Big Green Lantern Anniversary Issue
In 1994, DC made their biggest change to Green Lantern since the launch of the Silver Age. Not only did Ron Marz and Darryl Banks introduce us to Kyle Rayner, but they caused Hal Jordan to go completely insane, becoming Parallax. Hal went on a rampage, destroying the Guardians of the Universe and killing Sinestro and Killowog.
It all happened in the extra-sized anniversary issue, Green Lantern #50, complete with a glow-in-the-dark cover. This was clearly a 50th issue like no other. And collectors have nearly completely forgotten about it.
That’s a shame. Love it or hate it, Green Lantern #50 was an important comic in the 1990s. While it’s chock full of many of the excesses of the era, the issue has become an important part of comic history. At the current prices, maybe now is the time to consider adding it to your collection.
The Return of an Original X-Man
One of the biggest changes you can make to a character is to bring them back from the dead, and that’s exactly what Marvel did with Jean Grey in 1986. The multi-part story that would lead to the eventual release of X-Factor #1 began in Avengers #263 when the team found a cocoon at the bottom of Jamaica Bay, a cocoon that held the still-living body of the long-thought-deceased former X-Man.
However, of the three issues in the storyline – including Fantastic Four #286 – Avengers #263 is the one most ignored by collectors.
There are 326 graded copies of this issue in the CGC census, with nearly half (153) in the 9.8 grade. During the recent boom, copies in this grade were going for as much as $185. The most recent 90-day average price paid is now down 58% from that peak.
That’s right, you can get a 9.8 of the return of Jean Grey for just $77, making this not just an overlooked Copper Age gem but an undervalued one as well.
Speaking of the Avengers…
In 1994, just as the comic boom of the 1990s was coming to its end, Marvel produced Ultraforce/Avengers #1. While the cover may contain the Malibu logo as well it was published while Marvel was in the process of purchasing Malibu. Marvel’s purchase of Malibu is an interesting story in its own right.
Suffice it to say that the stated reason at the time was that Marvel wanted Malibu’s state-of-the-art coloring process. The likelier reason is that Marvel didn’t want Malibu falling into DC’s hands, which would have potentially pushed them past Marvel in terms of market share.
This would be the beginning of the end for Malibu’s Ultraverse characters. Within two years, Ultraforce and the rest of Malibu’s characters would never again grace a comic page, although Night Man managed to have his own TV series that lasted until 1999.
Perhaps because the characters never made it into the new millennium, Ultraforce/Avengers #1 is an incredibly overlooked comic book. There are only 24 graded copies in the CGC census and only nine recorded sales. While there were some relatively high sales in 2022 – including a 9.4 going for the peak price of $153, $3 more than the top 9.8 sale – the only sale this year was a 9.6 selling for just $40 on July 8.
For rock bottom prices like this, it’s worth considering adding this one to your collection. You have to figure that at some point Marvel will bring these characters back, if only to preserve the trademark.
Do you think Green Lantern #50, Avengers #263, and Ultraforce/Avengers #1 are undervalued, overlooked, or both? Let us know below.
