James Gunn recently revealed his plans for the DCU and, wow, did it have immediate repercussions on the aftermarket, making waves this week with a complete sweep of our Top Ten and near-complete sweep of our runners-up! While Marvel has historically dominated our Top 10 week after week, this is the first time DC has EVER held the entire Top 10 at CovrPrice, and they aren’t the books many expected. While we are all familiar with the likes of Damian Wayne and Supergirl, many are less so for characters like The Authority and Creature Commandos. It was a fascinating slate that lit a fuse under DC-related titles. It’s all here for your reading pleasure on this week’s Top Ten!
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Want to know what comic books are trending each week and why? COVRPRICE.COM uses live sales analytics to identify and compile the most robust market price guide, highlighting the weekly top trending comics. No opinions. Just data. Each week, they present a newly updated list of the TOP 10 COMICS trending in the aftermarket. These trends are due to rumors, fan-favorite covers, story-driven content, and content-related news.
#10: SWAMP THING #1 | DC | 1972 | The community was incredibly disappointed when the 2019 Swamp Thing TV series on the now-dissolved DC Universe streaming service was canceled before it even finished season one. Those same fans can now find redemption in Gunn’s announcement of a new and darker Swamp Thing film in development based on the classic Alan Moore run, SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING. However, some fans opted to pick up the first issue of his first solo series. This is one of the more expensive books outside his first appearance in HOUSE OF SECRETS #92, with fans opting to grab it before it has a chance to go higher. We tracked it at a high sale of $609 for a CGC 9.2 copy and a raw FN FMV of $141.
#9: STORMWATCH #4 | IMAGE | 1998 | Stormwatch was initially published by Image before coming under the banner of DC. In it appeared a team of heroes who flew mainly under the radar yet delivered more adult retribution than their DC counterparts. As announced, The Authority is getting the big screen treatment, with fans opting to secure the first appearances of some significant players. This book is a draw due to featuring the first appearance of The Midnighter and Apollo, future members of the team. We tracked it at a high sale of $599 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a raw NM FMV of $129.
#8: WEIRD WAR TALES #93 – NEWSSTAND | DC | 1980 | The Creature Commandos’ announcement was a surprise entry on the DC slate. Yet, Gunn habitually takes the obscure and turns them into mainstream gold (Peacemaker, Guardians of the Galaxy). Collectors needed to learn more about the team, and the information online pointed them to The Commando’s first appearance in this book. However, Gunn shared a preview image that doesn’t feature any of the characters who debuted in this book (ELLIOT TAYLOR, AKA PATCHWORK, VINCENT VELCORO (VAMPIRE), WARREN GRIFFITH (WEREWOLF), AND LT. MATTHEW SHRIEVE (LEADER OF THE COMMANDOS). The characters that were shown have first appearances scattered amongst multiple books. Check our last week’s Market Report that breaks it all down. That doesn’t mean they won’t appear, though. We tracked it at a high sale of $1,095 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a raw VG FMV of $35.
#7: BOOSTER GOLD #1 | DC | 1985| This book is the first appearance of Booster Gold. With such a nice and tidy first and having the character on the cover, it’s one of the most straightforward books on the slate to point to regarding fan speculation. Many are thrilled at what the self-aggrandizing hero may do on the big screen and sought to secure his first appearance immediately with this official news. The superhero from the future would be flattered by all the attention! We tracked it at a high sale of $649 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a raw VF FMV of $64.
#6: LEGENDS #1 | DC | 1986 | One of the few holdovers from the DCU shakeup is Amanda Waller, played by Viola Davis. It was announced she would be receiving her own TV series, and fans are excited to see a sliver of the old DCU sneak into this new slate. They decided to secure her first appearance as it appears Gunn and DC have more in store for her! We tracked it at a high sale of $145 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a raw VF FMV of $9.
#5: BATMAN #656 | DC | 2006 | Another major announcement Gunn made was for The Brave and the Bold, featuring a Bruce Wayne Batman and Damian Wayne-centric story. Damian, a character who fans have been dying to see portrayed on the big screen, is noted as Gunn’s “favorite Robin.” However, it’s important to note that Gunn didn’t clarify if Damian would take the mantle of Robin. Upon hearing the news, many immediately visited the aftermarket, acquiring this first full appearance (or debated second cameo) of Damian, who fully appears on the last page of this issue. We tracked it at a high sale of $420 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a raw NM FMV of $72.
#4: BATMAN #655 | DC | 2006 | While the first official appearance of Damian Wayne went nuts, this book went ballistic. People LOVE Damian. His no holds barred form of justice often blurs the line between sheer brutality and wanting to be a hero, like his father. This book features his first cameo appearance with his face partially revealed in two panels, dialogue, and a fully shadowed appearance on the last page next to his mother. In the popular cameo vs. first appearance debate, this book’s cameo appearance won the battle in both volume and price. We tracked it at a high sale of $500 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a raw NM FMV of $79.
#3: SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW #1 – GARY FRANK | DC | 2021 | Supergirl is making the jump from CW show to big-screen dynamo. With the reveal of a Supergirl film, fans also got the title SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW. Gunn also revealed he would be directly adapting this Tom King 2021 storyline. That gave fans a solid heads-up and the option to skip right over her first appearance in the pricey Action Comics #252 to this more modern storyline. We tracked it at a high sale of $60 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a raw NM FMV of $32.
#2: SUPERGIRL: WOMAN OF TOMORROW | DC | 2021 | While many fans opted to secure the variant for this book, Cover A saw the most sales. With Gunn’s intentions to adapt this storyline revealed, the news gave this book a massive bump and helped it to sell out everywhere (even in graphic novel form). Books that were already available during and immediately after the announcement were quickly snapped up. More will come, but some opted to secure a copy now, just in case! We tracked it at a high sale of $70 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a raw NM FMV of $37.
#1: THE AUTHORITY | DC | 1999 | This gritty book went from obscurity to the limelight overnight! Many wondered who The Authority was, and a little Googling later filled them in on this violent squad. Often compared to the Boys (that should tell you a lot), this book features the first team appearance of The Authority. Fans snapped up this book quickly after Gunn made the announcement. The thought of a team like this running rampant in the DCU created quite a stir and offered a more drastic approach to heroism than that of Superman. Could Amanda Waller be leading a team like the Authority, somewhat similar to another she has led, like the Suicide Squad? Or could Superman decide to dirty his gleaming blue and reds as he did in Superman and the Authority #1? No one knows, and that’s the fun part. It’s been a long time since the community has seen hype like this behind DC IP, and with Gunn, at the helm, many are confident the fandom is in store for something spectacular. We tracked it at a high sale of $550 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a raw VF FMV of $33.
