Aquaman 29 is an undervalued Aquaman issue that I recommended when I wrote about key Aquaman issues in Sept 2014. In this article, I like to take a deeper look at just how undervalued it is and what is the room for growth if you buy it at today’s prices.

To derive the value, let’s look at similar books that have went through the movie hype cycle. Since Aquaman #29 is a 1967 book, we can use 2 other books that are printed in similar years: Avengers #57 (1968) and Captain American #117 (1969). Let’s look at their average selling prices in non CGC condition and compare them with Aquaman #29.

Just a simple look at the above table shows how undervalued Aquaman #29 is. Once Ocean Master received official confirmation of his role in the 2018 Aquaman movie, look for his first appearance to reach those prices established by Avengers #57 and Captain America #117. This translates to at least a doubling or even tripling of your investment if you buy at today’s prices.

This is of course assuming equal supply. However, we all know that DC silver age comics have less generous print runs as Marvel silver age books. How big is the difference? Here are some numbers from Comichron.com to consider:

• Aquaman in 1967: 234k
• Avengers in 1968: 276k (18% more copies)
• Captain America in 1969: 243k (4% more copies)

Overall, Aquaman #29 still has the lowest print run among the 3 titles, although the difference is not much when compared to Captain America #117. We can in fact see this lower print run situation in the limited Ebay listings. There are not many copies available in any given time and that will surely lead to a price surge when Ocean Master is confirmed for the movie.

How likelyly will Ocean Master appear in a movie

There are two specific hints that give me reason to believe Ocean Master will appear in the Aquaman movie. First is the upcoming Aquaman animation which features, you guess it, Ocean Master. I believe this is a strong relation between the animation and the movie world so it is not far fetch to think the same characters will be used in both.

Secondly, there is this Twit by TheAquamanShrine, which said the following:

Again, this is not official but rumors mean there is a chance it will happen. If there are no rumors, chances of Ocean Master appearing will be more unlikely.

Is there any long term potential for Ocean Master

Besides the obvious short term speculation, can Ocean Master become an established character like Black Widow or Groot after the movie? To me, there is certainly the potential, especially if you looked at the recent development of this character in the comics. Ocean Master is never a pure villain so he has the chance to become a semi hero and that is always something that helps in the retention of its value.

Overall, Aquaman #29 is a solid silver age book that deserves attention. Short term wise, it is undervalued when compared to similar books that have receive the movie hype and that is a good reason why you should pick this up now.

Check Ebay listing now.