Batman Beyond: Rebirth and Wednesday Comics’ Kamandi artist Ryan Sook has illustrated a cover celebrating the 50th anniversary of Planet of the Apes for The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #48, which is featured in the April 2018 edition of PREVIEWS from Diamond Comic Distributors.
The Planet of the Apes cover, a powerful montage taking in all five of the original films, will be available in both a $29.95 softcover and a $35 hardcover. Both are exclusively available at comic shops.
Scheduled to go on sale on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 in comic shops, The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #48 features new prices, new feature articles, new additions to the Overstreet Hall of Fame, new market reports, and more.
This edition also includes a look at Marvel’s critical 1968 expansion, the 50th anniversary of Planet of the Apes and its comic book longevity, and a bit of Action Comics history from former DC President and Publisher Paul Levitz.
Sook follows in the footsteps of Joe Kubert, Will Eisner, Carl Barks, and a full roster of impressive talents who have provided covers for the Guide over the years. Alex Schomburg, John Romita, Sr., John Romita, Jr., Darwyn Cooke, Mark Chiarrello, and Paul Gulacy are among the others whose work has been featured.
“When I was about 11, I began my foray into collecting comics. I collected because of who drew the covers. Plain and simple. The first ‘new’ book I bought off the shelves (something for cover price and not 10¢ at the flea market) was Arthur Adams’ Classic X-Men #1. Because the cover made my jaw drop. Still does! It was and still is what grabs me and draws me to a comic. I saw my first copy of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, #6 with the Will Eisner cover, at a convention in Oakland around the same time, and again, my jaw dropped. It makes sense to me now, that the cover of the Guide should have a cover as amazing as any great book you might find inside. Overstreet has always had great covers by great creators. And to be honest, the offer to contribute a cover alongside such a history of greats was shocking if nothing else. But I had to do it! What a pleasure to be involved in something that has contributed so much to the history of the medium, it’s collectors and fans. More than my 11-year-old self could have ever imagined. Or maybe, it’s exactly what my 11-year-old self was hoping for, and I can be happy that I made his dream come true,” Ryan Sook said.
“A few years back, I was in Mark Chiarello’s office at DC and he showed me some pages from the various series featured in the wonderful Wednesday Comics project. Ryan Sook’s pages for Kamandi blew me away. I immediately had that thought that Ryan should do Planet of the Apes if he was into it. Looking at the results, I think we can agree he was indeed into it,” said J.C. Vaughn, Vice-President of Publishing for Gemstone Publishing. “We’re happy to have had the chance to work with Ryan, and with the folks at BOOM! Studios and Twentieth Century Fox to make this fantastic cover happen.”
The Bible of serious comic book collectors, dealers, and historians since it was first published in 1970, The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide is released each July by Gemstone Publishing. Compiled by founder Robert M. Overstreet and an extensive roster of Overstreet Advisors, the Guide offers insight into the complex and exciting comic book market.
The Planet of the Apes softcover edition carries a $29.95 cover price, while the hardcover retails for $35. Gemstone has also announced a Flash/Green Lantern cover by Ethan Van Sciver for The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #48.
