AKA Rick

I'd say 95% of the signatures on comic books are authentic to the degree that outside of Stan Lee and a few deceased artists or elusive signers, there's no real reason to forge signatures. Autographs by J. Scott Campbell, Adam Hughes, Neal Adams, etc. are all readily available at conventions, although many artists charge fees, most or the majority don't, and the incremental value of an autograph is debatable to adding a premium to also being seen as a defect or flaw to purists who seek out true high grades without any aftermarket alterations like a signature (writing on the book). So, I'd not think the signature series or any authentication is truly necessary to the point where there's a huge premium. Sure, it's a great benefit to substantiate and add provenience to the autographs, but at what price/cost to the value is the challenging question. I'd most certainly, personally never pay a premium for a signature/autographed comic book, nor would I pay to get an autograph authenticated. But that's just me, my preferences and opinion.

Is ROM (Marvel) truly hot, or is it speculation after the IDW relaunch?

The Powerade DC Comics "King James" Lebron James comic books with the James Jean cover, there are 2 different issues, released were really tough finds 'til eventually I managed to find them on eBay.

They could or should just bag the book and then seal the bag with their aftermarket sticker, serving both branding and being tamper proof / resistant to the case inside, but I'd agree in that any aftermarket stickers on the case can be an eyesore, that's why so many bag their CGC cases to avoid surface scratches, chips and cracks to the case itself, which is designed to protect the book inside, so now it's putting the case in a case, like slapping on 2 condoms and double baggin' it...

This comment is curious in that, in what civilized society does a person get complimented on simply fulfilling an obligation, and a painfully delayed one at that? There's way too many fanboys tho kowtow to the outrageously rude and unacceptable behavior of artists, who treat them like gods and accept being treated like peasants. In related news, I went to a restaurant, ordered a steak medium rare, the guy brought me a knife, dropped it on the dirty ground, picked it up, put it on the table and walked away to get my steak, which was well done and dry with a hair in it. I'm giving 'em a five star Yelp review because the waiter could have easily took that knife and stabbed me relentlessly and also spit in my food, so they deserve credit for sparing my life and health... The more people put up with bad behavior, the more it supports its continuation to exist. Economic boycotts seem to work best 'til the problems are resolved. I've never had a problem with Rubinstein, but then again, I've never done a cash in advance commission request with him either.

I think that the marketplace is hopefully maturing from starting to become like the 199o's Internet Stock Market filled with speculars and hype on potential driving up prices, which crashed, into a more sane marketplace. Just because a character is optioned for TV or a Movie, does not equate to "the golden ticket" and I especially find it odd when villain characters, who are usually one and done on the big screen, have their values pushed up on hype. For Wynonna Earp, I liked the original comic and art by Joyce Chin, but I think speculators are thinking it will be like The old show "Witchblade" featuring Yancy Butler, a non commercial success. Look at "Wanted" - it did relatively well in the box office, yet the comics are dollar bid fodder. Where, Scott Pilgrim bombed in the theater, but the books are still popular.

Where do you find Steve Ditko's mailing address to correspond?

...and I've seen the way his signings are often handled... imagine being a a casino and being dealt cards in blackjack... The handlers slide the comics to Stan, he puts his pen on it anywhere, doesn't look up, doesn't look down too carefully to see whatever he's signing, and then he slides the book to the next handler, and often times I've seen books manhandled where damage could occur, but who's one to scold Stan "The Man" Lee? I think Stan Lee used to be an awesome guest, very engaging as a speaker and personality, but once he fell under the management who helps him run his autograph business, it seems they treat him like slave labor and a machine, cranking out autographs as fast as can be done hearing the "cha' ching!" with every signature and everytime someone wants to say anything to Stan or Stan stops to chat, that represents money that can't be made, so they put the shackles back on Stan by moving everyone along, barely letting fans even get close to him, unless they want to pay extra $$$ for a photo op to take a picture with him. It's sad to see Stan's vibrant personality stifled by age and situation. To me, there should have been or be a level of integrity and pride in the process too. Get the man fresh pens. Let him pace out and rest his hands so the signatures don't look like scribbles due to fatigue. Audit what is being signed, and quite frankly reject signing "anything", limiting his autograph to only items that are directly related to Stan Lee or peripherally (such as books during his reign as Editor in Chief or characters he created). If anyone argues, they're paying $ for him to sign, so they have the right for him to sign anything they dang well please... well, if you put a contract down that obligated him to will you the rights to the characters he created and paid his autograph fee, should he and would he sign that piece of paper? - - So, I can't see why if he did refuse to autograph a NYX or Batman's Adventure #12 comic book, what the debate would be. Just as I can't see why anyone would want him to sign irrelevant books. If their claim is "I want something unique and to have the only one" that's a pretty lame justification. They might as well bring any odd object to that point, like I bet Stan Lee's never signed a tampon before or a can of chili beans...

Is Batman / Superman #32 truly hot or a flash in the pan? My LCS sold out, and I saw on eBay, completed auctions shows sales the 1st day as high as $15 for a $3.99 cover priced comic book.

When I inquired at Wonder Con about CGC's magazine grading, they told me outside of comic book related magazines, including indie press, they only do a few titles that are non-comic related, but will grade based on signature series submissions, so if you get any magazine featuring a celebrity to autograph, they'll grade that magazine.

How about the Amazing Spider-Man #646 Mike Mayhew Vampire Variant Cover of Amazing Fantasty #15 reimagined? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Amazing-Spider-Man-646-CGC-SS-STAN-LEE-Graded-9-4-Mayhew-Variant-Cover-/222013330965?hash=item33b1069615:g:D1EAAOSwKtlWsQ2n

I think to a degree it's like the art of Bill Waterson and Gary Larson - - "The Calvin and Hobbes" as well as "The Far Side" comic strip artwork. Whereas with other similar properties like Jim Davis' "Garfield" where his prices direct to consumer were relatively cheap and readily available. I speculate if Jim Davis horded all of his art or donated them to museums relegating them in the "not available / not for sale" status, his original artwork would command much higher prices and greater prestige. A large part of the valuation is based upon the scarcity in what is available in the open secondary market. So, what Capullo is effectively doing is price mapping, controlling the inventory and valuation by setting the pricing. Ultimately whether it becomes more trash than treasure or vice versa is to be determined by the longevity his own legacy and fan base.

Everybody has a price...

If you prorated it, based on what he charges for his art, I'd say it should be priced at around $562.76

My favorite Batman / Detective artists are: Neal Adams Marshall Rogers Jim Lee Then, I enjoyed the title works by Jim Aparo Gene Colan David Finch Tony Daniel

I can agree that Capullo speaks to a new generation, but unlike Byrne, Adams, McFarlane, Lee,etc. who "earned" the proverbial "hobby love" by starting off with pricing in the hundred dollar range and slowly increasing in price/value, Capullo is coming out of the gate "at tomorrow's prices, today" where maybe these could be worth the asking price or more, maybe even much more in 10 years, but for the average collector when you're looking at $1-3k for interior pages, some non-splash pages @ $10k+, and a cover for $30k, what that money can buy today for more established and proven artists, and proven in the context of sustainable popularity like Kirby, Ditko, Romita, etc. - - or even his current contemporaries like Finch, Campbell, Hughes, Lee, Granov, Brooks, Cheung, etc., you get a lot more buying power with buying non-Capullo pieces, which feels like if they all went to a no-reserve traditional comic art auction where the marketplace determines the pricing, I'd speculate the art would sell for 1/3 of the asking prices, if not possibly even 75% or even 85% or more less than the listed price (i.e. a paneled page like Batman #37 Pg #8 = http://capulloart.net/product/batman-issue-37-page-8/?v=7516fd43adaa priced at $6,500 might probably sell for under $1,000 at auction - - and even if it sold at $3k, that's still more than 50% less than the listed price). It feels like the mid/late 90's tech stock bubble where many companies were based on "potential" so the speculators bought into companies based on what they could become rather than what they actually were, and inadvertently, people woke up and realized how overpriced they were and the market crashed. A few like Apple survived and thrived, others like CMGI are pennies on the dollar off their highs. So, it is a risk with some upside if Capullo does emerge as a great storytelling artist that resonates with the type of nostalgia fans have for certain creators 10, 20 or even 30 years from now like Kirby Fantastic Four; Ditko Spider-Man; Adams Green Lantern; Byrne X-Men; Miller Daredevil; McFarlane Spider-Man; Lee Batman; etc. - - but keep in mind, even paneled pages by the more recent greats can be had for less than what Capullo is asking for his paneled pages today. I'd love to see Capullo personally test the market and get that reality check to the valuation of his art by submitting a few pieces to Heritage and Comic Link and let the marketplace prove the naysayers wrong with explosive sales prices or let him know roughly what the marketplace values his art at if they fall short of what he has his art listed at online. All it takes is 2 pieces, and it's a test, not a commitment to all inventory. He may find if his art doesn't sell for what he's asking, and rather than sell it on the cheap, just pull the pieces, keep them in the "black hole" so years from now he can bring them out with a "fresh to market" perception when maybe the market matures to appreciate his artwork at higher values when he can slowly sell one piece at a time to retain the perception of scarcity and get the prices (or more) that he wants. Right now, it feels like a general consensus among collectors I've heard is that his pricing is extremely optimistically on the high side of what the market bares for his art today, and is out of reach for most collectors and is a risky gamble for investors.

Greg Capullo's pricing seems higher than what Neal Adams or Jim Lee would charge, and although subjective as an opinion, Capullo's work is many levels below those artists on the Batman title. I see him on par with David Finch and Tony Daniel in terms of where his pricing should be. But different strokes for different folks. Fair to say, they're not priced to move and sell per se, otherwise you'd visit the website and see most of the inventory sold. However, that being said, they're priced direct from the artist who controls the inventory and pricing, so to that degree, theoretically it's not like if you're a fan of Capullo's artwork, that you could find similar original art cheaper. So, he's done an excellent job creating his rate standard, being consistent in what he charges and for the super-collectors of his work who value the original art at the asking price at least it is available. I think if Capullo is ever in fund raising mode and finds his artwork is stacking up, he'd probably benefit from securing an art rep to help him understand the marketplace and how to price his art to actually sell. Otherwise, you never know if Capullo's star ever starts to fade and what once was hot commodities becomes less desirable artifacts not many eventually want to pursue. I do think he's probably going to be in the realm of Joe Mad, Mark Schultz, Travis Charest whose body of work isn't super expansive nor has relevance in terms of new or consistent releases, but are followed by fans and supported in the secondary market with stability in value/pricing.

The one aspect of the 2 boards offers that might be a future unfortunate situation is when the pairs are separated and art owners decide to split them up and sell them individually or keep one and sell the other, so there will be unmatched pairs floating around, probably causing further debate to the valuation of "inks over blueline" vs "original pencils"... but at the end of the day, the owner of the art can do whatever they want... I remember many people in the 1980's had Steve Oliff hand color their B&W original art pages, with probable marketplace value hindsight regret.

I actually like the 2 boards because it gives the best of both worlds, the original pencils and the original inks, revealing the actual art process and the inked version is the final version, yet done over bluelines, where the original pencils are retained separately. It's like a 2 for 1 to me

Negan gives me a reason to watch every episode, it sure won't be boring! ...I still think Negan would have been better cast if portrayed by Andrew Dice Clay

The Anaheim Convention Center is undergoing renovation. ...wasn't that the reasoning that Comic Con gave for moving Wonder Con from the Moscone Center in San Francisco to Anaheim years ago, and they never looked or came back to SF? I know the Wonder Con program guide already announced the dates and location of Wonder Con 2017, back in Anaheim and finally, "not" on Easter Weekend either. I hope eventually they find themselves back in Nor Cal in SF ('tho the week prior this year was Silicon Valley Con, from what hear, that was more like a "Wizard World" pop culture convention than a Comic Convention). Everyone's rationale about how being in LA allows "Hollywood" to conveniently promote their media (TV and Film) and actors/actresses attend the show for panels and signings, I think SF drew more celebrity star power in the past than what Anaheim nor LA (or the Long Beach shows) have ever done for some reason. However, I heard Meagan Fox was signing on Friday for FREE (finally, none of this "pay me to sign an autograph, and pay me more for the rights to stand next to me and take a photograph) opportunity at Wonder Con this year. For some reason, if Comic Con wants Wonder Con to be the 2nd best show of the year, to rival or be a mini-San Diego, they have a long way to go to make Wonder Con tighter and more appealing. I walk into Wonder Con and their set up and guest lists seem about the same as most average shows, nothing extra ordinary. In the past, when in SF, I felt it was stronger. But then again, back then there weren't so many shows, now there's a convention nearly every other week or every week some place in the country, so the availability of securing guests is probably harder as well.

That is right on target. Commissions are generally pursuits of passion and fandom. Sure, some are worth good $ and many go up in value, but if you look time and time again at historical precedent, especially in today's environment where commissions and sketch covers are so prevelent and expensive, if you have $10,000 to spend and spend that same $10k on commissioned art or that same $10k in published art by the same artist, the odds are in 10+ years, the published art will be worth more than the commissions by leaps and bounds, even if the commissions are those sketch covers and CGC graded 9.8. Most art collectors don't fancy the sketch cards and sketch covers so much. However, with some artists like Mark Brooks for example, his commissioned work outsells in $ his published work, but that's in part due to the quality of rendering. So, it's a general statement, not a rule. Personally, I do like if not love commissions, as part of my pursuit to obtain custom artwork made for me personally, as well as the connection with the artist. I'm less interested in buying someone else's commission regardless of rendering quality, at that point I'd pass and either commission my own or buy something published, but that's just my personal preference.

Is there any heat with Batman #567 ? http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Batman_Vol_1_567 1st Appearance of Cassandra Cain (Batgirl) and 1st Appearance of David Cain (Villian from The League of Assassins) Or is this a lackluster book that might be found as a hidden gem in dollar bins?

Beyond print runs, there are "survival rates" and most modern comics have a high one, where older books, especially pre1980's have a lower one. With New Mutants always carrying a certain level of prestige, even out of the gate with collector's fanfare, at any given point if you have the cash, it can be easily obtained and is not scarce, where older comic issues are true treasure hunts. But despite the high print run, I wonder of those who are buying the, are they purchased out of fandom or investment speculation, further or to the later, are there collectors out there holding multiple copies, either driving up the prices or ensuring the investments in the positions they hold don't falter, so continue to cost average and buy buy buy?

As an FYI - ComicLink never has Buyer Transaction Fees, so it's always FREE (meaning no upcharges) to Bid on ComicLink as a Buyer - - What you bid is what you pay (plus shipping/insurance for delivery of course) at ComicLink. That's what I absolutely LOVE about bidding and buying on ComicLink.