This Week in Comic Trading: Falcon and Winter Soldier, NFTs and More

My name is Jack DeMayo, but in the comics market I am known as "aka Mr. Bolo" because I am always letting you know what to be on the lookout for. This week we turn our attention to the next big thing from Disney+.

First up we have The Falcon himself, Sam Wilson. Sam Wilson is played masterfully by Anthony Mackie in the MCU and this role will really give the actor a spotlight to work with. Falcon has always seemed to never quite get his just due on the market despite being the first major black superhero. Falcon's first appearance saw a recent sale of $2635 for a CGC 9.4 and average of around $750 for an 8.0-8.5. With Falcon positioned to be the star of this show alongside pseudo buddy cop partner Sebastian Stan's Winter Soldier, these prices could see major movement in the next 90 days. 

For a more speculative Sam Wilson play, Captain America #25 (2012 series) is the first appearance of Sam Wilson as Captain America. While I would tend to lean toward a safer play, this one intrigues me nonetheless for its upside potential. Cover A is currently trading for around $25 raw and $325-350 in a 9.8. The 1:50 Adam Hughes variant is a much more aesthetically pleasing cover and much lower printed to boot. Stores were able to obtain one copy for every 50 copies of Cover A they ordered. It is only selling for slightly above the regular cover in a similar grade. That may be a temporary trend. 

While Bucky Barnes lineage dates all the way back to the 1940's, The Winter Soldier has a much more recent history with his first appearance coming in Captain America #6 from  2005. CGC 9.8's of either the Captain America cover A or the Winter Soldier Variant Cover B have been trading for $750 in recent days. This is underpriced compared to the potential for mainstream popularity the way WandaVision became required viewing for even novice MCU fans. The Winter Soldier cover tends to draw slightly higher returns on the secondary market but I wouldn't pass up either cover at the right price. 

John Walker has already been cast and confirmed to appear in the show, but the question is in what capacity. Investors seem split with Captain America #354 (John Walker's 1st appearance as US Agent) hitting $225 in a CGC 9.6 and Captain America #323 (Walker's first as Captain America) is performing even better, trading for $290 in the same grade. 

I think both books may be good bets as the topic of who takes the mantle of Captain America could be a major pillar of the show. 

What would any superhero show or movie be without a super villain? Baron Zemo returns in his full comic book costume glory which should appease fans who were unsatisfied in his last MCU appearance. Captain America #275 (Zemo's 1st appearance) is possibly a steal at $275 in a 9.6 and $400 for a 9.8. The key is how large he looms over the show from week to week. 

Miles Morales continues to appear to be one of the cornerstone characters for Marvel in the future and investors are taking note. Speculation is already rampant of an impending MCU appearance and all that has combined to see Ultimate Fallout #4, the first appearance of Miles Morales, reach new sales heights in the last week. CGC 9.8 1st Prints are selling for $3000. That's trending up from $2300 a week ago. The 1:25 Incentive Variant is selling for $15,000 or more and I wouldn't be the least bit shocked if the first print eventually rose to hit those levels. 

In the meantime, the 2nd print with the face reveal cover and the 2nd Print Variant with the tough to grade white cover are bargains at $750 and $350 respectively in a 9.8. 

Whether it's live action, animation or in video games, it seems Miles Morales is the wave of the future. This Is the "Big 2" character I am most excited about long term. 

Brand new publisher Bad Idea hit the ground running with the simultaneous release of their 1st print and "not first print" (print to order late printing with a black trade dress) for Eniac #1 by Matt Kindt. This released the same day as Kindt's Brzrkr with Keanu Reeves, but was not overshadowed thanks largely to allocation issues at retail and surging secondary market prices. This short supply has sent secondary prices to $140-$175 in just one week from release. Will Bad Idea, led by former Valiant CEO Dinesh Shamdasani, continue the momentum? I am not sure, but while the publisher's name is Bad Idea, investing in them probably isn't one. 

NFTs have been the talk of both the collecting and investing community over the last several weeks. This site has really led the charge in helping to educate a lot of folks out there about the exciting developments in the space. 

Like every other industry with great IP, the comic market wants in. I have had some amazing conversations with artists, retailers, and publishers about this exciting new avenue for collectors and potential investors.