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Selling Superman is a four part documentary that dives into the history of comics. From buying, selling, grading, conventions, and more. This documentary covers a lot. However, what makes it so special is the way in which the viewer gets to dive into this world. We go through the history of comic books through the eyes of Darren Watts. A man whose father hoarded comic books for decades, and demanded his family keep it a secret. After the father’s passing he inherited a collection of comics and toys that would make anyone here at Nerd Initiative react as if they had just seen Dereck Zoolander go left and flash his Magnum pose for the first time.
While, that sounds like a nerd’s dream come true, this documentary doesn’t just focus on the happiness, or the value of the collection (which is massive). At first it seems Darren is going through the comics to honor his father and processes his grief. However, the deeper the documentary goes, the more it seems he’s also grieving a relationship with his father that he never got to experience.
‘Selling Superman‘ does a beautiful job of recognizing both the light and dark side of comic book collecting
The main event in this epic collection is a first edition of Superman #1 from 1939, graded a 7 by CGC Comics, and valued at over three million dollars. However, the actual monetary value of these comics isn’t the focus for Darren, or the documentary. While Selling Superman touches on the amazing side of comics we all love, it does not ignore the dark side.
The degree to which Darren’s father “collected” or “hoarded” comic books and collectibles was extreme to say the least. However, even lesser levels of collecting can be detrimental to the ‘collector’ and those around them. While I don’t think Thanos was right, he did have a point about things being balanced. Something most people struggle with, and something Darren’s father, Dale, seemed to struggle with a lot. To the detriment of his children, and his marriage.
‘Selling Superman’ a Documentary for Every Comic Book Fan
Whether you occasionally dabble in comics, or consider yourself a Wednesday warrior, I can’t recommend Selling Superman enough. It’s an incredibly entertaining, informative, and moving documentary that peeks into the world of comic books and their fans. An interest that has become the forefront of pop culture.
Throughout Selling Superman I gasped, teared up, giggled, and was genuinely entertained the whole time. While this documentary tapped into some tough, (and relatable) issues, you could still see the joy that comic books bring to Darren, and those around him. While, he unfortunately never got the opportunity to truly share this love with his father, it is very clear they both share a love for inarguably the world’s greatest superhero, Superman!
To watch the documentary, or learn more about the comic collection head to SellingSuperman.com.
For more from Lauren, you can check out her Nerd Initiative comic reviews, or find her on Hops GEEK News.