Top of the Stack: Best-Selling Comic Titles by Decade (October 21 to November 3, 2025)
In the most recent fortnight, $4.9 million worth of CGC-graded comics, pulps, and magazines changed hands across major marketplaces, with a total of 19,341 books sold. According to GPAnalysis, the median price paid was $99—indicating steady movement across both blue-chip keys and accessible collector staples.
The most traded title was again Amazing Spider-Man (1963), which moved 1,247 copies, racking up $0.5 million in sales—its sixth consecutive fortnight at the top of the volume charts.
The top single sale was a CGC 6.0 copy of Incredible Hulk #1 (1962), which sold for $42,500.
Source: GPAnalysis.com, sales recorded from October 21 to November 3, 2025.
Market Observations
🧲 Silver Age keeps its crown.
Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, and X-Men led the decade yet again, with Famous Monsters of Filmland making a surprise third-place finish in total sales — showing that monster nostalgia is alive and well.
🟤 Bronze brilliance holds firm.
With multiple six-figure sales across ASM, Hulk, and Famous Monsters, the 1970s remain a launchpad for reliable returns. Star Wars #1 and X-Men #101 remained in heavy rotation.
📼 ’90s top-heavy but thriving.
Spawn, Spider-Man #1, and New Mutants #98 all pushed value, while Batman Adventures crept into the top 5 by sales — a testament to modern animation’s influence on the collector base.
🧛 Modern momentum surges.
Something is Killing the Children #1 led both volume and value for the 2010s, with Ultimate Fallout #4 and Southern Bastards #1 adding heat. Invincible remained a key crossover driver across multiple decades.
🌑 2020s tilt toward premium and prestige.
Books like Absolute Batman #1, Deviant Nation, and Mark Spears Monsters show how collectors are embracing stylistic packaging and curated scarcity, especially with variant gallery covers and print-on-demand firsts.
Decade Leaders
Top 5 Titles by Sales Volume Across the Eras.
Let’s step through the ages/eras by decade
Platinum/Golden Age
🕰️ 1930s – Pulp Revival & Cosmic Origins
Weird Tales dominated both volume and value, while Strange Stories and Planet Stories made rare appearances — proving pulp demand is far from dead.
Top 5 titles by volume:
Weird Tales (1923–1954)
Spider (1933–1943)
Mickey Mouse Magazine (1933–1935)
Horror Stories (1935–1941)
Terror Tales (1934–1941)
Top 5 titles by sales:
Weird Tales – $22,013
Terror Tales – $7,320
Spider – $7,084
Superman – $5,640
Doc Savage – $5,040
Most traded issues:
Strange Stories #1 (1939); Planet Stories #1 (1939); Weird Tales #173 (1938); Strange Stories #3 (1939); Weird Tales #118 (1933)
🦸 1940s – War-Era Icons & Animated Crossovers
The Golden Age stayed strong with Captain America, Batman, and Superman pushing volume, while Phantom Lady posted one of the top sales of the fortnight.
Top 5 titles by volume:
1. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Comics (1941–1962)
2. Captain America Comics (1941–1954)
3. Superman (1939–1986)
4. Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories (1940)
5. Four Color (1939–1962)
Top 5 titles by sales:
1. Captain America Comics – $52,702
2. Batman – $34,234
3. Phantom Lady – $26,600
4. Superman – $24,121
5. Action Comics – $11,231
Most traded issues:
Superman #8 (1941); Superman #6 (1940); Startling Stories #56 (1949); Superman #11 (1941); Captain America Comics #29 (1943)
🕵️ 1950s – EC Weirdness, Showcase Firestarters
Showcase commanded sales thanks to #22, while Haunt of Fear and Mad reinforced the 1950s as a launchpad for horror and satire.
Top 5 titles by volume:
1. Batman (1940)
2. Four Color (1939–1962)
3. Haunt of Fear (1950–1954)
4. Mad (1952)
5. Action Comics (1938)
Top 5 titles by sales:
1. Showcase (1956–1978) – $31,608
2. Action Comics – $16,022
3. Batman – $10,759
4. Misterios Del Gato Negro – $9,984
5. Venus – $7,254
Most traded issues:
Action Comics #252 (1959); Batman #121 (1959); Showcase #22 (1959); Mad #1 (1952); Haunt of Fear #28 (1954)
Silver Age
🧬 1960s – Silver Grails & Monster Runs
Spider-Man and Fantastic Four led as expected, while Famous Monsters of Filmland surged to the #3 sales slot, fueled by cross-era collector demand.
Top 5 titles by volume:
1. Amazing Spider-Man (1963)
2. Fantastic Four (1961)
3. X-Men (1963–1981)
4. Avengers (1963)
5. Tales of Suspense (1959–1968)
Top 5 titles by sales:
1. Amazing Spider-Man – $216,320
2. Fantastic Four – $204,613
3. Famous Monsters of Filmland – $181,429
4. X-Men – $100,688
5. Incredible Hulk – $75,139
Most traded issues:
Amazing Spider-Man #50; Fantastic Four #48, #50, #52, #72
Bronze Age
💥 1970s – Bronze Mainstays & Star Wars Momentum
Hulk, X-Men, and ASM continued to dominate, but Star Wars #1 was the most traded individual issue, underscoring long-term interest once again.
Top 5 titles by volume:
1. Amazing Spider-Man (1963)
2. X-Men (1963–1981)
3. Famous Monsters of Filmland (1958)
4. Batman (1940)
5. Star Wars (1977–1986)
Top 5 titles by sales:
1. Amazing Spider-Man – $105,326
2. Incredible Hulk – $77,692
3. Famous Monsters – $60,074
4. X-Men – $50,337
5. Batman – $38,497
Most traded issues:
Star Wars #1; Amazing Spider-Man #129, #194; Hulk #181; Giant-Size X-Men #1
👾 1980s – Turtles, Symbiotes & Satire
ASM #300 ruled the decade once again, while TMNT and Sports Illustrated posted major sales. Secret Wars #8 continued to move well in terms of sales.
Top 5 titles by volume:
1. Amazing Spider-Man (1963)
2. Uncanny X-Men (1981)
3. Secret Wars (1984–1985)
4. Batman (1940)
5. Daredevil (1964–1998)
Top 5 titles by sales:
1. Amazing Spider-Man – $129,296
2. TMNT – $54,634
3. Sports Illustrated – $38,013
4. Secret Wars – $28,537
5. Batman – $22,338
Most traded issues:
Amazing Spider-Man #300, #252; Secret Wars #8; Wolverine #1; Hulk #340
Modern Age
🧪 1990s – Gloss, Grit & Animation Heat
Spawn and Spider-Man #1 dominated, while New Mutants #98 and Batman Adventures climbed the sales ladder. 1990s nostalgia remains durable.
Top 5 titles by volume:
1. Spider-Man (1990–1998)
2. Spawn (1992)
3. Amazing Spider-Man (1963)
4. X-Men/New X-Men (1991)
5. Uncanny X-Men (1981)
Top 5 titles by sales:
1. Spawn – $32,056
2. Spider-Man – $31,596
3. New Mutants – $26,815
4. Amazing Spider-Man – $16,271
5. Batman Adventures – $15,412
Most traded issues:
Spider-Man #1; Spawn #1; X-Men #1; New Mutants #98; Venom: Lethal Protector #1
🔥 2000s – Image Keys & Iron Experiments
Invincible stayed on top, with strong movement across NYX and early MCU-era books. Noir variants and early Walking Dead remained in play.
Top 5 titles by volume:
1. Invincible (2003)
2. Spawn (1992)
3. Amazing Spider-Man (1963)
4. Walking Dead (2003)
5. Batman (1940)
Top 5 titles by sales:
1. Invincible – $27,009
2. Spawn – $10,996
3. Walking Dead – $9,552
4. NYX – $6,904
5. Invincible Iron Man – $6,346
Most traded issues:
Amazing Spider-Man #607; Spider-Man Noir #1; Hulk #1 (2008); Invincible #1; NYX #3
🧠 2010s – Modern Horror & Debut Flashpoints
SIKTC #1 dominated across both volume and value, with Ultimate Fallout #4 also holding firm. Invincible and Venom showed decade-spanning strength.
Top 5 titles by volume:
1. Something is Killing the Children (2019)
2. Invincible (2003)
3. Spawn (1992)
4. Venom (2018)
5. Walking Dead (2003)
Top 5 titles by sales:
1. SIKTC – $29,955
2. Ultimate Fallout – $21,538
3. Invincible – $11,463
4. Spawn – $9,637
5. Amazing Spider-Man – $7,764
Most traded issues:
SIKTC #1; Ultimate Fallout #4; Southern Bastards #1; Secret Wars #1 (2015); Amazing Spider-Man #700
🌑 2020s – Prestige Print Runs & New Energy
Absolute Batman and Deviant Nation lead a decade where premium packaging and variant-firsts are the norm. Waifu Chronicles and Mark Spears Monsters show that collector curiosity is growing.
Top 5 titles by volume:
1. Absolute Batman (2024)
2. Amazing Spider-Man (2022)
3. Deviant Nation (2024)
4. Batman (2016)
5. Mark Spears Monsters (2024)
Top 5 titles by sales:
1. Absolute Batman – $25,929
2. Amazing Spider-Man – $13,826
3. BRZRKR – $12,548
4. Deviant Nation – $11,472
5. Mark Spears Monsters – $10,603
Most traded issues:
Absolute Batman #1; Deviant Nation #nn; Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #1; Marvel/DC: Deadpool/Batman #1; Waifu Chronicles #1
Final Panel: What the Fortnight Reveals
From 1930s pulps to 2020s prestige formats, this fortnight showcased the market’s impressive range. Silver Age still drives core volume and value, but the rise of cross-era horror, prestige variants, and indie debuts reveals a collector base broadening its taste — and its risk tolerance.
With 19,341 books moved and a median price of $99, we’re seeing liquidity return to both ends of the market and a renewed appetite for experimentation.
This was not just another fortnight of blue-chip flipping — it was a cycle of curiosity, range, and momentum.
See you in two weeks. Keep stacking.
