Just seven years later, in 2018, a 9.8-graded copy sold for $38,400. The first issue of Captain America not only introduces all of us to Steve Rogers but his sidekick Bucky too. 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. Thor made his first appearance in 1962 within the "Journey Into Mystery" series. At his start, Deadpool was nothing more than a lazy ripoff of DC's Deathstroke, with none of the history, style, or charm. A brilliant scientist who lost his arm, he decides to try and replicate the gene in reptiles that allows them to regenerate lost limbs. Thanks for reading and happy hunting! There are a few creators that can drive up the value of a comic. Someone with money buying up comic investments, me thinks. With a seemingly endless supply of mutants and various X-Books that have come and gone during the years, it might be conceivable that you could paper the entire Earth in X-Men comic books and it all started right here with this comic valued at 492 thousand. Spider-Man has always been a popular superhero (arguably the most popular), and the prices as of late reflect his popularity. One of these comics sold for $291,100 in 2016. 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 September sales were at Heritage Auctions and the June sale was from eBay. I wouldn't be upset if Colter's version of Luke was carried over into the Disney/MCU stuff. Iron Man made his first appearance in this 1963 comic book written by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Relaxing of the Comic Code Authority and we get back some good ole classic horror characters like Dracula in the mighty world of Marvel. Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 - 1st appearance and origin of Luke Cage. 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. Ashcan comics were not intended for sale. However, the comic restarts the new X-Men in the titled series, and has the 2nd appearances of Storm, Colossus, Nightcrawler and Thunderbird. 9.8s currently stand in the CGC Census at 207 Universal copies with ten Signature Series and 1 Restored copy. After she became a fan favorite, her big comic-cover debut shot up to around $230. Printed in 1962, this comic book stands among the greats because it introduces everyone's favorite friendly neighborhood Spiderman. It's one of the most iconic Marvel comics of all-time, making it an extremely valuable comic as well. So, pretty important comic, considering the mega success of the franchise, no? If youre one of the lucky few to have a copy or have the money to have a copy, youre currently sitting on a grand investment of 120K. This is the first appearance of Daredevil, the Man Without Fear. Also has first appearance of Yukio. An extremely well-kept copy of "X-Men" No. 31 copy above a 4.0 grade, which might explain how a 5.0-graded one sold for $131,450 in 2017. In February of 2021, a 9.8 copy sold for $12,000 but on eBay. $22,200 was the price the most recent CGC 9.8 Amazing Spider-Man #101 copy sold for in September of 2021. For that, his first adventure has been known to sell for as much as 110K. Even with a flooded market of over 800 thousand copies, obviously, a lot of those have been lost to the sands of time. 53 features the second appearance of the Spectre, continuing his origin story for the Golden Age superhero. It was originally going to be used as the cover for "Detective Comics" No. The most expensive copy of this book sold in 2017 for a bit over $149,000. In fact, when I got my copy graded, pressing and cleaning wasn't as popular as it is right now. Naturally, that doesn't go as planned and Ol Webhead finds a way to defeat the man made of hardened sand. 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. 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. The massive superhero team up saw them do battle with Namor who fled to the Northern Seas where a super soldier from Brooklyn was knocked out of his block of ice and began to thaw. Recently, in the comic books, there was a massive Skrull invasion where it was revealed plenty of powerful people had been replaced by the shape-shifting Skrulls. This comic book marks the first appearance of iconic X-Men, including Charles Xavier, Magneto Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast and Iceman. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had another great supporting character on their hands that they treated as more important than the second tier. The X-Men might be hands down one of the greatest creations in sci-fi/ fantasy / comic books. This book is consistently sought after by collectors as it is considered the true first Marvel comic book of all time. Also, the CBCS census has zero entries for 9.8s of this comic. Stan Lee wanted Hulk to be a big grey monster, but an issue with the printing ink turned the Hulk varying hues of green on the inside pages. Third full appearance of Wolverine, and his first in an X-Men title. 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. 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. The last recorded sale of a 9.8 on GoCollect is back in 2016 and for only $1,800.00 bucks. So what are some of the most valuable Marvel comics you might find in your closet? 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. For anyone who either has the issue or the money (166K!) Sure it's just another Cap and Bucky take on the Red Skull story and it's Captain Americas third issue. A 9.6-graded version of the 1964 comic sold for $150,000 in 2021. Most examples feature "Marvel chipping," which means the edges of the comic have lost color. References: SellMyComicBooks, ScreenRant, CheatSheet, CollectivePop. His first appearance in New Mutants #98 now brings in big bucks: an average of around $250. Definitely not surprised to see the 1st appearance and origin of Luke Cage on here, and when the MCU brings the character into the fold, I'm sure this Bronze Age key comic may move up in the rankings. It was Wolverine prior, and I'm not gonna say why the Punisher slid into first place during this time. Most Valuable Marvel Comics You Might Find In Your Closet. 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. 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 2011, a pristine 9.8 copy of the comic, printed in 1962 and originally sold for 12 cents, fetched an astounding $1.1 million at auction. Which brings us to this list and why it is all mostly those three upper echelon comic books. One issue from 1961 that was graded a 9.4 sold for $300,000 cash. But in 2008, a copy sold for around $450,000 in a cash/trade deal, according to Bleeding Cool. Here is no different, as Spideys second Amazing adventure has been known to go for 72K. 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. I've had it for almost a decade so far and wish I got or could get more copies. Be sure to check back as we update the list as new records are set! Therefore, they selected a few certain regions to test this out, and it just wasn't with this particular Star Wars comic. Mail-away incentives, super-limited editions, and graded copies have no place among your sweaty socks and fifth grade art projects anyhow. Action Comics #1 - About $3.2 Million. This is a big moment for geeks all across the world, or at least it was in 1940. As a breakout character with ties to Wolverine, and an appearance in Logan, her first appearance in Nyx #3 is worth an average of $350. Only three copies are known to exist with a higher grade. 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. Going down a grade to CGC 9.6, the most recent sale of that was $5,760 on Aug 23, 2021. The second issue of Amazing Spider-Man was as successful as the first at giving Ol Webhead a memorable villain whose nefarious efforts have been thwarted by Spidey for years. Its also noted to be the first comic to usher in the Silver Age. "Batman was pulp, born and bred. It's also the first Conan Marvel magazine, and Savage Tales is the 1st magazine that marks Marvel's 2nd attempt to enter the magazine industry. A 9.0-graded copy sold for $281,001 in 2012. Special Marvel Edition #15 - 1st Shang-Chi and 1st comic appearance of Fu-Manchu. Yes, I did blank out the certificate number on the slab. According to Bleeding Cool, the first "Superman" comic book is rare to begin with and then notoriously difficult to find in good shape. According to Heritage Auctions, its extremely rare to find a "Detective Comics" No. 23 Amazing Spider-Man #6 (1963) $71,000 And while fancy metallic, holographic, and other gimmicky covers of the '90s arguably killed comic collecting, a rare few actually went up in value. I am surprised and thought that the 1st appearance of Wolverine would've taken the number #1 spot. But because this was the '90s, his heroic debut in Venom: Lethal Protector just had to come wrapped in a shiny red cover. 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. If you don't know who or what the Skrulls are than you're going to be for a real treat when and if the evil alien race makes their debut in the movies. To be honest, I am a bit surprised this comic is not up there a long side Marvel Spotlight #5 at this grade. 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. 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. And some of these comics are so beloved and so expensive that they can fetch hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars at auction. The first appearance of the Punisher in Amazing Spider-Man #129 is absolutely one of my most prized comics in my personal comic collection. If you stuck around long enough to pick up this later release, ungraded copies sell for an average of $125 today. 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. 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. It's hardly a surprise that the original Star Wars comic has turned out to be a collector's dream grab. Action Comics (1938-2011) #1 CGC VF+: 8.5 WHITE pages - $2,052,000 - June 12, 2018 A near-mint condition, 9.2-graded copy of Batmans first comic book from 1940 sold for $850,000 at a private auction in 2012. The only other sale I could find for this comic was back in 2013, and it sold at Heritage Auctions for $13,145! Damn, I'm surprised there hasn't been any recent sales of 9.8s. It has the first appearance and origin of Man-Thing. "Suspense Comics" No. For many years Action Comics #1 was consistently the most expensive comic book. The comic that arguably started the entire Marvel Comics Universe arc that dominated the box office for years, "The Avengers" No. Highest known CGC 9.8 sale was $50,000 at Comic Link back in February of 2019. You know you're a '90s kid if the word 'chromium' still gives you tingles. Bentley Wittman has a super-human level intellect but felt threatened by the exploits of the Human Torch. Of course, his father is an evil mastermind that seeks to threaten the world (low key the western world), and Shang discovers his father is evil and ends up joining Sir Denis Nayland Smith, a British character from Sax Rohmer's novels, as an ally to MI-6 (foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom) in fighting against his father and mostly Asian baddies. Published in 1940, the Overstreet Guide called it "The definitive funny animal anthology comic after which all others were modeled.". But it's also the first time Steve Rogers hurls his mighty shield. Tomb of Dracula #10 - 1st appearance of Blade. You wouldnt know it just by looking at its cover, but "Pep Comics" No. A 2.5-graded copy sold for $410,000 in 2018. Not much is known about the sale, only that it occurred in 2001. Much of the Hulks origins are told right here in this issue. There are a few Marvel Mystery comics that are worth a bit more, but the very first Amazing Spider-Man still deserves a spot on this list. Most Valuable Comic Books of the 1970s (It Pays to Know) It's important to know why the comic books you collect are valuable. 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. Detective Comics #27 - About $2.1 Million. Adrian Toomes had beenon a robbery spree all throughout New York in his patented Vulture costume when he had encountered younger Peter Parker, who had thwarted his efforts, ending his crime spree. Avengers #1 - $274,000 The 1963 comic book, Avengers #1, features Thor, Iron Man, the Hulk, Ant-Man and the Wasp. Please watch the following video where you can watch me break them all down and look at some comics history. Batgirl made her debut in this January 1967 issue of "Detective Comics" (although it actually hit stores in late 1966). The one that sold for $119,500 was graded a 7.5, with only one other finer copy known to exist. If the movie is a hit, I expect demand for this to continue to rise. If you happened to get the later second printing, with the Anti-Venom reveal on the cover, it's worth a lot morea well-preserved copy will score you around $125 bucks. An incredible 9.8-graded copy sold for just a tad over $141,000 in 2015. The secondary comic market is always moving and updating with comic sales. 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. This issue has the added incentive of technically the first appearance of Venom. This character was created for the 1960s "Batman" television show, after producers noticed how popular Julie Newmar's Catwoman became with audiences.