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100 Golden Keys

🗝 The Top 100 Key Issues from The Golden Age Comic Books published from 1934 - 1955

Dell Feb 1934

Famous Funnies: Series 1 #1

Famous Funnies: Series 1 #1
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Low
$15K
Mid
$50K
High
$150K
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First comic book to be sold on newsstands
Estimated print run of 35,000 copies though there is thought to be fewer than 10 still in existence and the highest graded copy is a 4.5
Eastern Color Dec 1934

Famous Funnies #5

Famous Funnies #5
View Series
Low
$480
Mid
$1.4K
High
$4.8K
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1st cover appearance of Santa Claus on a standard comic book
First Christmas story in a standard comic book, a reprinted story called 'Fanny Takes Advantage of Santa' from the comic strip Simp O'Dill
DC Oct 1935

New Fun Comics #6

New Fun Comics #6
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Low
$3.5K
Mid
$10K
High
$35K
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1st appearance of Doctor Occult, one of the earliest superheroes in history
First artwork by Joe Shuster, co-creator of Superman
First written work by Jerry Siegel, co-creator of Superman
1st appearance of a vampire in comic books
David McKay Apr 1936

King Comics #1

King Comics #1
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Low
$3K
Mid
$10K
High
$30K
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1st appearance of Popeye in standard comics - reprinted newspaper comic strips
1st appearance of Flash Gordon in standard comics - reprinted newspaper comic strips
1st appearance of Mandrake the Magician
1st appearance of Brick Bradford
[March 2024 - a live-action Popeye movie is in development from Chernin Entertainment and King Features with screenwriter Michael Caleo (The Sopranos) attached]
DC Jun 1938

Action Comics #1

Action Comics #1
View Series Variants (33)
Low
$285K
Mid
$1.1M
High
$5.6M
View on eBay
1st appearance of Superman
1st appearance of Lois Lane
1st appearance of Zatara, Zatanna's father
1st appearance of Tex Thompson, later becomes Mr. America
🌎 Currently holds the world record for the highest comic sale in history after a 9.0 copy from the collection of Nicolas Cage sold for $15 million dollars in December 2025
Fiction House Sep 1938

Jumbo Comics #1

Jumbo Comics #1
View Series
Low
$3.1K
Mid
$9K
High
$26K
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First professionally published interior art by Jack Kirby, as Jack Curtiss
1st appearance of Sheena Queen of the Jungle
First adaptation of the Count of Monte Cristo in a U.S. publication - reprinted from Wags (UK, 1938)
Lone Ranger Comics Inc Jan 1939

The Lone Ranger Comics #1

The Lone Ranger Comics #1
View Series
Low
$620
Mid
$2.5K
High
$6.8K
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1st appearance of the Lone Ranger in a standard Golden Age-sized comic
1st western comic book featuring a single character
Promotional mail-in offer for an ice cream cone company
Stories adapted from Lone Ranger and His Horse Silver, published by Big Little Books
Dell Apr 1939 Vol 2

The Funnies #30

The Funnies #30
View Series
Low
$280
Mid
$875
High
$2.8K
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1st appearance of John Carter Warlord of Mars in a standard comic book
Adaptation of 'A Princess of Mars' by Edgar Rice Burroughs
First Funnies Apr 1939

Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1

Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1
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Low
$4.5K
Mid
$14K
High
$33K
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1st appearance and origin of Namor the Sub-Mariner
1st appearance of American Ace
1st appearance of the Holy One, later known as Thakorr, a former ruler of Atlantis
Only nine copies are known to exist
This comic was intended to be a giveaway at movie theaters but it never went into full production
DC May 1939

Detective Comics #27

Detective Comics #27
View Series Variants (31)
Low
$250K
Mid
$890K
High
$2.2M
View on eBay
1st appearance of Batman
1st appearance of Commissioner Gordon
💰 Detective Comics #27 has sold for over one million dollars 9x with a record high sale in grade 7.0 for $2.31 million (February 2026)
DC May 1939

Superman #1

Superman #1
View Series Variants (13)
Low
$125K
Mid
$1.3M
High
$4.5M
View on eBay
Premiere issue of headlining Superman title
Origin of Superman
1st appearance of Ma and Pa Kent - Superman was first said to be found by a passing motorist in Action Comics #1
First pin-up poster in comics, back cover
2nd and 3rd printings exist
💰 8.0 Edgar Church Pedigree sold for $5.3 million dollars in Jan 2022
💰 9.0 sold for $9.12 million dollars in November 2025
💰8.5 Edgar Church Pedigree sold for $7 million dollars in Feb 2026
Fox Aug 1939

Mystery Men Comics #1

Mystery Men Comics #1
View Series
Low
$1.1K
Mid
$3.2K
High
$15K
View on eBay
1st appearance of Blue Beetle, Dan Garrett, not in traditional costume but in a suit and fedora
1st appearance of Green Mask
1st appearance of Rex Dexter of Mars and Zanzibar the Magician
DC Sep 1939

Detective Comics #31

Detective Comics #31
View Series Variants (3)
Low
$53K
Mid
$140K
High
$410K
View on eBay
1st appearance of The Monk, Batman's first costumed enemy
1st appearance of Julie Madison, Bruce Wayne's girlfriend
5th appearance of Batman
Debut of the Batgyro, an airborn vehicle later replaced by the Batplane
Debut of the Batarang
Stories take place in New York City
Timely Nov 1939

Marvel Comics #1

Marvel Comics #1
View Series Variants (2)
Low
$68K
Mid
$400K
High
$1.2M
View on eBay
1st appearance of the Human Torch, Jim Hammond
2nd appearance of Namor the Sub-Mariner - 8 pages of the 12-page story reprinted from Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1
1st appearance of Dorma, Namor's cousin
1st appearance of Ka-Zar, David Rand
1st appearance of Angel, Thomas Halloway, a private detective and vigilante
1st appearance of the Masked Raider, Jim Gardley
1st comic book published by Timely, later becomes Marvel
Retitled Marvel Mystery Comics after this issue
80,000 copies were produced of the first printing with an October 1939 date on the cover
The second printing could be identified by the October 1939 date blacked out, replaced with November 1939
The first printing sold out within a week and was quickly reprinted at a quantity of 800,000, the same as Superman #1
Although published in October, the cover date was changed to have a longer on-sale period at newsstands
💰 In March 2022, a 9.2 known as the Pay Copy due to publisher notations that tracked creator payouts sold for $2.42 million
Archie Jan 1940

Pep Comics #1

Pep Comics #1
View Series
Low
$1.7K
Mid
$5.2K
High
$17K
View on eBay
1st appearance and origin of the Shield, the United States' first patriotic hero
1st appearance and origin of the Comet, the first superhero character to die in the line of duty in Pep Comics #17
DC Jan 1940

Flash Comics #1

Flash Comics #1
View Series Variants (4)
Low
$65K
Mid
$147K
High
$480K
View on eBay
1st appearance and origin of the Flash, Jay Garrick
First mention of Keystone City, protected by The Flash
1st appearance and origin of Hawkman, Carter Hall
1st appearance Shiera Sanders, later becomes Hawkgirl
1st appearance of Hath-Set, the first villain of Hawkman
1st appearance of Johnny Thunder
1st appearance of Yz, Johnny Thunder's thunderbolt
Fawcett Feb 1940

Whiz Comics #1

Whiz Comics #1
View Series Variants (2)
Low
$34K
Mid
$106K
High
$301K
View on eBay
1st appearance and origin of Captain Marvel, later renamed Shazam
1st appearance of the Wizard Shazam
1st appearance of Dr. Sivana, a scientific genius and the archenemy of Captain Marvel
1st appearance of Ibis the Invincible and Spy Smasher
1st team appearance of the Seven Deadly Enemies of Man, later renamed the Seven Deadly Sins
While not a precise swipe of Action Comics #1 artwork, this cover and other aspects of Captain Marvel led to DC (formerly National) filing a lawsuit against Fawcett for Captain Marvel too closely resembling Superman
Premiere issue of the series though the copyright notes read issue #2
There exists a scarce Ashcan edition of this issue
DC Feb 1940

More Fun Comics #52

More Fun Comics #52
View Series
Low
$8K
Mid
$25K
High
$112K
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1st full appearance and origin of The Spectre
1st appearance of The Presence, creator of The Spectre and the most powerful entity in the DC Multiverse
Street and Smith Mar 1940

Shadow Comics #1

Shadow Comics #1
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Low
$1.8K
Mid
$6K
High
$18K
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1st appearance of the Shadow in a standard comic book
1st appearance of Doc Savage in a standard comic book
DC Apr 1940

Action Comics #23

Action Comics #23
View Series Variants (3)
Low
$6.5K
Mid
$19K
High
$65K
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1st appearance of Lex Luthor, depicted with red hair
1st appearance of Black Pirate, an adventurer who later appeared as a ghost in present day stories
First mention of The Daily Planet
DC Apr 1940

Batman #1

Batman #1
View Series Variants (10)
Low
$72K
Mid
$205K
High
$1.5M
View on eBay
1st appearance of the Joker
1st appearance of the Cat, Selina Kyle, later becomes Catwoman
Debut of the first Batplane which has multiple designs from one issue to the next including Batman #3 and Batman #4
💰 Batman #1 sold for over one million dollars 4x with a record-high in 9.4 for $6,000,000
DC May 1940

More Fun Comics #55

More Fun Comics #55
View Series
Low
$3.5K
Mid
$13.2K
High
$35K
View on eBay
1st appearance of Dr. Fate, Kent Nelson
Introduction of the Helmet of Fate, Amulet of Anubis, and the Cloak of Destiny
1st appearance of Wotan, an immortal sorcerer and enemy of Dr. Fate
Timely Aug 1940

Red Raven Comics #1

Red Raven Comics #1
View Series
Low
$2.8K
Mid
$9K
High
$28K
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Debut artwork by Jack Kirby at Timely (Marvel) Comics
1st appearance and origin of the Red Raven and the Eternal Brain
1st appearance of Mercury, later becomes Hurricane then retconned to be Makkari from Kirby’s ‘Eternals’
1st appearance of Pluto who is later retconned to become Kro from Kirby's 'Eternals'
1st appearance of Magar the Mystic
This issue is the first appearance of a number of classical mythology characters but later appearances do not connect with these versions therefore they are not considered the mainstream Marvel depictions of the Olympians
1st appearance of Mercury (Hermes), Pluto (Hades), Jupiter (Zeus), Minerva (Athena), Vulcan (Hephaestus), Aeolus, Diana (Artemis), Apollo
DC Dec 1940

All-Star Comics #3

All-Star Comics #3
View Series Variants (4)
Low
$7.5K
Mid
$28K
High
$85K
View on eBay
1st team appearance and origin of the Justice Society of America, the first superhero team in history: Atom, Flash, Sandman, Spectre, Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Green Lantern, Hourman
3rd appearance of the Atom
Marvel Mar 1941

Captain America Comics #1

Captain America Comics #1
View Series Variants (4)
Low
$45K
Mid
$160K
High
$680K
View on eBay
1st appearance and origin of Captain America
[December 2025 - Chris Evans to return as Captain America in Avengers: Doomsday]
1st appearance of James Buchanan Barnes aka Bucky, later becomes the Winter Soldier
1st appearance of the Red Skull, George Maxon, an agent of the true Red Skull
1st appearance of Doctor Reinstein aka Doctor Erskine, the inventor of the Super Soldier serum
1st appearance of Hurricane, later becomes Makkari
1st appearance of Tuk the Cave Boy, first offspring of the Inhumans
Introduction of Project Rebirth, the Super Soldier Program that eventually expanded into Weapon Plus
💰 In April 2022, a 9.4 sold for $3,120,000 (San Francisco Pedigree)
DC Apr 1941

All-American Comics #25

All-American Comics #25
View Series
Low
$2.2K
Mid
$8.2K
High
$22K
View on eBay
1st appearance and origin of Dr. Mid-Nite, a surgeon who is blind in the light but can see perfectly in the dark
Hop Harrigan becomes Guardian Angel
Marvel May 1941

Captain America Comics #3

Captain America Comics #3
View Series
Low
$8.7K
Mid
$24K
High
$87K
View on eBay
First written work in the comic book industry by Stan Lee
Two-page text story with a couple of illustrations by Kirby
3rd appearance of Captain America
3rd appearance of Bucky Barnes
2nd appearance and 1st cover of the Red Skull, George Maxon
Dell Sep 1941

Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies Comics #1

Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies Comics #1
View Series
Low
$2K
Mid
$8K
High
$20K
View on eBay
1st appearance of Bugs Bunny
1st appearance of Daffy Duck
1st appearance of Elmer Fudd
1st appearance of Porky Pig
1st appearance of Sniffles and Mary Jane
1st appearance of Tom Thumb
1st appearance of Petunia Pig
1st appearance of Blabbermouse
Dell Sep 1941

Four Color #16

Four Color #16
View Series
Low
$2K
Mid
$8K
High
$20K
View on eBay
First solo-titled Mickey Mouse feature in a standard comic book
Iconic cover and story "Mickey Mouse Outwits the Phantom Blot"
Fawcett Dec 1941

Whiz Comics #25

Whiz Comics #25
View Series
Low
$850
Mid
$2.8K
High
$8.5K
View on eBay
1st appearance and origin of Captain Marvel Jr., Freddy Freeman, a boy who Billy Bastion shared his power with in order to save his life
DC Dec 1941

All-Star Comics #8

All-Star Comics #8
View Series
Low
$28.5K
Mid
$81K
High
$290K
View on eBay
1st appearance and origin of Wonder Woman
1st appearance of Hippolyta
1st appearance of Steve Trevor
Starman and Dr. Mid-Nite join the JSA
💰 In June 2022, a 9.4 sold for $1,620,000
DC Jan 1942

Sensation Comics #1

Sensation Comics #1
View Series Variants (2)
Low
$10.5K
Mid
$43K
High
$112K
View on eBay
1st cover appearance of Wonder Woman
2nd appearance and origin of Wonder Woman
1st appearance and origin of Mr. Terrific, Terry Sloane
1st appearance of Wildcat, Ted Grant
Dell Jun 1942

Our Gang Comics #1

Our Gang Comics #1
View Series
Low
$420
Mid
$1.2K
High
$4.2K
View on eBay
1st appearance of Tom & Jerry - Tom is depicted as a brown-colored cat in this comic instead of the more traditional gray
1st appearance of Barney Bear
1st team appearance of Our Gang
Quality Sep 1942

Police Comics #11

Police Comics #11
View Series
Low
$335
Mid
$1K
High
$4.1K
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1st appearance of the Spirit in standard comic format
The Spirit is a crimefighter created by Will Eisner who first appeared in a 16-page newsprint comic insert distributed with the Register and Tribune Syndicate newspaper
Continental Apr 1944

Suspense Comics #3

Suspense Comics #3
View Series
Low
$26K
Mid
$72K
High
$200K
View on eBay
Published prior to the establishment of the Comics Code Authority
Considered the most valuable non-superhero comic book
Fiction House Nov 1944

Jumbo Comics #69

Jumbo Comics #69
View Series
Low
$400
Mid
$1.2K
High
$4K
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First published interior art in the comic book industry by Matt Baker, the first known black artist in comics
Baker is credited as having illustrated the first graphic novel, It Rhymes With Lust
Baker's name is synonymous with the term 'Good Girl Art' which referred to stimulating illustrations of women
Baker defined the classic Phantom Lady imagery which caused him to be a target of Dr. Frederic Wertham, author of "Seduction of the Innocent"
Timely Nov 1945

Terry-Toons Comics #38

Terry-Toons Comics #38
View Series
Low
$500
Mid
$1.5K
High
$5K
View on eBay
1st appearance of Mighty Mouse
[November 2024 - a feature film is in development at Paramount with Ryan Reynolds' production company Maximum Effort and writer Matt Lieberman (Free Guy) attached]
Fawcett Dec 1945

Marvel Family #1

Marvel Family #1
View Series Variants (1)
Low
$3.3K
Mid
$9.8K
High
$33K
View on eBay
1st appearance and origin of Black Adam, an Egyptian prince named Teth-Adam who was first granted powers by the wizard Shazam though it corrupted him
Origin of The Marvel Family: Captain Marvel, Captain Marvel Junior, Mary Marvel and Uncle Marvel
Timely Sep 1946

All Winners Comics #19

All Winners Comics #19
View Series
Low
$800
Mid
$2.4K
High
$8K
View on eBay
1st team appearance and origin of the All Winners Squad: Captain America, Bucky, Human Torch, Miss America, Sub-Mariner, Toro, Whizzer
All Negro Comics Jun 1947

All Negro Comics #1

All Negro Comics #1
View Series
Low
$2.5K
Mid
$8.5K
High
$25K
View on eBay
First comic book produced in full by black creators including writers, artists and the publisher
As quoted by editor Orrin C. Evans "every brush stroke and pen line in the drawings on these pages are by Negro artists"
Inside back cover has an advertisement for #2 but it was never published
Dell Dec 1947 Vol 2

Four Color #178

Four Color #178
View Series
Low
$420
Mid
$1.3K
High
$4.2K
View on eBay
1st appearance of Uncle Scrooge, introduced in a story titled ‘Christmas on Bear Mountain’

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