We’re back with more Undervalued and Overlooked Comics! This is where we identify comics that are either currently lower in value than they could be, aren’t as well known in the collector market, or both. So, let’s get started with some fascinating picks.
Sword & Sorcery… and Wonder Woman?
For fans of sword and sorcery stories in the 1970s, there were few better than tales involving Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Created by writer Fritz Leiber, the first short story featuring the two characters saw publication in 1939, but it wouldn’t be until the 1960s that all of the stories would be put in chronological order and published in book form. Written as an allusion to heroic characters like Conan and Tarzan, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser were meant to seem more human and realistic.
Their popularity waxing at the time, DC decided to get in on the act in 1972 and introduced the characters in – of all places – Wonder Woman #202. It seems even odder in retrospect when you consider that Wonder Woman was going through all sorts of changes at the time, including her missing powers, the martial arts, and the ill-conceived white suit. DC wanted to introduce Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser in the pages of one of their more mainstream comics before launching Sword of Sorcery a few months later, so Wonder Woman - oddly enough - was selected.
There are 128 graded copies of Wonder Woman #202 in the CGC census, a little more than the issues before and after. There are eight 9.8 graded copies, and those rarely sell. The last sale was in 2020 when one went for $645 in an eBay auction, which was down from a $960 sale in a 2019 Heritage auction. Once you move down from that top grade, prices drop considerably. A 9.4 sold in a September 29 eBay auction for $156, barely moving above the $150 price from five years earlier. A 9.2 just sold in a November 3 eBay auction for $77, while a 9.0 went in a November 24 eBay auction for $84. Looking to spend even less? A 7.0 sold in a November 10 eBay auction for the low price of $39. Fantasy stories of the 1970s were rife with tales of sword and sorcery, few more popular than Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. If you’re a fan of those stories, you owe it to yourself to pick up this comic.
First Power Man & Iron Fist Team-Up
In the late 1970s, the team supreme of Chris Claremont and John Byrne were churning out comics at a ridiculous rate. Besides their work together on X-Men, there was also the fifteen-issue run on Iron Fist and a memorable stint on Marvel Team-Up, among others. With the cancellation of Iron Fist and flagging sales on Power Man, the decision was made to try teaming the two characters together. That first team-up took place in Power Man #48. As with most team-ups, it started first as a fight between the two. There are 555 graded copies, so it’s hardly an overlooked comic. However, prices are now exceptionally low. A 9.6 sold on July 14 for $65. That’s the lowest price – not just since the boom, but ever! This is in a grade that has seen 59 sales since 2015 and for which the first sale was $200. If you’ve been sitting on the fence for the past decade on this book, now could be the time to jump down and just buy it.
A Scarce Magazine With Big Comic Names
One of the things that offers the most joy about writing these blogs is the research involved. I often try to mix things up so you, our readers, will be exposed to comics from not just Marvel and DC, but other publishers as well. For the Bronze Age in particular, it can be a difficult task to find those other publishers. Older publishers like Dell, Gold Key, and Charlton faded or folded during the 1970s.
While early indies like Star Reach, Cerebus, and Elfquest were launched during the Bronze Age, they’re fairly well-known to collectors, and it wouldn’t be until late in the era that we would see the start of newer publishers like Pacific and First. So, I often have to do some digging. This often leads me down a rabbit hole of dead ends. But sometimes I have the great joy of discovering something I never knew existed. Such is the case with Adventure Illustrated #1.
Published by New Media Publishing in 1981, it was meant to be the initial issue of an ongoing series but never made it past that first issue. This comic magazine has some great comic names associated with it: a cover by Jim Starlin, a story by Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz, and contributions from Pat Boyette – co-creator of the Peacemaker, Don Heck, Tom Sutton, Mark Evanier, Al Gordon, and Tom Orzechowski. And I had never heard of it. Nor have most collectors judging from the fact that there are no graded copies in either the CGC or CBCS databases. While it’s hard to imagine this being worth a ton considering that no one has deemed it worth slabbing, I also can’t imagine there are many raw copies floating around either. If you’re looking for a diamond-in-the-rough, it’s hard to argue with this magazine’s potential as an undervalued and overlooked comic for the first person to send one in for grading. I would love to hear from any of our readers who have a copy.
