Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Marvel Comics, Spider-Man, Venom | Tagged: conan, iron man, Marvel Omnibus, Savage Sword of Conan, spider-man, stephen king, The Dark Tower, tomb of dracula, venom

5 Marvel Omnibus That Can Be Sold for $500 or More

There are always hot comics that people are looking for: first appearances, major events, and content that inspire a new movie or TV series. The first appearances are almost always worth the most, but sometimes rarity will drive back issue prices up, sometimes on a 2nd, 3rd, or later print. However, many trade paperback collections of comic books, reprinting older material, do not go up in value, though there are always a few expectations due to rarity and no current reprints. Then there are hardcover collections, and with Marvel, there are also their oversized hardcover collections (OHCs). The largest by page count (not size since Marvel also does their Adamantium Collections, which are even larger in page size) is the Marvel Omnibus collections.

Starting in 2005 with Fantastic Four Omnibus #1, Marvel Omnibus collections are popular with many collectors because of their value in the number of pages to cost, with most Marvel Omnibus being $100 to $125 at close to 1000 pages. Also, most fans really enjoy being able to have their omnibus on their bookshelves. Marvel usually releases all their omnibuses with at least two covers, one that is available in book stores and Direct Market comic book stores and one just for the Direct Market comic book shops (sometimes more than one for the Direct Market). Though omnibuses aren't cheap, most can be gotten for around $50 less than retail price when released if a buyer looks around. Also, some Marvel Omnibus get liquidated if they don't sell well and are EASY to find cheap (for example, Guardians of the Galaxy Solo Classic Omnibus can be found easily for well over 50% off its cover price, if not cheaper). Then there are omnibus's that jump in value and keep going up for various reasons. If someone is looking to make a good profit off a book that started at $100 to $150 in value, these five Marvel Omnibus have each sold, most often brand new and still in shrinkwrap, in completed auctions on eBay for $500 or more since 2022 started, and show no signs of dropping in value.

#1. Stephen King's The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Omnibus Slipcase Set

Technically this might be two omnibus, but this set goes almost every time for well over $500, and some of those are not new. A used copy shipping from the UK, increasing the postage greatly, was sold for $500.44 in April. This book duo was released in 2014 for $150 by Marvel and collected all the Dark Tower miniseries that led to and also retold the first Dark Tower novel, the Gunslinger. Collecting seven miniseries and a one-shot, this reprinting also contained all the supplementary material that was in the back of each issue when originally published. Originally, this material was not included when these miniseries were collected in the original hardcover and trade paperback collections. Here the material is collected into the second book in the set, making this collection the only reprinting of this supplementary material, most of it written by Dark Tower expert Robin Furth. This collection is likely to never be reprinted as Marvel no longer has the Dark Tower license, and the new license holder has not, and would likely not, reprint the contents in this format again. In addition, this collection did not have as many copies printed compared to the first Dark Tower Omnibus Slipcase collection. Rarity and being very unlikely to be reprinted anytime soon, or ever, leads to obviously a big price increase. It's a common theme with all five books on this list.

#2. The Savage Sword of Conan Omnibus #1 Direct Market Cover

The next book on the list is the most recent book released, published in 2019, and is another licensed book for Marvel. Despite the fact that Conan was one of, if not THE major character, at Marvel for several years in the 1970s, Marvel does not own the printing rights for all the Conan comics they published between the 1970s to the 1990s. Getting the Conan license back in 2018 meant new Conan comics and Conan again appearing in other Marvel books, but what most Conan fans were really clamoring for were reprints of the classic material that Marvel released during the height of Conan's popularity. The works of Roy Thomas, Barry Windsor-Smith, and John Buscema are on full display here, with even classic work by Neal Adams and Jim Starlin inside this first Savage Sword of Conan Omnibus. Probably the most iconic story in Conan lore for fans, "Red Nails," is printed in its entirety in this book along with the most iconic image of Conan, him nailed to the cross from "A Witch Shall Be Born," are in this collection. In addition, the Savage Sword of Conan issues are much harder to track down in the back issue market because of their magazine size and age, making this book's full contents and inclusion of not just the comic stories but also the articles and pinups, something very desirable to collectors. The real reason this book sells for over $500 is that Marvel, despite it being sold out for quite a while, has no plans to reprint it. It is the first in a series of if they reprint every issue of Savage Sword of Conan in omnibus form, it will take up 16 to 17 omnibus collections. The last copy to sell for over $500 was a brand new Direct Market variant cover using the painted artwork from the first issue of the Savage Sword of Conan. Either cover, though, commands a heavy price, be it new or used, for usually at least twice its original listed price of $125.

#3. The Invincible Iron Man Omnibus #1

The oldest book on the list, published in 2008 and released the week after the first Iron Man movie came out, this book sells for over $500 new because it is old, rare, and hasn't been reprinted since it came out. It isn't surprising this collection was released during the blitz that was the first Iron Man movie, but no major reprinting since it first came out is very odd. The second Invincible Iron Man Omnibus has the same issue, rare and no major reprinting, though it doesn't quite command the same prices the first omnibus does. With no new Iron Man movies on the horizon, new omnibuses collecting Iron Man material seem likely to be only collections of newer material that hasn't been collected yet, driving the value of this book up and up.

#4. The Tomb of Dracula Omnibus #2

The next oldest book, published in 2009, is all Marvel material but not focused on a character created by Marvel. Based on the classic Bram Stoker's Dracula novel, Tomb of Dracula was Marvel's most successful horror comic book and longest-running comic book to follow a villain. Mostly written by Marv Wolfman and with almost every issue drawn by Gene Colon, the book is a fantastic 70-issue series that follows Dracula as he attempts to survive in the "modern" world and deal with the vampire hunters like Blade, who hunt him. The first omnibus was published in 2008. The third omnibus was published in 2010, collecting the whole 70 issues run in the first two omnibuses and all the black and white magazines dedicated to Dracula in the third omnibus. However, the first omnibus was reprinted in 2018, and the other two have never been reprinted. In particular, omnibus #2, with #1, reprint the whole main series, so those who want to read the material really only need the first two omnibuses, making the third rare and expensive too, but not as desired as the second omnibus. Hence, the Tomb of Dracula Omnibus #2 just sold a brand new copy in March for $500.

#5. Spider-Man Vs. Venom Omnibus

The last entry is also a more recent release from 2018 and collects every Venom appearance from all the Spider-Man titles (annuals, the Amazing Spider-Man, Web of Spider-Man, the Spectacular Spider-Man) plus Avengers Deathtrap the Vault, the Venom issues of Darkhawk, and the Marvel Comics Presents arc with Wolverine versus Venom (so the collection being called Spider-Man Vs. Venom is a bit of misnomer). Basically, every Venom appearance until he got his first miniseries is in this omnibus, with all the other appearances after this being collected in the Venomnibuses. The fact that this omnibus collects Venom's first appearance, all of the material Todd McFarlane drew of Venom, plus being the only omnibus collection of the first appearance of Carnage and collects the whole of the Maximum Carnage crossover makes this omnibus one that many fans want. So demand, collectability, and no reprint means this book is expensive and rare and brand new, sealed, and can sell for over $500.

(Please note all sales cited were based on complete eBay sales since January 2022. These sales of $500 and higher were for brand new, still in shrinkwrap copies. No sales of omnibus lots were included as determining individual book values would be near impossible. While most buyers will not still have these books in their collection still in shrinkwrap in brand new condition, sales for even used copies of these books in good condition are at least twice their original retail price, though not always as sometimes buyers get lucky and can scoop up a book a buyer started out at a low price for a low price. Anyone reading this article isn't guaranteed to get $500 or more if they have one of these books in their collection and decide to sell it, but it is possible. Sales looked at were from traditional auctions on eBay and Buy it Now auctions as well.)

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!