Pretty crazy, but this is a 1982 comic and has the fan-favorite story-arc. The 10 Most Valuable Marvel Comics In The World | TheRichest Cover art by Gil Kane, John Romita and Gaspar Saladino. Not something creators used to drum up sales, but often times just carelessness on the part of creative teams. Just saying. Even better, some guy named Stan Lee wrote his first ever story for a comic book in this issue. The 1964 comic is also the first Silver Age appearance of Cap, who had been frozen since World War II. Again with the mutants. Thor made his first appearance in 1962 within the "Journey Into Mystery" series. Start Over. 10 Rare Comic Books That Are Worth a Fortune - Mental Floss 10 Most Valuable Marvel Trading Cards for Comic-Lovers But the ink was giving them a problem. 10 Rarest Avengers Comics (& What They're Worth) - CBR After appearing in Amazing Fantastic #15, Spider-Man got his own title series written by Stan Lee, with art by Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby. It's hardly a surprise that the original Star Wars comic has turned out to be a collector's dream grab. Anyhow, a move towards diversity was definitely in play during the Bronze Age of Comics. While Red Raven and the Inhumans are more than probably not going to be a part of Avengers 4, having a copy of an early part of pre-Marvel history is an interesting piece of history to have for a mere 124 thousand dollars. The grail of these 35 Price Variants are the Star Wars #1 comics and have been for a good while. I bought my copy for $35 bucks back in the day, and it graded a CGC 7.0 without a press and clean. A 9.2-graded copy also sold for $119,500 in 2006. Also has first appearance of Yukio. Sep. 12, 2021 saw a $8,400.00 sale of a CGC 9.6 via Heritage Auctions. There weren't a lot of hugely popular characters that made their debut in the '90s, but if there's one exceptional standout, it's Deadpool. Bruce Banner first transformed into the Incredible Hulk in May 1962. 15. Even worse-for-wear versions of the Caped Crusaders first appearance can go for big bucks. and too many to list. Debuting several months before the release of the movie of the same name, the Star Wars comic was hardly a huge success until George Lucas' cinematic . This 9.4-graded copy, which sold in 2005, came from the personal collection of Nicolas Cage. This comic book marks the first appearance of iconic X-Men, including Charles Xavier, Magneto Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast and Iceman. It's true. I am actually a bit surprised it hasn't hit the $10k mark just yet. Namor in the comics is the King of Atlantis who has a thing for Sue Storm, and is the companys first Mutant. Two marquis issues not just in the history of the Fantastic Four, but in Marvel are both currently tied as 65K at their highest value. "Fantastic Comics" No. Recently a Tomb of Dracula #10 CGC 9.8 sold for $48,000 in September of 2021. Incredible Hulk #181. While the Ultra-Humanite isnt exactly a popular or even well-known bad guy, hes the worlds first comic book supervillain. Only two copies in such good condition are known to exist. Several Spawn books appear on the Top 100 Most Valuable Comic Books of the Modern Age. #30: Invincible Iron Man 512 Stroman Venom Variant (2012). Sort of. Instead, the series focused on teenagers who happened to have powers. Someone with money buying up comic investments, me thinks. "Tales to Astonish" No. It also features the first appearance of the Ultra-Humanite. It's why when Sony agreed to loan him out to Disney, it became a big deal the wall-crawler was coming home! Aug 17, 2021 saw a sale of a CGC 9.8 for $9,000.00 and an Aug 31, 2021 sale of $7,500.00 smack-a-roos. '90s Comic Books That Are Actually Worth A Ton Now - Ranker 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. Their debut in 1961 helped to usher in a new age of superheroes but combine it with shows like Lost In Space, where it's not just one person on an adventure, but an entire family. Journey Into Mystery had a different tale to tell a year earlier, introducing not only Korg (who was the comic relief in Ragnarok), but also the God of Thunder Thor himself! Nearly all of them were drawn, inked and written by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. It's actually the 35 Cent Price Variant, as the regularly distributed version was 30 cents. Only 3300 copies were printed, making it a relatively uncommon book, but if you grabbed one of these in 1998, you'd be $500 richer today. There are, however, a few exceptions wedged into your longbox of Gen 13 variant covers. By the 1960s, the actual Marvel comic publisher created its own trademarked Captain Marvel. Spider-Man has always been a popular superhero (arguably the most popular), and the prices as of late reflect his popularity. What's even more startling to me is that this comic came out in 1971 but has quite a bit more copies in the CGC Census for 9.8s than Marvel Spotlight #5. It's not even the first appearance of Ms. Marvel in costume; she's only on the final page in a t-shirt. An extremely well-kept copy of "X-Men" No. Action Comics #1 - About $3.2 Million. You wouldnt know it just by looking at its cover, but "Pep Comics" No. Thing was that Marvel did a test run to see how readers would take to a price increase. If the movie is a hit, I expect demand for this to continue to rise. In February of 2021, a 9.8 copy sold for $12,000 but on eBay. . We compiled the all-time auction price records for comic books as of February 9th, 2023. 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. The 16 Most Expensive Comic Books Ever Sold | CGC One year after his debut in 1941, publisher MLJ created "Archie Comics," which is still running to this day, albeit with a more mature story. Either one of these is worth your time and effort to find if you're hunting down issues to invest in. FANTASTIC FOUR COMICS LOT 66 BRONZE AGE COMICS MOST VG-VF | eBay 3 is a coveted item among collectors because of its amazing cover by Lou Fine, which depicts a giant named Samson beating iron monsters to death with a spiked flail. You've made it through the whole list and knew full well that Amazing Fantasy #15 was going to be the most valuable Marvel book of all time, but just didn't know why. Another comic that a movie was based off of, and this one is none other than the fan-favorite X-Men story arc, Days of Future Past, starting in X-Men #141. While both issues have always been high priced, find a pristine copy and you never know how much more it could nab you. Avengers #1 - $274,000 The 1963 comic book, Avengers #1, features Thor, Iron Man, the Hulk, Ant-Man and the Wasp. 5. Its also noted to be the first comic to usher in the Silver Age. A 9.0 copy sold for $411,000 in 2016 at auction, and three years later a 9.4-graded copy sold for over double that price on eBay. Highest Previous Sale: $1,500,000 Current Auction Estimate: $1,750,000 Why It's Valuable: Published in June 1938, this is the mother of all comics. The Phoenix saga and even Dark Phoenix saga are classic fan-favorite stories. We all know Batmans origin story: A young Bruce Wayne and his parents are leaving the movies when a no-good crook emerges from the shadows, brandishing a gun and demanding Mrs. Waynes necklace. In almost perfect condition, this incredibly colorful comic book wowed collectors when it sold for $3.6 million in 2021. The characters that debuted here became linchpins for the team during the '70s, '80s, '90s and even to this day. This book is therefore the first real appearance of Captain Marvel and also Shazam. The copy that sold in 2017 was only a 5.5-graded one, and even though it had a couple of stamps on the cover, it still fetched $188,000 at Comic Connect. Only three copies are known to exist with a higher grade. In the first of a two-parter, the two heroes dueled to a stalemate in and around Manhattan. In this third issue, the Fantastic Four tackle the Miracle Man. Which brings us to this list and why it is all mostly those three upper echelon comic books. While some people like to playfully mock Canada, we shouldn't be knocking the 198K (American) that you could nab for having this book. The copy that sold is one of three known to exist and was the highest-graded copy, with a 9.2 grade. Once the robot was to break free, he adopted a human identity and cover of NY policeman, Jim Hammond. So, pretty important comic, considering the mega success of the franchise, no? Dr. Doom, one of the best Marvel villains ever created, debuted in 1961 in "Fantastic Four" No. Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, created by Will Eisner and Jerry Iger, also makes her debut in this 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. By the way, the Wolverine limited series was also written by Chris Claremont. First appearances are big business. The Top 10 Most Valuable Modern Age Key Issue Comics to Date. Damn, I'm surprised there hasn't been any recent sales of 9.8s. For just about any comic line, the first issue is almost always the rarest and most valuable. 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. Not enough Free Comic Book Day issues appear on the most valuable comic books list. It continues her origin story and also includes the first appearance of Wildcat and Mister Terrific. If you can afford the splurge, either of these issues carries a fairly lofty price tag of 90K at their highest grade and record sale. You could conceivably find and ungraded good condition copy for several hundred dollars and then send it off to CGC to make bank on your purchase. 1, the first appearance of Superman, and in turn, the origination of comic book superheroes as we know them today. The first appearance of the Punisher in Amazing Spider-Man #129 is absolutely one of my most prized comics in my personal comic collection. Remember, this is as it stands at the time of this writing in December 2021. During this mutant x-travaganza, they introduced Cable, the time-traveling, techno-armed son of Cyclops. Good copies of this comic are difficult to find. 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. One current listing on eBay is graded a 9.2, but it couldnt sell at $531,000 less than half the price of the 9.8 copy so the bidder cut the price to $414,180. A few months prior on Mar 13, 2021, a 9.6 copy sold for $3,200.00 on eBay. This first encounter had Spidey use a vacuum cleaner, but writers have spent a lot of time making the Sandman a credible threat over the years, and cinematically with Thomas Haden Church in the role for Spider-Man 3. Because only up until recently did Marvel put their creative juices behind their second-tier characters to craft new stories. We will analyze the rarity of each book . While Thunderbird debuted, he was killed off quite quick. 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 "Marvel Mystery Comics" No. Most examples feature "Marvel chipping," which means the edges of the comic have lost color. Note that this book can sell for a good amount in almost any grade. All of the little green mayhem started way back with their debut in FF #2, where they impersonate the Fantastic Four to frame them for crimes and try to take over the world with the real team out of the way. But it's also the first time Steve Rogers hurls his mighty shield. Last known prior CGC 9.8 sale of Werewolf by Night #32 CGC 9.8 was $32,100 at Heritage Auctions back in March 2020. 53 features the second appearance of the Spectre, continuing his origin story for the Golden Age superhero. I also have other informative articles to check out so please do so. So 80,000 copies were printed and when the issue of Marvel Comics #1 hit the shelves it flew off them just as fast and another 800,000 were printed. And while fancy metallic, holographic, and other gimmicky covers of the '90s arguably killed comic collecting, a rare few actually went up in value. Most Valuable Comic Books of the 1960s - Personal Finance Advice This comic is probably one of the most valuable comic books of the 1970s. 1 with an incredible 9.8 grading sold for over $490,000 in July 2012. Amazing Spider-Man #101. Special Marvel Edition #15 - 1st Shang-Chi and 1st comic appearance of Fu-Manchu. With the MCU gearing up to introduce their mighty mutants in their cinematic realm, it will be interesting to see how much Incredible Hulk #180 heats up compared to Incredible Hulk #181. Oh, fun fact here: The original X-Men wasn't a hit with fans and was almost cancelled if you can believe that. Fu Manchu is undeniably a racist Yellow Peril stereotype, and the comic creators may have milked it as good as the racist creator of the character, Sax Rohmer, could have. This is the first appearance of two X-Men, Emma Frost and Kitty Pryde. The BvS or Infinity War of its time, Marvel Mystery #9 was the first crossover story between two superheroes when the worlds of Namor and the original Human Torch collided. A 9.4-graded copy of this iconic comic sold for $275,000 at auction in 2014. Another one sold on Dec 4, 2020 for $8,000.00 on eBay, and December 17, 2020 saw a $5,050.00 over at Comic Connect. A 9.6-graded version of the 1964 comic sold for $150,000 in 2021. 100 Most Valuable Comic Books From the Golden Age #1: Action Comics #1, World Record First Appearance of Superman Action Comics #1 (June 1938) Origin and First Appearance of Superman Record sale: $3.4m (Goldin.co sale) Minimum value: $250,000 Have Yours Appraised Read our Action Comics price guide #2: Batman #1, First Solo Batman Comic With his similar healing factor that slows down his aging, Sabretooth (Victor Creed) should be an interesting villain that can be linked to several periods of time with Logan. 1st Blade is still hot! For that, his first adventure has been known to sell for as much as 110K. Here are the most recent sales of the highest graded copies, CGC 9.4s: Amazing Spider-Man #129 - 1st appearance of the Punisher and Jackal. This makes it move up a spot ahead of X-Men #94. Iron Man #55 also has the debut of Drax the Destroyer, who has a personal vendetta against Thanos, The Mad Titan. Did you know this comic came out before this classic and iconic sci-fi movie even hit theaters? Hence, why this issue, issue # 2 is actually the first appearance of the giant green monster. Instead of being the undead, Michael Morbius is the living dead and was created due to science rather than supernatural evil. Here is no different, as Spideys second Amazing adventure has been known to go for 72K. This issue of Incredible Hulk was popular enough to get a third printing, with a yellow cover to distinguish it from the original. Dr. Curt Connors as a villain seldom gets the respect he's deserved as far as comic book baddies go. Iron Man made his first appearance in this 1963 comic book written by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. A near-mint, 9.6-graded copy of the 1963 book sold for a mighty $274,850 in 2012. Anyway, the one panel teaser of the popular Marvel mutant at the end of this story has seen monumental gains in the last two years a lone for CGC 9.8s: Wowza! The comic is certainly rare. Through Namor, they can link a whole heap of characters and locations. A fact that might get rectified once the Disney - 20th Century Fox deal is official. Never mind the fact that some other flag bearing hero, the Shield debuted a year earlier, Cap, of course, became a hero for the ages.