Showing posts with label Comic Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Comic Books. Show all posts

Thursday, May 1, 2025

Phoenix Fan Fusion 2025

Phoenix Fan Fusion 2025: Arizona’s Ultimate Geek Convention is Back!

Grab your cosplay, charge your lightsabers, and practice your best “Wakanda Forever” pose because Phoenix Fan Fusion is coming back in 2025 — and it's gonna be bigger, bolder, and geekier than ever!

This pop-culture mega-event hits downtown Phoenix from May 23-25, 2025 at the Phoenix Convention Center, and whether you're a hardcore comic nerd, movie buff, anime addict, or just love a good cosplay contest — Fan Fusion has something for everyone.




What is Phoenix Fan Fusion?

Think Comic-Con — but AZ style!

Phoenix Fan Fusion is the Southwest’s biggest celebration of all things geeky, nerdy, and pop culture cool. It's where fandoms unite — whether you're into:

  • Comics & Graphic Novels

  • Sci-Fi & Fantasy

  • Star Wars & Marvel

  • Anime & Manga

  • Video Games & Tabletop

  • Cosplay & Creativity

  • Or just looking for your people!

This 3-day event transforms downtown Phoenix into a nerdy wonderland packed with celebrities, artists, gaming zones, and an absolutely EPIC vendor hall.


When & Where?

  • Dates: May 23-25, 2025 (Memorial Day Weekend)

  • Location: Phoenix Convention Center, Downtown Phoenix, AZ

  • Tickets: Available now at www.phoenixfanfusion.com


Celebrity Guests Galore!

Every year, Phoenix Fan Fusion brings a stacked guest list of TV, movie, anime, and comic book stars — perfect for autographs, photo ops, and panels.

Some past guests have included:

  • William Shatner (Star Trek)

  • Christina Ricci (Wednesday, Addams Family)

  • Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad, The Mandalorian)

  • Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future)

  • Emily Swallow (The Mandalorian)

Stay tuned to their site and socials for 2025 guest reveals — it’s always an awesome mix!


What To Do (Besides Nerd Out)

  • Cosplay Contests — Arizona’s BEST cosplay comes out to play! All ages welcome.

  • Panels & Workshops — Learn from industry pros, creators, and fandom experts.

  • Gaming Zones — Video games, board games, card games — it’s all here.

  • Vendor Hall — Comics, collectibles, art, Funko Pops, vintage toys & rare finds.

  • Photo Ops — Snap pics with your fave celebs or against themed backdrops.

  • Kid-Friendly Activities — Family cosplay parade, workshops, and fandom fun.


Why You Should Go

  • Safe, welcoming, and cosplay-friendly space

  • Huge community of geeks, gamers, creators, and fans

  • Tons of activities for all ages

  • Perfect for first-timers & long-time nerds

  • Downtown Phoenix food & fun just steps away


Phoenix Fan Fusion 2025 is the place to let your inner nerd shine bright. Whether you're rocking full armor cosplay or just there to shop for comics and collectibles — everyone fits in here.

Don’t miss out on Arizona’s biggest celebration of fandom, friendship, and full-on geek glory!

Grab your tickets early at:
www.phoenixfanfusion.com


Follow me for more AZ event adventures, theme parks, and nerdy fun on Instagram & Facebook!

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

ComicX – Desert Ridge Marketplace

Update: Now Open - Opened 12/4/19!

Update: ComicX is Opening late 2019 at Desert Ridge Marketplace in Phoenix, AZ.

ComicX, the Mexico based Comic Book themed restaurant full of childhood nostalgia that was originally expected to open summer of 2019.

The atmosphere will immerses customers in fantasy and imagination with decor and life size statues of comic book characters, including your favorite superheroes and villains.

Four friends with a passion for delicious food and comic books opened the first ComicX restaurant in Hermosillo, Sonora, in the summer of 2010. Since then they have grown to 36 locations in Mexico.

This will be the first in the US and the restaurant is expected to offer an affordable and delicious menu (cheese sticks, fries, wings, burgers, wraps, pizzas, nachos and salads) for kids of all ages! 

The new 8,000-square-foo restaurant rest will be located at the Desert Ridge Marketplace between Sweet Tomatoes and Majerle's Sports Bar: 21001 N. Tatum Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85050

Here is my Review of ComicX USA




Check out a Virtual 3D tour of one of their locations

   

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Denny's Solo: A Star Wars Story - 2018 Topps Trading Cards

Denny's: 2018 Topps® - Solo: A Star Wars Story


Each pack costs $3 at Denny's with a limit of four packs per person per visit, a food or beverage purchase also required.

Of that, Denny's donates $1.75 to the No Kid Hungry program. The program is expected to raise a minimum of a $1 million donation.

Packs also will include a coupon for a future visit to the restaurant.

Collect all 12 exclusive Solo: A Star Wars Story Topps® Trading Cards
Cards per pack: 2

Produced by Topps®, the Denny’s Solo cards focuses on characters from the spinoff Movie currently in Theaters. Each card pack will include a selection from the set that includes: Han Solo, Chewbacca, L3-37, QEi’ra, Lando Calrissian, Val, Six Eyes, Moloch, Enfys Nest, Therm Scissorpunch, Range Trooper and Mudtrooper.

Set size: 12 cards and 12 Foil Parallels
Foil cards available 1:100 packs

Release date: April 3, 2018

Backs go together to form a pair of propaganda-style poster puzzles.
One has the Millennium Falcon and the other is a TIE Fighter.




*******************************************************************************

Denny's Solo: A Star Wars Story - 2018 Topps Trading Cards for sale on Ebay



Val Foil



Saturday, October 28, 2017

Enter to win Life-Size Harley Quinn - Mile High Comics

Enter to win a Chance Drawing for this Life-Sized Harley Quinn statue.

Drawing held 1PM this Saturday (10/28/17) at Mile High Comics.

Winner gets to pick between the Life Sized Harley Quinn or the $1,000 Mile High Comics Shopping Spree to start or increase your comic book collection.

100% of the money raised will go to Rainbow Alley to buy Christmas Gifts for the 250+ disadvantaged children!

Tickets can be purchased at Mile High Comics Mega Store for $5 each or 5 for $20.

(303) 455-2659
4600 Jason St
Denver, Colorado 80211

You can also buy a 5 pack of tickets for $20 online here: www.milehighcomics.com

You do not need to be present to win, they will call or email if you are the winner.

Mile High Comics will ship, but winner pays exact shipping and they will give you a Mile High Credit for whatever that amount is.



Harley Quinn replica figure is based on Batman: Arkham City, the second chapter in the video game series. Standing 5’ 11″, Harley was created from the digital files used in making of the game. Made of latex and foam rubber that’s hand-painted for realistic detail, down to the tattoos!

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Review of October 2015 Comic Nerd Block Subscription Box

This box Comic Block subscription box from Nerd Block was purchased by me to review for you.

The Cost starts at 13.99 per month (plus Shipping) and gets cheaper based on the length of subscription. You currently get a welcome box with a new subscription.

This month box included a shirt, 3 comic books and an art print.

The Spawn Shirt has an Ebay value of around $10 dollars. It is a fairly heavy cotton, unlike some of the exclusive t-shirts I have received from various subscription boxes. The eyes glow in the dark and looks a little eerie in the mirror. Not necessarily a Spawn fan, but did keep this shirt for myself and have gotten multiple compliments.
Comic Block Spawn shirt

Heroes Vengeance #1 - Comic Block Variant – Cover value $3.99

"NBC Reborn Prelude" Heroes Vengeance from Titan Comics, which will serve as an origin story for one of the new characters. The series will consist of five issues, and will be written by Heroes Reborn supervising producer Seamus Fahey. Selling on Ebay for around  $5-13. I have not watched the show, and have little interest in the comic and know no one to gift it to for Christmas, so it is in my sell pile. Although I have no doubt this comic was well accepted by some fans.
Heroes Vengeance #1

Lara Croft Frozen Omen #1 – Cover value $3.99

Dark Horse Comics features an exclusive variant cover! It’s up to Lara to stop a cult from causing worldwide devastation! Selling on Ebay for around  $12-20. I enjoyed the Lara Croft Tomb Raider games and movies. I have kept this comic for my collection.
Lara Croft Tomb Raider

Back To The Future #1 –  Cover value $4.99

IDW Back To The Future features an exclusive variant cover. In "Back to the Future Part II," Marty McFly travels to October 21, 2015 which was just last month and there was a lot of hype for 'Back to the Future Day'. Not sure of the story line, but enjoyed the movies so am keeping this for my collection. Selling on Ebay for around  $9-25.
Back to the Future

Venom Print – Ebay Value $5-12

The last item this month is a Venom art print! A 100 lucky people (not I) got one that was signed by the artist. This was also something I kept for my personal collection.


Over all this month's Comic Nerd Block subscription box gave me a Spawn shirt to wear, 2 comics to add to my comic book collection, a comic to sale and a Venom print worth framing. Thumbs up on quality verse cost.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Monthly Subscription box of geek, nerd and gamer loot

Loot Crate Loot Crate was founded in 2012 by an entrepreneurial team of geeks and gamers and has gained a lot of attention as the subscription service to get a bunch of geek toys sent to you every month for $19.95 or less.
Loot Crate

But, it’s not the only game in town, Geek Fuel launched as an alternative to Loot Crate. It’s basically the same deal. For $23.90 or less per month you get a box full of stuff every month that’s pretty close to Loot Crate. Geek Fuel includes a Steam downloadable game code worth around ten dollars.
geek fuel

Both offer a T-shirt which in reality almost covers the cost of the box, especially if you signed up for a year subscription to save a couple dollars per box.

I'll tell you though, Geek Fuel's "3 bonus mystery items" you get for signing up for a year, the first one did not seem very awe inspiring to me. Especially since the sign up bonus for the Wizard World Presents Comic Con Box sells on Ebay for about $150 dollars (the box also cost about 50% more). I'll get the next bonus item in the next box and the third in my 3rd box and have hope for something more intriguing.

By being an active Loot Crate subscriber you're automatically entered to win a monthly Mega Crate VALUED AT OVER $2,000+!

SUPER Geek Box is yet another Monthly Box of nerd and Gamer Gear you can subscribe to, it is a little cheaper than the others if you use the promotional discount coupon code (Use Code: CHAOS). I have not received my first one yet so can't speak to how happy I am with it.
super geek box

The Comic Con and Nerd Comic Block subscription boxes are probably the best options if you are interested in comic books, especially those with variant covers.

Loot Crate, Geek Fuel or Super Geek monthly subscription boxes are probably the best option for general movie and video game type gear and exclusive T-shirts.

Nerd Block also has boxes targeted at specific things like SCI-FI, HORROR and KIDS and you can save a few dollars with the discount code  MEGTURNEY. Meg Turney is a cosplayer and Nerd Block unboxer .
Nerd Block



Friday, May 22, 2015

Press Release – DBacks Super Hero Night & Phoenix Comicon

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Superhero charity explodes in May with site launch, D-Backs game and Comicon

May, 2015
Phoenix, AZ– Arizona nonprofit group COMICARE stays extremely busy throughout the year visiting nearly every children’s medical facility in the valley.  This May, the Comicare superheroes will find themselves extra busy.  On top of celebrating the launch of their revamped website (www.comicare.org) they are joining the Arizona Diamondbacks for “Superhero Night” on Friday, May 22nd at Chase Field.  Families will be able to meet and take pictures with their favorite comic book superheroes.  The Diamondbacks organization is planning a variety of specials and activities.
Phoenix Comicon 2015 is right around the corner (May 28- 31) and COMICARE brings an exciting presence at their booth (#6017): games, prizes, giveaways and photo ops with top level superheroes like Iron Man, Captain America, Wonder Woman and Spider-man.  COMICARE will also be accepting comic book donations that they pass on to children in valley hospitals.
“It is a big month for us,” explains Joe “ZEFF” Hyde, director of Comicare.  “We have been working extremely hard visiting hospitals around the valley- and that is what we enjoy doing.  It is sort of ‘icing on the cake’, to have three events like this where we get to mingle with the public and thank our community for their support.”

About Comicare

Comicare is an Arizona based 501(c)(3) nonprofit group that brings costumed ‘superheroes’ to children in hospitals.  They deliver comic books to provide a happy distraction while encouraging a love of reading.  They schedule as many as fifty visits a year in Arizona and neighboring states.  Comicare is proud of their role as a conduit for the generosity of the comic book collecting community as the books they give away are all donated by enthusiasts.   They not only visit medical facilities, but also support the philanthropic endeavors of those associated with the medical community.
www.comicare.org                                                    www.facebook.com/comicare

Contact

For more information about this event or general details about the charity, please contact
Joe “Zeff” Hyde, Director, Comicare
zeff@comicare.org    602.501.9817



You can buy Value Pack Grab Bags with 25-40 comics, to donate and ship them to: COMICAREP.O. Box 7317Goodyear, AZ 85338 

Sunday, January 4, 2015

A review of The Marvel Experience in Scottsdale AZ

The Marvel Experience Review – Was It Worth the Hype?

📍 Location: Touring Event – Various Cities in 2015
🎟️ Ticket Prices: Starting at $27.50 (too expensive for what’s offered)
Total Experience Time: Estimated 90 minutes but actually took 6 hours due to long wait times

Is The Marvel Experience Worth It?

If you’re a die-hard Marvel fan, The Marvel Experience: The Hyper-Reality Tour sounds like a dream come true—a high-tech, immersive superhero adventure packed with interactive training missions, VR experiences, and 4-D attractions. However, after attending with my kids, I can confidently say that while it had exciting moments, the cost, long wait times, and lack of activities left us disappointed.

With ticket prices starting at $27.50 (plus $10 for parking), the value simply wasn’t there. The entire experience should have taken around 90 minutes, but we spent over 6 hours waiting in lines for short, underwhelming activities. While some of the interactive elements were enjoyable, this event needed better organization, shorter wait times, and more engaging content.


What’s Included in The Marvel Experience?

Marvel Superhero Origins Briefing – A multi-screen intro covering the origins of Iron Man, Spider-Man, Hulk, Captain America, and Black Widow.
Interactive "Training Missions" – Includes Iron Man Flight Simulation, Hulk Smash, Photon Blaster Training, Spider-Man Climbing Wall, and Black Widow Laser Maze.
3-D Dome Experience – A short, standing-room-only Marvel movie where guests spin in circles to follow the action.
4-D Ride Finale – The most immersive part of the experience, but lacked 3-D visuals, making it less impressive.
Gift ShopLimited merchandise with only posters, shirts, and hats—no Marvel action figures or comic books available.
On-Site CaféOverpriced food ($7 for a basic hot dog, $3.50 for frozen bottled water).


Major Issues & Areas That Need Improvement

🚫 Excessive Wait Times for Minimal Experience

  • Most activities were less than 2 minutes long but required 30-60 minute waits.
  • The Black Widow Agility Laser Maze had a 1-hour wait—while fun, it wasn't worth the time investment.

💰 Ticket Prices vs. Value

  • $27.50 per person (plus $10 parking) felt overpriced. This event should have been $15-$20 max with free parking.
  • The RFID tracking bracelets didn’t enhance the experience, making them feel pointless.

🎮 Low-Tech "Training" Games

  • The Hulk Smash and Iron Man Flight Simulator were essentially Xbox Kinect games, which was disappointing given the "Hyper-Reality" promise.
  • The Photon Blaster Training (laser shooting gallery) had too many players at once, making it impossible to track your score.

🎬 3-D Movie & 4-D Ride Could Have Been Better

  • The 3-D dome experience was too short and required standing.
  • The 4-D ride was entertaining, but should have used 3-D visuals to be more immersive.

🛍️ Weak Merchandise Selection

  • The gift shop lacked variety, offering mostly shirts and posters—no Marvel action figures or collectibles.
  • The 3-D printed statue souvenir was a cool concept, but there weren't enough customization options.

How The Marvel Experience Could Improve

🎟️ Lower Ticket Prices$15-$20 would be a more reasonable price for what’s offered.
Reduce Wait TimesFewer tickets per time slot or more activity stations would prevent 6-hour experiences.
🚀 More Interactive Features – Additional VR elements, motion-sensor games, and better simulators would increase engagement.
💦 Fix Overpriced Food & Drinks$3.50 for frozen bottled water is a gouge—offer affordable drinks or free water stations.
🛍️ Expand the Gift ShopInclude action figures, comics, and exclusive collectibles to appeal to Marvel fans.
🎬 Improve 3-D & 4-D Experiences – The 4-D ride should include 3-D visuals for a true hyper-reality experience.


Final Verdict – Would I Go Again?

I’m glad I attended, and my kids enjoyed parts of it, but I wouldn’t return unless they significantly improve the cost, entertainment value, and wait times.

If you’re considering going to The Marvel Experience, be prepared for long lines and limited activities. While it has potential, it needs major upgrades to be worth the price.

⭐ Overall Rating: 5/10 – Fun for Marvel fans, but overpriced and poorly executed.

🚀 Are you a Marvel fan looking for a better superhero experience? Consider visiting:

  • Avengers Campus at Disneyland California Adventure
  • Marvel Super Hero Island at Universal’s Islands of Adventure




Thursday, December 18, 2014

Marvel Experience: Produced by Hero Ventures coming to Arizona

The Marvel Experience – A High-Tech Superhero Adventure

📍 Location: Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, Scottsdale, AZ
📅 Arizona Dates: December 19, 2014 – January 3, 2015
🎟️ Ticket Discounts: Military 2-for-1 deal & Group Savings (15+ people save 10%)


What Is The Marvel Experience?

Step into the Marvel Universe and become a deputized S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in this cutting-edge interactive attraction! Featuring more than 20+ iconic Marvel characters, including:

  • 🕷️ Spider-Man
  • Iron Man
  • 🛡️ Captain America
  • ⚒️ Thor
  • 💪 Hulk
  • 🖤 Black Widow

Prepare to battle HYDRA, Red Skull, M.O.D.O.K., and the evil Adaptoids in a one-of-a-kind, hyper-reality superhero experience.


Marvel Experience Attractions – What to Expect

🌍 Spanning 3 Acres & 7 Interactive Domes!
🚀 Life-Size Avengers Quinjet – Get up close with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s elite aircraft!
🕹️ 360° 3-D Projection Dome – A fully immersive, cinematic Marvel experience!
🧗 Spider-Man Climbing Wall – Test your agility like Peter Parker (must weigh 50+ lbs).
🔫 Holo-Blaster Training Simulator – Fight off HYDRA agents in a virtual battle!
🎢 4-D Motion Ride – Feel the thrill of an action-packed Marvel mission!
💥 RFID Super Power Band – Tracks your personal progress, skills, and achievements throughout the event.

Using state-of-the-art technology, The Marvel Experience blends augmented reality (AR), motion simulation, 3-D projection, and interactive gaming to create a theme park-style adventure for all ages.


Important Marvel Experience Event Details

🕰️ Time Required: 4-6 hours to fully explore all attractions.
🎟️ Ticket Options: Available online via Ticketmaster or at the Dome Box Office.
🎥 Photography: Cameras are welcome, but no flash photography allowed.
🚶 Walking Event: No seating assignments – comfortable shoes are recommended.
🚗 Parking: $10 per vehicle.
🚼 No Strollers Admitted – families with young children should plan accordingly.
📏 Ride Restrictions:

  • 4-D Ride: Minimum height 40 inches; pregnant women and small children can sit in folding chairs.
  • Spider-Man Climbing Wall: 50 lbs minimum weight requirement.

Marvel Experience 2015 U.S. Tour Schedule

🌟 Arizona: December 19, 2014 – January 3, 2015 – Salt River Fields, Scottsdale, AZ
🌟 Dallas, TX: January 15 – February 1, 2015
🌟 Del Mar, CA: February 7 – February 22, 2015
🌟 San Francisco, CA: February 27 – March 22, 2015


Why Arizona Was Chosen for The Marvel Experience Kickoff

Arizona was selected as the first stop for Marvel Experience: Produced by Hero Ventures due to:
Ideal weather conditions for an outdoor event.
Proximity to major production companies in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
Large Marvel fanbase eager for an immersive superhero attraction.


Final Thoughts – Is The Marvel Experience Worth It?

The Hype says "If you're a Marvel fan, this hyper-reality event is a must-see! From virtual battles against HYDRA to swinging like Spider-Man, it’s a fully immersive superhero experience you won’t want to miss.", but here is My Marvel Experience review.

🔥 Grab your tickets, assemble your team, and prepare to save the world with The Avengers!

If you are into comic books, check out this article!

Friday, October 17, 2014

Start yourself a Comic Book collection - Buy Comic Books

Comic Book Collecting - Starting a collection

With Comic book - Superhero Movies bringing a reemergence of Superhero interest many people may be thinking about buying, selling and collecting comic books, so here is a short guide on starting. Have fun and find a local store that participates in Free Comic Book day to pick up your first comic book for free.

Buy comic books


Start with 1 or 2 comic heroes, villains or teams (X-Men, JLA) that you have an affinity for. I personally enjoy Batman and Punsiher as they do not have any powers and so could theoretically be real life heroes/vigilantes. After you have chosen a comic character you enjoy, realize, just like the movies that do not always have the same story lines, neither do the comic books. There are alternate universes so just because one comic series has one story of who killed Bruce Wayne's parents for example, another series may infer it was another villain. So unless you have a specific story line you wish to follow, it may be better to start with a subscription to the recent issues for example the DC Comics The New 52 series. One daunting issue concerning new collectors is the high issue numbers of long-time ongoing series'. When you want to read a book about a particular character you may feel like you are coming in too late.

At this point you may begin running into cross-overs. Where Punisher for example is is introduced in the Spiderman series or Wolverine in the hulk. Now you are learning more about the universe and may pick up another hero or two you want to follow. Or even run into a fact about the character you wish to know more about and want to begin catching up on the back-story that you have missed. This is where the interest in a hero can become the beginning of an actual comic book collection. You will want to go to your neighborhood comic book store and ask the clerk if they have issue relating to a specific series of events that have peaked your interest.

Now not all older comics are worth something, so you should be able to get some back issues for about the same price as the current release issues. This is also the point where you go from reading to collecting and storing. You may even spend a chunk of change on a back issue that has peaked your interest, especially if you are trying to get an issue of a character's first appearance. This is when you decide if it is just an interest or going to be a hobby and collection. You do not want to spend $20 dollars on a back issue and not take the proper steps to protect it with bags and boards allowing it to continue to increase in value rather than becomes torn and money down the drain.

If it is just an interest, a cheaper way to catch up on story lines is to collect Trade Paper Backs (sometimes referred to as TPBs). Trade Paper Backs are reprinted collections of issues and can be purchased new or used. If you are more interested in reading comic books and less interested in collecting comic books digital comics are becoming a nice alternative. Some comic book publishers such as Marvel and DC are now put digital copies of their books online, some can even be read for free.

Comic Book Care

Caring for you comic books is important if you ever want to pass them on to your children or even resell them at a profit (or at least what you paid) in a few years. The easiest way is to purchase boxes, bags and boards for you comic books from the comic book store. You also do not want your comics to sit in a garage or non temperature controls storage location as heat will brown the pages and make the comic books fragile. Store your boxes in a air conditioned location like a closet or cooled storage unit.

Comic book database

Take note of each comic books that you buy, easiest way is with a spreadsheet application on your computer. Keep track of your collection, noting the publisher, date, cover price, collector's estimated value, title and any notes of interest (like "batman gets his back broken"). Mycomichop.com also gives you the ability to keep track of your collection and even sell off issues.

Be cheap as a beginner

Be on the lookout for cheap comics: some places where you may find deals on comics in a variety of ages and conditions are yard sales, swap meets, and flea markets. Be careful at these places because they are also places you might have buyers remorse. If you are still new to comic books and do not understand comic book grading, or do not have an idea of what comics from different ages might be worth. Take a smart phone with you and go to Mycomicshop.com and look up what you are looking at before laying money down. Also mind the condition, as worn comics lose value just like action figures removed from packaging. Such salesmen may not be bad people, they just may think this is 15 years old so it has to be worth something and if you are buying it they may assume you know it's value. Do not be afraid to make an offer that you see as fair. If you are collecting for your own personal reading enjoyment you probably don't want to be spending more than a dollar per back issue on comics. However, if you are looking for a collection to grow in value, you must watch what you buy and spend wisely.

Comic book conventions

Attend a comic book convention:
Doing so will allow you to interact with other comic book collectors and maybe to make a friend or two sharing the same interest of a character. Here you will have the opportunity to meet the writers and artists of your favorite comic books in person, maybe even a signature. This brings up a debate of having the comic book signed or just the plastic protective bag. This depends on who you plan on reselling to later. Some people feel the signature defaces the comic and others feel it increases the value. Some people also want the book, but are not willing to pay the extra added cost of being signed.

Growing a collection of value

Look for first appearances of characters. Historically, the more valuable comic books are those that featured the first appearance of character:

    Action Comics #1 (1938): Superman's first appearance.
    Flash Comics #1 (1940): First appearance of the Flash and Hawkman
    Batman #1 (1940): Introduced Robin and arch-vilian the Joker.
    Superman #1 (1939): The first comic book named after the superhero.

They do not have to be issue #1 either:

    Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962): Spider-Man's first appearance.
    Detective Comics #27 (1939): Batman's first appearance.
    The Amazing Spider-Man #129 (1974) Punisher's first appearance.
    Incredible Hulk #180/181 (1974) Wolverine's first appearance.   

Older comic books are more valuable than newer comics:

Age and  rarity play a big part as well, Comics less than 20 years old are usually less valuable.

The Golden Age (1933 to 1955): The Golden Age of comics began around Action Comics #1. These comics are typically 4-color comics 48-64 pages in length.

The Silver Age (1956 to 1969): Silver Age of comics began around the premiere of Barry Allen (the second Flash) in Showcase #4. Silver Age comics are 32 to 48 page 4-color comics.

The Bronze Age (1970 to 1985): With comic heroes like Green Arrow's sidekick dealing with drug issues (Green Lantern/Green Arrow #5) and Iron Man confronting alcohol (Iron Man #128), many of these comics confronted social issues along with villains.

Building a Valuable Comic Book Collection – Expert Tips for Beginners

If you're serious about comic book collecting, it's essential to understand how to spot valuable issues, properly store your comics, and strategically invest in key editions. Many collectors focus on first appearances of iconic superheroes, limited print runs, or issues with major storyline shifts. Classic key issues like Amazing Fantasy #15 (Spider-Man's first appearance), The Incredible Hulk #181 (Wolverine's debut), and Detective Comics #27 (Batman’s introduction) are highly sought after in the collector’s market. Additionally, keeping comics in mint condition by using acid-free bags, boards, and climate-controlled storage can significantly increase their future value. Whether you're collecting for passion, profit, or nostalgia, knowing where to find rare issues—through comic book stores, conventions, online marketplaces, and estate sales—can help you build a worthy and valuable comic book collection over time.