Movie / TV Print Runs

This week we are going to jump into print runs of books that are, or might be, headed to TV or the big screen. Most of these have been on the speculation radar before, but hear me out.

Due to slow/no production movement, they may have stalled in price. For new collectors, this can be used as a handy guide when deciding what to buy before it hits the small/big screen. For speculators, this will serve as a reminder of once hot books that may have been forgotten about. We, as collectors, tend to move onto the next great thing, but there was a reason these books got hot in the first place. (Don’t you wish that you had bought that Preacher #1 last year like you swore you were going to?)

Also, if anyone has any ideas about what theme you would like to see in future articles, please feel free to let me know! Thanks again for reading!

The Dead Standard

The Walking Dead #1. Print run 7266. Sells for $1000-2000. By including THE modern grail in this column, I am in no way stating that any of these books will ever approach this value. It is only included here as an example of what rarity and a great show/movie combination can do to the value of a book. This can also provide perspective on the price ceiling for other books.

High Print Run (40,000 +)

1) Outcast #1. Print run 71,788. Sells for $5-10. If the show is done well, this should see a mild increase in value. Can’t really go wrong at the current price point. (Don’t forget to check the fine print below the cover price to make sure you don’t get a subsequent printing!)

Recommendation:  and

2) Alias #1. Print run 52,379. Sells for $40-50. After binge watching the Daredevil show, I have faith that Marvel will continue the high quality with Jessica Jones. Similar print run as EOS #2 but harder to find in high grade. Don’t forget to pick up #24, 1st modern Purple Man (print run 27,988) since he will be in the show.

Recommendation: 

Average Print Run (25,000-40,000)

1) Avenging Spider-Man #9. Print run 37,134. Sells for $10-20. 1st Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel. I am looking forward to this movie, and so are my wife and daughter. Could be a nice gateway book for young females once the movie comes out.

Recommendation: 

Low Print Run (10,000-25,000)

1) Five Ghosts #1. Print run 13,163. Sells for $5-15. Could be a fun show, but this book is in a dead zone, not ultra-rare and not ultra-popular. That combination does not lead to investment opportunities. No profit to be made at this point.

Recommendation: 

Ultra Low Print Run (< 10,000)

1) Day Men #1. Print run 7968. Sells for $10-15. If you can find the triple signed 1:25 variant, get it, there can’t be more than a couple hundred in existence. Another vampire storyline, but this has some fresh twists.

Recommendation: 

2) Breath of Bones #1. Print run 6465. Sells for $5-10. I finally secured a set of this mini-series in the wild. It is a sad, but incredible story. Dark Horse books generally don’t command premiums, so long term value here is iffy at best. Again, not much money to be made here at this point. Buy it to read, though…

Recommendation: 

3) Enormous #1. Print run 4618. Sells for $40-50. Issue #3 has a miniscule print run of 1847. Don’t know how this will translate with a TV budget, but the sky is the limit for this book if the show is done well.

Recommendation:  but if you have more than 1 copy, be safe and 1 copy

4) Hugh Howey’s Wool #1. Print run 2646. Sells for $5-10. Lower print run than most ‘rare’ variants. Most readers have never seen this comic in the wild. If this ever gets turned into a movie (there is a trilogy of novels), watch out (don’t forget about the much harder to find ‘B’ cover, probably 1:4 ratio). At this price, you have nothing to lose!

Recommendation: