Writer Tom King is bringing the Phantasm to mainstream BATMAN continuity

[J.D. Lombardi]

Current Bat-writer Tom King put the above image on his social media accounts recently...and I couldn't be more hype for this storyline!

He is leaving the Batman title for a Batman/Catwoman 12-issue series that also will be responsible for bringing one of the visually coolest Bat-villains into mainstream DCU/Batman continuity. Yes, the Phantasm is coming, though to what extent is of course unknown since the tale begins in 2020.

But I have to say, I went out and picked up every comic appearance the character had before things went through the roof like they did for Harley Quinn. And while I'm certainly NOT expecting the same eventual financial windfall that became of Harley's earliest out of continuity appearances, I think that Phantasm has enough fans and general hype as really the only good character left from non-continuity stories to make some old books suddenly worth a lot more than they were just a couple months ago.

It has been 25 years since this character debuted in a comic:

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm The Animated Movie #1 (1994)

Batman & Robin Annual 1 (1996) - this comic is a sequel to the movie and marks Phantasm's first original comic story

Batman Adventures Vol. 2 #'s 5,6,7,8 (2003)

Batman Beyond Universe #'s 13, 14 (2014)

That Annual is currently the one with all sorts of varying prices, especially if graded, where you'll find it near $200 currently. I got a regular non-graded copy, rather nice too, for just under $30. All the other books I got for a few bucks here and there. I really think these are going to fly up in price once the new books come out next year.

Speculating can be fun if you're not breaking the bank. I love Batman as well as that animated movie....so this was fun to do. Get'em while you can!