Other than surprising everybody with its twist ending, “It: Welcome to Derry” additionally prominently featured two DC comedian books. Why is that vital? Properly, not solely is the HBO sequence a part of the Warner Bros. Discovery empire that additionally oversees DC Studios, however the two books seen in episode 1 are key points that not solely confer with the story of “Welcome to Derry” but additionally act as homages to James Gunn’s nascent DC Universe. They’re additionally each value hundreds.
“Welcome to Derry” is about in 1962, 27 years earlier than the occasions of 2017’s “It.” As such, there are many references to cultural occasions of the time, together with the widespread worry of atomic annihilation and racial hatred. However on a smaller scale, the present’s manufacturing design is wealthy with early Sixties decor that makes “Welcome to Derry” an immersive expertise no matter its horror facets. Amongst these artifacts of the Sixties are two comedian books learn by Mikkal Karim-Fidler’s Theodore “Teddy” Uris: “Detective Comics” #298 and “The Flash” #123, each of which have been revealed in 1961.
Teddy is the uncle of Stanley Uris, who seems in each Stephen King’s 1986 novel “It” and director Andy Muschietti’s 2017 film adaptation. In “Welcome to Derry,” he is proven to be an avid comedian ebook reader who makes use of the tales therein to distract from his dwelling state of affairs, which includes a strict father who would not approve of his son’s love of escapism. It is throughout one conflict between father and son that we see the 2 comics in query, each of which trace at what’s to return from the sequence and maybe the DC Universe.
The Flash #123 is likely one of the most essential comics ever
Partway by “Welcome to Derry” episode 1, Teddy’s father, identified solely as Rabbi Uris (performed by Dmitry Chepovetsky), chastises his son for getting misplaced in “fantasy” when there are many “actual horrors of this world.” At that time, he rips away Teddy’s comedian ebook, which occurs to be one of the essential ever revealed: “The Flash” #123. That is vital for a lot of causes.
For one, it would simply be a enjoyable option to acknowledge Andy Muschietti, who, apart from directing the primary 4 episodes of “Welcome to Derry,” additionally helmed the field workplace catastrophe of super-heroic proportions that was 2023’s “The Flash.” When you would possibly suppose the filmmaker would need to depart that blunder up to now, Muschietti has defended “The Flash” as lately as October 2025. As such, he would possibly properly have included this specific comedian as a option to characterize his ongoing satisfaction.
Past that, “The Flash” #123 can also be a key difficulty in that it featured the primary assembly between the Silver Age Flash, Barry Allen, and his Golden Age counterpart, Jay Garrick. It additionally comprises some large revelations, most notably establishing the existence of the DC Multiverse. Due to this fact, it is the proper selection to incorporate in “It: Welcome to Derry,” which is confirmed to be delving into Stephen King’s personal macroverse. The comedian can also be extremely wanted. As one of the essential comics in DC Comics historical past, it carries a large price ticket right this moment. In line with worth tracker GoCollect, a 9.2-graded difficulty bought for $13,600 in 2021, however you’ll find points with lesser grades. A 7.0 is at the moment on provide for $2,550, whereas these in even worse situation may be had for a couple of hundred {dollars}.
Detective Comics #298 is the debut of a basic Batman rogue
Within the dinner scene by which Teddy’s father takes away his son’s comedian ebook, the Rabbi launches into an outline of how Jewish pores and skin was used to make lamps throughout the Holocaust, establishing the next scene by which It preys upon Teddy’s newfound worry by remodeling his lampshade right into a screaming tapestry of human faces. Earlier than being traumatized by his dwelling lampshade nightmare, nonetheless, Teddy unwinds by studying “Detective Comics” #298.
This difficulty is important for a number of causes. For one, it sees the primary look of the Silver Age Clayface. Through the Golden Age, the oft-overlooked Batman rogue was Basil Karlo, a horror film actor who turned a real-life serial killer. For the Silver Age, the villain was reinvented as Matthew Hagen, a treasure hunter who’s reworked right into a shapeshifter (remind you of a sure murderous clown?). It is this model that makes his first look in “Detective Comics” #298.
That is an enormous deal as a result of Clayface is quickly set to seem in his first solo film, an R-rated physique horror written by Mike Flanagan and set in James Gunn’s DC Universe. With Andy Muschietti additionally confirmed to be overseeing the upcoming DCU film, “The Courageous and the Daring,” maybe the inclusion of “Detective Comics” #298 is hinting at a doable Clayface look in that film? Both manner, it is clearly a nod to the occasions quickly to unfold in Gunn’s multiverse, because the DC Studios co-head even tweeted the quilt artwork of this actual difficulty on October 26, 2025, the identical day episode 1 of “Welcome to Derry” aired. In line with GoCollect, a problem of “Detective Comics” #298 graded at 9.6 bought for $30,000 in 2022, whereas a 9.2 went for $5,040 in 2021. A 1.0 can at the moment be yours for $325.
