I just made an account to chat about comics with some folks. This is my first appearance ba-dum tiss so feel free to screen shot! Just kidding, but this is my first posting.
I am new to collecting, but have been a fan of comics for a long time. I’m one of those guys who parents didn’t see the good in getting me comics as a kid, and now that I’m in my mid-30s I can finally afford to read and collect comics regularly.
As my name suggests, I am a big-time Batman fan. That character is what got me into comics and it is what I focus on.
Also, I pretty much just keep up with the DC universe. I enjoy some Marvel stuff (Donny Cates Venom run has been great so far, but I am late to the game) but I gravitate to DC. That being said, I am no where near an expert, there is a lot that I haven’t read so I am very much still a newbie in the comic world.
I also enjoy the speculation game, but by no means am I a scholar in the field. I’m a sucker for first appearances, but the more I read the more I feel like there is too much variation in that people call a first appearance. Maybe someone can help clarify for me? Doesn’t first appearance = first time a character is seen in his/her entirety?
Some of the highlights of my collection so far are:
-Original Knightfall set (missing only #13).
Batman #89, first printing. First CAMEO* of Punchline.
Hell Arisen #3, first printing. First FULL APPEARANCE* of Punchline
Batman #92 Cover A & Artgerm variant, first printings. First covers of Punchline.
Venom #25, first printing. First CAMEO* of Virus.
Venom #26, first printing. First FULL APPEARANCE* of Virus?
Free Comic Book Day Spider-Man / Venom, first printing. First FULL APPEARANCE* of Virus?
Detective Comics #1000, 2010s Greg Capullo variant, first printing. First FULL APPEARANCE* of Arkham Knight (as Astrid Arkham, main DC continuity).
Spider-Man Bloodlines #1, 1 per store black and white sketch variant.
That’s all I can think of for now.
Anyways, just wanted to say hi. I look forward to talking about comics as my wife has 0 interest in them outside of the movies.
Welcome to the forums, Rob. We enjoy discussing all things comics here. Speculation, readers, favourite characters…I look forward to hearing your take on things. New perspectives are always a good thing.
As far as a first appearance is concerned, there is no set of rules in the industry for that ‘label’. Generally speaking, the old ‘unwritten’ rule was 1st appearance = 1st comic where the character was seen in costume, with dialogue, and a name given. That old rule doesn’t really apply anymore, at all. Technically speaking, a 1st appearance is the first time you see a character in a story, regardless of any other factors. So, technically Wolverines first appearance is Hulk 180, but, 181 is the one the market has chosen to have more value. This would be a classic example of 1st Cameo vs 1st Full.
Nowadays, other than using a technical definition of a 1st appearance in a book, for any given character, the sought after book usually contains the 1st appearance w/ said character also on the cover (this would also hold true for IH181). I know that explanation is convoluted, but so are 1st appearances these days. Bottom line is; the market will never decide what an actual 1st appearance is. That is set in stone, technically. But the market will always decide what book has the most ‘value’.
Good start, Don’t forget to pick up a copy of Death Metal Legends from your LCS if you can if you didn’t already pre-order a copy, because I feel that it will be as great or even surpass Batman 89 in value in a very short amount of time.
Hi BatmanFan!
Welcome aboard! Don’t worry, after a few months on here you will be figuring out ways to flip hot modern comics to pay for your Bat Man #1 from good ol Spring 1940!
Usually its the 1st full appearance that is the big hit, cameo’s are usually less profitable, unless everyone knows that a character’s first full appearance is coming out ahead of time and all of a sudden a cameo appears, such as recently with Batman 89 vs batman 92, or Venom 25 vs venom 26. So sometimes when you know of a 1st appearance of a character ahead of time its ok to pre-oreder a copy of the issue before the hyped 1st appearance comic. As most of us did with DM Legends, because Snyder said that Robin King was going to be in DM 3, not knowing before the fact when Robin King would appear. But I do believe that at the current price of DM Legends you can still make money, because this comic is HOT!!! Just not as much money as the people who pre-ordered it before it quadrupled in price. Yesterday the going rate was $15-20 a copy today its $20-25 a copy, tomorrow $25-$30 a copy maybe. If you are a long term investment HOLD collector, after you build up you collection after a while it may be smart to join the CGC for grading purposes if you keep your comics in pristine condition, if you like to read comics and are a collector it may be smart to buy an extra copy or 2 and never touch them for grading purposes so they get the highest possible grade by the CGC. Because some comics can become substantially more profitable after receiving a high grade such as a 9.8. As with the case with a raw ultimate fallout 4 selling for $250-$400 and a CGC 9.8 ultimate fallout 4 selling for $1100.
One day I’ll own a grail of mine… one day. In the mean time I just want to collect and maybe be lucky enough to score some good little nuggets along the way!
I am subscribed to the entirety of Death Metal at my LCS. Likely only 1 copy but I’ll see what I can do. My LCS hasn’t received it yet as far as I know but I should be charged just under cover price. Are other shops really charging $25+ for it, even if you subscribe?
No I’m talking eBay prices, with your subscription you are safe, but when and if you read your DM 3, make sure you are very careful with it, condition is everything in determining value if it turns out to become something valuable.
Some guy got an advanced copy of DM Legends before everyone else and posted a Youtube Video about it being the 1st Full Appearance of Robin King and comic book enthusiasts went crazy. And some insiders on here have access to the advanced copies and tell everyone about the issues in spoilers. The general public has to wait until comic book day. But this site has made me money over the years, it provides valuable info. I started out 6 years ago like you, not knowing that much about collecting but I’ve been following this site and learned over time. At first I was purely a collector, but now I’m to the point that I’m also flipping to earn money for my long term collection investments and know what to buy for the long term.
Welcome aboard! I’m new to the website as well and I’m glad that I stumbled upon it, lots of great information shared here that will help you on your journey.
