Anyhow, a move towards diversity was definitely in play during the Bronze Age of Comics. It's one of the most iconic Marvel comics of all-time, making it an extremely valuable comic as well. The X-Men might be hands down one of the greatest creations in sci-fi/ fantasy / comic books. $40k already and more than a 15k increase in just a few mere months of each other. Captain America got his start during WWII America, and the first comics were basically beautifully drawn pieces of American propaganda (note the "Ageless Orientals Who Wouldn't Die!!!" The Luke Cage Netflix show was not that bad, not like Iron Fist. These are Universal copies, and there are zero Signature Series for the grade. Shang-Chi is actually half-Chinese and his mother white. Plus the sales dates for the Iron Fist #14 are much older. So when DC went to revive the character, they couldnt use the name, and turned him into Shazam. While this comic may have seemed like a step up since the main protagonist is Chinese and a hero of the book, it was more like a back-handed compliment. Also, usually the stories inside are told in black and white. For anyone who either has the issue or the money (166K!) A near-mint 9.6 copy of "Flash Comics" sold for $450,000 at auction in 2010. Sabretooth needs to be ruthless and savage yet cunning. Pretty crazy, but this is a 1982 comic and has the fan-favorite story-arc. A very popular character, indeed, and I am a bit surprised that Incredible Hulk #181 was beaten by Ghost Rider's debut in Marvel Spotlight #5 for CGC 9.8s. The first issue of Captain America not only introduces all of us to Steve Rogers but his sidekick Bucky too. The record-setting sale, which went for $215,100, occurred in 2018, and it was for an incredible 9.6-graded version with off-white pages. "Batman was pulp, born and bred. Special Marvel Edition #15 - 1st Shang-Chi and 1st comic appearance of Fu-Manchu. Even better, some guy named Stan Lee wrote his first ever story for a comic book in this issue. In conclusion, the 25 rare and most valuable comic books ever sold provide a fascinating glimpse into the world of comic book collecting. . As mentioned prior in the Star Wars #1 listing in this article, this issue is not the regular 30 Cent Price edition but the more limited and rare 35 Cent Price Variant. Despite that fact. His first comic appearance, aided by the fact that he'll be on the big screen in Deadpool 2, is worth an average of around $160 today. As an ironic representation of everything that went wrong with '90s comics, Cable's mysterious backstory, endless pouches, giant guns, and bad attitude made him a cult favorite. A near-mint, 9.6-graded copy of the 1963 book sold for a mighty $274,850 in 2012. Ultra-Humanite was Supermans greatest antagonist until Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created Lex Luthor in 1940. Be sure to check back as we update the list as new records are set! It's fitting that both the first issue of the Mightiest Heroes and the first issue of the Mightiest Avenger both go for the same price 275 dollars. A Canadian White isas it sounds, a comic book printed on white pages as opposed to the yellow pages of American publishing. Published in 1940, the Overstreet Guide called it "The definitive funny animal anthology comic after which all others were modeled.". The first issue of "The Amazing Spider-Man" was published in 1963 and features two stories. Back in 2009, this perfect copy of Wolverine #1 sold for a whopping $15,535.00. This comic with an amazing cover by Jack Kirby features Captain America joining the Avengers, and a near-perfect 9.8-graded copy of one sold for $143,400 in 2017 at Heritage Auctions. Maybe the seller is hoping for renewed interest in the series. It continues her origin story and also includes the first appearance of Wildcat and Mister Terrific. Hailing from Gary, Indiana, Pete Petruski created a paste gun and instead of using it for good as a research scientist turned to a life of crime. It has the first appearance and origin of Man-Thing. It's also one of the most expensive Disney collectibles in the world. However, until another one of these Iron Fist #14 35 Cent Price Variant CGC 9.4s sell in the near future, it will stay here on this list. Just be ready to spend at least 567K for it if you find a near mint copy. 9.8s are popping in-and-out of the $1,000 range, but an actual 9.9 sale did make history back in 2009. The copy that sold for $104,563 was an 8.0-graded copy of the 1941 book, and there are only two known copies graded higher. Only two copies in such good condition are known to exist. "Tales to Astonish" No. I bought my copy for $35 bucks back in the day, and it graded a CGC 7.0 without a press and clean. Most of these are compared from sales of CGC 9.8s. The location might have changed from Vietnam to the Middle East, but the origins story of Tony Stark hasn't changed much over the years. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had another great supporting character on their hands that they treated as more important than the second tier. You might have to hop across the pond to find this one in your closet, but given the universal popularity of shape-changing robots, it's not unlikely that this issue might have found its way around the world. In an attempt to bring in new comic readers, Funnies, Inc. partnered up with Timely (the eventual Marvel) to put out books in movie theaters to try and drum up some sales. A 9.0-graded copy sold for $281,001 in 2012. Anyway, next super high-grade comic. It sold in 2016, its value rising due to the resuscitation of the DC Universe in film. Most examples feature "Marvel chipping," which means the edges of the comic have lost color. Highest and most recent sale of a CGC 9.8 of Marvel Spotlight #5 was at a whopping $264,000 that sold at Heritage Auctions in 2021. Once again, feel free to comment, and I hope you share this article to those who will benefit. This is the 2nd Ghost Rider for Marvel. The most recent prices are also those that I could find. The creator of all that is Marvel got his grand start within the pages of Captain America #3, writing that story, Captain America Foils The Traitors Revenge, it was also the first time Lee and Jack Kirbys names were both in the same comic. I don't wanna help incriminate myself in the future. It's why when Sony agreed to loan him out to Disney, it became a big deal the wall-crawler was coming home! There doesnt appear to be anything notable about "Action Comics" No. We're talking about a guy who knew little to nothing about Chinese culture and felt apt to write about it in a way that absolutely portrayed it as morally and culturally inferior. Other than wearing a cowl, that character was a pulp character," comic writer Brian Azzarello told Games Radar. DC sued M.F. Also, Drax the Destroyer has been a prominent character in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. The copy that sold is one of three known to exist and was the highest-graded copy, with a 9.2 grade. Batgirl made her debut in this January 1967 issue of "Detective Comics" (although it actually hit stores in late 1966). The original . While plenty of comic book fans have known this for years, perhaps some might not - the Human Torch existed long before Johnny Storm went on a spaceship. Its also noted to be the first comic to usher in the Silver Age. A monumental piece of Americana valued at $126,000. Tomb of Dracula #10 - 1st appearance of Blade. Someone with money buying up comic investments, me thinks. 9 is prized by collectors and comic lovers alike because of the gorgeous front cover and the epic battle between the Human Torch and Namor the Sub-Mariner on the inside pages. The grail of these 35 Price Variants are the Star Wars #1 comics and have been for a good while. Well, the first Black superhero was Black Panther, but the first Black superhero to star in his own headlining comic title was Luke Cage. The press materials also tout that the book was penned by William Moulton Marston, a psychologist who would later invent the prototype to the modern-day lie detector. In the first of a two-parter, the two heroes dueled to a stalemate in and around Manhattan. CGC 9.8 sold for $16,800 in Sept 2021, and three days prior (Sept 9th) for $7,999.99. But in the earliest days of the Merry Marvel Marching Society, the big guns were the big guns, and aside from first appearances, that was about it. Also curious is the record-setting price for the sale in 2017, since a 2011 Superman No. However, who doesn't know Storm amongst Marvel Comics fans? Texas: San Antonio area (suspected but not confirmed). It was originally going to be used as the cover for "Detective Comics" No. The cover image of Spidey and the Fantastic Four left an indelible mark on the fans and Stan Lee and Steve Ditkos run on the book was epic, setting the stage for how Peter Parker balances life as a superhero and as a teenager. The comic does first see his famous mask redesigned from his previous look in Incredible Hulk #180, #181 and #182 (this comic some are arguing is the real 2nd appearance of Wolverine and not simply a cameo). Johnny Blaze is Marvel's first published Spirit of Vengeance and is one of the many horror/supernatural characters that Marvel produced during the Bronze Age horror revival when the Comics Code Authority relaxed some of their bans on the horror genre. Either one of these is worth your time and effort to find if you're hunting down issues to invest in. Giant-Size X-Men #1 is still considered the 2nd full appearance of Wolverine as well, but that can be argued. For that, his first adventure has been known to sell for as much as 110K. To end this, A CGC 9.0, which is the next grade lower, had one sale on Oct 20, 2014 or $4,000.00. Strange Master Of Black Magic! The first appearance of the Sorcerer Supreme, and his ancient foe, Nightmare are also within the pages of ST #110, which will certainly go up in value, which is currently at 60K if and when Nightmare is announced as the villain of the eventual Strange sequel. Can that be right? Bruces father tries to intervene, and the criminal shoots them dead. It's actually the 35 Cent Price Variant, as the regularly distributed version was 30 cents. However, this is not the regular Star Wars #1. Dr. Curt Connors as a villain seldom gets the respect he's deserved as far as comic book baddies go. You know you're a '90s kid if the word 'chromium' still gives you tingles. This might be one of the best-looking Batman covers ever inked. A brilliant scientist who lost his arm, he decides to try and replicate the gene in reptiles that allows them to regenerate lost limbs. Captain Marvel was originally created not by Marvel, but by the comic publisher M.F. A 9.6-graded copy sold for $375,000 in 2012, although a 7.0 version can go for around $17,500. 31 copy above a 4.0 grade, which might explain how a 5.0-graded one sold for $131,450 in 2017. 11/06/2022: $90,000 Heritage Auctions sale. So it's no wonder that one with a 9.4 grade sold for $138,000 in 2021, a record-setting price for this prized possession. Despite readers suffering from mutant fatigue, Marvel powered on through multiple books tangential to the X-Men. I wouldn't be upset if Colter's version of Luke was carried over into the Disney/MCU stuff. The most expensive copy ever sold went for $138,000 in April 2021. 73 features the origin and first appearance of Aquaman, which has become one of DC's most-loved superheroes. Naturally, that doesn't go as planned and Ol Webhead finds a way to defeat the man made of hardened sand. 2, but it was believed to be too gruesome. The Phoenix saga and even Dark Phoenix saga are classic fan-favorite stories. References: SellMyComicBooks, ScreenRant, CheatSheet, CollectivePop. Venom Lethal Protector #1 (1993), black cover error It's. This makes it move up a spot ahead of X-Men #94. Only up until recently did Marvel put their creative juices behind their second-tier characters to craft new stories. Once again, we are back with some Marvel Bronze Age Horror goodness. Spider-Man has always been a popular superhero (arguably the most popular), and the prices as of late reflect his popularity. Maybe it will continue in 2022, and maybe it won't. The last recorded sale of a 9.8 on GoCollect is back in 2016 and for only $1,800.00 bucks. At his start, Deadpool was nothing more than a lazy ripoff of DC's Deathstroke, with none of the history, style, or charm. Highest and most recent known sale of an Incredible Hulk #181 CGC 9.8 was for $84,000 at Heritage Auctions. He's been a Marvel cash-cow since the 70s and the most popular Marvel character of the 80s and 90s. Well, if you're gonna have a great hero representing mutant kind, you gotta have the hero's arch nemesis or most popular villain. This is why I am putting it below Luke, Cage Hero for Hire #1 for now. For many years Action Comics #1 was consistently the most expensive comic book. Several Spawn books appear on the Top 100 Most Valuable Comic Books of the Modern Age. "Suspense Comics" No. This week we take a look at the Top 10 most valuable, highly collected and historically important Marvel Comics of the year 1969. While the Ultra-Humanite isnt exactly a popular or even well-known bad guy, hes the worlds first comic book supervillain. As of 1/17/2022 this comic lost it's space to Star Wars #1 35 Cent Variant. One villain is a mad scientist with eight arms and has terrified Spidey throughout the years, even marrying his beloved Aunt May and possessing Spideys body too! Jeez, 2021 was a good year for these high-grade Bronze Age keys. Incredible Hulk #181. The Bronze Age of Comics was a great and creative time in comics and produced many iconic characters, stories, and works of art. In reality, that isn't a super amount of copies at that grade, even with the extra 7 Blue Label 9.8s that CBCS has graded. 1 with an incredible 9.8 grading sold for over $490,000 in July 2012. (Image courtesy Bixentro via CC BY 2.0) The Silver Surfer, a pivotal Silver Age comic book, was first published in August 1968. Since the book was only distributed in New York City, researchers have found only five known copies to exist, which puts it in the kind of rarity that might even be fewer copies than Action Comics # 1. Here are the 18 Rarest And Hardest To Find Comic Books. Cookies help us deliver our Services. This comic's cover from 1938 shows Supes holding a man high above the city streets. A 9.6-graded version of the 1964 comic sold for $150,000 in 2021. The 1st appearance of Phoenix in X-Men #101 is a classic Bronze Age X-Men debut. This issue reveals Daredevil's origin story and also the first appearance of the gangster, the Fixer. That iconic cover with Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man & The Wasp squaring up with Loki has seen sales of almost $200,000 before, still bringing in tens of thousands of dollars with every purchase. White is right and West is good/East is bad typical rhetoric that is still pervasive today. Instead, the series focused on teenagers who happened to have powers. So why was it so expensive? The most expensive copy of this book sold in 2017 for a bit over $149,000. Things are changing slightly as the MCU grows, so perhaps it's time to pick up some investment comics now. Once again, when them X-Men finally hit the silver screen under the MCU, it will interesting to see how excitement hits this book at all grades. One character that has not made their cinematic debut in anyANY Marvel movie is Namor, the Sub-Mariner. The 1st appearance and 1st cover appearance of Morbius is definitely a classic Marvel Bronze Age comic. Also, the highest known grade of this comic, a CGC 9.9, sold in February of 2021, for a whopping $106,350 at ComicLink. You wouldnt know it just by looking at its cover, but "Pep Comics" No. The 9.6-graded copy of this 1956 comic sold for $179,250 at Heritage Auction in 2009. The first iteration of the Torch was actually a robot invented by Phineas T. Horton. Therefore, they selected a few certain regions to test this out, and it just wasn't with this particular Star Wars comic. 35 is sought after by collectors mainly because of the fantastic cover by Bob Kane. And while fancy metallic, holographic, and other gimmicky covers of the '90s arguably killed comic collecting, a rare few actually went up in value. So far this is the only sale of an X-Men #141 CGC 9.9 recorded. An incredible 9.8-graded copy sold for just a tad over $141,000 in 2015. In 2017, one buyer purchased "Sensation Comics" for $399,100 on eBay. However, if the House Of Ideas hadn't sold off the rights to their most popular heroes like the Fantastic Four, X-Men, and of course your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, then perhaps the Marvel Cinematic Universe wouldn't be what it is today. The 2nd Wolverine sequel was even based off this limited series, and the first headlining Wolverine comic. Cover by Frank Miller and Josef Rubinstein. The Incredible Hulk #1 (1962) $230,000 If you're wondering what the most valuable Marvel Bronze Age comics are, this article will detail the top. It also is not all-inclusive and only includes the most valuable comics from the 90s (we tried not to include anything worth less than $15). Another investment type of comic book, FF #4 can only skyrocket in price once the character is finally introduced to a nationwide film going audience and is currently a little under the average years salary of 44K at its highest to bring home. Notable Sales $3.4 million (CGC 6.0, private sale, 2022) $3.25 million (CGC 8.5, ComicConnect, 2021) $2.1 million (CGC 9.0, ComicConnect, 2011) $1.5 million (CGC 8.5, ComicConnect, 2010) CAPTAIN AMERICA COMICS #1 Lou Ferrigno, Eric Bana, Edward Norton, and Mark Ruffalo all pale in comparison however to Hulk Hogan himself, who took his name after Marvels own Hulk. Even with a flooded market of over 800 thousand copies, obviously, a lot of those have been lost to the sands of time. Captain Marvel #17 isn't the first appearance of the new Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan; Marvel confirmed that she actually appears in a panel in issue 14. In the first, Spider-Man saves J. Jonah Jamesons sons space shuttle from disaster. This character was created for the 1960s "Batman" television show, after producers noticed how popular Julie Newmar's Catwoman became with audiences. With DCs success of the Last Son Of Krypton and the Bat of Gotham, Timely decided that they too needed to try and get into the superhero game and created a marvel called the Human Torch. $22,200 was the price the most recent CGC 9.8 Amazing Spider-Man #101 copy sold for in September of 2021. The only other sale I could find for this comic was back in 2013, and it sold at Heritage Auctions for $13,145! Pretty crazy. Remember, this is as it stands at the time of this writing in December 2021. This issue of "The Brave and the Bold" features the first appearance of the Justice League of America, who band together to fight the Lovecraftian-esque monster, Starro the Conqueror. A 9.0 grading may have also been the 80-year-old comics selling point when it sold in 2011 at auction. The 1964 comic is also the first Silver Age appearance of Cap, who had been frozen since World War II. In 1937, DC publisher Harry Donenfeld was worried that a competing publishing house would steal the "Action Comics" title, so he mocked up this comic book and sent it to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to secure the title. While many fudged printings were scrapped, leaving only a few odd copies released into the world, over 500 copies of a Lethal Protector #1 cover printed in all black found their way into the wild, making it a rare, but not-altogether-unlikely thing might've found at your comic shop in 1993. Although the most recent sale of a CGC 9.8 was back on Feb 21, 2016 and sold for a whopping $24,000.00, we should see how recent sales of CGC 9.6 grades are at. But because this was the '90s, his heroic debut in Venom: Lethal Protector just had to come wrapped in a shiny red cover. In this comic, Barbara Gordon gets the crime-fighting itch after a trip to a costume party, where she then helps Batman and Robin fight the Killer Moth. Prior recent and highest known sale of an X-Men #94 CGC 9.8 was for $63,000 in April of 2021. Thanks for reading and happy hunting! A few titles were involved as well. It does mark Marvel's revival into the horror genre with a nice twist on the classic vampire horror character. He storms all the way from Mexico to kidnap John Jameson in New York. Cover by Jim Starlin and Al Milgrom. As much fun as seeing an all-Hulk jamboree might be, it's the neon green and pink cover of this classic that's truly iconic. These are the most valuable comic books in the world. Because the sale of the next lower grade beat the most recent sale of a CGC 9.6 Marvel Premiere #15, I put it higher on the list than that comic. To do so, Odin temporarily wipes Thor's memory and turns him into a nerdy scientist while Earth is under attack by the stone men from Saturn. Then, 10 years later, another copy this one only graded a 7.0 broke that record when it sold for $1.5 million in 2020, making it the third most expensive comic book in the world. As the Fantastic Four battle the Mole Man, Reed Richards takes his friends on a rocket ship that will alter their lives forever! Incredible Hulk #180. Because of the selected area of distribution, these 35 Cent Price variant comics are more rare than the regular 30 Cent versions that were distributed. Sounds familiar, doesnt it thats because, besides the first Avengers movie, it is also the plot of the first Avengers issue. That is something to bank on in the future. With a really cool sci-fi pulp cover and title, The Man In The Ant Hill, Tales To Astonish #27 had a lot of things going for it before you even turned past the cover page. The cover for "Daredevil" No. I am definitely surprised that this is not higher on the list and more valuable. 2023 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. Definitely a comic to own for any X-Men fan, and it's no surprise that this comic is quite valuable. While both issues have always been high priced, find a pristine copy and you never know how much more it could nab you. It's hardly a surprise that the original Star Wars comic has turned out to be a collector's dream grab. Three other stories not including Superman are included in the 64-page book from 1939. Eventually, the green color was decided on, and eventually the 12-cent comic sold for $326,000 50 years later, in 2014. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. Let's get to it! But it was still 1942, and a female superhero might not have been as appealing to young boys as Captain America or Superman. A 9.2-graded copy of the 1944 comic sold for $292,900 in 2017, shattering the previous record of $173,275 for a 9.0-graded copy that sold in 2015. This comic is definitely loaded with a lot of key comic goodness. Superman #1 - About $507,000 . "Hulk" No. However, the first Ghost Rider was part of the western genre and isn't considered a superhero. Apparently someone is and really wanted to snag and push up the price of his 1st appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #101. So DC sent out a press packet of hand-typed letters detailing the awesomeness of Americas first superheroine. It follows the super team as they battle to defeat Thor's evil brother, Loki. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Really, even now, there aren't many more fulfilling fantasies than punching out Nazis. But something went awry and Doc was turned into a giant Lizard. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. The first appearance of the Punisher in Amazing Spider-Man #129 is absolutely one of my most prized comics in my personal comic collection.