Top of the Stack: Best-Selling CGC Comic Titles by Decade (Dec 30, 2025 – Jan 12, 2026)

Insights
Written By GPAnalysis Team

The CGC-graded market posted $19,205,091 in recorded sales from 18,890 individual books over the last 14 days, with a $95 median holding steady across major venues for comics, magazines, and pulps.

The fortnight’s defining moment was a true hobby landmark: Action Comics (1938) #1 CGC 9.0 sold via ComicConnect for $15,000,000.

Source: GPAnalysis.com, sales recorded from December 30 to January 12, 2026.

Market Observations

🦸🏻‍♂️ A $19.2M fortnight — powered by a single, era-defining sale.

When Action Comics #1 moves at $15,000,000, it doesn’t just top the chart — it changes the shape of the whole period. This was less a “top sale” and more a gravity well, pulling attention (and totals) toward the very top of the hobby.

🧱 The $95 median tells the real story: the floor stayed alive.

A record sale can make a fortnight feel unreal, but the median says collectors were still transacting at everyday levels. Broad participation remained intact — plenty of buying beyond trophy books.

🕸️ Amazing Spider-Man is still the hobby’s volume engine.

The most traded title was Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963), with 1,244 copies sold for roughly $0.5M. Even in a fortnight dominated by one historic headline, ASM stayed relentlessly liquid.

🧬 Silver and Bronze kept behaving like ‘key culture’ decades.

The most traded issue lists are a cheat sheet of collector staples: Fantastic Four #48/#52, Silver Surfer #1, Hulk #181, Star Wars #1, Secret Wars #8, ASM #300. When the market’s moving fast, it defaults to recognisable keys.

🦇 Modern is clustering around loud #1s and clear signals.

The 2020s were led by Absolute Batman (2024) in both volume and sales, backed by modern pillars like BRZRKR, The Last Ronin, and Ultimate Spider-Man (2024)—books with obvious hooks and fast-moving collector narratives.

Decade Leaders

Top 5 Titles by Sales Volume Across the Eras.

Let’s step through the ages/eras by decade

Platinum/Golden Age

🕰️ 1930s — The Record That Swallowed the Decade

One sale dominated the entire conversation: Action Comics (1938) didn’t just lead — it detonated the chart.

Top 5 titles by volume

  1. Weird Tales (1923–1954)

  2. Superman (1939–1986)

  3. Marvel Science Stories (1938–1939)

  4. Action Comics (1938)

  5. Famous Funnies (1934–1955)

Top 5 titles by sales

  1. Action Comics (1938): $15,010,201

  2. Wonderworld Comics (1939–1942): $29,939

  3. Weird Tales (1923–1954): $18,974

  4. Marvel Science Stories (1938–1939): $1,983

  5. Superman (1939–1986): $1,224

Most traded issues

  1. Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1933) #nn (1933)

  2. Weird Tales (1923–1954) #108 (1932)

  3. Marvel Science Stories (1938–1939) #1 (1938)

  4. Clues Detective Stories (1934–1943) #139 (1935)

  5. Detective Story Magazine (1915–1949) #834 (1933)

🦇 1940s — Wartime Icons, Perennial Demand

Superman, Batman, Detective — the foundation books keep trading like blue-chips.

Top 5 titles by volume

  1. Superman (1939–1986)

  2. Batman (1940)

  3. Detective Comics (1937)

  4. Action Comics (1938)

  5. Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories (1940)

Top 5 titles by sales

  1. Superman (1939–1986): $23,034

  2. Batman (1940): $22,362

  3. Captain America Comics (1941–1954): $19,086

  4. Marvel Mystery Comics (1939–1949): $15,832

  5. Detective Comics (1937): $13,179

Most traded issues

  1. Four Color (1939–1962) #178 (1947)

  2. Air Fighters Comics (1941–1945) #10 (1943)

  3. Superman (1939–1986) #8 (1941)

  4. Sensation Comics (1942–1952) #67 (1947)

  5. Fight Comics (1940–1954) #41 (1945)

🧪 1950s — Early Silver Sparks + Left-Field Heat

A decade where staples and oddities can share the same spotlight.

Top 5 titles by volume

  1. Batman (1940)

  2. Detective Comics (1937)

  3. Four Color (1939–1962)

  4. Strange Adventures (1950–1973)

  5. Sports Illustrated (1954)

Top 5 titles by sales

  1. Showcase (1956–1978): $21,775

  2. Batman (1940): $16,531

  3. Action Comics (1938): $9,515

  4. Sports Illustrated (1954): $8,922

  5. Mister Mystery (1951–1954): $8,060

Most traded issues

  1. Batman (1940) #121 (1959)

  2. Thing!, The (1952–1954) #16 (1954)

  3. Sports Illustrated (1954) #1 (1954)

  4. 3-D Tales From the Crypt of Terror (1954) #2 (1954)

  5. Batman (1940) #122 (1959)

Silver Age

🕷️ 1960s — Silver Age Liquidity, Spider-Man Leading

Spidey set the pace, with FF and X-Men close behind — a classic Silver map.

Top 5 titles by volume

  1. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963)

  2. Fantastic Four (1961)

  3. Avengers, The (1963)

  4. X-Men, The (1963–1981)

  5. Tales of Suspense (1959–1968)

Top 5 titles by sales

  1. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963): $225,079

  2. Fantastic Four (1961): $99,171

  3. X-Men, The (1963–1981): $74,218

  4. Incredible Hulk, The (1962–1999): $71,712

  5. Amazing Fantasy (1962–1996): $62,345

Most traded issues

  1. Fantastic Four (1961) #52 (1966)

  2. Fantastic Four (1961) #48 (1966)

  3. Silver Surfer, The (1968–1982) #1 (1968)

  4. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963) #50 (1967)

  5. Captain America (1968–1996) #100 (1968)

Bronze Age

⭐ 1970s — Bronze Bedrock Never Sleeps

Hulk and Spidey drove the dollars, while Star Wars reminded everyone what instant recognisability can do for volume.

Top 5 titles by volume

  1. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963)

  2. X-Men, The (1963–1981)

  3. Incredible Hulk, The (1962–1999)

  4. Star Wars (1977–1986)

  5. Fantastic Four (1961)

Top 5 titles by sales

  1. Incredible Hulk, The (1962–1999): $139,107

  2. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963): $128,992

  3. X-Men, The (1963–1981): $48,072

  4. Giant-Size X-Men (1975): $38,063

  5. Batman (1940): $32,414

Most traded issues

  1. Star Wars (1977–1986) #1 (1977)

  2. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963) #129 (1974)

  3. Incredible Hulk, The (1962–1999) #181 (1974)

  4. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963) #194 (1979)

  5. Incredible Hulk, The (1962–1999) #180 (1974)

🕸️ 1980s — Big Covers, Bigger Keys

The 80s list reads like a collector’s highlight reel — keys that stay in motion.

Top 5 titles by volume

  1. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963)

  2. Uncanny X-Men, The (1981)

  3. Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars (1984–1985)

  4. Batman (1940)

  5. X-Men, The (1963–1981)

Top 5 titles by sales

  1. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963): $105,621

  2. Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars (1984–1985): $33,961

  3. Incredible Hulk, The (1962–1999): $27,817

  4. X-Men, The (1963–1981): $21,765

  5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1984–1993): $21,310

Most traded issues

  1. Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars (1984–1985) #8 (1984)

  2. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963) #252 (1984)

  3. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963) #300 (1988)

  4. Wolverine Limited Series (1982) #1 (1982)

  5. Incredible Hulk, The (1962–1999) #340 (1988)

Modern Age

💥 1990s — Spec-Era Staples Still Circulate

The #1s keep moving, and the decade’s known books remain the on-ramp for a lot of collectors.

Top 5 titles by volume

  1. X-Men/New X-Men (1991)

  2. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963)

  3. Spider-Man (1990–1998)

  4. Uncanny X-Men, The (1981)

  5. Spawn (1992)

Top 5 titles by sales

  1. New Mutants, The (1983–1991): $27,954

  2. Spider-Man (1990–1998): $22,348

  3. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963): $21,132

  4. Spawn (1992): $18,645

  5. X-Men/New X-Men (1991): $17,723

Most traded issues

  1. X-Men/New X-Men (1991) #1 (1991)

  2. Spider-Man (1990–1998) #1 (1990)

  3. Spawn (1992) #1 (1992)

  4. Venom: Lethal Protector (1993) #1 (1993)

  5. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963) #361 (1992)

🧟 2000s — Modern Icons Lock In

Invincible led the decade, with Walking Dead and KOTOR close enough to keep the ‘modern classics’ thesis intact.

Top 5 titles by volume

  1. Invincible (2003)

  2. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963)

  3. Batman (1940)

  4. Spawn (1992)

  5. Hulk (2008)

Top 5 titles by sales

  1. Invincible (2003): $24,259

  2. Walking Dead (2003): $8,980

  3. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963): $8,606

  4. Batman (1940): $5,895

  5. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2006): $4,213

Most traded issues

  1. Hulk (2008) #1 (2008)

  2. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963) #601 (2009)

  3. Young Avengers (2005) #1 (2005)

  4. Batman (1940) #635 (2005)

  5. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2006) #9 (2006)

🧬 2010s — Modern Keys Stay Liquid

The same books keep proving themselves: Spider-keys, Venom heat, and a steady appetite for clean, obvious milestones.

Top 5 titles by volume

  1. Invincible (2003)

  2. Amazing Spider-Man (2015)

  3. Spawn (1992)

  4. Venom (2018)

  5. Secret Wars (2015)

Top 5 titles by sales

  1. Edge of Spider-Verse (2014): $19,986

  2. Ultimate Fallout (2011): $18,006

  3. Invincible (2003): $13,075

  4. Spawn (1992): $11,124

  5. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963): $10,908

Most traded issues

  1. Ultimate Fallout (2011) #4 (2011)

  2. Amazing Spider-Man (2015) #800 (2018)

  3. Venom (2018) #3 (2018)

  4. Edge of Spider-Verse (2014) #2 (2014)

  5. Venom (2018) #1 (2018)

🦇 2020s — #1 Energy and Fast-Moving New Heat

Absolute Batman led the way — a modern reminder that clear branding and loud launches still drive slabs.

Top 5 titles by volume

  1. Absolute Batman (2024)

  2. Amazing Spider-Man (2022)

  3. Amazing Spider-Man (2018)

  4. Amazing Spider-Man (2025)

  5. Batman (2016)

Top 5 titles by sales

  1. Absolute Batman (2024): $83,025

  2. Amazing Spider-Man (2022): $9,487

  3. BRZRKR (2021): $9,220

  4. TMNT: The Last Ronin (2020): $8,833

  5. Ultimate Spider-Man (2024): $8,197

Most traded issues

  1. Absolute Batman (2024) #1 (2024)

  2. Bangers Cover Gallery (2025) #2 (2025)

  3. Batman (2025) #1 (2025)

  4. Absolute Batman (2024) #1 (2025)

  5. Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) #1 (2024)

Final Panel: What the Fortnight Reveals

This fortnight was a split-screen moment: a record-setting Action #1 at $15,000,000 on one side, and a $95 median across 18,890 books on the other — proof that even when the hobby’s ceiling explodes, the market underneath can still function normally. The top end made history, but the rest of the chart kept doing what it always does: keys moved, blue-chips stayed liquid, and new heat found its buyers.

Want to dig into every sale behind these highlights?

👉 Explore the full dataset and build your own lists inside GPAnalysis at comics.gpanalysis.com — and catch each new Top of the Stack in The Collector Hub newsletter.

See you in two weeks. Keep stacking.

GPAnalysis Team
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