Non-Key Undervalued Comic Books To Buy This Summer

Tired of chasing those "hot" flavor of the week books where you invest a lot of time and financial resources competing with others in the pack?

Even the best comic book sellers hate being on the other side where they are the ones trying to buy these "hot" books. The risk is over paying on items with a very small shelf life. Instead smart hobbyists are always seeking bargains. Books with an "it" factor that could make the books primed for a price increase. Here are a few books that people should look into before others catch on to their potential.

Whiz Comics #153

Fawcett is not known for "cool" comics. Their hero titles were more humorous than those from the big two. That is the main reason collectors and investors tend to ignore non-keys from this publisher. This creates a blind spot for books that should be on people's target lists. A death character with a skull makes this a "must have" book for those in the know. A 7.0 CGC copy has an FMV of $750. The price is not the problem. Rather the negative aspect about this book is finding one. Only one copy was listed for sale on eBay at the time this article was written and the asking price was steep. That does not mean copies of this book are not out there. A few have been seen on the convention circuit, but they do not last for long.

Mystic #26

Many comic book hobbyists know that pre-code horror before the Comics Code Authority (CCA) sell for top dollars. The irony is that Atlas (rebranded as Marvel Comics) is largely ignored for this segment of market. One run that many are unaware even exists is the Mystic series. That is a shame because a young editor named Stan Lee created some interesting stories for this title. The covers could be just as shocking as those in EC Comics and yet they are still priced well beyond their real worth. A 5.0 CGC copy has an FMV of $550. Good luck finding some cool EC Comics horror covers for that price. A few copies of this issue were available on eBay but expand your horizons. Seek out the entire run of this series for some great finds at rock bottom prices.

Kid Eternity #4

First appearances are always hot. This issue has a first appearance, but not in the traditional way. Here various literary characters are brought into the story of the main character. One of those characters that makes their first appearance in comic books is the traditional version of Dracula fans have come to know. That does not make this comic a key per se, but that makes it somewhat important to collectors and completists. A CGC 5.0 has an FMV of $500. Again not cheap, but that does not make it out of the reach of many hobbyists. If more realize why this book is important that price may skyrocket to new heights.

Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #6

This is not an in-demand series. What makes this book important to hobbyists is the cover. This issue has a memorable Jim Steranko cover, but it is not what most fans think of when it comes to his more famous books. That lack of familiarity does not detract from the true beauty of his work. The fact that it has a black background cover makes finding it in high grade difficult. A CGC 9.4 should have a higher FMV than $400 for a book from 1968. The negative aspect of the hobby will come out though when Mr. Steranko passes and people tend to gravitate to this book in an acknowledgement of his talent. Get ahead of those buyers and appreciate the book while Jim Steranko still graces our presence.

Strikeforce Morituri #1

Imagine a world where you can gain powers to save your race but the price one would pay is to die within a year. Sacrifice. Loss. Hope. The raw emotions experienced by those heroes and their loved ones would be a very compelling storyline. A few times in the recent past industry insiders wanted to turn the plot of this series into a television series or movie. That is rare because this title was not drawn by any noted artists nor were there any marquee writers attached to the run. The short lived heroes also made it difficult for collectors to truly appreciate any first appearances. A CGC 9.8 copy has an FMV of only $95, but many raw copies can still be found in dollar bins. It might be wise if you can find one to take a very inexpensive roll of the dice on this book.

DC Comics Presents #52

Many focus on the true keys relating to He-Man, New Teen Titans and Mongul. There is another character that has his first appearance in this series that gets very little attention. That is the reason this book rarely qualifies as a "key", but it still has an important first appearance. Years before Deadpool, another fourth wall-breaking character was introduced in this series. Besides being humorous, Ambush Bug also had powers that made him very intriguing. Imagine teleporting to any situation or realm to interact with the reader. Now imagine that power on TV or in movie. Gunn has a way of using unconventional characters, and there are very few heroes more "out there" than Ambush Bug. A 9.8 CGC copy has an FMV of only $170. There are only a little over 100 copies in the census so your best bet may be finding one raw.

DC Comics Presents #84

Many collectors and investors know who the king is. It is not T'Challa nor Arthur. Instead that nickname belongs to one of the most influential comic book artists ever...Jack Kirby. Many of his covers and work are beyond the price of the masses. In addition, his keys can sell for big dollars. That should not make owning some of his books unattainable. A 9.8 copy of this issue will cost you around $46 (FMV). That is mostly the grading fees!!! In addition, there are only 17 copies in the census. That means raw additions may be your best bet in finding this later Kirby work.

Invaders Annual #1

Much like the last book, this is an issue from a noted artist of a previous age. Alex Schomburg is an artist famous for his vivid Golden Age comic covers. Even the most mundane issues he worked on sell for top dollar. What is worst is that those that own those issues rarely let them go back on the market. This issue then is a nice lay up for those that want to own a comic with Schomburg's work. A 9.8 has an FMV of $450, but then you get to the 9.6 CGC copy with an FMV of $170 and you realize how affordable this issue truly is for hobbyists. In a world where recently released books from lesser artists sell in the same price range, this 49 year old book is well worth that FMV. As sales of his other works rise in value so too should this later example of Alex's talent.

Grendel #3

Many last issues of a series have small print runs. Smaller publishers did not have unlimited budgets and had to make sure they only printed what would be sold. This meant if a character is a hit then back issues would be in great demand. Such is the case for TMNT, Spawn, and other characters. The same can be said for Grendel #3. Comico experienced financial difficulty that led to this series not lasting longer even though the character was popular. This makes finding Grendel #3 difficult. A 9.8 will run you around $375. Not bad for an early appearance of a noted villain who even tangled with Batman.

King Kong #1

Not really anything significant about this issue. The only important aspect for this book is that it was drawn by famous pin up artist Dave Stevens. Many of his other works get the attention, but this issue still has that Stevens magic. At one time this movie monster book could be found in discount bins and added to auction lots as a throw away book. Not anymore. A 9.8 has an FMV of $150. That is a nice price for an artist whose books are now in fashion. The book also features a character that has lasted for almost 100 years and is still going strong. Those are good elements for a throw away book!