Comic books can be a magical experience for people of all ages, becoming a hobby that you can enjoy for the rest of your life and fantasize with the stories of some of the greatest fictional icons of Western culture, such as Spider-Man, Batman or Superman. There are so many comics out there and so many stories out there that you can enjoy that it’s no wonder that there are people reading and enjoying the medium for decades now. For awesome stories, consider checking out the comic books we have in our online comic book store.
And a question that usually comes out when discussing this medium is: Which comics are worth money? This question usually refers to those individual issues that by and large are usually worth a huge amount of money due to the fact that they are rare and hold significant historical value in the industry of comic books.
Which comics are worth money? Usually the issues which are hard to find. For example, the first issue of Spawn, which came out in 1992, is the highest-selling independent comic book issue with more than 1.7 million copies sold, but an original issue of that comic is not worth a lot of money because there are simply too many of them out there and therefore are not rare.
So, which comics are worth money? There are many out there, but today we’re going to give you twenty examples to have a certain understanding of what you should be looking if you are interesting in collecting. Here we go!
- Amazing Fantasy #15: This is a very easy option and we obviously had to put it on the list. This comic is well-known (and very expensive) for being the first appearance of the legendary cultural icon that we know as Spider-Man. For obvious reasons, this issue has turned into a collector’s icon and it’s also a very fascinating read due to the fact that it shows Peter Parker’s beginnings as a hero and how faithful his origin has maintained throughout the years.
- All Star Comics #8: This issue is a very interesting one because superhero teams have been a major trend for decades now and I would even go as far as saying that it is a trope that has been propelled by the likes of Marvel and DC. It all starts with All-Star Comics #8 and its introductory story of the first major superhero team, DC’s Justice Society of America, and also the interesting fact that it also has the first appearance of Wonder Woman, the definitive female superhero.
- Tales of Suspense #39: Iron Man was always a bit of B-list character throughout the decades, but Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has given Tony Stark a lot more popularity and that is why Tales of Suspense #39, the character’s first appearance, is so valuable these days.
- Marvel Comics #1: Very simple: this is the first Marvel issue in history and also the first appearance of the likes of Namor the Submariner and the Human Torch.
- Superman #1: Not the first appearance of the legendary Man of Steel, but rather a compilation of the first four Superman stories.
- X-Men #1: The first time we see the most popular superhero team of all time, with the legendary duo that is Stan Lee and Jack Kirby at the helm. Ironically enough, the X-Men were never that popular until the late 70s when writer Chris Claremont took over the title, but here you can already see the likes of Charles Xavier, Cyclops, Jean Grey and even their most iconic antagonist, Magneto.
- Detective Comics #27: The first appearance of the Batman, Bruce Wayne. ‘nuff said.
- Flash Comics #1: The first appearance of the Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick, and also the first time we see the Flash mantle in general.
- Batman #1: First issue of Batman on his own title, also including the first appearances of Joker and Catwoman.
- Whiz Comics #2: This is the first time that the character now known as Shazam, originally called Captain Marvel on this issue all the way to 2011, is introduced.
- Captain America Comics #1: As you can imagine at this point, it is the first appearance of Captain America, with the input of writer Joe Simon and the first major work of legendary artist Jack Kirby.
- Incredible Hulk #1: It is the comic with the first appearance of the green giant, also showing some of Stan Lee’s horror influences because it clearly shows how Hulk and his alter ego, Bruce Banner, are a mix of Jeckyl and Hyde and Frankenstein.
- Sensation Comics #1: First comic in history where Wonder Woman has a starring role and the first time she was the main focus on the cover art. For the vast majority of comic book fans, this is viewed as the real starting point for the Amazonian Princess, with a lot more information on her origin.
- New Mutants #98: Another issue that has gained a lot more relevance and value in recent times because this is the first time we see the now famous “Merc with a mouth”, Deadpool.
- The Fantastic Four #1: It’s hard to quantify how important the Fantastic Four have been in Marvel Comics, with this team created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby becoming the first major hit that the company enjoyed and many of the most important characters in the history of Marvel were introduced in this title. This first issue is a landmark and the heart of Marvel would become.
- The Invincible Iron Man #55: If we are talking about issues that have gathered a lot more value in recent times, this one is a very impressive case as it’s the first appearance of the biggest villain of the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far, Thanos.
- Showcase #4: An extremely important issue as it was the introduction of the second and perhaps most famous Flash, Barry Allen, and this comic is also known as the story that started the Silver Age of Comics.
- The Brave and the Bold #28: Here we have the first time the most popular DC heroes got together to form their ultimate team, the Justice League, with this now iconic Mike Sekowsky cover.
- The Avengers #1. The Avengers have always been important in the comic book industry, but thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe they are bigger than ever and that is why the first Avengers issue is so valuable these days. As an interesting fact, much like in the first movie, the heroes get together to face Loki, Thor’s evil brother.
- Action Comics #1: And here we have the most important comic book issue of all time, which is the first appearance of Superman and perhaps the issue that started the concept of the superhero. Without Action Comics #1 and without Superman, there are no superheroes as we know them.
And that’s our list! What do you guys think? Did we missed a few issues? Which comics are worth a lot of money that should be on this list?
