9 Reasons Why Spider-Gwen #0 Isn't Hardly Worth the Super High Prices it's Fetching on eBay

If I hadn’t seen the sold listings with my own eyes, True Believers, I really wouldn’t have believed it. But innocent noobs on eBay have been lining themselves up to get fleeced on second prints of Spider-Gwen #0, a comic book released by Marvel in January, 2016.

For those who’re just now hearing about this book, Spider-Gwen #0 is basically a remixed and remastered reprint edition of Edge of Spider-Verse #2, the 2014 book that featured the first sense-shattering appearance of an alternate-universe version of Gwen Stacy.

Stacy, for those who somehow missed being bitten by the Spider-Man comics bug, was one of Peter Parker’s girlfriends. But she met a tragic and untimely demise at the hands of Spidey's arch-villain, the Green Goblin, in The Amazing Spider-Man #121 (June, 1973).

On screen portrayals of Gwen by Bryce Dallas Howard in Spider-Man 3 (2007) and Emma Stone in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) would spark new levels of interest in the short and bittersweet history of Gwen Stacy for 21st century Spider-Man fans. But the wave of interest would unexpectedly morph into a full-fledged tsunami in the autumn of 2014, with the first appearance of Gwen’s web-swinging alt-universe incarnation.

Edge of Spider-Verse was a 5-issue limited series released in 2014 that – aside from a new Gwen – introduced Spider-Man fans to more alt-universe web-slingers, including Spider-Man Noir, the anime-influenced Peni Parker, and her hi-tech mecha, Sp//dr.

Alongside Peter Parker (the original Spider-Man) and Miles Morales, an alt-universe version of Spidey introduced in 2011 (Ultimate Fallout #4), Gwen, Peni, Spider-Man Noir and the 80s parody “Spider-Ham” would go on to infest theater big screens in Sony’s 2018 animated box office smash Spider-Man: Enter the Spider-Verse.

And Edge of Spider-Verse #2, a comic book that had already shown itself to have serious legs in the pop culture marketplace, has grown into a rampaging beast on the secondary market, which is fed most often by sales transactions on eBay.

Another book that has unexpectedly benefitted from heightened interest and inflated prices, albeit without any legit justification, is Spider-Gwen #0. On eBay over the last few weeks, this book has – astoundingly – netted several sales of 50 times over its $4.99 retail value.

Did I mention that Spider-Gwen #0 is a remixed and remastered reprint edition of Edge of Spider-Verse #2?”

Unlike it’s predecessor(s), though, it's been expanded from the regular 32-pages to 48 and “packed with bonus material, script pages, sketches and more,” according to the listing in Previews back in the winter of 2015.

But the reason why collectors are paying the super high prices this book has managed to fetch on eBay is worthy of both Batman’s and Jessica Jones' sleuthing skills. But I've quickly come up with nine spine-tinging reasons why it never should have. Walk with me

9. Edge of Spider-Verse #2 (First Printing)

It’s the one that started it all, True Believers. The comic book that launched a thousand… Uh, make that several thousand reprints: Edge of Spider-Verse #2. Released to the retail marketplace on September 17, 2014 (with a regular cover by Robbi Rodriguez and a variant by Greg Land), the book became a speedy sell-out and caused Diamond reorder forms to be filled out faster that you could say “cash cow.”

Slabbed copies in 9.8 Grade (NM/MT) presently sell for about a grand (yup, a thousand bucks). And that price has actually doubled from what they were being flipped for just two short months ago! Raw copies of the book sell in the $550-$700 dollar range.

8. Edge of Spider-Verse #2 (2nd Printing)

On October 29, 2014, about six weeks after the first printing of Edge of Spider-Verse #2 sprung its way into shops, a second printing with a purty new baby blue color way and the words “second printing” under the issue number weaved its web on the retail market. But, like its predecessor, it also became speedy sellout and left those who managed to miss out begging their friendly neighborhood comic shops for more.

Raw copies sell in the $100-$150 range on average, while pro-graded "slabbed" copies fetch sales in the $300-$500 range.

7. Edge of Spider-Verse #2 (3rd Printing)

Instead of giving fandom more of the same, with the third printing of Edge of Spider-Verse #2 (November of 2014), Marvel offered a swanky new cover. This one was in the style of the ‘Design Variants’ that have graced the covers of several Marvel books since 2012. This one boasted an emerald green color treatment and a cool concept or model sheet design by Robbi Rodriguez. But Marvel underestimated the demand for a unique variant cover that owners of either of the previous printings might also want. So between those folks, fans who missed out previous printings, and speculators who know and good flip when they see one, this third printing also promptly sold out and made those who missed out hella green with envy.

6. Edge of Spider-Verse #2 (4th Printing)

You say you want a reprint, but you can’t seem to make up your mind. I think you better close it, and let me guide you to the purple variant. Purple variant! Purple variant!

That’s right, True Believers, this fourth printing of Edge of Spider-Verse #2 would again feature use of the original Robbi Rodriguez art, but with a gorgeous purple color treatment that would have comic book fans who missed out the first three times singing “You sexy motherf–––” in the comic book shop. But it still wouldn’t be enough, because Prince fans, Barney fans, Whoopie Goldberg fans and just regular fans of the color purple (see what I did there?) wanted this one too! So you know what Marvel had to do.

5. Edge of Spider-Verse #2 (5th Printing)

That’s right, nerds, another reprint! And ‘orange' you glad Marvel keeps the printing press operator on speed dial? Yup, me too. By doing so, in order to meet the unyielding demand for Enter the Spider-Verse #2, on March 25, 2015 – a whole six months after the first printing came out – Marvel was able to get a fifth printing with a gorgeous fluorescent green and orange color way into comic book shops.

Raw copies of this baby currently sell in the $30 to $40 range on eBay.

4. Edge of Spider-Verse #2 (6th Printing)

Recognizing the rampant ‘fandomonium’ created by the introduction of Spider-Gwen, West Coast shop The Comic Bug, produced an exclusive limited edition release of Enter the Spider-Verse #2 with a lovely cover illustration by Siya Oum (Lola, Fathom). This 6th printing of the book took a bite out of collectors wallets on May 5th, 2015 with both a color and a black and white variant. Oh, and promptly sold out, too.

Today, the color cover (limited to 3,000) tops out in the $150 range, while the black & white cover (limited to 1,000) goes for a little more than double that.

3. Edge of Spider-Verse #2 (7th Printing)

Have I mentioned maybe once or twice already that Spider-Gwen #0, released in November of 2015, is a remixed, remastered and expanded reprint of Edge of Spider-Verse #2, but with 16-pages of “bonus material, script pages, sketches and more” added?

Well, aside from those added pages of material – oh, and the switched out logo from the Spider-Gwen comic book series (which was re-launched the month before this book hit the retail space) – it’s essentially the SEVENTH PRINTING of Edge of Spider-Verse #2.

Oh, and see that recycled Robbi Rodriguez cover art? Well, that was the first clue, noobs. It’s literally screaming “I'm Edge of Spider-Verse #2!!!!”

But there are collectors who’ve recently paid about 6 times the books $4.99 cover price on eBay. Yup, for a seventh printing.

2. Edge of Spider-Verse #2 (8th Printing)

Now we're getting to the real nitty-gritty.

Remember how I mentioned – definitely three times already – that Spider-Gwen #0 is a remixed, remastered and expanded reprint of Edge of Spider-Verse #2? Well, this is the second printing from January 26, 2016 – which is actually the eighth printing.

Now, the fact that demand for Edge of Spider-Verse #2 merited eight printings is impressive as hell. And it’s good for the hobby, too, methinks. But a reprint of a seventh-generation reprint selling for upwards of $200 bucks-plus? Yeah, that's no bueno.

I mean, $200 bucks is actually more that what a NM second printing of Edge of Spider-Verse #2 sells for now. How absolutely bonkers is that? Giving up that kinda cash for an 8th printing is like writing out a Kick Me sign and taping it to your back yourself. If that’s your kinda kink, don’t let me stop you. But you're normally supposed to get kicked in the ass for free.

1. Edge of Spider-Verse #2 (Fried Pie Variant)

There’s also a poly-bagged Fried Pie Variant (exclusive to Books-A-Million, 2nd & Charles, and their affiliates) which hit the retail sector at the same time as the “second printing” of Spider-Gwen #0 (January, 2016). With a sweet-looking cover by Bengal, though, it's a helluva lot cooler than the previous “zero” issues with that same ol' recycled art from 2014.

On average, the Fried Pie Variant sells for $9.99 on eBay, which is only two bucks over the BAM sticker price ($7.99). And $10-$20 bucks sounds more like what either one of these last three books should actually be going for. That is if noobs weren’t out here falling for every trick in the eBay playbook (see: “rare,” “variant,” “low print run,” and all other related buzz words).

But if you've got money like Tony Stark, who am I to tell you not to waste it on a pimped out eighth printing?