Akira (Epic Comics) Print Runs ? 3 3

[Lazyboy]

On 3/19/2022 at 7:20 PM, yoda12288 said:

I don't think it's close to it's ceiling because I don't think that 3,270 9.8s, plus whatever people are hoarding is ever going to equate to an oversupply of that book. Miles is most definitely now a legacy character in the comics alone, not to mention live action MCU along with all the young kids, including my daughter, who say Miles in Spider-Man, not Pete. Hulk 181 has a ton of copies, albeit not 9.8s but that book will always be a blue chip. I think that 9.8s, even if there ends up being 6k+ is an oversupply. It's not going to be a 10k+ book anytime soon or ever imo but it's definitely a blue chip baby AF 15 of the modern age

 

 

1. Kids are stupid. Peter Parker is Spider-Man.

2. If Miles is Spider-Man for the next generation, why are prices so high now? Kids aren't paying those prices.

[JJ-4]

On 3/19/2022 at 5:27 PM, onlyweaknesskryptonite said:

The guy I got it from was asking $300. I offered $200 and we settled at $250. 

Little more than I wanted to pay, but it was the only one I didn't have. So I decided the search was over.

Congrats on finishing the run!

[The Green Ghost]

On 3/19/2022 at 5:27 PM, onlyweaknesskryptonite said:

The guy I got it from was asking $300. I offered $200 and we settled at $250. 

Little more than I wanted to pay, but it was the only one I didn't have. So I decided the search was over.

Lucky you. What grade would you say it's in? I paid $300 for a graded 9.2 (would've rather paid less for it raw but whatever, I'm not near many stores now). Only one I need is 37 but that shouldn't be TOO hard.

It's one of those evergreen series that will always be in demand even if they don't make a live action, because the anime is so iconic. Like if there was a comic series of Breaking Bad, tv fans would always want it even if there were no reboot. Some of the best art ever in a comic imo, and those covers are the goat- improves even on the Watchmen/Stray Bullets motif of isolating one moment out of context with a single color bar.

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

On 3/21/2022 at 8:16 AM, The Green Ghost said:

Lucky you. What grade would you say it's in? I paid $300 for a graded 9.2 (would've rather paid less for it raw but whatever, I'm not near many stores now). Only one I need is 37 but that shouldn't be TOO hard.

It's one of those evergreen series that will always be in demand even if they don't make a live action, because the anime is so iconic. Like if there was a comic series of Breaking Bad, tv fans would always want it even if there were no reboot. Some of the best art ever in a comic imo, and those covers are the goat- improves even on the Watchmen/Stray Bullets motif of isolating one moment out of context with a single color bar.

I would say it is 9.2-9.4 . I too do not have many stores in my local area, but do travel a bit and always look in stores while I am away. 37 is still tough, but not as bad as 38. Good luck! 

It definitely is an iconic piece.  

[marmat]

Akira is the absolute Best comic I have ever read, both art and story

[yoda12288]

On 3/21/2022 at 2:58 PM, marmat said:

Akira is the absolute Best comic I have ever read, both art and story

Yeah, it really is in so many ways. I was spoiled with it so bad that i can't even get into a lot of modern manga just based on the art. I'm just not a fan and it's not my thing . there are so many things to read that i to prioritize comics that have art i like AND a great story

[yoda12288]

On 3/21/2022 at 9:16 AM, The Green Ghost said:

Lucky you. What grade would you say it's in? I paid $300 for a graded 9.2 (would've rather paid less for it raw but whatever, I'm not near many stores now). Only one I need is 37 but that shouldn't be TOO hard.

It's one of those evergreen series that will always be in demand even if they don't make a live action, because the anime is so iconic. Like if there was a comic series of Breaking Bad, tv fans would always want it even if there were no reboot. Some of the best art ever in a comic imo, and those covers are the goat- improves even on the Watchmen/Stray Bullets motif of isolating one moment out of context with a single color bar.

Yeah , what's all your thoughts on the #1 $3.95 second printing ? I just picked one up in really nice condition and i heard they are way more rare than first printings. I want to get it graded. 

[Josh in Japan]

The OP is absolutely correct:  AKIRA is skyrocketing.

Not necessarily just the EPIC version.  Anything AKIRA is on fire and will only continue to do so.

I started collecting the EPIC books when I was in middle school, right after I saw the anime at my local arthouse theater.  This was in early 1990.  I managed to grab up all the back issues at local comic conventions, and continued buying the book monthly.  Then things got very sporadic.  There were droughts of months between books, and then for no reason, it just stopped altogether.  It didn't resume publication until 1995, my senior year of high school!  That's a hell of a long wait to complete a 38 issue story.  But yes, those last 5 issues after the long hiatus are definitely the hardest to find. 37 and 38 include "tribute" pieces by international comics writer and artists, and those pieces have never been reprinted, not even in the Japanese reprint of the EPIC books.

For a long time, it seemed like Japan enjoyed the exclusivity of the early material.  The original YOUNG magazines where AKIRA was published in serial form are insanely rare.  First of all, only the savviest of nerds would even think of stockpiling the thick 400 page weekly books, especially when any storage space is a premium in tiny Japanese apartments.  Second, the book are printed on the cheapest of cheap newsprint, and they'd need to be very carefully taken care of to survive Japan's humidity.  On the rare occasions you'd see the first AKIRA in YOUNG issue for sale, it's always in terrible condition and pages frayed and yellowing.  It's a miracle any survived at all after 40 years!

I spent most of my time in Japan grabbing up anything by Otomo that I could afford.  At first that meant going to the big manga stores in Tokyo, but eventually people started selling more and more stuff on yahoo japan auctions, and mercari.  That's what opened the floodgates.

A few years ago, I'd see the first AKIRA going for $2-300.  These days it's been pushed up to $2-3000.  International fans are rabid for AKIRA, especially in France and America.  These collectors have now turned their sites on owning the original magazines, and there simply aren't enough to go around.  Japanese collectors are upset that they're getting outbid left and right by foreign buyers that have inflated the price to ridiculous highs.

I was very lucky.  I snagged two of the most desirable YOUNG magazines before the foreign boom came in.  I think I only paid about $50 for each.  But that was a wonderful investment.  I never want to sell these, but if I had to, I'm sure these are gonna be worth a fortune someday.  In the entire original run of AKIRA, it was only featured on the cover FOUR times.  I own two of those issues.

So I believe those original YOUNG issues are a great investment...IF you can find them.

As for the original Japanese printing of the 6 volumes (tankoban) that collect the whole series?  I don't think the prices will ever get crazy on those.  Those exist in the millions upon millions.  The first volume has over 100 printings.  I'm not aware of any American comic book that has 100 prints.  Imagine trying to collect all them, having to check the indicia hoping for that 57th printing your missing.  I think that first printings of these may eventually become sought after, but just owning them at all is no big deal cause there's sooo many circulating out there.

 

So the TL;DR to my rambling post is this:  AKIRA is hot and it's only gonna get hotter.  That includes the EPIC books of course, but more so the insanely scarce original YOUNG magazine run.