Key Collector Comics
Hot 10 July 3

Updated every Friday, this weekly feature breaks down the hottest, most in-demand back issues that will define this era of comic book collecting. đź”” Thank you for contributing to the continued development of Key Collector when using the eBay links to make ANY purchase

Clicking on the eBay link and making a purchase may result in this site earning a commission from the eBay Partner Network.

Batman Beyond #1
DC ⋅ 1999
View Details  ⋅  View Variants (12)
Batman Beyond #1
 
Low
$40
Mid
$120
High
$400

Key Facts

1st appearance of Terry McGinnis in a comic book

It is important to be aware of the differences between several editions of this book that exist

Direct Edition - as seen in the image with DIRECT EDITION printed in the UPC box

Newsstand Edition - UPC box in the lower-left corner, dated March 1999 with an original retail price of $1.99

View more (4)

Promotional Edition - 'FREE Special Origin Issue' printed below the DC logo with a white rectangle in the lower-left corner intended for stores to stamp their logo. Dated June 1999 with a Jell-O advertisement on the back cover

Six Flags Promotional Edition - displays a Six Flags amusement park logo printed in the white rectangle. Dated October 1999 with a PlayStation advertisement on the back cover

Third Printing Promotional Edition - dated July 2000 with a Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker DVD advertisement on the back cover

đź”® DC Possibilities: Bruce Wayne as Batman has been rebooted for close to half of a century so it would make a whole lot of sense to see a different vision in a sharp, ultra-futuristic, cyberpunk-type take on DC's most successful franchise

Saga of the Swamp Thing #37
DC ⋅ 1985
View Details  ⋅  View Variants (2)
Saga of the Swamp Thing #37
 
Low
$40
Mid
$120
High
$400

Key Facts

1st appearance of John Constantine, Hellblazer

[September 2022 - Warner Bros. announced Keanu Reeves will reprise the role of Constantine in a sequel film]

Amazing Spider-Man #361
Newsstand ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 1992
View Details
Amazing Spider-Man #361
 
Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$150

Key Facts

Newsstand edition, indicated by the barcode

1st full appearance of Carnage

Carnage will make his feature film debut in the upcoming Venom 2: Let There Be Carnage

Newsstand copies of this issue are abundant yet they continue to sell for a significant premium

View more (9)

Demand is incredibly strong for Carnage’s 1st appearance and manages to outstrip the massive supply of this 90s icon

To date, non-keys have not seen a difference in price between Direct Market and Newsstand editions

Newsstands are a fast growing trend and are extremely rare especially from 2012-2014 when distribution was winding down and limited to just Barnes & Noble and Books A Million

CGC does not currently break out Newsstand editions making it difficult to accurately pin down numbers

Unlike direct market (comic shop) orders, Newsstand sales were returnable and unsold copies were destroyed

Current data places Newsstand print runs at approximately 30% for the Copper age (and as low as 1% in 2014)

Additionally, Newsstand editions are notoriously difficult to find in high grade. Distribution, display and browsing habits are very different from direct market systems meaning oftentimes, issues are carelessly handled

Experts have tracked a ratio of 1 in 4 for CGC 9.8 Newsstand editions vs direct market for Amazing Spider-Man #361 meaning it is seeing gains despite being one of the easiest Newsstand books to find in high grade (others like Amazing Spider-Man #298 are closer to 1 in 100)

Many sellers are still unaware of the difference between direct and Newsstand editions and newly discovered Newsstand copies can still be found at direct market prices

Invincible Iron Man #9
Marvel ⋅ 2016
View Details  ⋅  View Variants (2)
Invincible Iron Man #9
 
Low
$10
Mid
$30
High
$100

Key Facts

1st full appearance of Riri Williams, suits up in prototype armor

Amazing Spider-Man #4
1:10 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2014
View Details
Amazing Spider-Man #4
 
Low
$15
Mid
$50
High
$150

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Humberto Ramos

1st full appearance of Silk, a Korean-American girl who was bitten by the same radioactive spider as Peter Parker

Edge of Spider-Verse #2
Marvel ⋅ 2014
View Details  ⋅  View Variants (15)
Edge of Spider-Verse #2
 
Low
$40
Mid
$120
High
$400

Key Facts

1st appearance of Spider-Gwen, Gwen Stacy in an alternate universe (Earth-65)

1st appearance of Em Jay Watson (Earth-65) who later bonds with the Carnage symbiote

1st team appearance of the Mary Janes: Em Jay Watson, Betty Brant, Glory Grant

Albedo #2
Thoughts & Images ⋅ 1984
View Details
Albedo #2
 
Low
$950
Mid
$3.2k
High
$9.5k

Key Facts

1st appearance of Usagi Yojimbo

Yojimbo is Japanese for bodyguard

An animated series set in the Usagi Yojimbo universe is in production for Netflix

Ultimate Fallout #4
Marvel ⋅ 2011
View Details  ⋅  View Variants (23)
Ultimate Fallout #4
 
Low
$30
Mid
$100
High
$325

Key Facts

1st appearance of Miles Morales, Spider-Man from an alternate reality

Distributed in a polybag

[May 2023 - Sony Spider-Verse producer Amy Pascal tells Variety a live-action Miles Morales movie is in the works]

Star Wars: The Clone Wars #1
Variant ⋅ Dark Horse ⋅ 2008
View Details
Star Wars: The Clone Wars #1
 
Low
$220
Mid
$750
High
$2.2k

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Dave Filoni

 Special edition Dark Horse 100, limited to 1,000 copies

1st appearance of Ahsoka Tano in a comic book

Ten copies of this book were distributed to 100 retailers, selected via a lottery

Venom #3
3rd Print ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2018
View Details
Venom #3
 
Low
$25
Mid
$80
High
$225

Key Facts

Variant third printing cover art by Ryan Stegman, cover reproduced from interior art

1st full appearance of Knull

Considered by some collectors to be Knull’s first cover appearance although Venom #5 had a store exclusive with Knull on the cover and a second printing of Venom #4 featured the character's likeness as well

Both covers preceded the one shown

View more (1)

Copies ordered by retailers: 9,765

Adjust Your Filters To See More Comics!

By default Key Collector searches for Standard Cover Key Issues.

Adjust the "Variants" search filter above for additional content:

  • Variant Covers ([[totalVariants]])

At Key Collector, our primary focus is on unearthing those rare Standard Cover Key Issues for you. However, the world of comic collectibles is vast and varied. We want to make sure you have the tools to explore it all!