When it comes to comic book there are countless key issues to choose from, with everything from first appearances and final issues to amazing covers and optioned film and television storylines. With that in mind, we’ve parsed through the data and put together our picks for the top key comics to invest in for 2023. This is based on books which we think are reasonably priced (not everyone is going to be able to drop $10,000 on a Giant Sized X-Men #1) and includes a range of prices (listed in order from most to least expensive).
Bear in mind, however, that the prices below are rough estimates and could change drastically (in addition to being influenced by condition and in some cases whether the book is direct version or newsstand version). With those caveats out of the way, let’s dig in!
Conan the Barbarian #1
- Published: Oct. 1970
- Estimated Price: $1,000 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st appearance of Conan the Barbarian
- Why We Picked It: This has been an undervalued key for a few years now, but with Conan remaining more popular than ever and Netflix reportedly developing a live action Conan series, this book is likely going to continue to grow in value.
Amazing Spider-Man #300
- Published: May 1988
- Estimated Price: $975 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st full appearance of Venom
- Why We Picked It: This key has consistently been a blue chip book among investors and with Venom continuing to be incredibly popular (and potentially moving into the MCU) the ceiling is only likely to grow on ASM #300 (just bear in mind that prices can also vary significantly between the direct and newsstand versions).
Ultimate Fallout #4
- Published: Oct. 2011
- Estimated Price: $780 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st appearance of the Miles Morales Spider-Man
- Why We Picked It: Miles Morales has exploded in popularity over the past few years, including getting two animated films and PS5 video game. Rumors are now circulating that a live action film is also in the works, which means this already expensive key is likely to see an even bigger jump in value.
Something is Killing the Children #1
- Published: Sep. 2019
- Estimated Price: $400 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st appearance of Erica Slaughter
- Why We Picked It: One of the hottest indie books of the past few years, SIKTC has become a phenomenon among collectors (and started a frenzy of buyers snapping up variants and printings). At this point it’s pretty much inevitable that it’s going to be a film or TV series, which means we can likely expect this book to continue to be a hot comic among spec hunters.
Batman Beyond (Limited) #1
- Published: Mar. 1999
- Estimated Price: $400 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st comic book appearance of Terry McGinnis
- Why We Picked It: Batman Beyond continues to be a hot property, with the character of Terry McGinnis moving into mainstream DC continuity. With rumors of a live action and possible animated film in the works, even with the rising price tag this book is still worth snapping up.
Swamp Thing #37 (Vol. 2)
- Published: Jun. 1985
- Estimated Price: $330 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st appearance of John Constantine (Hellblazer)
- Why We Picked It: John Constantine remains a fan favorite, but he’s also a character that’s never really translated well into film (no offence, Keanu). With rumors of a new Constantine film and the character possibly appearing in a Justice League Dark film, this is one book that’s likely to see even more green in the coming months.
Conan the Barbarian #23
- Published: Feb. 1973
- Estimated Price: $300 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st appearance of Red Sonja
- Why We Picked It: Red Sonja remains a beloved comic book character and one that continues to grow in popularity. With recent news of a film in the works (despite some setback with production) it’s only a matter of time until the She-Devil with a Sword breaks through to the mainstream, making this key a solid pick for investment.
Saga #1
- Published: Mar. 2012
- Estimated Price: $300 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st appearane of the Miles Morales Spider-Man
- Why We Picked It: One of Image’s most popular titles Saga fell off the radar for a few years after the series went on hiatus. Now with new issues coming out collector interest is also growing the chance of this book getting optioned seems better than ever. If there’s the Will there’s a way.
Young Avengers #1
- Published: Apr. 2005
- Estimated Price: $280 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st team appearance of the Young Avengers (Kate Bishop, Patriot, Asgardian/Wiccan, Hulkling and Iron Lad/Young Kang)
- Why We Picked It: With the MCU Avengers fading into the sunset, rumors have it that the cast of Young Avengers may move into the spotlight (with some of these characters already appearing in film and television). Throw in interest in Kang (who appears as a younger version in the series) as this one key that’s likely going to pay off big in the near future.
New Mutants #98
- Published: Feb. 1991
- Estimated Price: $230 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st appearance of Deadpool
- Why We Picked It: While this book has cooled somewhat over the years, it remains a sought after key. With Ryan Reynolds teaming up with Hugh Jackman for Deadpool 3 in 2023 and rumors circulating of the Merc with a Mouth moving in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is one top key that’s worth buying into.
Thor #337
- Published: Nov. 1983
- Estimated Price: $225 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st appearance of Beta Ray Bill
- Why We Picked It: Once a lesser known Marvel character, rumors are circulating that Beta Ray Bill may appear in the MCU in 2023, either the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 or in another film or television project. If either happens we can likely expect the price of this book to take off like a flying hammer.
All New Marvel Now! Point One #1
- Published: Mar. 2014
- Estimated Price: $200 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st full appearance of Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel)
- Why We Picked It: With the the upcoming 2023 MCU film The Marvels hitting, it’s likely that there may be a renewed interest in Kamala Khan. If that’s the case, this key is likely nowhere even close to hitting its peak value.
Usagi Yojimbo #1
- Published: Jul. 1987
- Estimated Price: $200 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st solo series featuring Usagi Yojimbo
- Why We Picked It: For most key investors the first appearance of Usagi Yojimbo in Albedo #2 is out of reach (with high grade raw copies of that book going for well over $10,000 US). The next best option, however, is this book, which is picking up considerable heat thanks to the Netflix animated TV show which follows one of the descendants of Usagi.
Detective Comics #880
- Published: Sep. 2011
- Estimated Price: $170 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: Classic Jock cover art featuring the Joker
- Why We Picked It: Some may argue that this book is overpriced, but despite those complaints it’s been a reliable key investment for years, with collectors snapping it up for the incredible cover by comic book artist Jock. With the iconic image now gracing t-shirts, posters and other collectible items, it’s likely one key comic that’s likely going to continue to grow in value.
14. Hulk #1
- Published: March 2008
- Estimated Price: $100 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st cover appearance of Red Hulk.
- Why We Picked It: In addition to being one of the greatest Hulk comic covers of all time, this book has picked up considerable heat thanks to the recasting of Harrison Ford as General “Thunderbolt” Ross and rumors that the Red Hulk could soon be appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If that is the case, this book is likely going to smash records when it comes to prices, making now the perfect time to pick it up.
Thor #1
- Published: Dec. 2014
- Estimated Price: $100 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st cover appearance of Jane Foster as Thor
- Why We Picked It: After making her first appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder, rumors are now circulating of a possible Disney+ spin-off TV series featuring Jane Foster as Thor. If that does happen, this book is likely to see yet an even bigger spike in value.
Iron Man #282
- Published: Jul. 1992
- Estimated Price: $100 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st cover appearance of the War Machine armor
- Why We Picked It: With the new Armor Wars TV show hitting Disney+ in 2023 this book feels like it’s finally getting its chance to shine. While not the first appearance of James Rhodes, it does represent a significant book in the Iron Man mythology, making it a key spec worth suiting up for.
Marvel Super-Heroes Winter Special 1991
- Published: Jan. 1992
- Estimated Price: $100 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st cover appearance of Squirrel Girl
- Why We Picked It: Love her or hate her, Squirrel Girl has grown from a throwaway joke to being an incredibly popular character with her own comics and tie-ins. It’s probably only a matter of time until Disney+ does something with everyone’s favorite bushy-tailed hero, so you’re totally nuts if you do decide to grab this book.
Batman #6 (New 52)
- Published: Apr. 2012
- Estimated Price: $60 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st appearance of the Court of Owls
- Why We Picked It: In addition to being one of the greatest Batman runs of all time, Scott Synder and Greg Capullo’s Batman #6 also introduces the Court of Owls, which rumour has it may be the primary villains in the sequel to the Robert Pattinson Batman film. Of course, even if the Court doesn’t make it to the big screen, chances are it’s going to appear in something, making this one key book that’s worth getting your talons on.
X-Men #4
- Published: Jan. 1992
- Estimated Price: $50 USD (Raw High Grade)
- Why It’s a Key: 1st appearance of Omega Red
- Why We Picked It: With Wolverine and the X-Men likely entering the MCU in the near future it seems inevitable that the villainous Omega Red will appear at some point as well. While this might be a bit of a slow burn of a book it’s also one that’s not going to leave comic book speculators in the red.
More on Comic Book Keys
Want to know more about the hottest new keys? Check out our Comic Book Speculation and Investing Guide.
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