Comeback Issues: The forgotten comics now surging
Not every comic book starts out as a key. Some are passed over, misjudged, or quietly forgotten — tucked into longboxes while louder issues steal the spotlight. But the market has a way of remembering. In the latest GPA investment data, a clear pattern has emerged: overlooked issues are rising, not with hype, but with consistency.
This article draws from GPA’s Top Positive Investment Performers report — a rolling snapshot of individual comic issues showing the strongest investment growth. To be included, a book must have traded at least 10 times over the past 12 months, with recent sales activity that supports measurable upward momentum. Returns are calculated using a compounding monthly average via least-squares linear regression — smoothing out spikes and favouring steady, progressive climbs.
In the full report results are grouped by era — Silver (1956–1969), Bronze (1970–1979), and Modern (1980–2025) — but the most interesting movement this cycle doesn’t follow age. It follows rediscovery. Here we focus on the comeback issues books that once sat cold are now warming up, earning new attention through character relevance, cultural reappraisal, or sheer rarity at high grade.
📊 A Quick Market Pulse
Here’s what the data shows across the eras, based on GPA’s investment report:
📈 Modern books dominated monthly gains, particularly high-grade 9.8s from the past 5 years.
Examples: Batman: Uncovered #1, Deviant Nation #nn, Mark Spears Monsters #1 (4th Print)
🕰 Silver Age books showed consistent appreciation, especially mid-grade Marvel titles not typically considered keys.
Examples: Avengers #53, Silver Surfer #4, Daredevil #4
🟤 Bronze Age issues proved the most stable, with strong—but not wild—growth in first issues and team-ups.
Examples: Shazam! #1, Rom #1, Spider-Woman #1
👁 Indie publishers and variant covers outperformed, showing collector interest is stretching beyond Marvel and DC.
Examples: Mark Spears Monsters #1, Totally Rad Monsters #nn, Invincible #19
📈 The comeback issues
🖤 Avengers #53 (1968)
+9.05% gain | CGC 6.0
Long dismissed as a mid-run issue with no major firsts, Avengers #53 has found a new footing — and perhaps a new audience. The spike in value this month came from a CGC 6.0 sale, suggesting it’s not just high-grade investors paying attention.
What makes this issue notable is its cast. This is Black Panther in command, leading the Avengers in a dramatic clash with the X-Men. Long before the MCU reshaped his mainstream perception, this comic positioned T’Challa as a strategist and statesman. And that legacy is now catching up to the market. Collectors who once focused on origin issues or cinematic relevance are now seeking out story-driven moments — and this one delivers.
🕵️ Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 (1968)
+3.9% gain | CGC 9.4
Stylish and strange, Nick Fury #1 always felt like an outlier — a psychedelic Cold War espionage book that never quite fit Marvel’s mainstream mould. Despite his prominence in the MCU, Nick Fury’s solo stories have rarely sparked much investor interest.
That may be changing. A CGC 9.4 sale pushed the book up nearly 4% this month, and the reason may be tonal rather than topical. As spy media sees renewed cultural attention — from streaming thrillers to cinematic reboots — readers and collectors alike are revisiting the origins of Marvel’s most enigmatic commander. In pristine grade, with Steranko’s iconic layout work intact, Nick Fury #1 suddenly looks less like a relic and more like a statement piece.
⚡ Shazam! #1 (1973)
+5.93% gain | CGC 8.5
There was a time when Shazam! #1 looked poised to break into key territory. The character had returned, DC had acquired the rights, and the Bronze Age was full of optimistic launches. But somewhere along the way — despite multiple movie appearances — the book cooled.
Now it’s warming again. Not because of media hype, but perhaps despite it. This month’s CGC 8.5 sale marks a return to form, not as a spec book, but as a historical cornerstone. It bridges the Golden Age and the Bronze, carries the legacy of Captain Marvel through legal limbo, and reintroduces him to a new generation of readers. And unlike most Bronze Age firsts, this one still feels accessible — for now.
👽 Rom #1 (1979)
+3.85% gain | CGC 9.4
Rom was never meant to matter. A toy tie-in with a confusing premise, limited merchandising, and a rights situation so tangled that Marvel barely acknowledged it for decades. But readers knew better. Under the radar, Rom built a cult following.
This month’s data reflects that shift. A 9.4 copy ticked up almost 4%, and that may just be the start. Rumours of MCU integration or a Hasbro-backed revival continue to swirl, but the real value may lie in the book’s surprise quality. Rom isn’t just another robot; he’s a haunted warrior locked in an eternal battle with shape-shifting invaders. And with high-grade copies still rare and undervalued, collectors are waking up to what they missed the first time around.
🤯 Secret Wars II #3 (1985)
+20.86% gain | CGC 9.8
Of all the comeback stories this month, this one is the strangest.
Secret Wars II #3 is not a good comic. It’s infamous for its tone, its art choices, and its bizarre attempt to humanise the Beyonder through sitcom-level situations. For years, it was filler — the kind of book bundled into bulk lots or ignored entirely.
Yet here it is, up over 20% on a single 9.8 sale.
The reason? It might be ironic interest, hidden cameos, a wave of speculative videos — or just a growing hunger for books that stand out, even for the wrong reasons. Whatever the cause, Secret Wars II #3 has gone from punchline to talking point — and collectors are listening.
🚗 Back to the Future #1 (2015, IDW)
+18.3% gain | CGC 9.8
Not all comebacks are old. Sometimes, they’re just late.
When IDW released Back to the Future #1, it landed with barely a ripple. It wasn’t a tie-in to a new film, and its variant-heavy rollout was mostly overlooked. But this issue, co-written by Bob Gale, offered something rare: new, canon storytelling from the world of Doc and Marty.
This month’s 18% jump — driven by a CGC 9.8 sale — signals a shift. Collectors are looking beyond hype windows and back toward quality. And with Gale’s name on the credits and a low print run in high grade, BTTF #1 is finally accelerating. Great Scott.
💭 The Comeback Pattern: Why These Books Are Rising
There’s no single formula for what makes a forgotten comic rise — but this month’s comeback titles share a few telling traits:
They were overlooked.
Hiding in plain sight, these books offered strong storytelling or iconic moments, but never carried “key issue” status. Until now.
They’ve aged into relevance.
Nostalgia, cultural reappraisal, or collector fatigue with the usual suspects is pushing attention toward books with deeper resonance.
They’re tough to find in top grade.
Most weren’t slabbed at the time of release. Today, a clean 9.6 or 9.8 can drive real movement in pricing — and attention.
They tell different stories.
Spy thrillers. Cosmic horror. Cult nostalgia. Quiet character moments. These aren’t loud books — they’re lasting ones.
📦 What It Means for Collectors
The takeaway? Don’t ignore the quiet books.
That mid-run Avengers issue you skipped last year might be this month’s breakout.
That fourth-print horror comic could be the next cult cornerstone.
And that $10 filler might just become someone else’s $150 flip.
If you want to stay ahead of the market, focus less on what’s hot now — and more on what might finally be remembered next.
