By Lefteros

[SPOILER WARNING] In my opinion, this is the biggest NCBD week of 2024 thus far. I think it's so big, on so many levels, that it may not even be topped for the rest of the year. It is jam-packed with a wide variety of books. A little something for everyone. Some of the minor key selections would be featured selections on any other week.

As you may have guessed, we have a staggering amount of information to cover. Fasten your wallet chains, and let's get into it!

COVRPRICE TIP: Below are some of this week's releases sorted by the highest market value. If you visit the NEW RELEASE section, you can filter by "Est Value (Highest to Lowest)." Make sure to check it out before heading to your local comic shop. If you miss something, no worries! We have a DAY AFTER WEDNESDAY article every Thursday, highlighting the best new release trends. Don't forget to check in regularly to see the current Fair Market Value (FMV) with our handy dandy comic book price guide for each comic book.

OPEN ORDER SELECTIONS

BATMAN #145 COVER A JORGE JIMENEZ | DC

I had a feeling something big would be revealed in the pages of this issue, and it turns out that is exactly what happened. If you have been following the issues of Batman leading up to the Joker Year One storyline, then you know that the Zur-En-Arrh persona has transferred himself into the android body of Failsafe. In this issue, with Batman and Joker behind bars, he is unleashed on Gotham, claiming to be Batman. Chip Zdarsky and DC Comics have big plans for this character, so this issue is worth watching. I can confirm that this is the same character on the cover art for the upcoming Absolute Power Crossover FCBD offering. This is slated to be a huge crossover for DC this summer. This issue also starts shedding light on how the Joker Year One three-part story fits into the big picture. All this makes this issue a must-grab for DC Comics and Batman fans!

CAPTAIN AMERICA #7 MAIN COVER | MARVEL

This new Captain America run by J. Michael Straczynski has yet to make our selections list. This first issue did have a first appearance of an entity called Asmoday, but since little was known, it was not featured. As for this issue, I have read it and can confirm it does feature the first appearance of a new ally named Lyla. How significant this character will be in the long run remains to be seen, but the fact she appears to be a hero and will play a part in this arc is a positive sign. It may be worth checking out!

DOCTOR STRANGE #13 MAIN COVER | MARVEL

This book has a couple of things going for it. First, it introduces a new Secret Defenders team with a line-up I love, and second, it has an incredible Alex Ross cover depiction of them. I don't think this is a major key, just a new team line-up introduction, but with a great cover and creative team, I think it's worth considering!

GIANT-SIZE SPIDER-GWEN #1 | MARVEL

As the solicitation states, it does feature the first appearance of Orlando Octavius, the adopted son of Dr. Octopus from Earth-65. Another thing worth noting is that he is not presented as a one-off villain or character. It appears that he is slated to be a significant antagonist for Spider-Gwen going forward. At $6.99, this is a pretty heavy cover price, but if you are a Spider-Gwen fan, I think you should probably pick this one up!

SENTRY #4 MAIN COVER | MARVEL

It looks like both Ryan Topper and Mallory Gibbs are kind of the new Sentry. They have a big battle, and when the dust settles, Ryan Topper is apprehended, and Mallory Gibbs takes on an all-new mantle. The issue ends with her declaring she will be known as Solarus going forward. This issue is the introduction of Mallory Gibbs as Solarus, but it's worth noting her costume is the same as the Sentry. If you think that's important, or just love the cover as much as I do, you should probably grab a copy!

TMNT LAST RONIN II RE-EVOLUTION #1 COVER A ESAU AND ISAAC ESCORZA | IDW PUBLISHING

The new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles team is finally getting their own series. This issue will not be their first full appearance. That happened in the first issue of the recent Lost Years mini-series, but it is still noteworthy and worth considering nonetheless. If you're a fan of the TMNTs, The Last Ronin, and this new direction, I am sure you likely pre-ordered a copy of this one at FOC!

THE LAST MERMAID #1 | IMAGE

The Last Mermaid is one offbeat selection brought to us by the mind of Derek Kirk Kim. First, there are no other covers for this book. If that wasn't odd enough, it is the nonstandard size of 8.25" x 9.5" and costs $3.99. I did get a peak at the interior, and the art looks incredible. I think this one may be worth checking out if you like the concept!

ULTIMATE X-MEN #1 MAIN COVER | MARVEL

I will answer the question everyone has been asking. Despite being depicted on multiple covers, Maystorm does not appear in this first issue. Currently, her only in-story appearance is Ultimate Universe #1. With that out of the way, I wanted to share my opinion on this book and its potential. I don't think people are scooping up these Ultimate Universe Earth-6160 first issues because of first appearances. I think collectors are seeing that there is a lot of attention on these titles and want to ensure they have the first issue secured so they can collect the remainder of the series. That is why I don't think the lack of Maystorm hurts this book's upside too much but rather bolsters the potential of the second issue, which, according to Peach Momoko, will feature Maystorm.

As for the book itself, I was pleasantly surprised. I think Peach Momoko did a great job with the first issue, and I am very eager to see where this story goes and what characters we are introduced to beyond Earth-6160 Armor and Maystorm. In a crowded week, this book is already selling for well over the cover price, so this one stands above the crowd as a must-pickup!

VOID RIVALS #7 COVER A LORENZO DE FELICI | SKYBOUND

I have said it before, and I will say it again and again and again - I am a true believer in the Energon Universe. I pick up every single issue, but the ones I pick up the most copies of are the issues with Void Rivals' first appearances. I think Void Rivals' first appearances have a lot more potential than reintroductions of Transformers or G.I. Joe characters. We have yet to see the introduction of an all-new Transformers or G.I. Joe character. I think it's only a matter of time, but for now, a Void Rivals character like Proximus, who makes his first appearance in this issue, really has my attention!

WEAPON X-MEN #1 MAIN COVER | MARVEL

There are so many good main covers in our open-order selections this week. I love this one by Dike Ruan, too! As for the book itself, it is essentially the introduction of the Weapon X-Men, a team that features Wolverines from across different universes. There are five members of this team, but just is making her first appearance, Jane Howlett of Earth-1281 circa 1909. That is her featured on the cover. That alone makes this issue worth considering. The first appearance of an all-new female Wolverine who will be around for this whole series, and you know, if fans take to her, she may be featured in even more storylines down the road!

LATER PRINT SELECTIONS

BATMAN #142 2ND PRINT GIUSEPPE CAMINCOLI | DC

DC Comics made the first printing of this issue fully returnable. They invited shops to order as many copies as they wanted and return unsold ones. What was the result? They clearly did not order enough because it completely sold out at distribution within a day or two. The foil variant, which was originally intended to be an incentive, has particularly done well on the aftermarket. This second printing features the same cover art, flipped and non-foil. It turns out shops did not collectively order enough of this one either because it's already sold out and heading to a third printing!

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1 3RD PRINT SARA PICHELLI | MARVEL

I knew this would likely sell out at distribution, but I had no idea how fast that would happen. The inventory was gone weeks before the release date. I did not feature this book at FOC because I figured that people would be ordering these just to get the incentive attached to it, but it appears that demand for this open-order version is pretty strong as well. This title continues to defy the odds with the huge demand for it. Although it did not look like it at FOC, this is now a book you may want to grab a copy of for cover price!

COVER SELECTIONS

ALIENS WHAT IF #1 SKOTTIE YOUNG VARIANT | MARVEL

Don't you just love it when Marvel puts Skottie Young on a variant for a book you may not have purchased otherwise? I am not alone when I say it gets me to order a copy or two every time. It is no wonder why I have heard that Skottie Young is compensated very well for his work. This variant, in particular, is fun and for an off-beat property, so I think there is some upside there!

BATMAN #145 COVER C YASMINE PUTRI VARIANT | DC

Typically, I will lean heavily on Cover A for this title, but Yasmine Putri did an incredible job with this variant. It's impossible to resist for a Batman fan like me!

BIRDS OF PREY #7 COVER D SOZOMAIKA WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH VARIANT | DC

Sozomaika is an admired cover artist, and Black Canary is an admired cover character. I'm not surprised pairing them together yielded an incredible cover. What does surprise me is that it is not even the best Sozomaika cover being released this week!

POISON IVY #20 COVER D SOZOMAIKA WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH VARIANT | DC

In my opinion, this is the best Sozomaika cover being released this week! I love what she did with this Poison Ivy depiction, and although I like it better than her Birds of Prey variant, there is no way I can resist either one of them!

TMNT LAST RONIN II RE-EVOLUTION #1 COVER E J. GONZO DIA DE MUERTOS VARIANT | IDW PUBLISHING

This issue marks the release of the second to last Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) variant. Soon, we will all have our sets completed. The first couple of variants were under-ordered and, as a result, were selling well over the cover price at FOC. Will the two later ones have more supply? Either way, I'm excited to complete my sets!

INCENTIVE SELECTIONS

ALIENS WHAT IF #1 ADI GRANOV 1:50 INCENTIVE VIRGIN VARIANT | MARVEL

There is no doubt about it: Adi Granov is a phenomenal artist with a lot of dedicated fans, so whenever he is on an incentive like this one, you know there will be some demand. So far, we have seen a couple of sales in the $70 to $80 range on eBay at FOC, but it has died down and is not selling in the $50 range. It's important to keep in mind that this is an Aliens variant, so that may hinder the overall demand for it, but then again, only a few shops have ordered 50 copies of this issue, and we have yet to see any Exclusive Variants either. That means the supply may offset the lower interest in the property. The bottom line is that if you want a copy, I think being patient will pay off. I can see the price point getting even lower!

GIANT-SIZE SPIDER-GWEN #1 BETSY COLA 1:25 INCENTIVE VARIANT | MARVEL

Spider-Gwen has some dedicated fans. Sometimes, we see her incentives underwhelm us in terms of FMV, but that is usually because her books attract so many Artist and Retailer Exclusive Variants. That's not the case with this one. The cover price was a whopping $6.99, and it only had one incentive. That isn't an ideal scenario for a retailer looking to publish an exclusive. As a result of this, plus the fact this is a pretty nice cover, and there is a first appearance in this issue, we are seeing this incentive do pretty well so far. Sales are ranging between $30 and $40 on eBay, and those copies are going fast. The lower-priced copies are disappearing as soon as they are uploaded. The cheapest available is at $50, which would be a high at this point. I think we will see a sale for $50 and maybe even higher shortly. If you can secure one for anywhere near the ratio somehow, I would not hesitate!

TMNT LAST RONIN II RE-EVOLUTION #1 KEVIN EASTMAN 1:100 INCENTIVE BLACK AND WHITE VARIANT | IDW PUBLISHING

This book has a heavy-duty cover price, yet we are still seeing it sell for around the ratio price of $80 to $100 on eBay. For whatever reason, these IDW Publishing TMNT Last Ronin incentive variants never seem to take off. Perhaps it is the amount of open orders people buy, or maybe it's the lack of new cover art. I think the likely biggest factor is the amount of Artist and Retailer Exclusives. This is a pretty cool cover by Kevin Eastman, and it is trending below the ratio price, so if you want a copy, you can likely secure one at a pretty good price in the next week or so!

THANOS #4 GREG AND TIM HILDEBRANDT MARVEL MASTERPIECES VIRGIN VARIANT | MARVEL

I don't even think I can write what I need to write to cover this incentive. This cover features such a unique look at the Mad Titan, Thanos, and it would not surprise me for it to achieve meme-level status and, thus, sales traction. As it stands, there is only one copy on eBay available from the UK. There is also a confirmed sale for $50. That could change quickly if this Thanos depiction from the Marvel Masterpieces card series starts making its rounds on social media!

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1 3RD PRINTING MARCO CHECCHETTO 1:25 INCENTIVE VIRGIN VARIANT | MARVEL

This beauty seems to be holding steady at around $80 on eBay. That is quite a bit over ratio, but somehow, I am not surprised. Demand for this title is through the roof, and the cover price is pretty high. With how well the open-order counterpart has been holding up, it probably was a pretty good deal if you preordered 25 copies to score this incentive!

ULTIMATE X-MEN #1 INHYUK LEE 1:100 INCENTIVE VIRGIN VARIANT | MARVEL

I was a bit concerned that the two 1:100s and the 1:25 would have a huge amount of supply and thus not hold up well. Also, Ultimate Universe incentives haven't been doing too well thus far. However, the incentives for this issue have been holding up pretty well. This one, in particular, has been seeing sales on eBay of $80 to $90. That's solid considering there are two different 1:100s for this book and this isn't even the one that features both characters!

ULTIMATE X-MEN #1 MARK BROOKS 1:100 INCENTIVE VIRGIN VARIANT | MARVEL

If I had to choose between these two 1:100s, I would lean toward this one as it depicts both Armor and Maystorm. I think the market seems to agree, as it is selling a bit higher than its 1:100 counterpart. Currently, it is holding steady between $90 and $100 on eBay, and if this book resonates with readers, I can see this incentive gaining more traction before it starts to dip. It's worth considering if high ratios are your thing!

VOID RIVALS #7 GABRIEL HERNANDEZ 1:50 INCENTIVE VARIANT | SKYBOUND

This is not the type of incentive that will be exploding on NCBD. It may sell a bit over the ratio price and then likely calm down over time. The reason you would be looking at an incentive like this one is that you believe in Void Rivals' long-term potential. Proximus appears slated to be a big part of the Void Rivals property, and if that's the case and this property gains traction, this may be the book to get when it comes to this character!

WEAPON X-MEN #1 JONBOY MEYERS 1:100 INCENTIVE VIRGIN VARIANT | MARVEL

This cover is not my favorite Jonboy Meyers by a long shot, and it does not feature Jane Howlett on it either, but that has not stopped people from paying close to $200 for it on eBay already. By the looks of things right now, this may be one you want to be patient with if you want a copy. As it stands, if you have to have it and you pay around the ratio price, that seems like a decent deal!

That's all for this week! We all have plenty to consider, and we hope this article will help you make informed decisions when you're at the NCBD rack at your favorite LCS or ordering books when your favorite online comic shop uploads them. Happy hunting!

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