Is Minor Arcana Already Jeff Lemire’s Most Collectible Comic?
Today marks the final order cut-off (FOC) for Jeff Lemire’s latest project, Minor Arcana, a new ongoing series with Boom Studios. Lemire has described this as his most personal story in years, and the buzz surrounding it suggests it could become one of his most collectible works yet.
A Personal Project with High Expectations
Minor Arcana is Lemire’s first major project since his exclusive contract with Image Comics ended. He’s diving in fully, taking on the roles of writer, artist, and colorist for the series. Boom Studios has shown their confidence in the project, bringing Lemire to Comic-Con for a 20-year retrospective on his career. At the event, they debuted a trailer for Minor Arcana and sold an exclusive convention edition ashcan, which quickly sold out and is now fetching upwards of $100 on the secondary market.
This early excitement is no surprise given Lemire’s current prominence. With Sweet Tooth recently entering its third season on Netflix and graded copies of the first issue still selling for $150-$200, the demand for Lemire’s work is undeniable.
A Bold Move in the Collectors’ Market
Boom Studios is capitalizing on the hype by extending the cover program for Minor Arcana to include a 1:75 incentive cover by artist Jenny Frison, a significant step up from the 1:50 David Mack cover that was already generating heat. These variants are likely to be the main targets for collectors, but several others are also drawing attention on social media. These include a crossover cover with Something is Killing the Children and a series of tarot card variants by Lemire himself, alongside a 1:25 cover by Dustin Nguyen, a longtime collaborator of Lemire.
Lemire personally promoted these covers during a recent ComicsPro Q&A livestream with Boom’s EIC, Matt Gagnon, underscoring how closely he’s tied to this project.
Early Sales Indicate Strong Interest
While confirmed sales numbers won’t be available until after today’s FOC, early indications suggest that both readers and retailers are showing up in force. Reports indicate that orders for Minor Arcana have already surpassed those of Lemire’s recent Image #1s, setting the stage for one of the most notable launches of the year.
Boom Studios recently sent an advance copy to each retailer to whet their appetites, and these copies are already seeing steady sales on the secondary market. The engaged audience for Minor Arcana seems to be growing, and only time will tell if this becomes Lemire’s most collectible work yet.
With the official release date set for September 4, 2024, at a cover price of $4.99, all eyes are on whether this title will live up to its early hype.
Read this article and more at August Tales Comics. Your go-to site for trade paperback exchanges and comic book news! Trade. Read. Repeat.
#comics #comicbooks #graphicnovel #graphicnovels #augusttales
