Even with a flooded market of over 800 thousand copies, obviously, a lot of those have been lost to the sands of time. Maybe it will continue in 2022, and maybe it won't. $40k already and more than a 15k increase in just a few mere months of each other. The first appearance of the Punisher in Amazing Spider-Man #129 is absolutely one of my most prized comics in my personal comic collection. However, this is not the regular Star Wars #1. Marvel's Nyx series was not standard superhero fare, mostly because it didn't really involve any known superheroes. As time went on, however, Deadpool evolved into a character who became acutely aware of how ridiculous comics are as a creative medium, and took full advantage of everything illustrated heroes could offer. A few titles were involved as well. Over at CBCS, there are currently zero 9.8 copies recorded in their census. A 1981 comic that also holds what most deem a classic cover by John Byrne and Terry Austin to go a long with this classic story line by Chris Claremont. 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. Hopefully, it garnered more excitement for Asian superheroes in the comic medium. Many legendary comic artists and writers started their careers in this era or rose to prominence. This is the first appearance of Daredevil, the Man Without Fear. Only one sale, yet the CGC Census has 3 recorded 9.9s in existence so far? Much of the Hulks origins are told right here in this issue. But it was still 1942, and a female superhero might not have been as appealing to young boys as Captain America or Superman. This iconic comic marks the first appearance of the Joker and Catwoman. During World War II, comic books like Captain America were definitely morale-filling feel-good comic books. Most examples feature "Marvel chipping," which means the edges of the comic have lost color. Amazing Spider-Man #101. Be sure to check back as we update the list as new records are set! For instance, theres a note on the cover that says Frank R. Paul, who drew the cover, received $25 for his work (about $460 today). 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. The grail of these 35 Price Variants are the Star Wars #1 comics and have been for a good while. Star Wars #1 35c Edition. The copy that sold for $107,550 was a 9.4-graded version, the finest version known to exist. Whether you think Incredible Hulk #180 should or shouldn't more valuable than Incredible Hulk #181, the first cameo appearance of Wolverine is absolutely gaining a lot of momentum in demand among comic collectors and comic investors. 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. Only three copies are known to exist with a higher grade. It's probably no surprise to '90s kids that Venom is in the top three most valuable books on this list. Cover by Jim Starlin and Al Milgrom. Remember, this is a 2014 sale. 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. 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. For many years Action Comics #1 was consistently the most expensive comic book. There are a few creators that can drive up the value of a comic. The most expensive copy ever sold went for $138,000 in April 2021. This 9.4-graded copy, which sold in 2005, came from the personal collection of Nicolas Cage. Damn, I'm surprised there hasn't been any recent sales of 9.8s. During the pandemic, the Punisher became my favorite character. 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. 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. Ebay saw a CGC 9.6 copy recently sold for $2,400.00 on October 19, 2021. One character that has not made their cinematic debut in anyANY Marvel movie is Namor, the Sub-Mariner. And that's not to say his debut was great, because it wasn't. A near-mint 9.6 copy of "Flash Comics" sold for $450,000 at auction in 2010. 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. Even worse-for-wear versions of the Caped Crusaders first appearance can go for big bucks. 1 with an incredible 9.8 grading sold for over $490,000 in July 2012. It can be difficult to figure out which of your 1990s comic books are worth money, but here is a simple list of over 100 valuable comics from that period. The 1st appearance of Phoenix in X-Men #101 is a classic Bronze Age X-Men debut. Shang-Chi is actually half-Chinese and his mother white. 1st cameo of Wolverine. Theyre the Fantastic Four, a Stan Lee and Jack Kirby creation that quickly became a fan favorite. The copy had an incredible 9.6 grading and is the highest-graded copy in existence. Also has first appearance of Yukio. Incredible Hulk #181. I am definitely surprised that this is not higher on the list and more valuable. However, the character or spin-offs of the character did make a slight comeback with the character of Warpath. Three other stories not including Superman are included in the 64-page book from 1939. A 9.6-graded copy sold for $375,000 in 2012, although a 7.0 version can go for around $17,500. 35 is sought after by collectors mainly because of the fantastic cover by Bob Kane. Even nowadays when fans see # of Page specials, they can get a little giddy with all of the extra goodies found throughout their favorite comic books. I've had it for almost a decade so far and wish I got or could get more copies. Bob Kane might be a controversial figure, but he sure could draw. I'm excited. Curiously, Batgirl wasn't created just for the comics. 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. In 2017, one buyer purchased "Sensation Comics" for $399,100 on eBay. Bruce Banner first transformed into the Incredible Hulk in May 1962. and too many to list. Special Marvel Edition #15 - 1st Shang-Chi and 1st comic appearance of Fu-Manchu. A 4.0-graded copy sold for $30,000 on eBay in March 2019. A 9.6-graded version of the 1964 comic sold for $150,000 in 2021. 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. Iron Man #55 also has the debut of Drax the Destroyer, who has a personal vendetta against Thanos, The Mad Titan. Cover by Herb Trimpe, John Romita and Gaspar Saladino. A few months prior on Mar 13, 2021, a 9.6 copy sold for $3,200.00 on eBay. Can't wait! Nearly all of them were drawn, inked and written by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. But something went awry and Doc was turned into a giant Lizard. The first appearance of Spider-Man back when he had webs underneath his armpits is the second most valuable comic of all time. 1 is gorgeous, and drawn by Everett in Kirby's action style. Either one of these is worth your time and effort to find if you're hunting down issues to invest in. This comic from 1940 features the first appearance of the Spectre as well as the Presence, DCs representation of the Abrahamic god. It's the most recent and highest known sale that I could find at the time of this writing and publication. 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. The Phoenix saga and even Dark Phoenix saga are classic fan-favorite stories. 1 that belonged to actor Nicolas Cage fetched $2.161 million in 2011. 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. Luke Skywalker nearly loses a book full of the Jedi's . Enterprises for copyright infringement (and perhaps a bit of saltiness, since Captain Marvel went on to outsell Superman), and Captain Marvel ceased to exist by 1953. 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. 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. 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. Let's get to it! 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. The previous sale of a ToD #10 CGC 9.8 was also at Heritage Auctions and sold for $28,800 in June of 2021. 9 The Amazing Spider-Man 1 - $110,000. His first appearance in New Mutants #98 now brings in big bucks: an average of around $250. Plenty of people reading this article might not have a single clue as to who or what the Red Raven is. It sold in 2016, its value rising due to the resuscitation of the DC Universe in film. Yes, comic investing is still a thing despite all the backlash. Well, the first Black superhero was Black Panther, but the first Black superhero to star in his own headlining comic title was Luke Cage. Thanks to the big guy being all over the place since the Lou Ferrigno, this issue has always been a decent seller. Venue was over at eBay. Instead, the series focused on teenagers who happened to have powers. #30: Invincible Iron Man 512 Stroman Venom Variant (2012). So DC sent out a press packet of hand-typed letters detailing the awesomeness of Americas first superheroine. There are six stories in this comic: the aforementioned "Ageless Orientals" tale, "Trapped in the Nazi Stronghold," "The Wax Statue That Struck Death," "Short Circuit," "The Valley of the Mist" and "The Devil and the Green Plague." Also curious is the record-setting price for the sale in 2017, since a 2011 Superman No. We shall see. 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. Published ten years after the original, and with a fancy chromium cover, ASM #300 was popular enough to warrant a reprint that was probably available at your local comic shop for a slightly premium price. Sabretooth needs to be ruthless and savage yet cunning. A very rare example of a '90s comic that went up in value due to a character appearance is New Mutants #87. Highest known CGC 9.8 sale for this comic sold for $72,000 at Heritage Auctions in July of 2021. Dr. Curt Connors as a villain seldom gets the respect he's deserved as far as comic book baddies go. The first appearance of Batman in the 1939 "Detective Comics" No. A 2.5-graded copy sold for $410,000 in 2018. It's actually the 35 Cent Price Variant, as the regularly distributed version was 30 cents. The first appearance of Captain America featuring him gloriously punching Hitler on the cover sold for a whopping $343,057 in 2011. We compiled the all-time auction price records for comic books as of February 9th, 2023. 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. '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. The one that sold for $113,525 was a 9.4-graded copy, and it sold in 2012. He storms all the way from Mexico to kidnap John Jameson in New York. This week we take a look at the Top 10 most valuable, highly collected and historically important Marvel Comics of the year 1969. This is why I am putting it below Luke, Cage Hero for Hire #1 for now. 27 features the first appearance of Henry Pym, a master scientist who has developed a serum that could shrink him all the way down to the size of an ant. However, there are only a measly 4 recorded 9.8s in the CGC census currently. Captain Marvel was originally created not by Marvel, but by the comic publisher M.F. He humiliated the Thing and extinguished the Human Torch. Dr. Doom, one of the best Marvel villains ever created, debuted in 1961 in "Fantastic Four" No. This comic is definitely loaded with a lot of key comic goodness. He, originally the character was male, made his first appearance in 1940 within the pages of "Whiz Comics" No. A 9.6-graded copy sold for a record $262,900 at Heritage Auctions in 2016. 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. 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 next story features the Fantastic Four and the first appearance of the Chameleon. 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). "More Fun Comics" No. I am surprised that the first appearance of Blade has beat out the 1st appearance of the Punisher at 9.8 grades, but it appears it has. In 2021, that record was broken, when the same comic was sold again for $3.25 million. 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. Over the years that origin story was retconned to make the Avians the original Inhumans and was a big part of the latest Infinity storyline from 2013. So far this is the only sale of an X-Men #141 CGC 9.9 recorded. It's why when Sony agreed to loan him out to Disney, it became a big deal the wall-crawler was coming home! DC sued M.F. See it? Another great Steve Ditko cover, this time depicting four full panels of action between Spidey and the Sandman, a villain who was hiding out from the police at Peters school. Highest known CGC 9.8 sale was $50,000 at Comic Link back in February of 2019. It has four debuts, and not just debuts of some minor or semi-popular characters. And while fancy metallic, holographic, and other gimmicky covers of the '90s arguably killed comic collecting, a rare few actually went up in value. Sounds familiar, doesnt it thats because, besides the first Avengers movie, it is also the plot of the first Avengers issue. Prior recent and highest known sale of an X-Men #94 CGC 9.8 was for $63,000 in April of 2021. 39, which featured the first appearance of Iron Man. Just like comics wanted to capitalize on the martial arts craze of the 70s, the comic industry also tried to ride the blaxploitation films of the era as well. Either one of these is worth your time and effort to find if you're hunting down issues to invest in. Pretty rare for Marvel Spotlight #5s at 9.8 grades! 23 Amazing Spider-Man #6 (1963) $71,000 It definitely has a lot going for it, and Wolverine's gruff, violent but loyal nature has caught on with many comic fans. A relic of the old Timely Comics, a young boy is adopted and raised by the Avian Bird People, who equip him with mechanical wings and as an adult sent him back to humanity to combat evil as the Red Raven. 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. 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.