20 Dec Spider-Man No Way Home Bargain Keys

The MCU just expanded triple-fold with the opening of Spider-Man: No Way Home, and as expected there were massive repercussions in the world of comic book collecting –because nothing impacts the value of back-issues like MCU validation. That can mean the adaptation of a story arc or the introduction (or re-introduction) of fan-favorite heroes and villains. Almost everything we’ve seen pertaining to Spider-Man in the MCU thus far originates in the first 50 issues of the Amazing Spider-Man comic book, and with Silver Age comics already quite pricey, it may seem like it’s already too late to opt-in.

Fear not! As you’ll see below, there are a few individual comics related to the events in Spider-Man: No Way Home that seem poised for massive spikes in value as the general public becomes interested and brings new money into the collecting hobby.

As such there are SPOILERS ahead.

So if you haven’t seen Spider-Man: No Way Home, stop reading now or risk learning things that can ruin some wonderful surprises.

Evident from the very first trailers is that No Way Home revolves around Peter Parker asking Doctor Strange to erase the world’s memory of his secret identity, which was revealed by Mysterio at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home. This is a twist on the plot of the One More Day story arc begun in Amazing Spider-Man #544, written by Babylon 5 creator, J. Michael Straczynski and illustrated by Joe Quesada & Danny Miki, and weaving through multiple comic book titles in 2007 & 2008.

Of the several issues involved in the One More Day story, Amazing Spider-Man #545 is one to have because it’s not only the issue in which the spell is actually cast, it also features the first appearances of Lily Hollister & Carlie Cooper –members of the Goblin Underground who become Menace & Monster respectively. These two are essential to any number of adaptable Goblin plots in the MCU, which was foreshadowed in No Way Home when Jacob Batalon learns from Tobey Maguire that his Spider-Man’s best friend “tried to kill him.” This sets up an inevitable Hobgoblin movie with Ned Leeds rather than Harry Osborn in the villain role.

Why this is a good key to own: The comics in the One More Day story arc spiked in value back when the first trailers debuted, but because the plot in the comics revolves around Mephisto –who was expected to appear in Wandavision (but didn’t), a lot of collectors unloaded these books, overlooking the multiple first appearances in ASM #545. With prices lowered again, it’s a good investment now.

While the bullet-sentence take-away from No Way Home is the MCU inclusions of prior Peter Parkers portrayed by Tobey Maguire & Andrew Garfield, the most impactful consequence for future films is the Death of Aunt May. This has happened a couple of times in the comics, but the first and most substantial iteration was in Amazing Spiderman #400. Of the multiple versions of this issue, the die-cut Grey Tombstone variant probably offers the best return on investment, as it’s rarer than the standard edition but not as scarce as the white, die-cut, limited to 10,000 copies variant (which is also difficult to find in high grade).

Why this is a good key to own: Even with all the ret-cons to continuity over the years and the differences between the comic book and MCU versions of Aunt May, A Death in the Family in Amazing Spider-Man #400 was a landmark issue. It’s a legit tear-jerker from Moonshadow scribe, J. M DeMatteis that harkens all the way back to Peter and May’s first appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15. But even if it wasn’t, ALL of the centennial issues of Amazing Spider-Man have maintained an elevated value compared to the issues preceding (and oft-times following) them. Still overlooked and undervalued, this is a comic that isn’t ever getting cheaper than it is right now, but is still incredibly affordable.

If the past eleven years of Marvel movies has taught us anything, it’s to never leave the theater until the lights come up. And the mid-credit sequence of No Way Home offered us an MCU validation of the post-credit sequence in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. When Eddie Brock gets phased back to the Sony-verse, a bit of symbiote gets left behind. And while we knew the box office for Tom Hardy’s Venom outings guarantees us another Venom movie, this is the first confirmation of symbiotes in the MCU. The first symbiote was, of course, Spider-Man’s black costume (which debuted in Amazing Spider-Man #252) revealed as Venom in Amazing Spider-Man #299.

Over the years, several price guides began labeling the next issue “First Full Venom,” but upon publication and for many years thereafter, Amazing Spider-Man #299 was considered the first appearance –and to this day Venom co-creator Todd McFarlane considers the full page reveal at the back of this issue to be Venom’s first appearance. It is this controversy that makes ASM #299 such a bargain since it sells for only 15% of what ASM #300 will generally cost you raw.

Why this is a good key to have: The inordinate disparity in currently assessed values between ASM #299 & ASM #300 make this one to have and keep. As both continue to rise in value, the gap between the two will close giving #299 a greater longtime return on investment. ASM #298, which is Todd McFarlane’s first issue of his iconic take on Spider-Man is also a steal at 10% of the value of #300.

Amazing Spider-Man #315 is the first appearance of Venom on a comic book cover. This is another fact that has been oddly controversial in recent years as some price guides have categorized ASM #316 as “First Full Venom Cover,” but there is no contesting the fact that Venom appears on the cover of ASM #315 with “Venom” written beneath an inset of his face –and even a word balloon with dialog. But discounting all of that, ASM #315 as been universally classified as the “Second Full Appearance of Venom,” since this is his first appearance after ASM #300 and he appears on multiple pages herein. And since ASM #315 costs about 12% of what ASM #316 costs, this also offers the potential for a greater ROI.

Remember: collecting is not the same as investing. It can be but it doesn’t have to be. You should buy the things that make you happy regardless of their perceived value. I don’t only buy for investment and neither should you. I write this column to give you a personal, researched perspective with the hope that it yields results that provide a little extra purchasing freedom but I make no guarantees. The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. All investment strategies and investments involve risk of loss. Nothing contained in this website should be construed as a guarantee of any specific outcome or profit.