Lookup
Key Comic Book First Appearances: Values & How to Spot Them
Pick the character. Each page names the first-appearance issue, lists the checks that separate an original from a reprint, and tells you what to photograph. No prices here; this is about knowing exactly what you are holding.
How to use these pages
- First appearance means the issue where the character debuted, even in a cameo; many characters also have a separate first full appearance or first cover, noted where the source gives it.
- Confirm the issue from the indicia, not the cover; covers are reprinted, indicia rarely lie.
- Facsimile editions reproduce the cover and interior of famous keys; they carry a modern price, barcode and indicia.
- Condition is a separate question; see the grading guide.
DC characters
- Batman First Appearance: Detective Comics #27 Value by Grade
- Superman First Appearance: Action Comics #1 Value by Grade
- 1st Appearance of Wonder Woman: All-Star Comics #8 Value
- Joker First Appearance: Batman #1 Value by Grade
- Catwoman First Appearance: Batman #1 Value by Grade
- Robin (Dick Grayson) First Appearance: Detective Comics #38 Value by Grade
- Harley Quinn First Appearance: Batman Adventures #12 Value
- Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) First Appearance: Showcase #22 Value by Grade
- Flash (Barry Allen) First Appearance: Showcase #4 Value by Grade
- Aquaman First Appearance: More Fun Comics #73 Value
- Darkseid First Appearance: Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #134 and How to Identify It
- Swamp Thing First Appearance: House of Secrets #92 Value by Grade
Marvel characters
- Spider-Man First Appearance: Amazing Fantasy #15 Value
- Wolverine First Appearance: Incredible Hulk #181 Value
- Punisher First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #129 Value by Grade
- Venom First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #300 Value by Grade
- Carnage First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #361 Value by Grade
- First Appearance of Thanos: Iron Man #55 (1973) Value
- Black Widow First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #52 Value
- Captain America First Appearance: Captain America Comics #1 and How to Identify It
- Iron Man First Appearance: Tales of Suspense #39 Value
- Incredible Hulk First Appearance: Hulk #1 (1962) Value
- Thor First Appearance: Journey into Mystery #83 Value by Grade
- Black Panther First Appearance: Fantastic Four #52 Value
- Doctor Strange First Appearance: Strange Tales #110 Value
- Deadpool First Appearance: The New Mutants #98 Value by Grade
- Cable First Appearance: The New Mutants #87 Value by Grade
- Gambit First Appearance: The Uncanny X-Men #266 Value by Grade
- 1st Appearance of Rogue: Avengers Annual #10 (1981) Value
- Storm First Appearance: Giant-Size X-Men #1 Value by Grade
- Silver Surfer First Appearance: Fantastic Four #48 Value
- Galactus First Appearance: Fantastic Four #48 Value by Grade
- Green Goblin First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man #14 Value by Grade
- Kingpin First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #50 Value by Grade
- Daredevil First Appearance: Daredevil #1 (1964) Value
- Miles Morales First Appearance: Ultimate Fallout #4 Value by Grade
- Spider-Gwen First Appearance: Edge of Spider-Verse #2 Value by Grade
- Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) First Appearance: Captain Marvel #14 Value by Grade
Dark Horse characters
Image Comics characters
Key Comic Book First Appearances: Values & How to Spot Them
Key Comic Book First Appearances: Values & How to Spot Them
- First Appearances in Comics: Cameos, Full Debuts, Values
- Doctor Doom First Appearance: Fantastic Four #5 Value
- Blade First Appearance: Tomb of Dracula #10 Value
- First Appearance of Moon Knight: Werewolf by Night #32
- 1st Appearance of Nightwing: Tales of the Teen Titans #44
- Damian Wayne First Appearance: Batman #655 (2006) Value
- Emma Frost First Appearance: X-Men #129 (1980) Value
Key Comic Book First Appearances: Values & How to Spot Them
- First Appearances in Comics: Cameos, Full Debuts, Values
- Doctor Doom First Appearance: Fantastic Four #5 Value
- Blade First Appearance: Tomb of Dracula #10 Value
- First Appearance of Moon Knight: Werewolf by Night #32
- 1st Appearance of Nightwing: Tales of the Teen Titans #44
- Damian Wayne First Appearance: Batman #655 (2006) Value
- Emma Frost First Appearance: X-Men #129 (1980) Value
- Doctor Octopus First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #3 Value
- Cloak and Dagger First Appearance: Spectacular #64 Value
- First Appearance of Magneto: X-Men #1 (1963) Value
- Adam Warlock First Appearance: Fantastic Four #66-67 Value
- Bane First Appearance: Vengeance of Bane #1 (1993) Value
- 1st Appearance of Rocket Raccoon: Marvel Preview #7 Value
Key Comic Book First Appearances: Values & How to Spot Them
- First Appearances in Comics: Cameos, Full Debuts, Values
- Doctor Doom First Appearance: Fantastic Four #5 Value
- Blade First Appearance: Tomb of Dracula #10 Value
- First Appearance of Moon Knight: Werewolf by Night #32
- 1st Appearance of Nightwing: Tales of the Teen Titans #44
- Damian Wayne First Appearance: Batman #655 (2006) Value
- Emma Frost First Appearance: X-Men #129 (1980) Value
- Doctor Octopus First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #3 Value
- Cloak and Dagger First Appearance: Spectacular #64 Value
- First Appearance of Magneto: X-Men #1 (1963) Value
- Adam Warlock First Appearance: Fantastic Four #66-67 Value
- Bane First Appearance: Vengeance of Bane #1 (1993) Value
- 1st Appearance of Rocket Raccoon: Marvel Preview #7 Value
- Batman Scarecrow First Appearance: World's Finest #3
- Constantine First Appearance: Swamp Thing #37 Value
- First Appearance of Supergirl: Action Comics #252 Value
- First Appearance of Mr. Freeze: Batman #121 (1959) Value
- First Appearance of Red Hulk: Hulk #1 (2008) Value
- Black Cat First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #194 Value
- Clayface First Appearance: Detective Comics #40 (1940) Value
- First Appearance of Magik: Giant-Size X-Men #1 vs X-Men #160
- First Appearance of Poison Ivy: Batman #181 (1966) Value
- First Appearance of Two-Face: Detective Comics #66 Value
- Batman Red Hood First Appearance: Detective 168, Batman 635
- Deathstroke First Appearance: New Teen Titans #2 Value
- First Appearance of Killer Croc: 3 Issues and Values
- First Appearance of Groot: Tales to Astonish #13 Value
- First Appearance of Mary Jane: Amazing Spider-Man #25 vs #42
- First Appearance of Namor: Marvel Comics #1 and Its Value
- First Appearance of Psylocke: Captain Britain #8 Value
- First Appearance of Scarlet Witch: X-Men #4 Value by Grade
- First Appearance of Tim Drake as Robin: Batman #442 Value
- Blue Beetle First Appearance: Dan, Ted and Jaime, Values
- First Appearance of Morbius: Amazing Spider-Man #101 Value
- First Appearance of Ra's al Ghul: Batman #232 Value
- Doomsday First Appearance: Man of Steel #17 and #18 Value
- First Appearance of X-23: X-Men: Evolution and NYX #3
Key Comic Book First Appearances: Values & How to Spot Them
- First Appearance of Wonder Man: Avengers #9 Value by Grade
- Batman Who Laughs First Appearance and Key Issues
- Black Canary First Appearance: Flash Comics #86 Value
- Dazzler First Appearance: X-Men #130 Value and Variants
- Booster Gold First Appearance: Booster Gold #1 Value
- First Appearance Green Arrow: More Fun Comics #73 Value
- First Appearance Guardians of the Galaxy: 1969 vs 2008
- First Appearance of Guy Gardner: Green Lantern #59 Value
- First Appearance of Gwen Stacy: Amazing Spider-Man #31
- First Appearance of Loki: Journey into Mystery #85
- First Appearance of Sentry: The Sentry #1 (2000)
- First Appearance of Spider-Woman: Marvel Spotlight #32
- First Appearance of War Machine: Iron Man #118 or #282
- Batwoman First Appearance: Detective Comics #233 and 52 #7
- Falcon First Appearance: Captain America #117 (1969)
- First Appearance of Agent Venom: Amazing Spider-Man #654
- Cyborg First Appearance: DC Comics Presents #26 Value
- Cyclops First Appearance: X-Men #1 (1963) Value by Grade
- First Appearance of Nick Fury: Sgt. Fury #1 and S.H.I.E.L.D.
- First Appearance of Sabretooth: Iron Fist #14 Value
- First Appearance of Shang-Chi: Special Marvel Edition #15
- First Appearance of Sinestro: Green Lantern #7 (1961)
- First Appearance of Taskmaster: Avengers #195 vs #196
- First Appearance of the Riddler: Detective Comics #140
- First Appearance of Zatanna: Hawkman #4 (1964) Value
- Bloodshot First Appearance: Eternal Warrior #4 and Rai #0
- Bizarro First Appearance: Superboy #68 (1958) Value
- First Appearance of Human Torch: Marvel Comics #1 (1939)
- First Appearance of Sandman: Amazing Spider-Man #4 & DC
- First Appearance of Sinister Six: Spider-Man Annual #1
- First Appearance of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: TMNT #1
- First Appearances in Comics: Cameos, Full Debuts, Values
- Doctor Doom First Appearance: Fantastic Four #5 Value
- Blade First Appearance: Tomb of Dracula #10 Value
- First Appearance of Moon Knight: Werewolf by Night #32
- 1st Appearance of Nightwing: Tales of the Teen Titans #44
- Damian Wayne First Appearance: Batman #655 (2006) Value
- Emma Frost First Appearance: X-Men #129 (1980) Value
- Doctor Octopus First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #3 Value
- Cloak and Dagger First Appearance: Spectacular #64 Value
- First Appearance of Magneto: X-Men #1 (1963) Value
- Adam Warlock First Appearance: Fantastic Four #66-67 Value
- Bane First Appearance: Vengeance of Bane #1 (1993) Value
- 1st Appearance of Rocket Raccoon: Marvel Preview #7 Value
- Batman Scarecrow First Appearance: World's Finest #3
- Constantine First Appearance: Swamp Thing #37 Value
- First Appearance of Supergirl: Action Comics #252 Value
- First Appearance of Mr. Freeze: Batman #121 (1959) Value
- First Appearance of Red Hulk: Hulk #1 (2008) Value
- Black Cat First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #194 Value
- Clayface First Appearance: Detective Comics #40 (1940) Value
- First Appearance of Magik: Giant-Size X-Men #1 vs X-Men #160
- First Appearance of Poison Ivy: Batman #181 (1966) Value
- First Appearance of Two-Face: Detective Comics #66 Value
- Batman Red Hood First Appearance: Detective 168, Batman 635
- Deathstroke First Appearance: New Teen Titans #2 Value
- First Appearance of Killer Croc: 3 Issues and Values
- First Appearance of Groot: Tales to Astonish #13 Value
- First Appearance of Mary Jane: Amazing Spider-Man #25 vs #42
- First Appearance of Namor: Marvel Comics #1 and Its Value
- First Appearance of Psylocke: Captain Britain #8 Value
- First Appearance of Scarlet Witch: X-Men #4 Value by Grade
- First Appearance of Tim Drake as Robin: Batman #442 Value
- Blue Beetle First Appearance: Dan, Ted and Jaime, Values
- First Appearance of Morbius: Amazing Spider-Man #101 Value
- First Appearance of Ra's al Ghul: Batman #232 Value
- Doomsday First Appearance: Man of Steel #17 and #18 Value
- First Appearance of X-23: X-Men: Evolution and NYX #3
- First Appearance of Scarlet Spider: Web of Spider-Man #118
- Ant-Man First Appearance: Tales to Astonish #27 and #35
- Batgirl First Appearance: Detective Comics #359 Value
- First Appearance of Mystique: Ms. Marvel #16, #17, #18
- First Appearance of Hawkeye: Tales of Suspense #57 Value
- First Appearance of Luke Cage: Hero for Hire #1 Value
- First Appearance of She-Hulk: Savage She-Hulk #1 Value
- First Appearance of Starfire: DC Comics Presents #26
FAQ
What counts as a first appearance?
The earliest issue in which the character appears in the story, even briefly. Collectors also track the first full appearance and the first cover appearance; when they differ, the source we quote is noted on the page.
How do I tell a facsimile from the original?
Facsimiles carry a modern cover price, a barcode and current indicia, and are printed on bright white paper. The original has the period price and, on old books, tanned newsprint.
Can the app identify a comic from a photo?
It reads the title, issue and cover art from a straight-on photo. Confirm the printing with the indicia checks on each page before you treat it as an original.