CASE STUDY 001 · DEADPOOL (2016)
New Mutants #98
CGC 9.8 NM/M · Universal · Marvel Comics, 1991
When the movie became real,
what happened to the comic?
An actual-sales timeline of Deadpool’s first appearance, from the run-up to his standalone film through the year after release.
01 / THE FIRST-FILM CYCLE
A higher baseline around the announcement.
1,230 recorded sales. Six media milestones. Follow the trend before, during, and after the first film.
Dots retain actual sale dates. The line connects monthly medians at mid-month; it does not estimate daily values. Premiere and U.S. release are four days apart. Scroll the chart horizontally on smaller screens.
Jan–Jun 2014 median 109 sales
February 2016 median 59 sales
February 2017 median 18 sales
February 2017 vs. Jan–Jun 2014 −17.6% from release month
THE EARLY READ
A higher baseline.
A quieter trailer response.
In the 30 days after the September 18, 2014 announcement, the median price was $785, compared with $459 in the preceding 30 days—a 71.0% increase.
The first public trailer coincided with a much smaller change: −2.4% across equivalent windows. The second trailer’s windows both had an $800 median.
02 / CATALYST BY CATALYST
What changed around each event?
Median prices in the 30 days before and after each date. Event-day sales are excluded; premiere and release windows overlap.
| Media milestone | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
1 Test footage reported ↗Jul 28, 2014 | $40517 sales | $469.524 sales | +15.9% |
2 Film announcement ↗Sep 18, 2014 | $45917 sales | $78537 sales | +71.0% |
3 First public trailer ↗Aug 4, 2015 | $84520 sales | $82519 sales | -2.4% |
4 Official trailer 2 ↗Dec 25, 2015 | $80013 sales | $80033 sales | 0.0% |
5 Paris world premiere ↗Feb 8, 2016 | $80038 sales | $837.560 sales | +4.7% |
6 U.S. theatrical release ↗Feb 12, 2016 | $80039 sales | $84057 sales | +5.0% |
Footage uses the July 28 reporting date, not a claimed exact upload time. The first-trailer date is its public upload, not the earlier Comic-Con presentation. These comparisons do not isolate the effect of any one event.
03 / THE LONG VIEW
One film within a much longer market.
GPA’s annual averages put the first-film study in context. This overview summarizes 4,023 recorded sales; 2026 covers a partial year.
Annual averages differ from the monthly medians above. Later film cycles and broader market conditions are not annotated or attributed in this overview.
RESEARCH NOTES
Traceable data.
Defined comparisons.
Static charts generated from recorded prices. No simulated sales or invented price points.
Sales & coverage
Source: GPAnalysis ↗. All 1,230 rows for 2013–2017 in the standard Universal 9.8 category were captured: 188, 262, 239, 317 and 224 respectively. Each count reconciles to GPA’s annual volume. Lifetime figures use 25 annual summary rows, not a full lifetime transaction extraction.
Calculations
Monthly medians use individual sales. The baseline pools January–June 2014. Event windows cover the preceding 30 days and following 30 days, excluding the event date. Prices retain GPA’s displayed dollar amounts; fee treatment and currency normalization have not been independently audited. Prices are nominal, not inflation-adjusted.
Historical event sources
- TheWrap: Test footage reportedJul 28, 2014 · Contemporaneous reporting date; the overnight leak may precede it.
- ComingSoon: Film announcementSep 18, 2014 · Fox confirms the film is moving forward and sets its release date.
- 20th Century Studios: First public trailerAug 4, 2015 · Official public trailer upload; distinct from the earlier Comic-Con presentation.
- 20th Century Studios: Official trailer 2Dec 25, 2015 · The second official trailer arrives on Christmas Day.
- Sortiraparis: Paris world premiereFeb 8, 2016 · World premiere at the Grand Rex, Paris.
- 20th Century Studios: U.S. theatrical releaseFeb 12, 2016 · U.S. release date; separate from the premiere.
Certified Comic Shop Research · Sales data attributed to GPAnalysis. Analysis reflects the capture date stated above.