Buy Thor #155 & #157 Here
Silver Surfer #1 (1968)
We’re probably past any multimedia-related collectability peak on the first issue of Stan Lee and John Buscema’s Silver Surfer, but the fact remains that this is an inordinately important comic in Marvel’s history. This is where a lot of the psychedelia that would come to define Marvel cosmic in the ‘70s launched. It’s also a classic in its own right: Buscema was a brilliant chameleon of an artist here, moving smoothly between Kirby Krackle in Norrin Radd’s origin to clean, brisk Herb Trimpe lines in the present day action sequences. If you’ve got a Marvel cosmic fan or a Silver Age history buff in your life and $2000 handy, grab this for them now.
Buy Silver Surfer #1 Here
Captain Marvel Adventures #39 (1944)
Golden Age Captain Marvel is a trip. Not because of the depth of the stories or anything, though they were mostly pretty good, if very of their time. But C. C. Beck’s art is so interesting. His figures are tight, quick and uncomplicated. His action is clear, and his storytelling moves. Honestly, reading it feels a little like reading a Tintin book. Which is why if you have someone who likes adventure comics (or hell, even those Illustrated Classics that used to be all the rage), this is a GREAT gift for them. Also, if you’re from Pittsburgh, this issue might interest you, as it relates to who actually owns the entire city.
Buy Captain Marvel Adventures #39 Here
CGC 5.0 Fantastic Four #9 (1962)
It’s sealed, so you’re probably not going to read this issue, but if you do manage to grab this, I’d also recommend a quick Marvel Universe subscription for a month or two so you can see with your own two eyes Stan and Jack making Namor into a scummy movie producer. It’s so funny. It’s an early Marvel book, a Fantastic Four book, and a Namor book, so it’s going to hold its value very well, but this issue is a joy to read too, so it’s worth it from a few angles.
