What are DC Comics NFTs and how can you join the market?

Ever wanted to pick up a piece of Gotham? Maybe a pressed flower from Poison Ivy’s garden or a chemical jar from Axis Chemicals? Or maybe a Batarang lodged in the bricks of Crime Alley?

Well, now’s your chance to grab a unique piece of Batman’s city. Actual, DC Comics‘ collectible digital project is the closest you can get to something no one else has from not just Gotham, but the entire DC Multiverse.

In late May 2022, DC fully entered the multiverse of digital tokens with the beta launch of the NFT marketplace. It’s a marketplace that allows fans to buy and sell unique DC digital collectibles from exclusive collections that promise to impact comic book stories.

There’s no need to fire up the Batcomputer just yet – here’s an overview of the DC NFT collection and how you can get involved.

What are NFTs?

NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, first appeared in the mid-2010s, but it has become increasingly difficult to get away from them over the past two years. NFTs can technically relate to anything digital, but they are most popularly associated with art. If you’ve heard of an NFT artwork, it’s a digital piece published as a unique unit of data on the blockchain. Blockchain is a digital ledger that captures the unique identity of any asset, whether it’s a music album or Bored Ape Yacht Club. An owner knows their NFT is the only one in existence because the blockchain proves it.

NFTs are closely related to cryptocurrency – they share the same underlying blockchain technology, and crypto tokens are used to create or publish an NFT. Most often, NFTs are minted using Ethereum (ETH), but there is a crucial difference between NFTs and crypto-tokens such as ETH. The non-fungible part of the name means that NFTs are unique. There may be three jokers, but the collectors of DC NFTs will own a unique item.

NFTs aren’t just the talk of Gotham. Many companies, media properties and sports teams are joining this digital revolution. In the world of comics, DC and rival Marvel made their big push into space in late summer 2021.

It’s worth noting that NFTs, like the broader cryptocurrency and decentralized finance markets, are extremely new, which means they are highly volatile. While NFT sales exploded in 2021 and peaked at $12.5 billion in the first quarter of 2022, sales fell to $3.4 billion six months later. That means trading NFTs is hugely speculative. Still, as the market fluctuates, DC is just one brand that sees it as a way to let fans own a piece of their legend and take their first steps into Web3 – the decentralized, token-based internet of the future.

Introducing FanDome NFTs

Like any good comic event, there was a prologue to DC’s NFT marketplace.

DC offered NFTs to fans who signed up for the 2021 DC FanDome – the fan convention that was the publisher’s premier online event to release the latest information on multimedia projects during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, participants were awarded codes to stamp one of 15 NFT collectibles celebrating 50 years of DC cover art. Their designs were based on storage devices, retro and futuristic, and the covers featured iconic characters such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman and Harley Quinn. As DC said at the time, it was just the beginning.

The FanDome collection was supported by Palm, a sustainable blockchain ecosystem involved in projects as high profile as Damien Hirst’s The currency. Palm’s stated intention is to make NFT technology as flexible as artists are creative. It’s technology that they say is “Dedicated to creating a sustainable future for digital fandoms.” and that has led them to form high-profile partnerships with brands including Major League Baseball. After FanDome, Palm partnered with DC to launch their broader digital initiative.

What is DC Comics Marketplace?

DC Comics Marketplace launched with the Bat Cowl Collection and the amazing tagline: “Heed the call. Join a faction.”

DC offered collectibles that tie into the events of the comics, promising a two-year journey into the DC universe, with exclusive perks and interaction with future storylines.

The launch of the Bat Cowl Collection offered up to 200,000 unique 3D Bat Cowls NFTs, available for a pre-sale period to past attendees at FanDome, and then available through trades on the DC Marketplace.

What do you get with DC NFTs?

Fans who embossed a bat cape received a unique cover NFT, characterized by different characteristics, including material, lighting effect and background, with regular updating of features. They also got access to Bat Faction HQ and Snapchat AR Lenses. Particularly exciting was the integrated storytelling, where cowl owners were promised a chance to influence future comics. A vote saw NFT owners choose the cover for Batman: The Legacy Cowl #1.

How can you get involved in DC NFTs?

The Bat Cowl collection was just the start. DC has a fixed schedule for new NFT launches. At each launch, fans can build their DC NFT collection by purchasing them with a credit or debit card or existing account balance. Payment via cryptocurrency wallets is expected soon.

DC NFT collections launched so far include:

• GCDK Sigil Collection
• Harley Quinn Freakin Awesome Boxes of Mayhem
• Harley Quinn charm offensive
• DC FanDome 2021 Collection
• Batman Collection

An interesting new collection arrived in October 2022. The DC Collectible Comics Collection is a series of NFT-embossed heritage and embossed DC comics that includes a fully readable digital version. The first release was, unsurprisingly, Steel’s iconic self-titled first appearance, 1939’s Superman #1. In its original first edition paper form, it is the most expensive comic on the planet, but early adopters in Fall 2022 can purchase an NFT version starting at $9.99. This comic collection is constantly growing, with Poison Ivy covers launching in January 2023.

Once an NFT is purchased, fans can trade their NFTs on the official DC NFT Marketplace Beta. Beta means the marketplace is in development, with new features being rolled out while it’s live. The mechanics are familiar from eBay or even trading cards.

To sell an NFT, fans must log in, verify their identity, and list their item at a target price. Fans looking to purchase simply log in, browse the listings and make a purchase.

Of course, this is a free market involving limited quantities of unique goods. When a launch is sold out, the marketplace is the only place fans can pick up a copy, and the sellers know it. Resale prices range from $4.00 to $9,999,999,999 – an asking price that would make it the most expensive NFT ever sold and would probably make Bruce Wayne think twice.

It is a unique opportunity to buy a digital part of the DC multiverse. However, any fan should use their Dark Knight detective skills to explore the collections and decide if this part of the comics giant is for them.