show, because that is the only way we all win.
