Which DC Comics Are In It: Welcome To Derry's Premiere (And What Are They Worth Today)

Apart from shocking everyone with its twist ending, "It: Welcome to Derry" also prominently featured two DC comic books. Why is that significant? Well, not only is the HBO series part of the Warner Bros. Discovery empire that also oversees DC Studios, but the two books seen in episode 1 are key issues that not only refer to the story of "Welcome to Derry" but also act as homages to James Gunn's nascent DC Universe. They're also both worth thousands.

"Welcome to Derry" is set in 1962, 27 years before the events of 2017's "It." As such, there are plenty of references to cultural events of the time, including the widespread fear of atomic annihilation and racial hatred. But on a smaller scale, the show's production design is rich with early 1960s decor that makes "Welcome to Derry" an immersive experience regardless of its horror aspects. Among these artifacts of the 1960s are two comic books read by Mikkal Karim-Fidler's Theodore "Teddy" Uris: "Detective Comics" #298 and "The Flash" #123, both of which were published in 1961.

Teddy is the uncle of Stanley Uris, who appears in both Stephen King's 1986 novel "It" and director Andy Muschietti's 2017 movie adaptation. In "Welcome to Derry," he's shown to be an avid comic book reader who uses the stories therein to distract from his living situation, which involves a strict father who doesn't approve of his son's love of escapism. It's during one clash between father and son that we see the two comics in question, both of which hint at what's to come from the series and perhaps the DC Universe.

Partway through "Welcome to Derry" episode 1, Teddy's father, known only as Rabbi Uris (played by Dmitry Chepovetsky), chastises his son for getting lost in "fantasy" when there are plenty of "real horrors of this world." At that point, he rips away Teddy's comic book, which happens to be one of the most important ever published: "The Flash" #123. This is significant for many reasons. 

For one, it might just be a fun way to acknowledge Andy Muschietti, who, aside from directing the first four episodes of "Welcome to Derry," also helmed the box office disaster of super-heroic proportions that was 2023's "The Flash." While you might think the filmmaker would want to leave that blunder in the past, Muschietti has defended "The Flash" as recently as October 2025. As such, he might well have included this particular comic as a way to represent his ongoing pride.

Beyond that, "The Flash" #123 is also a key issue in that it featured the first meeting between the Silver Age Flash, Barry Allen, and his Golden Age counterpart, Jay Garrick. It also contains some big revelations, most notably establishing the existence of the DC Multiverse. Therefore, it's the perfect choice to include in "It: Welcome to Derry," which is confirmed to be delving into Stephen King's own macroverse. The comic is also highly sought after. As one of the most important comics in DC Comics history, it carries a massive price tag today. According to price tracker GoCollect, a 9.2-graded issue sold for $13,600 in 2021, but you can find issues with lesser grades. A 7.0 is currently on offer for $2,550, while those in even worse condition can be had for a few hundred dollars.

In the dinner scene in which Teddy's father takes away his son's comic book, the Rabbi launches into a description of how Jewish skin was used to make lamps during the Holocaust, setting up the following scene in which It preys upon Teddy's newfound fear by transforming his lampshade into a screaming tapestry of human faces. Before being traumatized by his living lampshade nightmare, however, Teddy unwinds by reading "Detective Comics" #298.

This issue is significant for multiple reasons. For one, it sees the first appearance of the Silver Age Clayface. During the Golden Age, the oft-overlooked Batman rogue was Basil Karlo, a horror movie actor who became a real-life serial killer. For the Silver Age, the villain was reinvented as Matthew Hagen, a treasure hunter who's transformed into a shapeshifter (remind you of a certain murderous clown?). It's this version that makes his first appearance in "Detective Comics" #298.

That's a big deal because Clayface is soon set to appear in his first solo movie, an R-rated body horror written by Mike Flanagan and set in James Gunn's DC Universe. With Andy Muschietti also confirmed to be overseeing the upcoming DCU movie, "The Brave and the Bold," perhaps the inclusion of "Detective Comics" #298 is hinting at a possible Clayface appearance in that movie? Either way, it's clearly a nod to the events soon to unfold in Gunn's multiverse, as the DC Studios co-head even tweeted the cover art of this exact issue on October 26, 2025, the same day episode 1 of "Welcome to Derry" aired. According to GoCollect, an issue of "Detective Comics" #298 graded at 9.6 sold for $30,000 in 2022, while a 9.2 went for $5,040 in 2021. A 1.0 can currently be yours for $325.