As comic book collectors, we're all deeply familiar with the five "Ages" of comic books: the Golden, Silver, Bronze, Copper, and Modern Ages. We also know, generally speaking, that Action Comics #1 kicked off the Golden Age, Showcase #4 launched the Silver Age, and Green Lantern #76 marks the beginning of the Bronze Age?
But just how familiar are you with the Platinum Age? Do you know which comic book(s) mark the beginning of the Platinum Age?
For good reasons, Action Comics #1 is the most significant and valuable comic book of all time since it includes the first appearance of Superman and the beginning of the superhero genre. But it's not the first comic book. For that piece of history, we have to look at the Platinum Age of comics which, in the opinion of many, begins in 1897 with the publication of The Yellow Kid in McFadden’s Flats. Generally considered to be the first comic book of all time (the phrase "comic books" is printed on its back cover for the first time ever), and first comic character, the Yellow Kid.
Of course, there is quite a bit of debate as to whether this is the first "comic book," with many arguing that The Yellow Kid isn't a comic book because it has a square bound spine (i.e., it doesn't have staples like most comics), doesn't use word balloons, etc. Others would argue the first comic book is The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck discovered in 1869 created by Swiss artist Rodolphe Topffer:
This copy of Obadiah sold for a mere $5,377.50 on Heritage Auctions in 2012. To me, that seems surprisingly low, but it's difficult to know how much it might sell for in 2025.
But regardless of how you define what a "comic book" is, The Yellow Kid is still in the conversation.
Considering the historical significance of this book and how rare it is (there isn't a single graded copy on the CGC Census, as an indicator or rarity), it surprises me how little this issue sells for. I could only find four publicly recorded sales for this book during this century. The most recent sale was this ungraded and unrestored copy which sold for only $7,200 on Heritage Auctions in 2022:
Maybe this is just me, but this sale price seems low for what is arguably the first comic book of all-time. Admittedly, this is a low grade copy (Heritage estimated that it was a 2.0), but the sale also occurred towards the tail end of the "comic boom." Back in 2012, this heavily restored copy (e.g., rebuilt spine, color touch, and pieces added) sold for $4,182.50.
Another milestone in comic book history was the publication of The Blackberries in 1901, which is generally considered to be the first full color (on its cover and throughout its pages) comic book. Many people today wouldn't recognize The Blackberries as being a comic book since it was published in a 9" x 12" hardcover format.
I wasn't able to find a single publicly recorded sale for this book. If you happen to know its value, please drop us a comment below -- I'm curious to know!
