After Bronze Age - What books are future keys.

[pangea-migration]

Hello, Im new to this forum. Have been reading posts for a bit and decided to join in. So, here is a pondering question.

Whats are keys and investment value books AFTER Bronze Age. What late 80s books should we be looking toward as future keys 10 years from now.

[osborn_fr]

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none...

[Rip]

Really...So what about TMNT 1??? (After Bronze)

I'm sure if you give me a little bit I could come up with another few.

Late 80's and later.... maybe CFD 1??

[backtomarvel]

I'm just a few months back into the game so I don't know. I am curious, though, about when the industry switched to the high-gloss paper and what appears to be computer "inking." Could that first book be sougth by collectors?

[Foolkiller]

I agree with tmnt... maybe crisis on Inifinite Earths 7 and 8 (death of supergirl and barry allen flash) possibly Batman 404, maybe even 426-429. Those are some of the 80s books I think of as important.

[minutekev@50]

Hello, Im new to this forum. Have been reading posts for a bit and decided to join in. So, here is a pondering question.

Whats are keys and investment value books AFTER Bronze Age. What late 80s books should we be looking toward as future keys 10 years from now.

 

Just for the hell of it, I'll play

But shall we just say key books of the 80s

(In no particular order)

 

Amazing Spidey 300

Daredevil 158

FF 232

Thor 337

Secret Wars No.1

Secret Wars No. 8

Amazing Spidey 252

Batman 404

Watchmen 1

Dark Knight Returns 1

 

 

 

[chrisco37]

I'd say the only solid KEY's of Modern Age (1985-up?) would be:

 

-DKR #1 (but everybody has this already)

-ASM #300 (but everybody has this already)

-Watchmen #1 (but for some reason DKR is the only "smart" book to get any real monetary props)

-USM #1 White (put in for Darth )

 

 

I'm sure I'll think of more later. BTW - Welcome to the forum!

 

Chris

[Foolkiller]

yeah, watchmen #1... the whole problem with thinking of keys from the 80s is that we all have the books already, and I think of key as something fairly important... Amazing #300... enh... 252, black costume, but the black costume went by the boards, and yeah, it spawned venom, but in mainstream marvel, he isn't quite that important anymore...

I actually think that USM# 1 could be a key if the ultimate universe survives for a while... I mean, that is the first book of a pretty popular line of books.

 

I know this is a DAM fave... but to me Death in the Family is really one of the landmark books of the 80's a 900 phone in line to kill at least symbolically, a major character? I know it wasn't grayson... but c'mon, to me, the whole stunt has gotta be key.

 

 

[minutekev@50]

 

I know this is a DAM fave... but to me Death in the Family is really one of the landmark books of the 80's a 900 phone in line to kill at least symbolically, a major character? I know it wasn't grayson... but c'mon, to me, the whole stunt has gotta be key.

 

 

True, and they did mention the Robin killing on the History Channel the other night...

[aardvark88]

Only (1984) TMNT #1, 2 1st prints are collectable now b/c the print runs on everything else from the 80s was huge.

[Foolkiller]

odin:

 

but I don't think a key book has to be collectible... I agree with your assessment, but I also think that keys can be just books that are important to an era.

[Zonker]

I'm thinking the early Gaiman Sandman issues and Morrison's Animal Man might hold their value and sense of importance, or actually increase over time. The thing about Watchmen and DKR is that you get 100% of the issue's content in the ubiquitous trade paperbacks. In the case of Sandman and Animal Man, although the stories have been reprinted, you have other editorial content like letters pages that hardcore collectors will find somewhat cool.

 

In that same vein, there was a Gaiman John Constantine issue worthy of note (#27, as I recall).

 

Also, as long as the Miracleman rights are tied up between McFarland and Gaiman, the mid-to-latter Miracleman issues are likely to be seen as both key and valuable.

 

However, working against all the above is the fact that with the arguable exception of Hellblazer, all the above series have pretty much run their course, and it's hard to see prospects for any revivals that would enhance the legacies left by Moore, Gaiman and Morrison.

 

So, I don't know... certainly the Batman Year One issues (404-407) and the Daredevil Born Again issues, but perhaps not much else.

 

Then assuming that comics readership builds back up again (*), you might find 20 years from now that things like Morrison's JLA, Robinson's Starman and then JSA, maybe even JMS Spidey and Kevin Smith Daredevil & Green Arrow are highly prized.

 

(*) ComicInvestor wannabes need not respond!

[ultimatevenom]

Only (1984) TMNT #1, 2 1st prints are collectable now b/c the print runs on everything else from the 80s was huge.

 

They are also going to come back in style

 

Just like Bagpuss, Clangers, Thunderbirds and so on

 

Stock up on your TMNT 1s now

 

[Zonker]

Another thought comes to mind prompted by this thread--

 

Does anyone out there know which was the first Vertigo-imprint book to go on sale? Given the ongoing success and revitalization of that imprint with things like 100 Bullets and Y, the Vertigo "first issue" might achieve some retroactive key status. I remember Vertigo arriving well into Gaiman's Sandman run (and the issue number should be simple enough to verify), but does anyone know whether it was Sandman, Animal Man, Swamp Thing, Hellblazer, or some other issue that can be considered Vertigo #1 ?

[chrisco37]

Gaiman Sandman's are a good choice. Absolutely awesome books, and probably less collected than any of the Superhero books. I haven't really seen too many dealers selling Sandman back issues either. Most of the people that read these are holding onto them. I think you're right Z, about the Gaiman Hellblazer issue being #27.

 

I almost listed Swamp Thing #37 (1st Constantine), but I think that was a little earlier than the 1985 limit I had in my original post. He seems to be one of the truly original characters from the 80's that has withstood the test of time, and continues to be a popular character. A really solid title!

 

If we go back a little further, you could say that Moore's first issue of Swamp Thing would be a Key as well. He is probably (besides Stan Lee) the most important writer in comic history. Swamp Thing was his first attempt on a mainstream book, and that should count for something.

 

I think collectors, more and more, are realizing the importance of good writing. This could bode well for Vertigo collectors. But, even if the books don't pan out financially, you still have the best written stories of the past 20 years.

 

Chris

[Rip]

Wasn't there are Vertigo preview issue or something. (I think I have it somewhere)

[Zonker]

If we go back a little further, you could say that Moore's first issue of Swamp Thing would be a Key as well. He is probably (besides Stan Lee) the most important writer in comic history. Swamp Thing was his first attempt on a mainstream book, and that should count for something.

 

Yessir! Saga of the Swamp Thing #20 has the distinction of being I believe the first issue explicitly broken out in Overstreet based solely on the writer of the book. Ya never saw that happen before, even though many of us did follow writers like (the early) Steve Englehart or Steve Gerber from book to book.

 

But now it's not uncommon to find writers like Kevin Smith, Gaiman, JMS, Bendis, etc. being actively sought out by collectors.

 

Cheers,

Z.

[Zonker]

Wasn't there are Vertigo preview issue or something. (I think I have it somewhere)

 

Now, wouldn't that be interesting... a freebie throwaway becomes an under-collected under-the-radar key rarity! Hmmm.... There was also a similar launch of Alan Moore's ABC Comics line, and an Alan Moore Supreme giveaway/preview about the time the title moved to the Awesome Comics imprint.

[Kevin Boyd]

1980-1992 Plenty of keys out there, but these are the ones that instantly come to mind:

 

Marvel:

ASM 194, 238, 252, 298, 300

Daredevil 158, 168, 181, 226 (1st born again)

Fantastic Four 232

Incredible Hulk 340, 377

Marvel Graphic Novel 1 (death of Captain Marvel)

Secret Wars 1, 8

Silver Surfer 34

Spider-Man 1

Thor 337

UXM 137, 248

Wolverine 1-4 (miller) 1 (regular series)

X-Men 1

 

DC

Action 583/Superman 423

Batman 404

Batman 428

Batman DKR 1-4

Batman Killing Joke

Crisis 1, 7, 8, 12

DC Comics Presents 26

Legends 6

Man of Steel 1

New Teen Titans 1, 39, 44

Saga of the Swamp Thing (20?) 21, 37

Sandman 1

Superman 75

Watchmen 1

Wonder Woman 1

 

Other:

Albedo 2

American Flagg! 1

Comico Primer 1

Dreadstar 1

Mage 1

Miracleman 1, 15

Nexus 1-3 (mag), 1

Spawn 1

TMNT 1

 

Kev

 

[CosmicBob]

Awwright, no one's mention:

 

Sensational She-Hulk #1!!

 

WUWT?