Top of the Stack: Best-Selling Comic Titles by Decade (July 15–July 28, 2025)
In the most recent fortnight (July 15th to July 28th, 2025), GPAnalysis reports $5.34 million in sales from 20,989 individual CGC‑graded comics, magazines, and pulps. The median slab price was $98, a slight uptick from the prior norms of $90–$93.
Most‑traded title: Amazing Spider‑Man, The (1963) — 1,336 copies sold, ~$0.5 million in total revenue.
Top single sale: Fantastic Four (1961) #1 CGC 8.0 — sold for $75,000 via HA.com.
Source: GPAnalysis.com, recorded sales from July 15th to July 28th, 2025.
Market Observations
🕰️ Silver Age still reigns.
Fantastic Four (1961) led the charge with $454,059 in sales, more than the entire Modern Era’s top 5 combined.
🕸️ Spider-Man swings across decades.
Amazing Spider‑Man (1963) was once again the most traded title, with 1,336 copies sold and over $223,000 in sales. It landed in the top 5 across six different decades.
🦸 Golden Age stays strong.
Superman (1939) and Detective Comics (1937) generated $59,598 and $43,820, respectively, across the 1930s to 1950s, contributing a combined total of $103,418 during the Golden Age.
🦇 Modern era goes deep.
Newer books like Absolute Batman (2024) and Mark Spears’ Monsters (2024) combined for $31,034 in sales, pushing the 2020s top 5 to $58,096—the best showing of any modern decade.
💥 Bronze Age keeps punching.
With support from Amazing Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk, and Giant-Size X-Men, the 1970s and 1980s generated a combined sales total of $558,520.
Top 5 titles in sales by era
Let’s step through the age/eras by decade
Platinum/Golden Age
🕰️ 1930s – The Dawn of the Superhero
Featuring Superman (1939) and early pulp magazines like Weird Tales and Detective Comics, this era marked the birth of comic book mythology.
Top 5 titles by volume: Weird Tales, Superman, More Fun Comics, Detective Comics, Astounding Science‑Fiction
Top 5 by sales:
Superman: $27,977
Detective Comics: $10,900
Adventure Comics: $8,760
Weird Tales: $7,721
More Fun Comics: $5,820
Most traded issues: Notables include Astounding Science‑Fiction #93, Weird Tales #158, Superman #2, and Wonderworld Comics #5.
🦇 1940s – The Golden Age Expands
With Superman, Batman, and Pep Comics surging in sales, this decade cemented the superhero as a wartime icon and a pop culture mainstay.
Top 5 by volume: Four Color, Superman, Batman, Walt Disney's Comics and Stories, Detective Comics
Top 5 by sales:
Superman: $31,621
Pep Comics: $26,878
Giant Comics Editions: $23,400
Batman: $22,587
Detective Comics: $20,710
Most traded issues: Several Four Color issues (#178, #203, #159) and Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #1 feature prominently.
👻 1950s – Strange Worlds and Atomic Fears
Weird Fantasy, Weird Science, and Showcase led the 1950s, as sci-fi and speculative storytelling collided with the birth of the Silver Age.
Top 5 by volume: Detective Comics, Four Color, Weird Science, Action Comics, Weird Fantasy
Top 5 by sales:
Weird Fantasy: $18,385
Showcase: $17,933
Action Comics: $14,073
Famous Funnies: $12,428
Detective Comics: $12,210
Most traded issues: Include Action Comics #252, Sports Illustrated #1, Superboy #68, Showcase #18, and The Flash #106.
Silver Age
🕷️ 1960s – The Marvel Age Arrives
The rise of the Fantastic Four, Amazing Spider-Man, and X-Men redefined heroism with flawed, relatable characters and explosive creativity.
Top 5 by volume: Fantastic Four, Amazing Spider‑Man, Avengers, X‑Men, Tales to Astonish
Top 5 by sales:
Fantastic Four: $454,059
Amazing Spider‑Man: $223,852
Avengers: $97,069
X‑Men: $90,367
Journey Into Mystery: $65,033
Most traded issues: Fantastic Four #48, #49, #52, Annual #6, and Amazing Spider‑Man #50.
Bronze Age
🌌 1970s – Cosmic Shifts and Antiheroes
Giant‑Size X‑Men, Star Wars, and The Incredible Hulk signalled a moodier tone, as comics embraced grit, diversity, and space-faring legends.
Top 5 by volume: Amazing Spider‑Man, X‑Men, Incredible Hulk, Star Wars, Batman
Top 5 by sales:
Amazing Spider‑Man: $124,365
Incredible Hulk: $88,046
X‑Men: $71,191
Giant‑Size X‑Men: $47,008
Batman: $38,795
Most-traded issues: Titles include Star Wars #1 (1977), ASM #129 and #194, Incredible Hulk #181, and Giant-Size X-Men #1.
🛡️ 1980s – Dark Knights and Secret Wars
Anchored by Secret Wars, Wolverine, and Batman, this decade saw mainstream comics grow bolder—both stylistically and thematically, as well as commercially.
Top 5 by volume: Amazing Spider‑Man, Uncanny X‑Men, Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars, Daredevil, Batman
Top 5 by sales:
Amazing Spider‑Man: $100,636
Secret Wars: $28,333
Uncanny X‑Men: $21,450
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: $19,530
X‑Men: $19,166
Most traded issues: ASM #300, Secret Wars #8, Wolverine #1 (1982), Omega Men #3, ASM #252.
Modern Age
🧟♂️ 1990s – The Boom and the Blood
With Spawn, Venom, and Spider‑Man (1990), the ’90s exploded with foil covers, new antiheroes, and a wild speculation-driven collector surge.
Top titles by volume: Amazing Spider‑Man, Spider‑Man (’90s), X‑Men/New X‑Men, Spawn, Uncanny X‑Men
Top by sales:
New Mutants: $33,458
Spider‑Man (’90s): $29,718
Venom: Lethal Protector: $22,743
Uncanny X‑Men: $20,725
Amazing Spider‑Man: $20,200
Most traded issues: Early #1s: Spider‑Man ’90, X‑Men/New X‑Men, Spawn, plus ASM #361 and Venom#1.
🛡️ 2000s – Indie Invasion and Image Ascension
Invincible, Walking Dead, and NYX dominated with creator-owned titles that shifted power away from legacy heroes toward raw new voices.
Top titles by volume: Invincible, Batman, Amazing Spider‑Man, Ultimate Spider‑Man, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Top by sales:
Invincible: $37,611
Walking Dead: $12,374
Batman: $9,907
Amazing Spider‑Man: $8,378
NYX: $6,077
Most traded issues: Include Batman #655 (2006), Hulk #1 (2008), All‑Star Superman #1, Young Avengers #1, Superman #204 (2004).
🧠 2010s – Legacy Reborn
Ultimate Fallout, Edge of Spider-Verse, and milestone issues like Detective Comics #1000 marked a new generation that redefined old icons.
Top titles by volume: Invincible, Ultimate Fallout, Spawn, ASM (2015), Venom (2018)
Top by sales:
Ultimate Fallout: $27,016
Invincible: $16,699
ASM (1963): $14,107
Star Wars (2015): $13,340
Edge of Spider‑Verse: $10,578
Most traded issues: Ultimate Fallout #4, Detective Comics #1000, Venom #3, Edge of Spider‑Verse #2, ASM #1 (2014).
🦇 2020s – Designer Rarity and Collector Culture
Absolute Batman and Mark Spears’ Monsters led a wave of highly curated, visually driven books that blurred the line between comic and collectible.
Top titles by volume: Absolute Batman (2024), Batman (2016), ASM (2022), Mark Spears Monsters (2024), Venom (2018)
Top by sales:
Absolute Batman: $17,770
Mark Spears Monsters: $13,264
ASM (2022): $11,342
Batman (2016): $8,241
Batman (1940): $7,479
Most traded issues: Absolute Batman #1 (2024), Batman #158 (2025), ASM #1 (2025), Ultimate Spider‑Man #1 (2024), Waifu Chronicles #1 (2024).
Final Panel: What the Fortnight Reveals
This fortnight’s surge past $5.3 million in sales confirms what collectors already sense—demand isn’t just holding, it’s evolving. The Silver Age remains the crown jewel, with Fantastic Four and Amazing Spider-Man driving both value and volume. Yet newer titles, such as Absolute Batman and Mark Spears’ Monsters, prove that modern comics, when designed with intention and scarcity, hold real weight in the eyes of collectors.
Whether you're chasing pulps from the 1930s or premiere issues from 2024, the CGC-graded market continues to reward both nostalgia and nuance. The past isn’t going anywhere—but it’s clear the future of comic collecting is being drawn page by page, right now.
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