Author: Zap-Kapow Comics

Comic book collecting is more than a hobby for some collectors. It’s big money for those that invest in the right books at the right time—and are will to part with them when the time is right to sell.

Sometimes it’s the age of the book that makes it rare and valuable. Sometimes it’s a key issue with a popular first appearance of a character. And sometimes, it’s the art on the cover that makes it an in demand issue.

Whatever the case, collectors have been shelling out big bucks for decades on comic books. Below are the most valuable comic books from every decade. Have any of these laying around?

The Most Valuable Comic Books From The 60s

1. Amazing Fantasy (1961) No. 15 — $355,000

Marvel Comics’ flagship character changed how superhero comics would be written forever. Stan Lee’s story of a puny teenager (Peter Parker) who had to balance power and responsibility after being bitten by a radioactive spider and becoming Spider-Man showed that readers could care about the person behind the mask.

2. Fantastic Four (1961) No. 1 — $175,000
3. The Incredible Hulk (1962) No. 1 — $110,00

The Most Valuable Comic Books From The 80s

1. The Incredible Hulk (1968) No. 181 — $12,000

The first full appearance of Wolverine (see No. 180 for his “other” first appearance) is King Of The 70’s and has been for quite awhile. Collectors just can’t get enough of Len Wein and Herb Trimpe’s Canadian mutant.

2. Star Wars (1977) No. 1 (Price Variant) — $9,500
3. Giant-Size X-Men (1975) No. 1 — $7,300

The Most Valuable Comic Books From The 80s

1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1984) No. 1 — $12,500

Cowabunga! The first appearance of Leonardo, Michaelangelo, Raphel, Donatello, Shredder, and Splinter are the top dogs (turtles?) of the 1980’s in terms of value, with their cartoons, movies, and other merchandise fueling nostalgic dreams of owning their first comic book appearance.

2. Albedo (1983) No. 2 — $4,000
3. Superman: Bradman Family Special Edition (1988) — $3,750

The Most Valuable Comic Books From The 90s

1. Venom: Lethal Protector (1993) No. 1 (Black Cover) and (White Cover) (tie) — $1,500 each

His first solo title, Venom: Lethal Protector (1993) is pretty easy to find in back issue boxes these days. These black or white error covers? Not so much.

2. The Batman Adventures (1992) No. 12 — $650
3. Batman Beyond (1999) No. 1 (Newsstand Cover) — $600

The Most Valuable Comic Books From The 00s

1. The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) No. 667 (Dell’Otto Variant) — $9,500

The Variant Age begins! The 2000’s really kicked up the concept of multiple covers, and almost from its release this Gabrielle Dell’Otto variant for The Amazing Spider-Man has been one of the rarest, most sought after variants out there.

2. Spawn (1993) No. 185 (Sketch Cover) — $5,500
3. Invincible (2003) No. 1 — $3,000

The Variant Age begins! After the downer that was the 90s, publishers roared back in the 2000’s with a sure-fire way to sell more comics—variants. Why stop at one cover for an issue when you can release 45 (looking at you Dynamite Entertainment)? Below are the Top 10 Most Valuable Comic Books From The 2000’s.

Also See: The Top 10 Most Valuable Comic Books From The 90’s

10. Star Wars: Jedi vs. Sith (2001) No. 1 (Newsstand Cover) ($600)

The first appearance of Darth Bane (and Darth Zannah for the Darth Z fans out there) from Dark Horse Comics has become a big dollar book for collectors, even more so for the rare newsstand version of the cover.

9. NYX (2004) No. 3 ($650)

Another first appearance, this time for Wolverine’s clone, X-23 (Laura Kinney). NYX by Joe Quesada and Josh Middleton stands out for this issue alone.

8. Adam: Legend Of The Blue Marvel (2009) No. 1 ($700)

The first appearance of Blue Marvel (Adam Brashear) and Anti-Man (Conner Sims) has sent MCU speculators into speculation overdrive. Add to that the issue’s low print run, and a modern grail is born.

7. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) No. 1 ($750)

First appearances fuel this specific issue twice on this list. The first time here at number seven, with comic book firsts in for fan favorites from the animated series, Ahsoka Tano and Captain Rex.

6. The Walking Dead (2003) No. 1 ($1,000)

It’s the first appearance of Sheriff Rick Grimes, but really it was a (for awhile) mega-successful television series a decade after this issue’s first release that drives the high prices on Robert Kirkman’s undead saga.

5. Batman (1940) No. 608 (Special Edition Cover) ($2,000)

An early decade variant (from 2002), this special edition cover featuring insanely awesome artwork by Jim Lee is a must-have for collectors of The Dark Knight.

7. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) No. 1 (Variant Cover) ($2,200)

The second appearance of this issue on this list, this time it’s the rare variant cover commanding collector’s dollars.

3. Invincible (2003) No. 1 ($3,000)

TONS of first appearances, including Invincible (Mark Grayson), Omni-Man, Deborah Grayson, Titan, William Clockwell, David Hiles, Atom Eve (cameo), and Science Dog (cameo), together with The Walking Dead, it might be safe to say Robert Kirkman was the King of the 2000s.

2. Spawn (1993) No. 185 ($5,500)

THE book to own for Spawn fans. This extremely rare issue from 2008, is one of five variants for issue number 185, but it’s easily the most valuable for that or any other issue in the entire Spawn series.

1. The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) No. 667 (Dell’Otto Cover) ($9,500)

Of course a variant would take the top spot on this list. Easily one of the most coveted, hard to find issues of The Amazing Spider-Man (or any other series), this masterpiece by Gabrielle Dell’Otto holds no first appearances of note, no important storyline developments, nothing like that. It just checks the collector boxes: 1) Impossible to find, 2) Worth a lot of money, and 3) Fantastic cover art.

Is there a character more popular than the Dark Knight? Probably not, and his impact on the broader popular culture beyond comic books is undeniable. Here’s our look at the Top 10 things Batman has contributed to pop culture.

10. Batman T-Shirts, Hats and Merchandise

Second only to Superman’s ‘S’ symbol, pretty much everyone at some point or another has owned a Batman logo t-shirt, hat, belt buckle or wallet. From the classic yellow oval to the more modern all-black version, Batman’s logo is among the most recognized symbols in the world.

9. Utility Belt

Synonymous for everything you’d ever need (can you imagine if MacGyver had one of these?), Batman’s gadget belt really caught on with the public imagination after Adam West popularized it in the 1960’s TV series.

8. The Batcave

Where do you think the term Man Cave came from?

7. Catwoman

Batman has a seriously deep bench of characters in his mythology, but Catwoman has always been one of the most interesting. Love interest? Villain? Sidekick? Wife? Depends on the era and who’s telling the story, but Halle Berry aside, she’s always the cat’s pajamas.

6. The Super Friends Cartoon

There was a time before Netflix, DVDs and the Internet when the only way to see superheroes on your TV was early Saturday morning. Hanna Barbara’s “Super Friends” featured a nice gallery of DC Comics characters, but it was Batman (and Robin) that stole the show for us.

5. Robin

Holy sidekick Batman! From the corny catchphrases to the cornier costumes, Batman and Robin have gone together like peanut butter and jelly for decades.

4. The Joker

Probably THE most famous villain in the world, The Joker has figured into every media incarnation of the Caped Crusader, sometimes even getting higher billing than the hero himself (see Jack Nicholson’s turn in Tim Burton’s film).

3. The Batman TV Show

Hard to imagine this is the same character that Frank Miller wrote about in The Dark Knight Returns or Christopher Nolan brought to the big screen, but there was a time when the adventures of Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) were broadcast as a live-action primetime network show, one that’s still popular with fans to this day.

2. The Batmobile

Usually ranking among the very top character cars ever, the Batmobile is every kid’s dream car. Gadgets, sleek lines, over-the-top fins … And the best part? It’s constantly upgraded and made even cooler.

1. Batman Movies

Whether you’re a fan of the original Tim Burton series or think Christopher Nolan’s trilogy is the greatest thing since sliced bread, Batman on film has always been an event. George Clooney’s Bat Nipples aside, these films have kept the Caped Crusader in the forefront of pop culture for three decades and counting.

By AJ Diesel

Welcome back to my second installment of The Unex”SPEC”ted! I would like to give you all two articles a month, and hopefully as my schedule clears, one per week! My sole objective in writing these articles is to educate, inform, and perhaps introduce you to some comics that you’re not familiar with! As always, I am open to comments and feedback from the wonderful community of Zap-Kapow Comics!

In the game of speculation, we need to be ahead of the curve! We don’t want to be the person reading about a book catching heat on one of the many comic platforms out there. We want to be the person making the prediction before anyone else, thus enjoying the highest reward. Buy low, sell high! 

As fall nears, I like to enjoy my horror comics that much more. Horror has always been a cult type interest, but in the past several years, horror is becoming much more acclaimed in popular culture. The book(s) that I’ve been picking up everywhere I see them are Marvels 1998 four-part series The Supernaturals!

This is an awesome mini-series that Marvel put out, which involved tertiary characters at the time, but those characters have seen significant gains since! As Marvel continues to go a bit of a horror route in the MCU, several if not all of these characters could begin making appearances! 

The team consisting of Brother Voodoo, Ghost Rider, Satana, Black Cat, Gargoyle, and Werewolf By Night, is every ounce of macabre that you’ve been looking to get ahold of before October. I truly feel these are solid investment books if bought in high grade and at the right price, BUT…only if they contain the masks inside! The cool thing about these books is that they contain one of five cardboard Halloween masks in the centerfold of the book. I have come across many copies that do not contain the masks or the masks are already loose. When searching, attempt to find the cleanest copy, with a fully intact mask in the middle. The five masks include Satana, Gargoyle, Brother Voodoo, Werewolf by Night, and the rarest in Ghost Rider! 

There is a good chance these books are still hidden in $1 bins at your LCS, and I strongly encourage you pick up any and all copies that you find! This is the perfect example of a book that is just waiting to appear on hot 10 lists, and you’re going to be kicking yourself if you don’t buy now! With Halloween approaching, these books will see gains just because of the season, but expect these books to hold value, as more people become aware that they are out there! 

Good luck and happy hunting! I already have an article prepared for next week, so you’ll be hearing from me then. Until then my friends, I bid you adieu.

Containing the bulk of what’s known as the Silver Age, the 1960’s was THE decade for collectors, featuring more lasting, impactful comic book characters’ first appearances than any other decade—and almost all from one publisher (and pretty much two creators, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby). This is our list of the Top 10 Most Valuable Comic Books From The 1960’s.

10. Daredevil (1964) No. 1 ($16,000)

“The Mighty Marvel Tradition” continued with Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s blind superhero, Daredevil. Always a fan favorite, he (and this first appearance) have enjoyed renewed interest in the past decade.

9. Strange Tales (1951) No. 110 ($17,000)

Dr. Stephen Strange, The Ancient One, Nightmare and Wong all made their first appearances in this decade-old series. The good doctor would get his own self-titled series, Doctor Strange (1968), before the decade was over.

8. The Brave and The Bold (1955) No. 28 ($20,000)

DC Comics beat Marvel to the “mega-super-hero team” game by a few years with this first appearance of the JLA. Oh, and of course it also has the first appearance of Starro to boot.

7. The Avengers (1963) No. 1 ($39,000)

It wasn’t the first time a group of super-heroes had formed a team (not even a first for Marvel), but in modern times it has certainly proved to be one of the most popular. With an ever-changing roster, “Earth’s Mightiest Super-Heroes” kicked off decades of adventure with this first issue.

6. Journey Into Mystery (1952) No. 83 ($81,000)

Stan Lee and Jack Kirby were on fire in the Sixties, and bringing the God of Thunder into the Marvel Universe was more gas on that fire. The first appearance of Thor (Dr. Don Blake) commands top dollar among collectors.

5. The Amazing Spider-Man (1963) No. 1 ($82,000)

Not Spidey’s first appearance, but it was the first time his name was in the title. The Amazing Spider-Man No. 1 does feature the first appearances of J. Jonah Jameson, John Jameson, and the Chameleon (Dmitri Smerdyakov).

4. The X-Men (1963) No. 1 ($90,000)

This is a big one, and one with almost unlimited potential for increased value as Disney brings their version of Marvel’s Mutants to the MCU. Even if that weren’t the case, the first appearances of Professor X (Charles Xavier), Cyclops (Scott Summers), Iceman (Bobby Drake), Angel (Warren Worthington III), Marvel Girl (Jean Grey), and Magneto (Erik Lehnsherr) are obviously highly desirable and an important part of comic book history.

3. The Incredible Hulk (1962) No. 1 ($110,000)

Sure, he started out grey here. Sure, this series only lasted six issues before The Big Guy would return in his own title later in the decade. But it’s hard to argue that the first appearance of Hulk (Dr. Bruce Banner), Rick Jones, General “Thunderbolt” Ross, and Betty Ross isn’t one of the very top comic books from the 1960’s.

2. Fantastic Four (1961) No. 1 ($175,000)

Much like the classic X-Men featured above, the Fantastic Four has long been considered comic book royalty and their impending explosion into the MCU will only be gas on that fire. Marvel’s First Family changed super-hero team books forever with this issue and the first appearances of Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards), Invisible Girl (Susan Storm), Human Torch, (Johnny Storm), The Thing (Ben Grimm), and Mole Man (Harvey Elder).

1. Amazing Fantasy (1961) No. 15 ($355,000)

THE comic book character that defined the era (and pretty much every era since), the first appearance of Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Aunt May, Uncle Ben, and even Flash Thompson is the king of the 60s and the king of the Silver Age.