By Lefteros

SPOILER WARNING] Know before you go! There are not a ton of books this week, but we do have quite a few first issues worth considering and, of course, a first appearance or two. As usual, we have plenty to cover; let’s dive in!

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

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #51 MAIN COVER ED MCGUINNESS | MARVEL

Issue #52 had the Amazing Spider-Man #300 homage Main Cover, so lots of us figured it would likely be the first appearance of Peter Parker as Spider-Goblin, or at least the first full. We figured wrong. The Spider-Goblin is in full effect in this issue. I don't think this mash-up will last long, and it's just meant to be a fun storyline. It's been building up for a while, so if you've been waiting for this, this is the book!

BLOOD HUNTERS #2 MAIN COVER GREG LAND | MARVEL

This is an interesting and sneaky first appearance. When I read the solicitation at FOC, and it mentioned a new vampire hunter would be teaming up with Kate Bishop, I wasn't sure if it would be a new character, or an existing character new to vampire hunting. We now know he is an entirely new character named Dante with two ghost sidekicks he calls Search and Destroy.

This character is so similar to Blade that it makes me wonder: With new characters taking on the mantles of Moon Knight, Punisher, and Ghost Rider, will Blade be next? Will it be Dante? Who knows, but one thing is for sure: This crossover has been pretty hot, so this first appearance may be worth considering!

CULT OF THE LAMB #1 COVER A CARLES DALMAU | ONI PRESS

Video games are scorching right now, so whenever we get a property making its comic book debut, it's probably worth noting. Cult of Lamb has a pretty strong cult following, so as fans start to realize there is a new comic based on the game, it may cause a surge in demand. Comics like this can also see some traction when new installments are announced as well. This one has a lot going for it!

FALLING IN LOVE ON THE PATH TO HELL #1 COVER A GARRY BROWN | IMAGE COMICS

I read the first five pages at FOC, and I had a good feeling about this book. When I finally got to read the whole issue, I was glad I did. This book was brutal in the best sense of the word. If you like seeing heads being blown off and cut off, this one may be for you!

SCARLETT #1 COVER A MARCO FERRARI | SKYBOUND

The Energon Universe rolls on. I had a hunch we would be seeing Storm Shadow or Snake Eyes in this book in some capacity. There were so many Spoiler Variants, and neither of them has been introduced in this universe. Sure enough, this issue ends with everyone's favorite or second-favorite ninja, Storm Shadow. This is another first issue that is pretty much a must-grab for G.I. Joe fans and fans of the Energon Universe in general!

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES ALPHA #1 COVER A CHRIS BURNHAM | IDW PUBLISHING

Not only does this issue feature a special prelude to the upcoming TMNT reboot by Jason Aaron, but the second story has something going for it, too. A human character named Lindey Baker, who was part of the Mutanimals, becomes a mutant spider. Spoiler alert: she does not die. We should see more of her at some point!

ULTIMATES #1 MAIN COVER DIKE RUAN | MARVEL

I honestly can't get over how great Deniz Camp and Juan Frigeri's work on this issue is. The story and interior art are top-notch. I am so happy they're on this title. With that out of the way, I am not sure lightning will strike for the fourth time with the new Ultimate Universe. So far, every title has seen the first issue "Main Cover" trend. Will this one follow suit? It already has a second print attached, but unlike the other three, it has yet to break the cover price before release. 

Nonetheless, I think this issue and the title in general are worth keeping an eye on. This features the first team appearance of the new Earth-6160 Ultimates team. The next issue features a Spoiler Variant and mentions a new character named Midas in the solicitation. And as we saw with the Ultimate Invasion mini-series and the Ultimate Universe one-shots, sometimes the books with the biggest upside don't trend immediately on release!

WHAT IF VENOM #5 LEINIL YU | MARVEL

As you would expect, these issues of What If Venom, each featuring a story about the Venom symbiote bonding with a different character, have been pretty fun. Moon Knight happens to be the character I was looking forward to the most. Is there even room for another persona? We are about to find out!

COVER SELECTIONS

SCARLETT # 1 COVER I JASON HOWARD CONNECTING VARIANT | SKYBOUND

SCARLETT # 1 COVER J JASON HOWARD CONNECTING BLACK AND WHITE VARIANT | SKYBOUND

It's time to celebrate the first anniversary of the Energon Universe, and what better way to do so than with a connecting variant set that features every single character we have seen thus far. The entire set has passed FOC, so keep your eyes open for these at your favorite comic book shop on NCBD if you haven't preordered!

INCENTIVE SELECTIONS

BATMAN #148 HOMARE 1:25 INCENTIVE VARIANT | DC

Homare absolutely crushed this variant. This is one of the best Punchline depictions I have ever seen. Although this is a heavily ordered title and a pretty low incentive, I think this has some potential. So far, we are seeing sales on eBay that are right around the ratio price. It will surely be an uphill battle, but this one may be worth watching!

CULT OF THE LAMB #1 STAN SAKAI 1:100 INCENTIVE VIRGIN VARIANT | ONI PRESS

Cult of the Lamb fans are not playing around, or maybe it's Stan Sakai fans. Whoever is behind it, this issue already has two sales on eBay for $150, and it doesn't look like too many more are available right now. All the incentives for this book seem pretty worthwhile. I think the 1:10 features the video game cover art. If you can somehow score this 1:100 for $100 at this point, consider yourself lucky!

SCARLETT #1 DAVID MACK 1:250  INCENTIVE SPOILER VARIANT | MARVEL

Forget a 1:25, how about a 1:250? Forget one Spoiler Incentive Variant; how about three of them? That's what we are getting with this first issue of Scarlett. The first Spoiler Variant is a 1:50 that features Striker on it. I'm not quite sure why that was even labeled as a spoiler. The second is a 1:100 Foil Variant by Jonboy Meyers featuring Scarlett versus Storm Shadow. The third is this one. This is a 250-copy ratio, so the asking price is steep. As a result, I have not seen a single sale for it on eBay. The asking price has dipped down to under $200. I think patience will pay off if you want a copy of this one, or perhaps you can just opt for the Jonboy, which is pretty cool as well!

STAR WARS: DARTH MAUL BLACK, WHITE AND RED #1 2ND PRINT DAVID MARQUEZ 1:25 INCENTIVE VIRGIN VARIANT | MARVEL

Is anyone really surprised when we see these Marvel later printing 1:25s explode in value out of the gate? Some don't even get enough orders to make it to print, with one for Spectacular Spider-Men being canceled just this week. This is a great-looking cover as a virgin, and Darth Maul has some devoted fans, myself included. The result? We are seeing steady sales for over $70, and eBay supply is non-existent. If you have a copy and are willing to sell it, it looks like you may be able to name your price!

ULTIMATE BLACK PANTHER #3 2ND PRINT BOSSLOGIC 1:25 INCENTIVE VIRGIN VARIANT | MARVEL

Supply has also dried up for this one, and the asking price has shot up to around $150. This incredible cover looks even better as a virgin, but it is a steep asking price. So far, it has sold for $60 on eBay. It will be interesting to see where this ends up when the dust settles!Supply has also dried up for this one, and the asking price has shot up to around $150. This incredible cover looks even better as a virgin, but it is a steep asking price. So far, it has sold for $60 on eBay. It will be interesting to see where this ends up when the dust settles!

ULTIMATES #1 RYAN SETGMAN 1:100 INCENTIVE VIRGIN VARIANT | MARVEL

This ratio hasn't exploded in price, which is largely due to the Exclusive variants attached, which have significantly increased the supply. So, if the Main Cover starts getting traction, that could bode well for this incentive. After all, it is the first team appearance of the Earth-6160 Ultimates, and it is the highest ratio!

LATER PRINTING SELECTIONS

MAD MAGAZINE #1 FACSIMILE EDITION COVER A HARVEY KURTZMAN | DC

Although I don't feature them all the time, I do buy quite a few facsimile editions, especially the ones that I feel I will be excited to read in hand and will likely never have a chance to otherwise. I can't wait to give this one a read!

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #2 4TH PRINT MARCO CHECCHETTO | MARVEL

Some people seem disgruntled about all the books seeing later printings lately. I get it—you want to collect all the covers of a certain book, and right when you think they are done, more keep coming out. It can be frustrating, for sure. It's important to remember that there are many examples of later-printing books gaining value down the road because people did not order them, and as a result, they had a low print run. This may be one of those books!

That's it for this week, folks! Some great books to check out on the racks this week, and while some may be available everywhere, we have some lesser-known #1's like Cult of the Lamb and Falling in Love on the Path to Hell. Let your shop know you will want a copy of these books before FOC, and tell them why. Some shops would order extras for other customers if they know you're into a new, lesser-known series, and that's great for everyone involved. In the meantime, happy hunting!

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