Posted in: Boom, Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News | Tagged: Filip Andrade, ram v, Rare Flavours
This week saw the release of a limited edition ashcan of the Ram V and Filipe Andrade’s Rare Flavours, just ahead of the first issue’s FOC.
As Bleeding Cool has extensively covered, Ram V and Filipe Andrade‘s The Many Deaths Of Laila Starr went from being rising star V’s breakout creator-owned series to causing comic shops and collectors to chase the series to critical darling to award-season mainstay. This week saw the release of a limited edition ashcan of the award-winning duo’s sophomore effort, Rare Flavours, just ahead of the first issue’s Final Order Cutoff this coming Monday. Given Laila Starr’s pedigree and V’s only creator-owned series ahead of his announced DC exclusive, will retailers take advantage of Boom’s returnability program to ensure they don’t end up chasing this series… or will history repeat itself?
In less than two years and even before winning an Ignatz Award and being nominated for Eisner, Harvey, and Ringo Awards, The Many Deaths Of Laila Starr has become a perennial series in comic stores and bookstores with over 30,000 copies sold of the collection and another 5,000 copies of the deluxe edition hardcover already sold.
And it’s not just readers buying the story in droves, collectors are still paying premiums for the single issues of Laila Starr on the aftermarket long after the initial FOMO-driven heat has died down. Copies of the main cover of the first issue are hard to come by and rarely pop up on the aftermarket, but can fetch $50 when graded. Even later printings sell for $6 to $10. And while the Boom Studios Exclusive variant by InHyuk Lee continues to sell from $10 to $50 ungraded, without a doubt the hottest Laila Starr item on the aftermarket is the 1-in-50 “Black Death” foil incentive cover by David Mack, which still consistently sells for $50 or more with even higher prices for graded editions.
This naturally begs two questions – will comic shops be more prepared to meet the demand of readers and collectors for the spiritual successor to The Many Deaths Of Laila Starr in Rare Flavours? And what will be the “rarest flavour” on the new series with long-term value akin to the “Black Death” cover?
It could very well be available already, because Rare Flavours Tasting Menu Ashcan landed in stores this past Wednesday. Because retailers had to unlock the ability to order the ashcan by ordering The Many Deaths Of Laila Starr Pen & Ink #1, there are only 6,100 copies of the main cover of Rare Flavours Tasting Menu Ashcan in the market. Even rarer is the unlockable one-per-store variant, which I’m hearing there are only 600 copies of in the marketplace. Already this week, copies of it have sold for between $15 and $25, but might this be a future $50 item based on the limited quantity?
And while Mack is back for a 1-in-25 incentive cover, in all likelihood, the rarest flavour will be the extra spicy 1-in-50 foil incentive cover for Rare Flavours #1 by Fabio Moon, which will almost certainly have a print run of less than 500 copies and if the history of The Many Deaths Of Laila Starr is any indicator will be the surest bet for collectors.
Rare Flavours #1 final orders are due this Monday, August 21st, so there’s still time for customers and stores to shore up their orders and make sure they aren’t chasing this series like The Many Deaths Of Laila Starr. Will they? Or will history repeat itself?
RARE FLAVOURS #1 (OF 6) CVR A ANDRADE
BOOM! STUDIOS
JUL230018
(W) V. Ram (A/CA) Filipe Andrade
Discover the tantalizing tale of Rubin Baksh, a demonic Rakshasa with a down-to-earth dream of becoming the next Anthony Bourdain. To achieve his vision, Rubin enlists Mo, a filmmaker who has seen better days, to document the world-renowned cuisine of India and the people behind such glorious food. But little does Mo know that there’s more to Rubin than meets the eye, and the mortals play a darker role in the show than they were prepared for… Entice your palate with the follow up offering from the Eisner, Harvey, and Ringo Award-nominated team of Ram V (Detective Comics, Blue In Green) and Filipe Andrade (Fantastic Four, Star) in this series painstakingly prepared for fans of Anthony Bourdain’s Hungry Ghosts and Eat The Rich!In Shops: Sep 20, 2023 SRP: $4.99
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