The secondary comic market regularly ebbs and flows as book sales go through moderate changes, and occasionally see big jumps (or falls) in value. Overstreet Access tracks these changes through diligent research into the market and via assessment of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide marketing reports. Those changes are routinely updated on OverstreetAccess.com’s Recent Value Changes page, which can be viewed with a membership to the website.

One of the notable recent changes is the huge increase for The Phantom Stranger #14 (August 1971) from DC Comics. The book features a Swamp Thing-like story by Len Wein in which Elly Mae Mullins is abducted by the bayou ghost known as the Swampster. Dr. Terrence Thirteen investigates the swamp and is also attacked by the Swampster, then is taken to a hidden domed city ruled by Professor Nail and populated by mindless citizens.

This issue’s proximity to Swamp Thing has driven interest in collecting the book and its rise in value. The Phantom Stranger #14 was written by Swamp Thing’s co-creator Len Wein and is often considered a prototype of the Swamp Thing, but it wasn’t published until after Swampy debuted. Wein and co-creator Bernie Wrightson introduced Swamp Thing in fellow DC book House of Secrets #92, which was published in July 1971, a month before The Phantom Stranger #14.

Even so, some collectors still consider the book with its striking cover by Neal Adams as a part of the Swamp Thing lore. Overstreet Pricing Editor Yolanda Ramirez recently did a valuation update on The Phantom Stranger #14, repricing the book in Near Mint from $55 to $445. This major jump reflects an 809.1% increase and makes it significantly more valuable than The Phantom Stranger #1 (June 1969). The title’s debut was also recently reevaluated to $20 in Near Mint, marking a 7.1% increase.

The Recent Value Changes page on OverstreetAccess.com can be found by clicking on the “Search Titles” tab in the Quick Navigation bar on the home page, then click the green “Recent Value Changes” button on the “Titles” page.