BY MATT TUCK
Another cartoon from your childhood is getting a reboot, and this time it’s the Silverhawks.
The word on the internet is that the Silverhawks will be returning to the small screen. The Nacelle Company, which claimed fame from its hit Netflix series, The Toys That Made Us, is reportedly putting together the reboot. Although no specific streaming service has been named, I would suspect the show will play on Netflix, considering Nacelle’s relationship with the streaming giant.
SOME PEOPLE CALL HIM THE SPACE COWBOY
Developed by Rankin/Bass, the same company that created the Thundercats, the Silverhawks was a futuristic, space-crime adventure series.
The show starred a team of super-powered humans with metal bodies and accompanying wings. Hailing from the Galaxy of Limbo in the 29th Century, the Silverhawks battled Mon*star and his organized crime syndicate.
The show premiered in 1986 and was successful enough to warrant 65 half-hour episodes as well as a series of action figures. In true ‘80s fashion, the characters bordered on the absurd, one being a singing space cowboy whose guitar transformed into a robotic bird.
SELLING NOSTALGIA
Eighties nostalgia has been en vogue for years now, and the cartoon reboots have been gaining plenty of traction as of late. This month will see the controversial He-Man reboot, Masters of the Universe: Revelations, and an animated Thundercats movie was recently announced. That’s not to mention the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ next animated movie that is in development along with the live-action Snake-Eyes film premiering this year. Don’t forget about the live-action He-Man movie that is reportedly still in the works.
All these series and movie reboots have created a new market for kids’ cartoon comics. Both Thundercats and He-Man’s first appearances have skyrocketed since those announcements, and it is safe to assume the same will happen for Silverhawks.
SILVERHAWKS #1
When it comes to Silverhawks keys, there is basically only one issue collectors will be targeting: Silverhawks #1.
Like so many other cartoon-toy tie-ins, this comic was published under Marvel’s Star imprint. This would mark the team’s first appearance in comics, and the only issue of the series that will have the potential for profits.
Since cartoon comics are so popular, it is no surprise that graded copies of Silverhawks #1 have been on the rise all year. In March, a 9.8 direct edition, which had averaged $185 in 2020 and $87 in 2019, sold for a new record $285. A month later, a newsstand set a record of its own when a copy brought $620. The most recent graded sale was for a 9.4 when it earned $150 on July 9.
Over on eBay, raw copies are still very much affordable. Even for a newsstand copy, prices tend to stay below $100, and direct editions are averaging about $40 at the moment.
MARVEL AGE #53
Hardcore Silverhawks fans, this one is for you. While it does not count as a first appearance, per se, this issue featured the first preview of the Silverhawks comic series. In today’s collecting market, preview issues are becoming more valuable, but that is more for the upper echelon of characters, like Miles Morales. Still, this is a nice addition for a Silverhawks fan, and the prices are next to nothing. The last copies to sell on eBay went for about $2.75, so it’s virtually a no-risk investment.
THE SILVER LINING FOR THE SILVERHAWKS
Will Silverhawks #1 turn into the next Thundercats #1? That’s a lofty expectation, but stranger things have happened. The good part is that you can invest now for relatively low prices in case the cartoon series is a hit with fans. The real test will be if the show can warrant enough interest to procure a live-action movie. Then values would really take off.
Matt Tuck is the author of the novel, Lost Bones of the Dead. He is a professional writer, avid comic collector, former teacher, and an international man of mystery. You can follow him on his Facebook page, The Comic Blog.