Key Collector Comics
Nick's Picks I

Hey, I’m Nick, founder of Key Collector Comics.  During my research I stumble across many interesting books. I’d like to spotlight a few here that I find interesting and hope you do too. 🔔 Subscribe for $1.99 for more curated content. Unlock 12 categories plus 🚨Key Issue Alert push notifications  📪  Submit awesome key issue info to [email protected]

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Doctor Weird #1
Texas Trio ⋅ 1970
View Details
Doctor Weird #1
 
Low
$10
Mid
$40
High
$100

Key Facts

First cover art by Jim Starlin

Early published written work in the comic industry by George Raymond Richard Martin (George R.R. Martin)

Image First #1
Image ⋅ 2005
View Details
Image First #1
 
Low
$3
Mid
$9
High
$30

Key Facts

First reprint of The Walking Dead #1

Also reprinted: Girls #1, Sea of Red #1, Strange Girls #1

Venom #1
4th Print ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2011
View Details
Venom #1
 
Low
$12
Mid
$40
High
$120

Key Facts

Variant fourth printing cover with pink background

Comics Scene #31
Starlog ⋅ 1992
View Details
Comics Scene #31
 
Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$150

Key Facts

Preview appearance of Harley Quinn in a magazine article about Batman Animated Adventures, predates Batman Adventures #12

Excalibur #31
Marvel ⋅ 1990
View Details
Excalibur #31
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$10

Key Facts

1st appearance of Vega-Superior, the son of Krakoa

In X-Men #2, it is understood that Krakoa and Arakko share physical relations which could reintroduce the son of Krakoa

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #18
DC ⋅ 2014
View Details
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #18
 
Low
$8
Mid
$20
High
$75

Key Facts

1st full appearance of She-Ra in a standard US comic

She-Ra previously appeared in mini-comics packaged with toys and other He-Man Universe merchandise and on a variant cover of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #1 (2013)

Amazing Adventures #11
Marvel ⋅ 1972
View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Amazing Adventures #11
 
Low
$20
Mid
$85
High
$275

Key Facts

Beast undergoes a mutation which grows gray hair all over his body

Deadworld #10
Variant ⋅ Caliber ⋅ 1988
View Details
Deadworld #10
 
Low
$8
Mid
$30
High
$70

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Vince Locke

Promotional advertisement of The Crow on the back cover, shown, preceded the first actual appearance of The Crow in Caliber Presents #1 (1989)

New Teen Titans #6
Error ⋅ DC ⋅ 1981
View Details
New Teen Titans #6
 
Low
$1
Mid
$0
High
$0

Key Facts

Printing error with DC Comics 'New Teen Titans' #6 cover wrapped around 'Marvel Two-In-One' #74

Only two known to exist with one that was listed on eBay for $1.15 million

In 1981, both companies used Ronald's Printing at the same time

Cannot determine realistic sales values due to absence of data

Heavy Metal #July 1990
Heavy Metal ⋅ 1990
View Details
Heavy Metal #July 1990
 
Low
$1
Mid
$5
High
$18

Key Facts

Includes a twelve-page, comic story titled 'The Wall' about Donald Trump building a border between the rich and the poor in the U.S. more than a quarter century before Trump was elected

FOOM Magazine #10
Marvel ⋅ 1975
View Details
FOOM Magazine #10
 
Low
$180
Mid
$600
High
$1.8k

Key Facts

Preview of the new X-Men team, often said to precede their first appearance in Giant Size X-Men #1 but publication dates prove otherwise

Warrior #1
Ashcan ⋅ Ultimate Creations ⋅ 1996
View Details
Warrior #1
 
Low
$4
Mid
$12
High
$40

Key Facts

Written by James Hellwig aka the Ultimate Warrior

Ashcan edition with wraparound cover

Cover appearances include: Captain America, The Flash, Wolverine, Bone, Milk and others

The Dark Book
Wizard ⋅ 1993
View Details
The Dark Book
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$5

Key Facts

Cover art by Mark A Nelson featuring Carnage

A compilation of villain profiles from various comic companies published by Wizard Magazine

Dark Tower: The Sorcerer #1
Marvel ⋅ 2009
View Details
Dark Tower: The Sorcerer #1
 
Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$20

Key Facts

Origin of Marten Broadcloak

One-shot issue reveals details about the life of the the character who appears in a number of books, going by many aliases: the Man in Black, the Walkin' Dude, Randall Flagg and more

📖 Reading Order: Next, The Fall of Gilead

Incredible Hulk #377
International ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 1995
View Details
Incredible Hulk #377
 
Low
$120
Mid
$400
High
$1.2k

Key Facts

Variant colorless cover

Promotional giveaway originating from Finland

Birds of Prey #86
DC ⋅ 2005
View Details
Birds of Prey #86
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$3

Key Facts

First mention of the team name Birds of Prey, suggested by Lady Blackhawk

Confirmed to be the agreed upon team name by Oracle in Blue Beetle #4 (2006)

Cryptozoic Man #1
Dynamite ⋅ 2013
View Details  ⋅  View Variants (5)
Cryptozoic Man #1
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$10

Key Facts

Created by AMC's 'Comic Book Men' Bryan Johnson and Walt Flanagan 5 years before the show first aired

Weird Trips #2
Kitchen Sink Press ⋅ 1978
View Details
Weird Trips #2
 
Low
$8
Mid
$20
High
$75

Key Facts

Recalled Ed Gein cover

Mighty Avengers #3
Variant ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2014
View Details
Mighty Avengers #3
 
Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$150

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Salvador Larroca featuring Eminem

Sold only in the Detroit area

Gore Shriek #1
FantaCo ⋅ 1986
View Details
Gore Shriek #1
 
Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$25

Key Facts

First interior art by Greg Capullo

💀 MATRIX COMIX: Probably the best-known book on this list, I would be remiss not to include this essential issue for those new to the genre

Published by FantaCo in 1986, Gore Shriek ushered in a new age of horror comics with its splatterpunk aesthetic

Featuring a Bruce Spaulding Fuller cover and boasting the first published work of Greg Capullo, this anthology issue is the foundation of Copper Age horror

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With only 16 CGC 9.8s on census and a 90-day 9.8 average of just under $500, this historic horror book is drastically undervalued

A1 #1
Titan ⋅ 2013
View Details  ⋅  View Variants (4)
A1 #1
 
Low
$10
Mid
$30
High
$100

Key Facts

Cover art by Artgerm

Copies ordered by retailers: 3,981 including variant

Sandman #1
Error ⋅ DC ⋅ 1974
View Details
Sandman #1
 
Low
$5
Mid
$18
High
$60

Key Facts

Purple background

Drawn Into Darkness
Cemetery Dance ⋅ 2011
View Details
Drawn Into Darkness
 
Low
$3
Mid
$9
High
$35

Key Facts

Examination of Stephen King's career in comics

Spider-Man: Torment
TPB ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 1992
View Details
Spider-Man: Torment
 
Low
$25
Mid
$80
High
$250

Key Facts

Collects Spider-Man (1990) #1 - #5

926 copies distributed mostly to comic shops in the United Kingdom

Softcover, shrink-wrapped

Bound In Darkness #1
Sirius/Cry For Dawn ⋅ 1996
View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Bound In Darkness #1
 
Low
$1
Mid
$1
High
$1

Key Facts

1st appearance of Bubba the Redneck Werewolf

Value unknown

Eagle #6
Crystal ⋅ 1987
View Details
Eagle #6
 
Low
$1
Mid
$3
High
$12

Key Facts

First published artwork in the industry by Adam Hughes, interior pin-up

Nam, The #52
Marvel ⋅ 1991
View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Nam, The #52
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$3

Key Facts

Origin of the Punisher skull, part one of a two-part story that explores the original meaning of the Punisher's skull emblem

Hello, I'm Johnny Cash
Spire ⋅ 1976
View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Hello, I'm Johnny Cash
 
Low
$3
Mid
$9
High
$35

Key Facts

Biography of Johnny Cash

2000 AD #149
Rebellion ⋅ 1980
View Details
2000 AD #149
 
Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$30

Key Facts

1st appearance of Judge Death

2000 AD #224
Rebellion ⋅ 1981
View Details
2000 AD #224
 
Low
$2
Mid
$5
High
$10

Key Facts

1st team appearance of Dark Judges: Judge Death, Judge Fear, Judge Fire, Judge Mortis

Spawn #9
International ⋅ Image ⋅ 1997
View Details
Spawn #9
 
Low
$35
Mid
$130
High
$590

Key Facts

German reprint of Spawn #9 (1st appearance of Angela) and Spawn #11

'Thermo-Color' edition, limited to 400 copies

The color of the cover reacts to heat

Odinforce #1
Death Wish Coffee ⋅ 2017
View Details
Odinforce #1
 
Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$25

Key Facts

Promotional comic produced by Death Wish Coffee, a coffee roaster based out of New York that boasts the "world's strongest coffee"

Cover art by Joe Jusko

The Walking Dead #1
Error ⋅ Image ⋅ 2003
View Details
The Walking Dead #1
 
Low
$165
Mid
$410
High
$1.3k

Key Facts

Variant cover with 'Mature Readers' printed in black

The initial first printing of The Walking Dead had to be stopped to correct the color so that Mature Readers was visible

The printer estimates 10% of the run is printed with 'Mature Readers' in black

DC Comics Presents #22
Whitman ⋅ DC ⋅ 1980
View Details
DC Comics Presents #22
 
Low
$270
Mid
$900
High
$2.7k

Key Facts

Scarce Whitman edition, logo in upper-right corner

Scud: The Disposable Assassin #9
Fireman Press ⋅ 1995
View Details
Scud: The Disposable Assassin #9
 
Low
$5
Mid
$15
High
$50

Key Facts

First action figure cover

Playboy
Playboy ⋅ 2012
View Details
Playboy
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$5

Key Facts

Origin of Michonne

An original 6 page story that explains who the two zombies were that accompanied Michonne when she was first introduced

Later reprinted in the one-shot 'The Walking Dead: Michonne Special' along with issue #19 (1st appearance) and FCBD 2013 Special 'The Walking Dead'

Copra #1
Copra Press ⋅ 2012
View Details  ⋅  View Variants (3)
Copra #1
 
Low
$30
Mid
$9
High
$300

Key Facts

Self-published comic about a government-sponsored group of anti-heroes blamed for mass murder then launched into a multi-dimensional epic

Written, illustrated and published by Michel Fiffe

High-demand cult classic hit with a first print run limited to 400 issues

Heavy Metal #183
Heavy Metal ⋅ 1999
View Details
Heavy Metal #183
 
Low
$25
Mid
$80
High
$275

Key Facts

Cover art by Frank Miller, limited to 5,000 copies

Interior interview of Frank Miller

Witchblade #170
Non-Key
Top Cow ⋅ 2013
View Details  ⋅  View Variants (2)
Witchblade #170
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$10

Key Facts

Cover art inspired by X-Men #251(1989)

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #63
So Much Fun ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 1987
View Details
G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #63
 
Low
$3
Mid
$9
High
$30

Key Facts

Third printing

'So Much Fun' variant sold only in toy stores

Sally Forth #8
Eros Comix ⋅ 1995
View Details
Sally Forth #8
 
Low
$20
Mid
$80
High
$200

Key Facts

Cover art by Adam Hughes

Batman Adventures #16
DC ⋅ 2004
View Details
Batman Adventures #16
 
Low
$5
Mid
$18
High
$65

Key Facts

Wedding of Harley Quinn and the Joker, is interrupted

Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Annual #2
DC ⋅ 1986
View Details
Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Annual #2
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$8

Key Facts

1st appearance of Sodam Yat, later introduced as Ion, prophesied to be the Ultimate Green Lantern

1st team appearance of the Children of the White Lobe, prophesied to contribute to the destruction of the Green Lantern Corps

1st appearance of Qull of the Five Inversions, a demon who foreshadowed the destruction of the Green Lantern Corps to Abin Sur

1st appearance of T:D:H:D, the Mad God

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Written by Alan Moore in 1986, the prophecy of Qull was the foundation of the Sinestro Corps War and Blackest Night storylines, written by Geoff Johns 20 years later

World's Finest Comics #153
DC ⋅ 1965
View Details
World's Finest Comics #153
 
Low
$30
Mid
$100
High
$300

Key Facts

Includes the panel of Batman slapping Robin that is recognizable from many internet memes

Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #27
Marvel ⋅ 1966
View Details  ⋅  View Variants (1)
Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos #27
 
Low
$5
Mid
$15
High
$70

Key Facts

Origin of Nick Fury's eye-patch

1st appearance of Eric Koenig

Batman Chronicles #21
DC ⋅ 2000
View Details
Batman Chronicles #21
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$4

Key Facts

First published work by Brian Michael Bendis at DC

The only published work for DC by Bendis until nearly two decades later when he introduced the Wonder Comics imprint and began writing for the Superman titles

Sensational She-Hulk, The #14
Marvel ⋅ 1990
View Details  ⋅  View Variants (2)
Sensational She-Hulk, The #14
 
Low
$1
Mid
$2
High
$3

Key Facts

Cover layout by Brian Bolland with finishes by Mark Texeira

Marvel approved Bolland's rough layout for the issue but the finished cover did not arrive in time for printing

Using Bolland's layout sketch, Mark Texeira provided a finished cover that went to print, shortly thereafter, Marvel issued Bolland's finished artwork as a wraparound cover only (see variant) with an explanation of what occurred, printed on the inside

Tales of the TMNT #69
Mirage ⋅ 2010
View Details
Tales of the TMNT #69
 
Low
$5
Mid
$15
High
$55

Key Facts

Story set in the future featuring Shadow, the daughter of Casey Jones

Caliber Presents #15
Caliber ⋅ 1990
View Details
Caliber Presents #15
 
Low
$2
Mid
$8
High
$20

Key Facts

Preview of The Crow #5, a story titled "Death" that was to be the conclusion of the first story arc but it was never published as a single issue

In 1992 Kevin Eastman's publishing company Tundra published the final Crow chapter in a double-sized volume

Spider-Man Adventures #9
Marvel ⋅ 1995
View Details
Spider-Man Adventures #9
 
Low
$1
Mid
$5
High
$15

Key Facts

1st cameo appearance of Venom in the comic based off of the animated series

Many listings on eBay claim #8 is the first cameo appearance Venom in the series, but it is only the shapeless ooze and the black Spider-Man costume

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