Growing Popularity of Black Superheroes Creates Opportunities for Comic Book Investors

Pictured from left to right: Darryl Makes Comics Partner and Editor-In-Chief Edgardo Miranda- Rodriguez, Hip hop icon Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of Run DMC, who launched his own comic book imprint, Darryl Makes Comics, and Vincent Zurzolo, co-owner of Metropolis Collectibles, the world’s largest vintage comic book dealership, and ComicConnect.com, its online auction site. The three men appear at the 1st annual Department of Youth and Community Development NYC Youth Comic Con where they reviewed over 100 comic book ideas from NYC youth. Youth from the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island gathered to show off their character designs and pitched their hearts out! Three winners will be selected. Their ideas and characters will be published as a comic book. (Photo Courtesy of Vincent Zurzolo)
Pictured from left to right: Darryl Makes Comics Partner and Editor-In-Chief Edgardo Miranda- Rodriguez, Hip hop icon Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of Run DMC, who launched his own comic book imprint, Darryl Makes Comics, and Vincent Zurzolo, co-owner of Metropolis Collectibles, the world’s largest vintage comic book dealership, and ComicConnect.com, its online auction site. The three men appear at the 1st annual Department of Youth and Community Development NYC Youth Comic Con where they reviewed over 100 comic book ideas from NYC youth. Youth from the Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island gathered to show off their character designs and pitched their hearts out! Three winners will be selected. Their ideas and characters will be published as a comic book. (Photo Courtesy of Vincent Zurzolo)

Marvel Comic’s Black Panther—the first black comic book superhero, born in the 1960s—made his big screen debut this past week in the much-anticipated movie, Captain America: Civil War. It’s culturally significant, but that’s not all. For comic book collectors, the growing interest in black superheroes opens doors for investors too.

“When interest in a character rises, comic book values do, too,” says Vincent Zurzolo, co-owner of Metropolis Collectibles, the world’s largest vintage comic book dealership, and ComicConnect.com, its online auction site.

Take The Black Panther’s first appearance in Fantastic Four #52 in 1966. (First appearances are typically the most valuable comics in a series.) In 2012, a 9.8 graded copy of Fantastic Four #52 sold for $19,200. In 2016, a similar copy sold for $83,650—a 435% increase in value.

Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, The Black Panther character was born as T’Challa, the prince of Wakanda, a technologically-advanced country. He takes on the hero role when his father, the king, is killed.

Then there’s Luke Cage, a favorite of actor Nicholas Cage, who adopted his surname. This black superhero, who first appeared in Marvel’s Hero for Hire #1 in 1972, boasts superhuman strength and unbreakable skin. Last year, he was featured on the Netflix series Jessica Jones. This fall, he’ll headline his own series.

In 2011, a 9.8 graded copy of Hero for Hire #1 sold for $2,766. In 2014, one sold for $6,100. But earlier this year, a similarly graded copy sold for $24,000, a whopping 867% increase in 5 years.

“The interest is industry wide,” notes Stephen Fishler, coowner of Metropolis/ComicConnect, pointing out the upcoming reboot of Milestone Comics, a DC imprint created by African- American artists and writers in 1993. The best known are Hardware, Icon and Static.

In 2014, Hip hop icon Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of Run DMC, launched his own comic book imprint, Darryl Makes Comics. His graphic novel series, DMC, features McDaniels as a contemporary superhero—complete with trademark Adidas and fedora— confronting evil in 1985 New York City. Darryl Makes Comics is an independent comic book imprint and includes collaborator and Editor-in-Chief Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, and music executive Riggs Morales. Darryl Makes Comics is dedicated to the idea that every walk of life has heroes and stories worth telling. “Hip hop was always based on creativity,” DMC says, “So what we’re trying to do with this comic book is not trying to create anything that’s new; we’re just going to show the world what’s already there… the beauty and the creativity of it.” For more information about McDaniels’ graphic novel series, DMC, visit (http://www.dmc-comics.com).

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