Top of the Stack: Best-Selling CGC Comic Titles by Decade (May 5 to May 18, 2026)

Insights
Written By GPAnalysis Team

The latest Top of the Stack was a heavyweight fortnight.

Between May 5 and May 18, 2026, GPAnalysis tracked $14.9M in CGC-graded comic, magazine and pulp sales, from 21,635 individual books sold across major online venues. With a median sale price of $99, the data points to a market where seven-figure grails may grab the spotlight, but everyday collector activity still does much of the heavy lifting.

Source: GPAnalysis.com, sales recorded from May 5 to May 18, 2026.

Market Observations

🏆 Trophy Sale

The top sale across all books was Detective Comics #27 CGC 6.5, which sold via HA.com for $1,525,000.

🕷️ The Volume King

The most traded title was once again The Amazing Spider-Man (1963), with 1,242 books sold for a total of $0.8M.

Decade Leaders

Top 5 Titles by Sales Volume Across the Eras.

Let’s step through the ages/eras by decade

Platinum/Golden Age

🧪 1930s: Foundation Books Set the Tone

Top 5 Titles by Volume

  1. Amazing Stories (1926–1970)

  2. Superman (1939–1986)

  3. Unknown (1939–1941)

  4. Action Comics (1938)

  5. Detective Picture Stories (1936–1937)

Top 5 Titles by Sales

  1. Action Comics (1938): $1,638,573

  2. Detective Comics (1937): $1,532,455

  3. Superman (1939–1986): $335,216

  4. Marvel Comics (1939): $158,600

  5. Adventure Comics (1938–1983): $72,102

Most Traded Issues

  1. Superman (1939–1986) #2 (1939)

  2. Superman (1939–1986) #1 (1939)

  3. Amazing Stories (1926–1970) #124 (1937)

  4. Amazing Stories (1926–1970) #133 (1938)

  5. Amazing Stories (1926–1970) #135 (1939)

🦇 1940s: Batman and Cap Lead the Golden Age Charge

Top 5 Titles by Volume

  1. Detective Comics (1937)

  2. Batman (1940)

  3. Amazing Stories (1926–1970)

  4. Captain America Comics (1941–1954)

  5. All-Star Comics (1940–1978)

Top 5 Titles by Sales

  1. Batman (1940): $708,774

  2. Captain America Comics (1941–1954): $351,507

  3. Detective Comics (1937): $262,634

  4. All-Star Comics (1940–1978): $250,188

  5. Suspense Comics (1943–1946): $243,670

Most Traded Issues

  1. Detective Comics (1937) #45 (1940)

  2. Batman (1940) #1 (1940)

  3. Marvel Mystery Comics (1939–1949) #23 (1941)

  4. Blazing Comics (1944–1955) #1 (1944)

  5. Atomic Comics (1946) #4 (1946)

👻 1950s: Horror, Crime, and Showcase Keys Stay Alive

Top 5 Titles by Volume

  1. Detective Comics (1937)

  2. Batman (1940)

  3. Vault of Horror (1950–1955)

  4. Adventure Comics (1938–1983)

  5. Action Comics (1938)

Top 5 Titles by Sales

  1. Showcase (1956–1978): $134,372

  2. Crime SuspenStories (1950–1955): $75,915

  3. Spirit, The (1944–1950): $73,200

  4. Batman (1940): $40,410

  5. Detective Comics (1937): $34,783

Most Traded Issues

  1. Showcase (1956–1978) #22 (1959)

  2. Weird Fantasy (1950–1953) #16 (1950)

  3. Mad (1952) #1 (1952)

  4. Showcase (1956–1978) #4 (1956)

  5. World’s Finest Comics (1941–1986) #71 (1954)

🕷️ 1960s: Marvel’s Silver Age Core Holds Firm

Top 5 Titles by Volume

  1. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963)

  2. Fantastic Four (1961)

  3. X-Men, The (1963–1981)

  4. Avengers, The (1963)

  5. Tales of Suspense (1959–1968)

Top 5 Titles by Sales

  1. Amazing Fantasy (1962–1996): $584,633

  2. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963): $452,553

  3. X-Men, The (1963–1981): $417,677

  4. Fantastic Four (1961): $329,313

  5. Tales of Suspense (1959–1968): $133,953

Most Traded Issues

  1. Iron Man (1968–1996) #1 (1968)

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

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

  4. X-Men, The (1963–1981) #1 (1963)

  5. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963) #14 (1964)

Bronze Age

💀 1970s: Bronze Age Keys Keep Pulling Demand

Top 5 Titles by Volume

  1. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963)

  2. X-Men, The (1963–1981)

  3. Star Wars (1977–1986)

  4. Incredible Hulk, The (1962–1999)

  5. Daredevil (1964–1998)

Top 5 Titles by Sales

  1. Marvel Spotlight (1971–1981): $255,799

  2. Incredible Hulk, The (1962–1999): $205,207

  3. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963): $187,474

  4. X-Men, The (1963–1981): $75,066

  5. Star Wars (1977–1986): $60,945

Most Traded Issues

  1. Star Wars (1977–1986) #1 (1977)

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

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

  4. X-Men, The (1963–1981) #94 (1975)

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

🕸️ 1980s: Spider-Man, Secret Wars and TMNT Stay Active

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. G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero (1982–1994)

  5. Daredevil (1964–1998)

Top 5 Titles by Sales

  1. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963): $102,712

  2. Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars (1984–1985): $35,314

  3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1984–1993): $34,808

  4. X-Men, The (1963–1981): $23,721

  5. Star Wars (1977–1986): $22,079

Most Traded Issues

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

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

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

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

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

Modern Age

🧬 1990s: The Speculation Era Still Trades

Top 5 Titles by Volume

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

  2. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963)

  3. Spider-Man (1990–1998)

  4. Spawn (1992)

  5. Uncanny X-Men, The (1981)

Top 5 Titles by Sales

  1. New Mutants, The (1983–1991): $31,103

  2. Spider-Man (1990–1998): $22,038

  3. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963): $20,337

  4. X-Men/New X-Men (1991): $18,912

  5. Spawn (1992): $18,496

Most Traded Issues

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

  2. Spider-Man (1990–1998) #1 (1990)

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

  4. Spawn (1992) #1 (1992)

  5. New Mutants, The (1983–1991) #98 (1991)

🩸 2000s: Invincible Leads the Modern Canon

Top 5 Titles by Volume

  1. Invincible (2003)

  2. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963)

  3. Batman (1940)

  4. Walking Dead (2003)

  5. Spawn (1992)

Top 5 Titles by Sales

  1. Invincible (2003): $107,644

  2. Spawn (1992): $17,414

  3. Walking Dead (2003): $15,464

  4. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963): $9,431

  5. Batman (1940): $8,100

Most Traded Issues

  1. Invincible (2003) #1 (2003)

  2. Spider-Man Noir (2009) #1 (2009)

  3. Amazing Spider-Man, The (1963) #607 (2009)

  4. Chew (2009) #1 (2009)

  5. The Boys (2006) #1 (2006)

🧨 2010s: Modern Keys Keep Their Footing

Top 5 Titles by Volume

  1. Invincible (2003)

  2. Spawn (1992)

  3. Walking Dead (2003)

  4. Venom (2018)

  5. Amazing Spider-Man (2014)

Top 5 Titles by Sales

  1. Invincible (2003): $32,796

  2. Ultimate Fallout (2011): $15,373

  3. Spawn (1992): $11,412

  4. Something is Killing the Children (2019): $9,214

  5. Barnes & Noble Marvel’s Iron Man 3 Prelude (2013): $7,100

Most Traded Issues

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

  2. Something is Killing the Children (2019) #1 (2019)

  3. Darth Vader (2015) #3 (2015)

  4. Star Wars (2015) #1 (2015)

  5. Batman Who Laughs (2019) #1 (2019)

🦇 2020s: Absolute Batman Owns the Current Market

Top 5 Titles by Volume

  1. Absolute Batman (2024)

  2. Amazing Spider-Man (2022)

  3. Fantasy of Cosplay Comic Cover Gallery (2024)

  4. Mark Spears Monsters (2024)

  5. Bangers Cover Gallery (2025)

Top 5 Titles by Sales

  1. Absolute Batman (2024): $107,765

  2. Amazing Spider-Man (2022): $18,727

  3. Fantasy of Cosplay Comic Cover Gallery (2024): $11,089

  4. Mark Spears Monsters (2024): $10,329

  5. Absolute Wonder Woman (2024): $8,529

Most Traded Issues

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

  2. Fantasy of Cosplay Comic Cover Gallery (2024) #6 (2025)

  3. Absolute Batman (2024) #15 (2026)

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

  5. Absolute Superman (2025) #1 (2025)

Final Panel

This fortnight had everything.

At the very top, Detective Comics #27 delivered a seven-figure reminder that Golden Age grails still sit at the summit of the hobby. Across the middle of the market, Amazing Spider-Man continued to act as the great volume engine, showing up across decades and price points. The Silver and Bronze Age markets remained anchored by familiar Marvel keys, while the modern era continued to split between established newer canon like Invincible and fast-moving current titles like Absolute Batman.

The headline number was massive: $14.9M in total sales. But the deeper story is more layered.

This was a fortnight where old icons still ruled the top end, Spider-Man still carried liquidity, Batman stretched from 1939 to 2026, and modern collectors kept chasing what feels current, hot, and culturally alive.

In other words: the stack was tall, the market was active, and the biggest books still know how to make noise.

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
Next

What This Fortnight’s CGC Comic Sales Tell Us About the Market