Buzz
If you've been into comic books since childhood, it's the perfect moment to sell them on eBay. Superhero movies from Marvel and DC are more popular than ever, making characters that were once niche favorites now widely adored.
Here are some rare issues that could make excellent comic book gifts, or may have been collecting dust—and increasing value—in your attic for years.
1. Action Comics No. 1
The debut issue of Action Comics introduced Superman and helped launch the superhero genre. In 2014, a flawless copy of this 1938 comic, still displaying its original price of 10 cents, fetched $3.2 million on eBay, setting a record as the most expensive comic book ever. Action Comics No. 1 also holds the second-highest comic book sale, with a copy once owned by Nicholas Cage selling for $2.16 million in 2011. It’s estimated that 50 to 100 copies of this iconic issue are still in circulation.
2. Amazing Fantasy No. 15
Before Spider-Man became a household name across various comic series, TV shows, and blockbuster movies, he first appeared in issue No. 15 of Amazing Fantasy. The comic’s publisher initially doubted Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s creation, only agreeing to feature him because it was the final issue of the series. However, Spider-Man turned out to be an instant hit with readers after his debut in 1962, and his popularity endures today, with a private collector paying $1.1 million for his first comic in 2011.
3.
Detective Comics No. 27
One year after Superman's debut, Batman made his first appearance in issue No. 27 of Detective Comics. In 2010, an anonymous buyer acquired a well-preserved copy of this 1939 comic for $1 million in an online auction. Experts estimate that between 100 and 200 copies have survived to this day.
4. All Star Comics No. 8
Although the cover doesn’t reveal it, issue No. 8 of DC’s All Star Comics marked the debut of Wonder Woman. While the main story focuses on the Justice Society of America, it also tells the origin story of one of the most iconic superwomen in comics. A copy of this issue sold for $936,223 on eBay in 2017.
5. X-Men No. 1
In 2012, the first issue of X-Men from 1963 fetched $492,937 at auction. The near-mint copy was rated 9.8 out of 10 on the CGC scale, which is used by collectors to assess the quality of vintage comics. This issue introduced Cyclops, Beast, and Magneto, though Wolverine wouldn’t appear until later in the series.
6. Tales of Suspense No. 39
Iron Man was once regarded as a B-list Marvel superhero—until 2008, when the film adaptation catapulted the character to global fame. The success of Iron Man led to a surge in demand for his debut issue from 1963, Tales of Suspense No. 39, which became one of the best-selling comics of its era, selling for $375,000 in 2012.
7. Marvel Comics No. 1
Marvel may now reign supreme across pop culture, but it had humble beginnings. Marvel Comics No. 1, released in 1939, predates the iconic X-Men, Spider-Man, and Hulk. However, it did feature an early version of one of Marvel’s future staple characters: the Human Torch. In 2001, a copy of this pioneering comic sold for $350,000.
8. The Incredible Hulk No. 1
When The Incredible Hulk No. 1 hit the stands in 1962, it was priced at just 12 cents, but today it can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars. In 2014, a copy of this issue sold for $320,000 at auction. The original Hulk was depicted as gray, but printing issues gave him a greenish hue, leading the creators to make the Hulk green intentionally in later issues.
9. All American Comics No. 16
The origin story of the Green Lantern is featured in issue No. 16 of DC's All American Comics from 1940. This issue is much rarer compared to other key comics of the time, with only 21 to 50 copies believed to still exist. Due to its rarity, a copy was sold for over $200,000 at auction in 2013.
10. Suspense Comics No. 3
The third issue of Suspense Comics—a brief-lived horror/thriller series—became the most expensive non-superhero comic when it sold for $173,275 in 2015. The provocative cover, which depicted a young woman bound and about to be killed by hooded figures wearing swastikas, led some vendors to refuse to sell the issue when it was first released in 1944. As a result, surviving copies are extremely rare.
A version of this article was originally published in 2018 and has been updated for 2022.
