Whiz Comics #2 (#1) CGC 9.0 0

[Cat-Man_America]

Without a doubt...the most important book to come to auction this year...it is a great to see a white back cover. I reread this book on the internet...what a great first issue and read.

I value the book at 457K, I think the price however will be a lot less, with a guess at 251K

Why the discrepancy? If it sells for $250K, why is that not its value?

 

In the early days of fandom, whiz 2 and Action 1 went toe to toe, with action 1 being more available in higher grades. Both books hit the 1k mark first.

But the new comic that hit the stands in the 80's sold very well the first issue, but lacked the punch of the marvel line, and began to drop off. If they had not brought in the new version then Capt Marvel would of have been the stuff of legend's and would of at least put up a good fight but the new books tarnished the value of the old and hence CM has been lost. As people forget the 80's crapp, the value is gonna come back and big time.

For years in early fandom, the Whiz 2 book was so "good" that the second and following issues just did not measure up to that, when they ran the 12 issues or 10 issues iconic battle...they were back and an excellent hardcover reprint book full size in the 80's or 90's.

 

CM has a long way to go, Only a sharp, and I mean really sharp veteran collection KNOWS the only way the book is gonna go is UP. BUT the short, quick sale, double your profit in an instant is not gonna work. It is gonna take time, more time to really let the book find its place in comic book value history. A great long term hold, a great book itself, condition is amazing....the best book of the year by far to be offered at auction. I stick by my estimate 251K, I stick by my value 457 9.0, 506K for 9.2, 539K for 9.4 with 1 million in the future for 9.0 or above, especially if the white back cover is super clean.

 

This is gonna take BOTH a collector and Investor to pull the trigger.

 

absent a hot movie series that wakes up interest in Capt Marvel, the book will always only appeal to serious collectors. based entirely on its faded status as one of comics early mega key books,,,,, like many other faded GA "gotta have" key books from back in your heyday in the 70s.

 

Theres less and less reason to ever expect the values to rise sharply every year that passes. sorry. go ahead and buy another copy. better yet, sell yours now before it loses even more value... though its really doesnt matter for you since you are probably into it for 5K or less.

 

hey, maybe this IS your copy!

 

Aman, you sound like this book is just "another" book. This iconic book is an ultra key, ultra rare, and has lots of famous history in it (Beck art for one). Shazam will 4-ever be instilled in the hearts of MANY. The value will catch up in time. (thumbs u

I personally like shazam more than superman

My childhood of the 70s revolved around shazam tv show...my grandmother made me a shazam costume (and then Proceeded to beat my rear end when I lept from furniture to furniture...what'd she expect )

That said whiz 2/1 in general is a tough sell. Sure this phenomenal copy will do nicely and in general better results from unrestored copies reselling versus restored but over the past 10 years this book has been flat or even gone backwards. I would not "bank" on any major value increase short of some major rehauling of the character, which there has been no evidence of for decades

As mentioned i believe I have owned 10 copies over the past decade and I struggled (with 2 exceptions) to even get my cost out when I sold. But I love the book and the character so never really concerned me!

 

[font:Times New Roman]

I concur, it's a great book and series, but currently with limited speculative potential. Alas, Captain Marvel has been weighed down by a mountain of issues, some legal, some historical, but all complicated.

 

The fact that even the name of the character is held for ransom by competing corporate entities (Marvel & DC) is just one indication of how difficult the legal issues are for Captain Marvel. A lot would need to be ironed out before anyone would green-light a sophisticated film or television project featuring the character.

 

The most daunting aspect of resurrecting the Captain's popularity may be finding a way to deal with the fact that he's a pre-pubescent kid in a superhero's body. That poses an awkward problem to building any kind of romantic interest into the storyline. Having no romantic interest complicates any mass market film or TV production.

 

Unless the origin is tweaked and the Billy Batson character is nudged a few years into puberty there can be no social interaction with the opposite sex, even G rated platonic, and that's not the only issue that poses a particularly icky problem for the creation of a plausible romantic interest.

 

Even though fascination with the opposite sex would probably be normal for Billy, the good Captain can't be seen as having any interest in girls his own age because he's a kid inside a man's body. M'thinks that would not play well to audiences.

 

Moreover, the appearance of Billy Batson in the guise of Captain Marvel having an interest in an older woman would be awkward as well! So, that narrows the scope of any film commitment and complicates drawing a teen or older audience into the cinema. It may look like I'm over-thinking this, but I suspect that this has been a bone of contention every time a Captain Marvel -script pops up.

 

That said, the character still works remarkably well as a wholesome kid's comic from the 1940's, and there's plenty of room for re-envisioning the character if legal issues can be side-stepped or ironed out. A more aggressive, uber-violent Captain worked just fine in the 1941 Republic serial even if that take on the character didn't reflect the innocent charm of CC Beck's comic. And what the heck, if Superman can woo Lois Lane in the guise of two different men while saving the world, then why can't Billy Batson grow-up a little while battling Sivana?!

 

Sorry about the digression into Hollywood-foo, but here's the bottom line: If there's to be growth of Captain Marvel as a popular collectible there needs to be some kind of media attention on the character to generate more interest/speculation in the comics. That's my opinion; OMMV.[/font]

[Aman619]

Peewee, gator, David... Great replies. Between them we have both sides of it. All agree it's a great book, but some of us see little financial upside.

 

But who cares? Buy the book!

[Aman619]

I mean as a collector.... Not as an investment. That's always the best approach.

[nearmint]

Underbidder on that gorgeous Whiz #5 on eBay tonight.

[The_Captain]

Underbidder on that gorgeous Whiz #5 on eBay tonight.

 

That truly was an extraordinary beautiful copy with excellent pq. We both left our bids at the same second and I shouted out loud when there was no time to bid again

[nearmint]

Underbidder on that gorgeous Whiz #5 on eBay tonight.

 

That truly was an extraordinary beautiful copy with excellent pq. We both left our bids at the same second and I shouted out loud when there was no time to bid again

 

I wonder if the winning bidder was the same person that paid 9K for the Whiz #9 CGC 8.5 a few months ago.

[archiefan]

I personally like shazam more than superman

My childhood of the 70s revolved around shazam tv show...my grandmother made me a shazam costume (and then Proceeded to beat my rear end when I lept from furniture to furniture...what'd she expect )

That said whiz 2/1 in general is a tough sell. Sure this phenomenal copy will do nicely and in general better results from unrestored copies reselling versus restored but over the past 10 years this book has been flat or even gone backwards. I would not "bank" on any major value increase short of some major rehauling of the character, which there has been no evidence of for decades

As mentioned i believe I have owned 10 copies over the past decade and I struggled (with 2 exceptions) to even get my cost out when I sold. But I love the book and the character so never really concerned me!

 

I loved Captain Marvel and Shazam myself over the other heroes back in the 70s. Heck I even had a fan letter published in one of the issues that I drafted as a nine or ten year old. The comic reboot, the Fieffer "Comic Book Heroes" book with that teaser intro, the Filmation Saturday morning TV show, and those wonderful WGSH Mego action figures are cemented in many a kid's memory. One of the biggest though was the Famous First Edition of this issue. I loved it. That and the GA reprints in Shazam sparked my interest in finding the original issues.

 

Captain Marvel will always have a nostalgic fan base among our generation due to these factors. The trouble is that new collectors have no idea who these characters are.

[Larryw7]

I was just the right age when DC revived Captain Marvel in the seventies. Like Gator and archiefan, I was a big fan of the Saturday morning show(though I always wished Captain Marvel would fight a real villain and not always tackle sociological issues). And I loved the 100 pagers full of GA reprints. That, and the Shazam from the Forties to the Seventies book, really made me into a fan of GA Fawcett.

[The_Captain]

Underbidder on that gorgeous Whiz #5 on eBay tonight.

 

That truly was an extraordinary beautiful copy with excellent pq. We both left our bids at the same second and I shouted out loud when there was no time to bid again

 

I wonder if the winning bidder was the same person that paid 9K for the Whiz #9 CGC 8.5 a few months ago.

 

In early 2010 I was told that someone with deep pockets is putting together a run of early Whiz Comics. Not sure if this is still accurate though.

 

As for the #9, whoever bought it might have been after the pedigree or the specific cover, but the deep pockets argument would fit perfectly. I doubt the book would have sold for even half as much if it weren't an Allentown.

 

As for the buyer of the #5 I find it interesting that he only has a feedback of only 24.

 

[peewee22]

 

 

I personally like shazam more than superman

My childhood of the 70s revolved around shazam tv show...my grandmother made me a shazam costume (and then Proceeded to beat my rear end when I lept from furniture to furniture...what'd she expect )

That said whiz 2/1 in general is a tough sell. Sure this phenomenal copy will do nicely and in general better results from unrestored copies reselling versus restored but over the past 10 years this book has been flat or even gone backwards. I would not "bank" on any major value increase short of some major rehauling of the character, which there has been no evidence of for decades

As mentioned i believe I have owned 10 copies over the past decade and I struggled (with 2 exceptions) to even get my cost out when I sold. But I love the book and the character so never really concerned me!

 

I loved Captain Marvel and Shazam myself over the other heroes back in the 70s. Heck I even had a fan letter published in one of the issues that I drafted as a nine or ten year old. The comic reboot, the Fieffer "Comic Book Heroes" book with that teaser intro, the Filmation Saturday morning TV show, and those wonderful WGSH Mego action figures are cemented in many a kid's memory. One of the biggest though was the Famous First Edition of this issue. I loved it. That and the GA reprints in Shazam sparked my interest in finding the original issues.

 

Captain Marvel will always have a nostalgic fan base among our generation due to these factors. The trouble is that new collectors have no idea who these characters are.

 

(thumbs u

[peewee22]

Underbidder on that gorgeous Whiz #5 on eBay tonight.

 

That truly was an extraordinary beautiful copy with excellent pq. We both left our bids at the same second and I shouted out loud when there was no time to bid again

 

I wonder if the winning bidder was the same person that paid 9K for the Whiz #9 CGC 8.5 a few months ago.

 

In early 2010 I was told that someone with deep pockets is putting together a run of early Whiz Comics. Not sure if this is still accurate though.

 

As for the #9, whoever bought it might have been after the pedigree or the specific cover, but the deep pockets argument would fit perfectly. I doubt the book would have sold for even half as much if it weren't an Allentown.

 

As for the buyer of the #5 I find it interesting that he only has a feedback of only 24.

 

Some collectors speak softly (24 feedback) but carry a big wallet!

[Sqeggs]

 

 

Unless the origin is tweaked and the Billy Batson character is nudged a few years into puberty there can be no social interaction with the opposite sex, even G rated platonic, and that's not the only issue that poses a particularly icky problem for the creation of a plausible romantic interest.

 

Even though fascination with the opposite sex would probably be normal for Billy, the good Captain can't be seen as having any interest in girls his own age because he's a kid inside a man's body. M'thinks that would not play well to audiences.

 

Moreover, the appearance of Billy Batson in the guise of Captain Marvel having an interest in an older woman would be awkward as well!

 

I agree that making a Captain Marvel movie that was true to the original would be a tall order and without any built-in fan base it's probably not something any studio would take on. Not sure the romance angle is necessarily a problem, though. If you remember the Tom Hanks movie Big from some years back, they did a good job of having a kid in an adult's body have a love interest without it seeming to be too weird.

[nearmint]

Here's a crazy idea. How about a KIDS movie about Captain Marvel. Not every superhero film has to appeal to the adult crowd.

[The_Captain]

Although I'm not a Captain America fan, I liked the way they did the movie and appreciated the charm of the 40's.

 

I'd really like to see a 40's style Captain Marvel movie which would be suitable for youngsters as well. Not every DC movie has to be dark in order to be good...or liked

[peewee22]

Here's a crazy idea. How about a KIDS movie about Captain Marvel. Not every superhero film has to appeal to the adult crowd.

[batman_fan]

Here's a crazy idea. How about a KIDS movie about Captain Marvel. Not every superhero film has to appeal to the adult crowd.

 

Justin Bieber as Captain Marvel ... It just may be crazy enough to work

[VintageComics]

Here's a crazy idea. How about a KIDS movie about Captain Marvel. Not every superhero film has to appeal to the adult crowd.

 

Get Dennis Rodman to play Dr. Sivana.

 

 

[zosocane]

Like others, I grew up a Marvel kid but was fascinated with the Captain Marvel TV show of the mid-70s. That a kid could utter a word and -- thundclap -- instant super-hero that can compete with Superman was/is really cool.

 

Yes, CM and the Marvel Family are almost zombie characters in popular culture today. However, my spider-sense tells me DC has a plan to revive the character, and that they're in the early stages of implementation. For those that have not seen it, I highly recommend the 2010 DC animated original short, Superman/Shazam: The Return of Black Adam. Here is a clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQH-_23nWQg .

 

Toward the end of 2011, DC announced it was dumping the name "Captain Marvel" in favor of "Shazam" -- it figured it was pointless to fight for pride and history in a battle it won't ever win against Marvel Comics. Plus the name "Shazam" appeals to younger kids. You've got an iPhone app called "Shazam," and you've got a pop band called "Foxy Shazam." Anyway, as part of the re-launch of Shazam, Shazam now appears at the end of each issue of JLA (about 10 pages) where Geoff Johns and Gary Frank are retelling the origin story of Billy Batson and have introduced Mary Batson and a blonde-haired but disabled Freddy Freeman. Dr. Sivana and Black Adam have been re-introduced as well. The story-telling and art-work are tops -- not the that we were seeing several years ago in the cartoonish Billy Batson and the Power of Shazam.

 

And go on the Warner Bros on line shop and what was released just 6 days ago? Shazam! The Complete Live-Action Series of the 70s on DVD, so we are spared having to watch grainy bootleg copies. http://www.wbshop.com/product/shazam+the+complete+liveaction+series+1000356316.do?sortby=ourPicks&from=Search So I do think this character will make a come-back of some sort and it is getting real support this time from DC.

 

Anyway, the Whiz #2/1 is beautiful, that back cover is bone white. Love it!

Edited October 31, 2012 by zosocane

[peewee22]

We could all go Dutch and buy that 9.0....of course, I'd ask to house it since it's my idea.

[G.A.tor]

I will certainly be an active bidder on the copy!