During the pandemic, the Punisher became my favorite character. This book is consistently sought after by collectors as it is considered the true first Marvel comic book of all time. There are a few comics that do have third-party graded 9.9 and 10 sales that are not featured here as well and are considered Bronze Age Comics. 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. The Luke Cage Netflix show was not that bad, not like Iron Fist. The most valuable Marvel title is also the third most valuable comic book in the world, behind the first appearance of Superman in Action Comics #1 and the first appearance of Batman in Detective Comics #27. (Image courtesy J.T.P. 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. Most recent known sale of a Giant-Size X-Men #1 CGC 9.8 was for $45,000 and sold at Comic Connect in September of 2021. The Incredible Hulk #1 (1962) $230,000 Namor in the comics is the King of Atlantis who has a thing for Sue Storm, and is the companys first Mutant. This character was created for the 1960s "Batman" television show, after producers noticed how popular Julie Newmar's Catwoman became with audiences. 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. So DC sent out a press packet of hand-typed letters detailing the awesomeness of Americas first superheroine. 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 Marvel U.K.'s Transformers #113 is the first mainstream comic appearance of Death's Head, an unusual cult favorite robot that has canonically crossed borders with Marvel, Transformers, and even Doctor Who. 2. Thanks for reading and happy hunting! According to Heritage Auctions, its extremely rare to find a "Detective Comics" No. Spider-Man has always been a popular superhero (arguably the most popular), and the prices as of late reflect his popularity. 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. The other is also a mad scientist, this one who travels around on a glider and looks like a goblin. The comic that arguably started the entire Marvel Comics Universe arc that dominated the box office for years, "The Avengers" No. Pinning down the true value of the comic is a bit tough. The first issue of Motion Pictures Funny Weekly didn't see a lot of issues hit the shelves in the theater, but the book was still notable for being the debut of Namor, The Sub-Mariner, who was eventually ret-conned into being Marvels first mutant. A single page from this book and our first look ever at the Joker sold for $660 on eBay in 2013. 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. In the first, Spider-Man saves J. Jonah Jamesons sons space shuttle from disaster. Despite that fact. Apparently someone is and really wanted to snag and push up the price of his 1st appearance in Amazing Spider-Man #101. This comic from DC features a dramatic cover design with Superman stopping a train with one hand, but the cover isnt this books only appeal. The secondary comic market is always moving and updating with comic sales. Anyway, we'll see how Disney approaches this character. These are the most valuable comic books in the world. Published in 1955, "Detective Comics" No. 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 "Superman" No. Sabretooth needs to be ruthless and savage yet cunning. Copies of Human Torch Comics are hard to come by, especially early issues like this one, currently valued at 92k. Mail-away incentives, super-limited editions, and graded copies have no place among your sweaty socks and fifth grade art projects anyhow. 'New Mutants #98' (1991): $7,500 Photo: Marvel Comics Wade Wilson - better known as Deadpool, the Merc With the Mouth - is undoubtedly one of the most popular characters introduced in the '90s, and so it makes sense that his first appearance is valuable. 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. Demand may rise but the value may not. Plus the sales dates for the Iron Fist #14 are much older. Its also noted to be the first comic to usher in the Silver Age. 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. That's worthwhile to know as a comic book investor. A 9.4-graded copy sold for $205,501 in 2016 at Comic Link. Anyhow, a move towards diversity was definitely in play during the Bronze Age of Comics. This makes it move up a spot ahead of X-Men #94. Bentley Wittman has a super-human level intellect but felt threatened by the exploits of the Human Torch. This is the first iteration of Barry Allen as the Flash, arguably the most popular Flash character and the first to don the iconic red-and-yellow suit. This is the issue that is the basis for so much of what the Marvel universe came to be, as far as the Avengers go as it is the first appearance of Captain America in the Silver Age. This iconic comic marks the first appearance of the Joker and Catwoman. A 9.4 copy is currently for sale on Comic Link for $485,000. A fact that might get rectified once the Disney - 20th Century Fox deal is official. 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. most valuable comics from the 2000s. It also features the first appearance of the Ultra-Humanite. All-Star Comics #8 - About $936,000. 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. 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. In the Fantastic Four #5, we are introduced to the grand villain, Dr. Doom, who has been a thorn in the FFs and entire MCUs side for over 50 years. DC sued M.F. News on all your favorite celebs, reality TV, and movies. Three other stories not including Superman are included in the 64-page book from 1939. 3/31/2022 UPDATE: A CGC 9.8 copy of this comic sold on eBay for $72,111.00 bucks on December 18, 2021 at ComicConnect. 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. 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 . Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and please share this if you're a comic collector or investor. The character was originally Captain Marvel but became Photon and then Spectrum in the Marvel comic books . And before that sale, a 9.0 copy of "Action Comics" No. 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. Action Comics (1938-2011) #1 CGC VF+: 8.5 WHITE pages - $2,052,000 - June 12, 2018 Ebay saw a CGC 9.6 copy recently sold for $2,400.00 on October 19, 2021. Iron Man made his first appearance in this 1963 comic book written by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. 27 broke the record for the most valuable comic book when an 8.0-graded copy sold in 2010 for $1,075,000.The seller purchased the comic in the late 1960s for $100. And while fancy metallic, holographic, and other gimmicky covers of the '90s arguably killed comic collecting, a rare few actually went up in value. Star Wars #1 has the cover date of July, 1977, but hit newsstands April 12 of 1977.The movie Star Wars: A New Hope was released in theaters May 25th of 1977. If you had this book on your pull list, the first printing is worth about $25 today. 9 The Amazing Spider-Man 1 - $110,000. Here are the 18 Rarest And Hardest To Find Comic Books. Just be ready to spend at least 567K for it if you find a near mint copy. Remember, this is a 2014 sale. Even with so many superhero movies and TV shows out there, there's still probably only three characters that even people who have never picked up a comic book know exactly how they got their powers, and one of thems Spiderman. The first issue, published in 1942, is the second appearance of Wonder Woman. 9.8s currently stand in the CGC Census at 207 Universal copies with ten Signature Series and 1 Restored copy. Despite being one of the most sought out Bronze Age key comics amongst collectors, quite a few are arguing that the 1st cameo of Wolverine in the prior issue of Incredible Hulk #180 should be the more sought-out and valuable between the two. Luke Skywalker's Latest Failure May Have Just Doomed the Jedi Forever. This comic from 1940 features the first appearance of the Spectre as well as the Presence, DCs representation of the Abrahamic god. Jeez, 2021 was a good year for these high-grade Bronze Age keys. I'm excited. 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 includes over 100 of the most valuable comic books from the 80s. Captain America Comics 128 Page Issue (1942) $200,000 This issue was sold as a 25-cent special in January 1942 but only in Canada. 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. There are, however, a few exceptions wedged into your longbox of Gen 13 variant covers. 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). That was the previous record holder, which was completely smashed in 2021, when a 9.4-graded copy sold for an astounding $2.22 million in January 2021, making it the second most expensive comic book in the world and the most expensive Marvel comic book ever sold. It is, however, the first appearance of Ms. Marvel on a comics cover if you waited for the second printing. Well, if you're gonna have a great hero representing mutant kind, you gotta have the hero's arch nemesis or most popular villain. A 9.0 grading may have also been the 80-year-old comics selling point when it sold in 2011 at auction. Thing was that Marvel did a test run to see how readers would take to a price increase. Damn, once again, the venue it sold at was Heritage Auctions. If you can find a great copy of this one, be prepared to possibly fork over 200K for the book. 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. 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. The first appearance of Spider-Man back when he had webs underneath his armpits is the second most valuable comic of all time. I hope this was an informative and fun article for you to read, especially if you're a comic fan. Star Wars #1 35c Edition. Its still for sale. The next story features the Fantastic Four and the first appearance of the Chameleon. It was graded in a near-mint, 9.2 condition. Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, created by Will Eisner and Jerry Iger, also makes her debut in this comic. Rather, they were used in the 1930s and 1940s to secure trademarks for titles and logos. Our Comic Book Value Guide provides free information about how to value your The Avengers Comics. The first issue of "Justice League of America" features the team of world-saving do-gooders fighting against prehistoric dinosaurs, Despero, and planet-destroying missiles. This comic was mostly distributed in cities when it was first printed in 1939, which may have resulted in a higher rate of destruction because of a lack of storage space. See it? If there are more recent sales for any of the particular comics at 9.8, please comment and let me know. The third "All Star Comics" from 1940 featured the first superhero team ever. I bought my copy for $35 bucks back in the day, and it graded a CGC 7.0 without a press and clean. Then, in 2019, a 9.4-graded version sold for a very patriotic $915,000. It's actually the 35 Cent Price Variant, as the regularly distributed version was 30 cents. Wonder Woman first appeared in the eighth issue of "All Star Comics" in 1940. and too many to list. It's only fitting that two of Spideys greatest foes, Doctor Octopus and the Green Goblin not only debuted within a year from one another and both are valued at the same amount, 54,000 dollars. Not enough Free Comic Book Day issues appear on the most valuable comic books list. This issue of Incredible Hulk was popular enough to get a third printing, with a yellow cover to distinguish it from the original. He was sent to Earth by his father, Odin, in order to teach him humility. "Detective Comics" No. They are worth far more than their weight in gold. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Ultra-Humanite was Supermans greatest antagonist until Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster created Lex Luthor in 1940. Of course, Tony Stark looks a bit less like he does now, and a bit more like a golem made out of steel. The most recent prices are also those that I could find. 14 Amazing Spider-Man #41 $28,000 This issue brings us the first appearance of the bulky brute, the Rhino. On top of the important debuts, Wolverine joins the X-Men in this issue, and there's no doubt that his popularity helped to make the 2nd incarnation of the X-Men a success. The character, along with his frenemy, Namor the Sub-Mariner are two of the oldest Marvel heroes of all time. 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! Most Valuable Comic Books of All Time By Craig Donofrio, updated on February 25, 2022 DC Comics / Heritage Auctions Ever since Superman's first appearance in 1938, comic books have captured the hearts and minds of children and adults with stories of heroes and the evildoers they vanquish. Cover by Gil Kane, John Romita and Artie Simek. The Shang-Chi flick starring Simu Liu and Tony Leung was definitely a success in 2021, and as an Asian American, I'm glad it was. . However, after looking at the CGC Census, it did make more sense. If you collected comics in the early '90s, we're very sorry. This is one of the most rare Golden Age comic books, so much so that even incomplete copies have sold for as much as $5,400. The highest grade of this particular comic are CGC 9.4s, and there have only been two recorded sales that I could find as of this writing: These prices were back in 2016 and 2017, so remember that. Marvel Comics #1 - About $1.2 Million. The copy that sold is one of three known to exist and was the highest-graded copy, with a 9.2 grade. From early issues of Superman to rare variants of modern classics, these comics represent some of . So, pretty important comic, considering the mega success of the franchise, no? . The characters that debuted here became linchpins for the team during the '70s, '80s, '90s and even to this day. The interior art, done by Kane and Fred Guardineer, features a splash page with Batman holding a smoking pistol something that looks weird to us today, but was totally in line with the character back in the 1940s. Also, usually the stories inside are told in black and white. Was a quick initial shock. That being said, his theatrical debut in Amazing Spider-Man received generally favorable reviews and helped bump up the Lizards debut issue to 71k, which is not a bad investment. This week we take a look at the Top 10 most valuable, highly collected and historically important Marvel Comics of the year 1969. This comic is pretty much all origin story, with Abin Sur of the Green Lantern Corps crashing into the middle of a desert, and while on the throes of death, finds a worthy successor to the Green Lantern in Hal Jordan. But the ink was giving them a problem. In 2019, that record was absolutely smashed when a 9.4 graded copy sold for $1.26 million on Heritage Auctions. 1st cameo of Wolverine. 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. This second issue at its most expensive is still just a years salary at 47K, which is kind of a steal for any collector. The Avengers Comic Book Values. 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. 10's story. 2, but it was believed to be too gruesome. If you're one of the nine or ten people that still have a copy are also sitting on almost 200 thousand, the book has been sold for 193K. Instead of being the undead, Michael Morbius is the living dead and was created due to science rather than supernatural evil. But in 2008, a copy sold for around $450,000 in a cash/trade deal, according to Bleeding Cool. Bob Kane might be a controversial figure, but he sure could draw. The comic book has skyrocketed in value, possibly because of Wonder Woman's resurgence in film and popular culture. We may see Frank Drake appear in the Disney Plus Blade series, and if so, his first appearance in comics is in this issue of Tomb of Dracula #1. Five years after making his villainous debut, Venom decided to do what every other comic character in the '90s was doing: become an edgy anti-hero. This is the first appearance of two X-Men, Emma Frost and Kitty Pryde. So it should come as no shock that the most famous book in Marvel history is the most valuable at 1.1 million dollars at its highest. The older a rare comic book is, the more valuable it becomes. In 2017, one buyer purchased "Sensation Comics" for $399,100 on eBay. This is a big moment for geeks all across the world, or at least it was in 1940. Not much is known about the sale, only that it occurred in 2001. Good copies of this comic are difficult to find. As of 1/17/2022 this comic lost it's space to Star Wars #1 35 Cent Variant. In 2021, that record was broken, when the same comic was sold again for $3.25 million. With art by Jack Kirby, this is a gorgeous-looking comic and an absolute classic comic. Over at CBCS, there are currently zero 9.8 copies recorded in their census. A 9.8-graded copy, the highest-graded copy extant, sold for $132,000 in January 2021, 55 years after it originally hit newsstands. They stretch, go invisible and build bridges of ice and fire. Dr. Doom, one of the best Marvel villains ever created, debuted in 1961 in "Fantastic Four" No. Currently, this issue has been known to sell for as much as 51 thousand in phenomenal condition. We compiled the all-time auction price records for comic books as of February 9th, 2023. Most examples feature "Marvel chipping," which means the edges of the comic have lost color. Marvel Premiere #15 - 1st appearance of Iron Fist. When he used the shrinking serum, the brilliant mind carelessly left the growing serum on a counter, now light years away. I don't wanna help incriminate myself in the future. 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!!!" If you have The Incredible Hulk #1 without the chipping, you have a very rare comic from 1962. 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. Sounds familiar, doesnt it thats because, besides the first Avengers movie, it is also the plot of the first Avengers issue. The total for 9.8s of Giant-Size X-Men #1 in the CGC Census is 218. While not always the biggest (pun intended) and most popular Avenger, Hank Pym is one of the smartest minds in the Marvel Universe and his Pym Particles have helped him to grow and shrink, and occasionally be a real jerk. Most Wolvie fans have always liked the match up between Wolverine and Sabretooth. Only up until recently did Marvel put their creative juices behind their second-tier characters to craft new stories. It has four debuts, and not just debuts of some minor or semi-popular characters. Detective Comics #27 - About $2.1 Million. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. The first issue of "Marvel Comics" features the first appearance of Sub-Mariner, the Human Torch and Angel. Marvels first family was and always has been the Fantastic Four. I am actually a bit surprised it hasn't hit the $10k mark just yet. The grade is very important as the highest graded (9.8) copies of this book can sell for close to 6 figures.