The Eight Printings (and a Few Variants) of SIKTC #1

BY MATT TUCK

Every printing of Something Is Killing the Children is hotter than ever now that James Tynion IV’s horror series is getting the live-action treatment. Here’s your market report.

We all knew it was coming; SIKTC has been optioned by Netflix for a streaming series. The show’s pilot episode is being written by the creative team behind Netflix’s hit horror series, The Haunting of Hill House, so it automatically lends credibility to the project. Just because a property gets optioned doesn’t mean it will make it to the silver screen. Being optioned simply means a production company has purchased the right to develop it into a movie or series. In the case of SIKTC, the project has already been given the green light, which will push those key issues to new heights (as if they need more coaxing).

SIKTC has been the premiere horror comic on the market for years, and it has the prices to prove it. It recently went to an impressive eighth printing, and the values for all the editions keep reaching new records. With the Netflix news will come even higher prices, not that SIKTC wasn’t already a white-hot comic. 

That being said, let’s take a closer look at some of the best-selling SIKTC #1 editions.

STANDARD EDITION

It’s only been two years since SIKTC first hit the market, and it has made astronomical leaps in value since then. Back in 2019, the fair market value for a 9.8 was just $56. By July 2020, it had exceeded $200, and August saw it push into the $300 range. Then came 2021, and the volcano fully erupted. This past April saw it reach $1k for the first time, and there’s been no turning back. Within a month, it was regularly setting and breaking records and consistently cracking four digits. 

Since mid-June, prices have stayed in the $700-$800 range, but the movie announcement has given it a new wave of momentum. Since July 9, ten of the past fourteen sales have been over $1k with a high of $1,500 in that time. It won’t be long before the $2,100 record sale will be surpassed.

BLACK CAPE COMICS EDITION

From the start, this has been one of the more coveted variant editions of SIKTC #1. Two years ago, the 9.8 was earning $492 on average. As the title became more popular, with that came higher values for the Black Cape edition. By the end of 2020, it was selling for $890. This year, it has sold for as much as $1,600, and the 90-day average stands at $1,490.

UNLOCKED RETAILER EDITION

Out of all the variants, this is one of the more affordable copies. Thus, it has been one of the bigger sellers. For the past 12 months, there have been 337 sales for graded 9.8s, second only to the standard edition. So far in 2021, it has already sold 205 times with a record high of $602. For the past three months, it has averaged $416. Compared to the likes of the standard edition, that is a bargain.

SECOND PRINT

Subsequent printings are highly coveted in today’s market, and the smaller the print run, the better. With SIKTC selling out across the country, it was only natural for buyers to seek out the second print when it reached store shelves. The 9.8 has already sold for as much as $620 this year, though the most recent sale was for a more modest $477 on June 1. 

THIRD PRINT

It says so much about a comic when all the way down to the eighth printing are reaching high marks. While the second print is hovering near the $500 range, the third print is on its trail. The last copy to trade hands at a 9.8 was on July 14 when it sold for $443. So far this year, it has already brought as much as $517.

FOURTH PRINT

Out of all the subsequent printings, the biggest seller has been the fourth print, which has sold 47 times since last summer. Like prints two and three, the fourth print generally earns about $300.

FIFTH PRINT

Going down the ladder, the fifth print likewise is seeing big numbers of its own. In May, one copy brought $360, but it has earned a high of $404 this year.

SIXTH PRINT

The sixth print may not have the sales volume of the other copies, but it has some eye-popping prices. The last 9.8 sold for $900 on June 2, though a month earlier saw it reach a record-high $970. 

SEVENTH PRINT (LOCAL COMIC SHOP DAY EDITION)

Technically, the seventh print is also the foil Local Comic Shop Day edition from 2020, which looks basically like the first print but on foil. Compared to the other prints and variants, this is one of the cheaper copies to own. The last time one traded hands online, it sold for $155 earlier this month. 

EIGHTH PRINT

This year has seen yet another printing of SIKTC, and it is a sign of the series’ popularity. When the eighth print is hovering near the $100 point, it tells you all you need to know about a comic. With the success of these, it would not be a surprise to see a ninth or even tenth printing in the near future.

THE BOOMING MARKET

Nothing impacts the secondary market like getting the live-action treatment.

Any of the SIKTC #1s were already tough to get for a reasonable price, and this is only going to escalate the values. Those price inflations are not limited to the first issue and the subsequent printings. The second issue last sold for $275, and SIKTC #3 has already hit $325 just this week. It doesn’t stop there. The first edition of SIKTC #4 is selling for $300, but it’s the second print that is the real bread-winner of the family. That one last sold for $900 on July 12. 

As usual, just wait for the first trailers for the series, and then things will really heat up and records will start to fall.

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.