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Comic Books of the Ages

The Stone Age

The time before Comic Books!

The first comic book appeared in the United States in 1933 and was a collection of reprinted comic strips. Before 1929, comics were printed within magazines and newspapers and were not sold separately. The term “comic book” was coined because they were initially just a bunch of comic strips reprinted into a new format.

But time marches on and brings us the Golden Age, the Silver Age, the Bronze Age and the Modern/ Dark Age of Comic Books!

The Golden Age: 1938 to 1956

During the Golden Age, modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity. In 1938, Action Comics #1 launched with Superman as the cover feature. The popularity of that character immediately enshrined the superhero as the defining genre of American comic books.

Many iconic characters were created in the Golden Age like Superman , Batman , and Wonder Woman , Captain Marvel , Captain America , and the original Human Torch , among others.

Wonder Woman first appeared in All Star Comics #8 in October 1941 with her first feature in Sensation Comics #1, January 1942.

C aptain America Comics #1, March 1941, introduced Captain America. Given the times and nature of the character, it should come as no surprise that the cover page features him punching Hitler while a bullet bounces off of his shield. The issue is worth about $343,000.

And the World Record goes to...

Action Comics #1 This is the issue in which Superman made his debut in 1938 . He wasn’t the first superhero, but he was one of the first superheroes to gain widespread popularity, thus making this issue a true piece of history. It is valued at $3,200,000!

The Silver Age: 1956 to 1970

The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and widespread commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those featuring the established superhero archetype.

Here's Hulk!

The Incredible Hulk, Issue #1, contains the very first appearance of Dr. Bruce Banner and his alter ego, the Hulk and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1962. It fetched a price of $326,000 at auction in 2014. This original comic book series was canned in March 1963, after only after 6 issues.

He's Baaack!

Revival of Captain America;

This is the first Silver Age appearance of Captain America; Published March 1964. $170,000!

The Bronze Age 1970 to 1986

The age of the anti-hero. In the mid-1970s, Marvel antiheroes such as the X-Men's Wolverine , the Punisher , and writer/artist Frank Miller ’s darker version of Daredevil challenged the previous model of the superhero as a cheerful humanitarian . The late 1970s also saw famed creators going to work for new independent publishers.

The original Ghost Rider was a western antihero created in 1949. Ghost Rider first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #5 (August 1972). The character Blaze was featured in the Ghost Rider series from 1972 to 1983. A subsequent Ghost Rider series (1990–1998) featured Danny Ketch as a new Ghost Rider.

In Werewolf By Night #32 , 1972, the Werewolf battles a mysterious stalker known as Moon Knight. But how did Moon Knight come to possess his silver weaponry? After a crowd begins to gather, the battle is postponed. For three nights in a row, it’s Jack Russell vs. Moon Knight! Sold for $30,000 in March of 2020!

The Modern Age 1986 - Present

During approximately the first 15 years of this period, many comic book characters were redesigned, creators gained prominence in the industry, independent comics flourished, and larger publishers became more commercialized. An alternative name for this period is the Dark Age of comic books due to the popularity and artistic influence of titles with serious content, such as Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen .

A Walkaway Favorite

The Walking Dead #1 (October 2003): First Issue. Record sale price: $20,000.

The Spider-verse Grew

Edge of Spider-Verse #2 Cover (2014) when Gwen Stacy Becomes Spider-Woman. Value: $400-500.

Everything Old is New Again

Bringing the Bronze Age into the present Modern Age , Marvel Comics has crossed over common plot elements, settings, and characters , into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. These live-action TV series have reinvigorated interest in the original comic books, inflating both collectibility and value. Here are two Prime Time examples:

Luke Cage was the first black superhero to be featured as the protagonist and title character of a comic book . Luke Cage first appeared in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (June 1972).

Hero for Hire #1 is the most spectacular winner. One just sold for $26,000. That places it comfortably in the top three most valuable comic books of the Bronze Age at the moment.

Foul-mouthed, hard-drinking, ex-superhero, Jessica Jones , runs Alias Investigations and lives the typical life of a tough-as-nails private investigator. introduced in ALIAS (2001) with a relaunch in 2016. She married Luke Cage, she joined the New Avengers at one point... The character's overall popularity got a huge bump from her self-titled Netflix series. Original cover price $2.99 Now? $160!

Three Categories That Boost Value

1. First Appearance of a Character

2. The first Issue of a Series

3. Key Plot Point Development

1. First Appearance of a Character

In addition to the example of the first appearance of Superman #1, Wolverine first appeared in Incredible Hulk #181) in 1974.

2. The first Issue of a series

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #1 is the first issue of the new series with a cover date of June, 1986. It was published on June 25, 1986.

$675.00!

3. Key Plot Point

Amazing Spiderman #121-122 (June–July 1973), "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" is a story arc that became a watershed event in the life of Spiderman.

This two-issue story took the comic book world by storm and became one of the most notable and poignant moments in the popular superhero’s history.

Uber Nerd Comic Book Stuff

"Variant"

A variant is a comic book released with a different cover than the main “official” cover. The publishers print significantly fewer issues of the variants to increase desirability. The first comic book marketed with a variant cover was the 1986 first issue of The Man of Steel, which featured two different covers. This variant is valued at $55. The official cover brings about $6.

Variant covers became more common during the "speculator boom" of the 1990s, when more collectors prioritized the goal of future financial gain over reading the comics themselves.