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.
