Batman Beyond Key Issues
This article provides a list of Batman Beyond Key Issues with first appearances of important characters in the series.
Batman Beyond #1 has become one of the hot comics for 2020. Raw copies have been selling well over $150-200 while 9.8 is now at the $850-900 range.
A rising tide raises all boats. We can already see some of this affecting books such as Beyond Beyond #6 (first appearance of Inque) and to a lessor extent Batman Beyond #3 (first appearance of Blight).
Fortunately, there are more gems waiting to be uncovered. If the Batman Beyond universe takes off, some of the earlier villains might become as collectible as the classic Batman villains. I selected some of the best below, which are mainly heroes and villains (who have more than 5 appearances).
| Batman Beyond Key Issues | Character First Appearance | Comic Appearances | Sales Number | Current Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batman Beyond Vol 1, #1 | Terry | 157 | 27,920 | $120 |
| Batman Beyond Vol 1, #3 | Blight | 16 | 24,294 | $30 |
| Batman Beyond Vol 1, #6 | Inque | 12 | 23,029 | $45 |
| Batman Beyond Vol 2, #1 | SpellBlinder | 16 | 27,984 | $20 |
| Batman Beyond Vol 2, #4 | Tens of Spade (Melanie Walker) | 24 | 20,904 | $30 |
| Batman Beyond Vol 2, #5 | Shriek | 11 | 17,883 | $5 |
| Batman Beyond Vol 2, #6 | Stalker | 9 | 16,244 | $5 |
| Batman Beyond Vol 2, #9 | Curare | 6 | 14,851 | $5 |
| Batman Beyond Vol 2, #12 | Terminal | 11 | 13,372 | $5 |
| Batman Beyond Vol 2, #21 | Warhawk, Kai-Ro, Mareena | 37 | 13,745 | $9 |
| Batman Beyond Vol 3, #1 | Micron | 25 | 35,113 | $5 |
| Batman Beyond Unlimited, #13 | Flash (Danica Williams) | 23 | 17,025 | $10 |
| Batman Beyond Unlimited, #18 | Batgirl (Nissa) | 2 | 15,275 | $10 |
| Batman Beyond Vol 6, #18 | Robin (Matt McGinnis) | 54 | 16,797 | $5 |
| Batman Beyond Vol 6, #37 | Batwoman | 6 | 18,467 | $15 |
Reasons for speculating in Batman Beyond
- Derivative characters of popular characters do well
Although most of us claim to want original characters, the data is showing that most derivative characters do well, especially for modern comics.
The hottest modern characters right now such as Miles Morales, Spider Gwen, X-23, Venom are all derivative characters.
My theory is that the hardest part of a character design is the visual design. These derivative characters ride on proven design and inject a different personalty. This is much easier than creating another design that appeals to the majority.
Batman Beyond continues this trend by riding on the successful Batman visual design.
- Small print run
Majority of the Batman Beyond issues have less than 30,000 sales. In fact, quite a bunch of them have less than 20,000 sales.
In comparison, most Marvel comics have much higher sales numbers. Ultimate Fallout #4, for example, has 70k+ sales, while Edge of Spiderverse #2 has 50k+.
If the Batman Beyond receives any form of media spotlight, these small numbers will work very much in its favor.
- No media attention
Most of the current growth in prices are driven by non media hype. This means that there is still plenty of room for growth once the hype train begins.
While there are currently no rumors or plans for any live action Batman Beyond, my guess is that it is a matter of time.
Batman Beyond #1
Date of Publication: 1999
Sale number: 28,000
Key strengths of this book
1. First appearance of Batman Beyond
2. Small print run
Not much need to be said about this book as it is already a cult classic.
The key question now is that whether it is still worthwhile to get one if you do not have any copies.
Lets’ do a price comparison with other high profile modern books:
| Supply | Price of nm raw | Price of 9.8 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Fallout #4 | 70k+ | $220 | $700 |
| Edge of Spiderverse #2 | 50k+ | $300 | $600 |
| NYX #3 | 37k+ | $500 | $850 |
| Batman Beyond #1 | 28k | $250 | $900 |
From the table, it is obvious that supply plays a very important role, especially for raw copies. This is where we can see that Batman Beyond might still grow.
While the prices of Batman Beyond #1 are now comparable with other top tier modern books, the smaller supply means the book can still appreciate. This is especially when the media train arrives.
Batman Beyond #3
Date of Publication: 1999
Sale number: 24,000
Key strengths of this book
1. First appearance of Blight
Blight is positioned to be a long term villain. He has make more appearances relative to other villains except Ten of Shades.
Currently, most collectors are focus on #6 so #3 might be easier to pick up for cheap. At least for now.
Batman Beyond #6
Date of Publication: 1999
Sale number: 23,000
Key strengths of this book
1. First appearance of Inque
Inque is breaking out to become the most popular Batman Beyond villains. If there is one book on this list you need to get now rather than later, it is this one. Copies have been creeping up in prices and listings have become less and less.
Inque seems to be a combination of Venom and Poison Ivy, making for a more unique visual design. She has also showed up regularly in the comics.
Batman Beyond Vol 2, #1
Date of Publication: 1999
Sale number: 28,000
Key strengths of this book
1. First appearance of SpellBlinder
2. First meeting between Batman Beyond and Batman
This issue marks the important first meeting between Batman and Batman Beyond. For such a key issue, the price of $20 is rather affordable.
An added bonus is that this issue also feature the first appearance of SpellBlinder, another recurring villain in the Batman Beyond universe.
Note however, that there is another villain with identical name in the Batman universe.
The Batman Beyond version probably took some inspiration from the legacy version of the character. However, that is where the similarity ends. This version of SpellBlinder poses more threat to Batman Beyond than what the original version did for Batman.
Batman Beyond Vol 2, #4
Date of Publication: 2000
Sale number: 21,000
Key strengths of this book
1. First appearance of Tens of Spade (Melanie Walker)
Outside of Inque, I would say another break out character might be Melanie Walker. The relationship between this character and Batman Beyond is never clear cut. That ambiguity makes for a more interesting relationship.
Rather than a villain, Tens of Spade might evolve into a strong supporting character for Batman Beyond. One to watch.
Batman Beyond Vol 2, #5
Date of Publication: 2000
Sale number: 18,000
Key strengths of this book
1. First appearance of Shriek
2. Cheap
From this issue onward, the sales of volume 2 took a dip under 20k. While I cannot predict which villains can break out and become classic, these earlier ones have potential.
Shriek has make more than one appearance and even show up in the current Batman Beyond series. With its low prices, it is worth a bet.
Batman Beyond Vol 2, #6
Date of Publication: 2000
Sale number: 16,000
Key strengths of this book
1. First appearance of Stalker
2. Cheap
What is said for Shriek can be repeated for Stalker as well. The only difference is that he is more of anti-hero than an outright villain.
The easiest way to describe Stalker will be the Batman Beyond’s version of Karven the Hunter.
Batman Beyond Vol 2, #9
Date of Publication: 2000
Sale number: 15,000
Key strengths of this book
1. First appearance of Curare
2. Silver age introduction of Doctor Fate
3. High grades in vf and above are hard to come by
Starting to sound like a broken record but this is another Batman Beyond villain worth watching out. Similar to the other issues, this one has a measly sales of 15k. Can you say small supply?
Curare spots a more unique look and has make her way into DC continuity. In total, she has make 6 appearances, the lowest among all the villains on this list.
You can see her as Batman Beyond equivalent of Talia Al Ghul. Hopefully, she can become just as popular and important as Talia.
Batman Beyond Vol 2, #12
Date of Publication: 2000
Sale number: 13,000
Key strengths of this book
1. First appearance of Terminal
Last villain on the list!
Terminal is another recurring villain who has make his way into the DC continuity. He is strongly affiliated with the Joker legacy but has nothing in common with him.
Batman Beyond Vol 2, #21
Date of Publication: 2001
Sale number: 14,00
Key strengths of this book
1. First appearance of Justice League Unlimited
2. First appearance of completely new characters: Warhawk, Aquagirl and Kai-Ro (Green Lantern)
The Justice League for this alternate Earth finally made their appearances. Besides Superman and Big Barda, the rest of the League made their first appearances in this issue.
The League was so popular so they eventually got their own animation shows and comics. Among them, Warhawk seems to be the most popular.
I like this book because it has a high return/risk ratio. Its current price is cheap but if any of them manage to break through, the upside is pretty high.
Bonus: cover art is killer for a first appearance cover.
Batman Beyond Vol 3, #1
Date of Publication: 2010
Sale number: 35,000
Key strengths of this book
1. First appearance of Micron
Micron is another member of the Justice League Unlimited but he only makes his first appearance here. Micron is the equivalent of the Atom in but in Batman Beyond’s timeline. He has make 23 comic appearances thus far.
Among all the Batman Beyond issues, this one has the highest sales. Coupled with the relatively low appearances of Micron, I would put this as the lowest potential book.
Batman Beyond Unlimited #13
Date of Publication: 2013
Sale number: 300,000
Key strengths of this book
1. Silver age introduction of Justice Society of America as a team
2. Silver age introduction of Doctor Fate
Batman Beyond Unlimited #13 for hot for a while last year due to the Old Harley Quinn hype. Fortunately, that hypes has now died away so this book is cheap again.
Besides Old Harley, this book also marks the first appearance of Danica Williams as the Flash of Batman Beyond’s reality. Like Micron, Flash has make around 25 comic appearances so far.
Batman Beyond Unlimited #18
Date of Publication: 2013
Sale number: 15,000
Key strengths of this book
1. First appearance of Batgirl (Nissa)
The Batgirl of Batman Beyond’s reality, Nissa seems like a character with strong potential. However, with only 2 appearances under her belt, she has a long way to go before proving her sustainability.
Batman Beyond Vol 6. #18
Date of Publication: 2018
Sale number: 17,000
Key strengths of this book
1. First appearance of Matt McGinnis as Robin
2. Cheap
Every Batman needs a Robin and Matt McGinnis is the Robin for this reality. Despite only appearing in Vol 6, Matt has already make 54 comic book appearances, signaling his importance in the Batman Beyond’s franchisee.
Batman Beyond Vol 6, #37
Date of Publication: 2019
Sale number: 18,000
Key strengths of this book
1. First appearance of Batwoman
This is another book that got a bit of heat when it was released. It went as high as $40-50 before settling down to the current pricce of $20-25.
Interestingly, a second print of this issue was published. Given the current speculating climate on 2nd prints, this is another option you can consider.
