Key comics collectors watched in 2022

In collecting, a "key" is an issue that matters more than the issues around it. Usually it's a character's first appearance, an origin story or a famous turning point. In 2022, attention to keys was driven by two things: a busy slate of superhero TV and film releases that put older characters back in the spotlight, and a run of record-setting sales of the oldest, most famous books. This retrospective covers both, using facts as they stood at the time and noting where later sales changed the picture.

First appearances tied to 2022 releases

A common pattern among collectors is to look up a character's first comic appearance when a screen adaptation is announced or released. These were among the characters with 2022 releases:

The Kamala Khan entry shows a common complication. A character can have several "firsts": a background cameo, a first full appearance and a first solo issue. Collectors and dealers don't always agree on which one counts as the key.

Blue-chip keys and record sales

At the top of the market are a few Golden Age and Silver Age books. Wikipedia dates the Golden Age to 1938–1956 and notes that Action Comics #1 (June 1938), Superman's debut, is often cited as its start. The Silver Age (1956–1970) includes Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962), the debut of Spider-Man. Public sales of these books set the headlines in and around 2022:

CGC reported that the January 2022 Superman #1 sale, brokered privately between anonymous parties, beat the previous record of $3.6 million, set by the Amazing Fantasy #15 in September 2021. The two later sales are included for context. They show that the highest-grade copies of the most famous books continued to set records after 2022. Guinness World Records reported that the 2025 Superman #1 had been found by a Northern California family in a box in their late mother's attic.

Copper and Modern Age keys

Not every key is a Golden Age rarity. Collectors also track 1980s and 1990s firsts, sometimes called the Copper Age, a loosely defined era whose dates vary from guide to guide. Quality Comix lists keys from this period that include Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1, Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 (the first black Spider-Man suit), Amazing Spider-Man #300 (Eddie Brock's Venom), New Mutants #98 (the first Deadpool) and Amazing Spider-Man #361 (the first Carnage).

Why collectors watch keys

• Story significance. A first appearance or origin story stays significant no matter how a character's later stories go.
• Media attention. Screen adaptations bring new attention to older characters, as the 2022 slate above shows. How long that attention lasts varies.
• Scarcity and condition. The record sales above all involved highly graded copies. A grade from a third-party service such as CGC is part of how these books are described and compared.

To place any key in its era, see the guide to the comic book ages. For the wider market, see what collectibles are in demand.