A Nightmare on Elm Street #1
Slasher films are a staple of 1980s horror, but none defined the genre so solidly as A Nightmare on Elm Street. Wes Craven's masterful movie about a serial killer named Freddy Krueger, who attacked his victims in their dreams, was true nightmare fuel for generations of viewers. But more impressively was the pop culture impact the character would have. Freddy Krueger could be found on everything -- toasters, children's toys, Halloween costumes, and of course magazines and comics.
The first movie also spawned 4 other sequels -- all before the end of the 1980s. In 1989 Marvel Comics got into the Nightmare franchise and released a short-lived magazine-sized comic series. The series takes place around the events of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, but due to a variety of reasons the series only saw two issues. Up for auction is A Nightmare on Elm Street #1 signed by Robert Englund, who brought Freddy to life.
This CGC yellow series 8.0 has white pages and presents extremely well. While there is no sales data for this book, an 8.5 sold for $400 in June of 2020. This could be a great piece for the right collector.
The Phantom #1
The ghost who walks has been a newspaper staple since his debut in May of 1936. Created by Lee Falk, the pulp era hero become a popular character during the late Platinum age and early Golden Age of comics. The Phantom was the subject of a popular movie serial in 1943 with Tom Tyler as the titular character. Since then the character has had a healthy life as a newspaper strip, and occasionally in a proper comic book series. In 1962 Gold Key released their own Phantom comic line, which lasted for over 70 issues (and a few publisher changes).
This first issue features a beautifully painted cover by George Wilson. The Phantom, Devil, and Hero are ready for action. This book has a CGC blue label 9.0 grade with off-white to white pages. Currently, there are only 5 9.0's on the census, with the last one selling for $913 in December 2020. This is ideal for Phantom collectors.
Batman #1
International issues of American comic characters are a personal favorite collectible of mine. This copy of Batman #1 was released for the Brazilian market in 1953. Featuring a Bob Kane cover that was only used for this issue, the comic reprints 3 Batman stories from the 1950s. This is a particularly hard comic to find in any grade, making this a very desirable book for collectors.
This CBCS blue label 6.5 graded book with off-white pages doesn't come up for sale too often. Therefore there is little sales data on this book. If you're looking for a book that will surprise you, this is it. While other international issues can command a few thousand dollars, there is potential for this book to break records.
