Most Valuable Comic Books of the 1960s
(Image courtesy AntMan3001 via CC BY-SA 2.0)
Some of the most valuable comic books of the 1960s inspired the billion-dollar comic book movies that we all love now. This was the Silver Age of comic books. Comic books like Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers were first launched during this era. The Black Panther comic book character, the billion-dollar film sensation of 2018 (Rest in Power, Chadwick Boseman) first appeared in comic books in 1966.
Part of being a shrewd comic book investor is understanding the cultural context of when a valuable comic book was published.
The Silver Age of comic books occurred between 1956 to 1970. Comic books published during this era were heavily censored by the Comics Code Authority
Superhero comics almost faded away as a business prior to the dawn of the Silver Age. But the Silver Age established the superhero comic as a bankable genre on its own.
It was also during this time that comic books began to creatively mirror the social and political issues of the time.
Most modern comic book fans have never read a comic book – but they flock to billion-dollar grossing movies based on them.
The most valuable comic books of the 1960s seeded the explosion of the comic book culture we enjoy today. That’s worthwhile to know as a comic book investor.
If you are interested in investing in comic books, these are the Silver Age comic books you should be looking at.
The Most Valuable Comic Books of the 1960s
As you read this guide, it’s important to understand what “CGC” means.
The Certified Guaranty Comic, also known as CGC, is a third-party value verification company.
The CGC appraises comic books on a 10-point scale so buyers and sellers can be assured of what they are buying.
The higher the CGC score, then the more valuable the comic book.
With that out of the way, here is a listing of the most valuable comic books of the 1960s.
Fantastic Four #52 (July 1966) Marvel Comics
The Black Panther and the Negative Zone made their first appearances in Fantastic Four #52. The first Black Panther film grossed over a billion dollars and ushered in a new era of diversity of comic book superheroes on film. The second Black Panther film, Wakanda Forever, grossed over $859 million. While it was a great film that featured the film debut of the Namor, it suffered in spirit from the death of Chadwick Boseman years prior.
People don’t understand that Jim Crow laws prevented comic books featuring non-white heroes in starring roles. Jim Crow laws were rescinded in 1965 – Black Panther was then created by two white Jewish men the next year. That is not a coincidence. If those laws still existed, the world of Wakanda would not have taken over the real world by storm decades later.
An issue of this comic with a CGC grade of 9.8, a near-perfect comic, sold for $90,000 recently.
Suggested Reading for Casuals – Black Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection Vol. 1 (1998)
Writer Christopher Priest reinvented Black Panther and Wakanda as sociopolitical economic power on the world stage with connections to every government while also grappling with instability at home. This storyline features the first appearance of the Dora Milaje and the second appearance of Everett K. Ross, characters created for Marvel by Priest.
The Black Panther we know today and as portrayed in the MCU by Chadwick Boseman was heavily influenced by this story. This story collects the first 17 issues from the storyline.
Get it for $29.99 at Amazon.
Strange Tales #110 (July 1963) Marvel Comics
Dr. Strange was created during an era of the mid-20th century where people from other cultures were considered as exotic as aliens form another planet. In the comic book, Dr. Stephen Strange is a famed doctor who destroys the nerves in his hands in a bad car accident. Distraught with grief, Strange travels the world looking for a cure for his disabled hands. He lands in the Himilayas, somewhere in Tibet, and learns about the mystic arts from The Ancient One, a 500-year old sorcerer.
Dr. Strange was a fan-favorite among comic book collectors long before Benedict Cumberbatch portrayed him in the MCU in 2016. There was a made-for-TV film featuring Dr. Strange made in 1978 starring Peter Hooten that I remember watching as a kid. Dr. Strange was created to bring mysticism to Marvel comics but the character did not become a household name amongst casuals until 2016.
This comic features the first appearance of Dr. Strange, the Ancient One, Wong, and the villinaous Nightmare. A copy of this comic with a CGC grade of 9.8 can be worth as much as $156,700. You could buy an issue with a 4.0 CGC grade for $3,000.
it would be worth the investment. Benedict Cumberbatch should stay in the role for a while, but some day in the future a new actor will assume the role because the character will be popular with fans for a long time.
Suggested Reading for Casuals – Dr. Strange, Surgeon Supreme Vol. 1: Under The Knife
This is a great 6-issue series collected into a graphic novel that was originally published in 2019. Dr. Strange’s hands become miraculously healed and he must choose whether or not to continue his former career as a surgeon or stay committed as the Master of the Mystic Arts. This story smartly examines the regret of what Dr. Strange lost to become Sorcerer Supreme, his joy at regaining the use of his hands and helping patients again, and how even he has to choose between two professions he excels at.
Get it for $17.99 at Amazon.
X-Men #1 (September 1963) Marvel Comics
The X-Men were also created as an allegory to philosophically reflect the volatile political world of 1963.
Public angst about the atomic war and the Civil Rights movement was at its peak when this comic was published. The X-Men were characters who strove to save a world that feared and hated them.
Comic book fans are now impatiently waiting for MCU to make new X-Men films for a new era sometime within the next decade.
X-Men #1, published in August 1963, features the first appearances of the characters Professor Charles Xavier, Magneto, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Beast, and Iceman. This comic is the first appearance of the X-Men.
This comic has a CGC grade of 9.8 and sold for $493,000 in July 2012. It was basically a Near Mint comic, or, one in perfect aesthetic condition and appearance.
There are probably only two X-Men #1 comics with a 9.8 grade in existence.
Suggested Reading for Casuals – X-Men Masterworks Vol. 1
This graphic novel collects the first 10 issues of the 1963 series that introduced the X-Men to the world.The first battles between Prof. X and Magneto and their clashes of ideology regarding human and mutant relations. The X-Men tropes that casuals and comic fans take for granted from he cartoons, TV shows, films, and the comics from the late 20th century all started in 1963.
Get it for $31.99 at Amazon now.
It Pays to Know
It’s important to know the context in which a comic book was created if you are a collector.
They are more than just collector’s items. Some comic books storyliens are witnesses to particular epochs in pop culture history, which adds to their later value as invetsments.
Read More
Most Valuable Comic Books of All Time
Most Valuable Comic Books of the 1950s
Most Valuable Comic Books of the 1970s
Most Valuable Comic Books of the 1980s
Top 25 Most Valuable Comic Books
Allen Francis is a full-time writer, prolific comic book investor and author of The Casual’s Guide: Why You Should Get Into Comic Book Investing. Allen holds a BA degree from Marymount Manhattan College. Before becoming a writer Allen was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including saving and investing in your own small business.
I’m from Philippines. I have some DC COMIC with 10 cent & 12 cent issues, mostly the Flash, Batman, Superman superboy supergirl, Justice League etc, and lots of Classics Illustrated, some made into film like Jungle book & 10 Commandments, but more than a dozen have not been discover by producers like Jules Verne & GH Wells classic, or Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde or Ivanhoe, which could reap them billions. I want to sell this for a good price if you could assist. Thanks