Posted in: Batman, Comics, DC Comics | Tagged: Absolute Batman, auction, jorge molina
Absolute Batman #22 Cover Art By Jorge Molina Sells For Over $18,000
Absolute Batman #22 retailer exclusive original cover artwork by Jorge Molina sells for over $18,000 at auction
Article Summary
- Absolute Batman #22 original retailer-exclusive cover art by Jorge Molina sold at auction for $18,050 after opening at $9,500.
- The Beachside Hobbies and Davis Rider Comics Absolute Batman #22 variant was limited to 1,000 trade and 1,000 virgin copies.
- DC Comics’ stricter retailer-exclusive cover rules reflect the rising value of variant art and demand around Absolute Batman #22.
- Absolute Batman continues to dominate comic shops, with retailer exclusives and soaring sales turning the title into a market force.
This is one of the reasons DC Comics‘ retailer-exclusive variant cover terms and conditions are very specific about which artists retailers may use. And also why so many artists are keen to do them, aside from the initial fee. Because selling the original artwork afterwards can be many times that. Indeed, I am sure many artists would do them for free, or even pay for the chance. It’s just about raising a profile, but cold hard cash, minus auction and agent fees, of course.
Absolute Batman #22 Cover Art By Jorge Molina
Absolute Batman #22 retailer exclusive cover
There were many Absolute Batman exclusive retailer variant covers launched at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, including this one, shared between Beachside Hobbies and Davis Rider Comics, which also pre-sold copies on WhatNot. They were limited to 1,000 copies with trade logos and 1,000 virgin-cover copies without.
Afterwards, Jorge Molina auctioned off the original artwork for the retailer-exclusive cover, with a starting bid of $9,500, and it went for $18,050.
It is all part of the Absolute Batman industry kicking off this year, asAbsolute Batman #20 sold over half a million copies to comic book stores, including retailer-exclusive covers. It remains the biggest-selling comic in the direct market, in pretty much every comic book shop. And sales are continuing to climb, even after DC Comics put a cap on the number of retailer-exclusive covers that could be ordered, and new terms and conditions.
Previously, I scooped the existence of what would later be called the Absolute Universe line back in October 2023. naming it as the Absolute Universe in April 2024 as part of DC All-In. Then that it would launch from DC Comics in October 2024 with Absolute Batman, by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta and Absolute Superman by Jason Aaron. Absolute Wonder Woman by Kelly Thompson. Absolute Flash by Jeff Lemire. That Al Ewing would write Absolute Green Lantern and Deniz Camp would write Absolute Martian Manhunter and lead writers and artists across the line would be Jason Aaron, Deniz Camp, Wes Craig, Nick Dragotta, Al Ewing, Che Grayson, Jeff Lemire, Jahnoy Lindsay, Pornsak Pichetshote, Nick Robles, Rafa Sandoval, Hayden Sherman, Scott Snyder and Kelly Thompson.
Bleeding Cool scooped how the Absolute Universe will be about superheroes as underdogs. A radical reinvention of classic DC superheroes in a shared universe, as if they had been invented today, with a Batman looking like a huge, street-level thug. But that this will be one strand of DC narratives going forward, with a jumping-on point across the DC Comics publishing line, as part of DC All-In. And then DC Comics actually managed to announce Absolute Batman‘s existence by accident in a merchandise post. And before you knew it, at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, it was all official… and we got to see more of Absolute Batman, Absolute Superman, Absolute Wonder Woman and DC All-In. And then Scott Snyder and Joshua Williamson told all… and confirmed Absolute Flashby Jeff Lemire and Nick Robles and Absolute Green Lantern from Al Ewing and Jahnoy Lindsay. DC even confirmed what we reported about Ram V‘s new book bridging the gap between Absolute and Classic… asNew Gods with Evan Cagle.
Since then, sales on the Eisner-winningAbsolute Universe have dominated the direct market, but Absolute Batman has become a true sensation, the best-selling comic book in the direct market, with many finding ways to make even more money with retailer-exclusive covers, with a number of concerns that have led to the new terms and conditions. The first issue, now in its twelfth printing, is topping half a million sales per issue, has an animated series coming, and I am even aware of comic book shops being set up purely because of interest in Absolute Batman. If Absolute Batman by itself was a comic book publisher, it would be the fourth biggest in the direct market of comic shops right now. And if you, as a comic book artist, get the chance to do a retailer-exclusive variant, do so. With the fee, the signed comp copies, and the original artwork combined, even if you are not Jorge Molina, odds are that’s over a year’s minimum-wage salary in the US… for one picture of Batman. Whatever you do, don’t draw it digitally, okay? And maybe go to auction rather than just listing the artwork for $10,000…
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