Wayne-Tec Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 Hi guys, One of my favorite traditions here on the boards is releasing my annual "Hierarchy of GA Comics" thread. It's an annual reminder that my passion for these books remains strong and trading perspectives with other collectors helps to further fuel that passion. The usual disclaimers remain: There are no right or wrong answers, you can rank books however you see fit, based on whatever criteria resonates the most with you. My criteria has evolved over the years, but generally speaking, I take into consideration the factors listed below. Historical significance Interior content Cover art Rarity Desirability FMV Past impact Projected future impact Impact within our hobby Connection to pop culture/Hollywood Links to my past hierarchy threads can be found below. 2020 Edition: LINK 2019 Edition: LINK 2018 Edition: LINK 2017 Edition: LINK I'm going to forgo the use of "tiers" this year and simply share my Top-20. I'd love to see what other people's Top-20 lists look like. 1. Action Comics #1 2. Detective Comics #27 3. Marvel Comics #1 4. Superman #1 5. Batman #1 6. Captain America Comics #1 7. Whiz Comics #2 (#1) 8. All-American Comics #16 9. Flash Comics #1 10. Detective Comics #33 11. Action Comics #7 12. Detective Comics #31 13. Detective Comics #29 14. Action Comics #10 15. Action Comics #13 16. All-Star Comics #8 17. Detective Comics #38 18. Action Comics #2 19. Detective Comics #28 20. More Fun Comics #52 Let the discussion begin. Msgarmar, Professor K and Gotham Kid 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gotham Kid Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 (edited) Looks about right to me, although my list would have 2nd appearance of Superman/Batman slightly higher up Action 10 and 13 are just 3rd and 4th cover appearances. Edited January 24, 2021 by Gotham Kid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicago Boy Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 I can’t help think All Star 8 should be much higher. Maybe the market doesn’t say so but for a myriad of other reasons. Nor sure where I’d put it yet. Daveb25 and szav 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mmehdy Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 great list...spot on Wayne-Tec 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCOComics Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 2 hours ago, Chicago Boy said: I can’t help think All Star 8 should be much higher. Maybe the market doesn’t say so but for a myriad of other reasons. Nor sure where I’d put it yet. I agree. Great list and not allot of arguments from me. I do think AS8 should move up. Maybe just ahead of All American 16? Daveb25 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne-Tec Posted January 25, 2021 Author Share Posted January 25, 2021 6 hours ago, Chicago Boy said: I can’t help think All Star 8 should be much higher. Maybe the market doesn’t say so but for a myriad of other reasons. Nor sure where I’d put it yet. The unique thing about All-Star #8 is Wonder Woman’s absence from the FC. In all other superhero 1st app. books to make my Top-20, the hero was featured on the FC. That + rarity is what lands it lower than one would expect for a book that features the 1st app. of Wonder Woman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne-Tec Posted January 25, 2021 Author Share Posted January 25, 2021 4 hours ago, KCOComics said: I agree. Great list and not allot of arguments from me. I do think AS8 should move up. Maybe just ahead of All American 16? If it were as rare as All-American #16, I’d consider it. But it’s nowhere close, so that + the absence of Wonder Woman on the FC puts it lower for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCOComics Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 16 minutes ago, Wayne-Tec said: If it were as rare as All-American #16, I’d consider it. But it’s nowhere close, so that + the absence of Wonder Woman on the FC puts it lower for me. I agree! It was always a disappointment that she wasn't on the cover. From a historical perspective, I would give the edge to WW. I can't say for certain she was the first female super hero, but I can say she was the most popular in an age where strong women weren't necessarily well represented in pop culture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfcityduck Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 (edited) If you give the most weight to FMV and investment potential (desirability/demand) highest, you are pretty much spot on. If you give more weight to the other facts, especially interior content, past impact, and historical significance, then I think you've got to adjust your list below the top 7 as follows: * Put All-Star 3 and 8 on the list above AC 10, and 13, and also D28 and other books which are just "early appearances." * Take into account some non-superhero genres. For example, personally, I could see Pep 22 above MF 52 and "early appearances" of Supes and Batman. * Move D38 up. Robin is the third of the DC big three! But, no wrong answers. Edited January 25, 2021 by sfcityduck IngelsFan and thunsicker 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thunsicker Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 13 minutes ago, sfcityduck said: If you FMV and investment potential (desirability/demand) highest, you are pretty much spot on. If you give more weight to the other facts, especially interior content, past impact, and historical significance, then I think you've got to adjust your list below the top 7 as follows: * Put All-Star 3 and 8 on the list above AC 10, and 13, and also D28 and other books which are just "early appearances." * Take into account some non-superhero genres. For example, personally, I could see Pep 22 above MF 52 and "early appearances" of Supes and Batman. * Move D38 up. Robin is the third of the DC big three! But, no wrong answers. Or Four Color #9, or the first Spirit Section, or Jungle Comics 1, or Crime Does Not Pay 22, or Planet Comics 1, or if we're including Atomic Age comics Eerie 1, or... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidpg Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 Arguably, Special Edition Comics 1 (Captain Marvel) could easily be on that list somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne-Tec Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 21 hours ago, sfcityduck said: If you give the most weight to FMV and investment potential (desirability/demand) highest, you are pretty much spot on. If you give more weight to the other facts, especially interior content, past impact, and historical significance, then I think you've got to adjust your list below the top 7 as follows: * Put All-Star 3 and 8 on the list above AC 10, and 13, and also D28 and other books which are just "early appearances." * Take into account some non-superhero genres. For example, personally, I could see Pep 22 above MF 52 and "early appearances" of Supes and Batman. * Move D38 up. Robin is the third of the DC big three! But, no wrong answers. Solid points here. I should have added, my list was intentionally limited to DC/Timely/Fawcett superhero books. Not because More Fun Comics #52 belongs ahead of Pep Comics #22, but because my focus is mostly superhero-centric. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne-Tec Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 On 1/24/2021 at 3:33 PM, Mmehdy said: great list...spot on Thank you Mitch. What does your Top-20 look like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mmehdy Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 On 1/24/2021 at 8:46 AM, Wayne-Tec said: Hi guys, One of my favorite traditions here on the boards is releasing my annual "Hierarchy of GA Comics" thread. It's an annual reminder that my passion for these books remains strong and trading perspectives with other collectors helps to further fuel that passion. The usual disclaimers remain: There are no right or wrong answers, you can rank books however you see fit, based on whatever criteria resonates the most with you. My criteria has evolved over the years, but generally speaking, I take into consideration the factors listed below. Historical significance Interior content Cover art Rarity Desirability FMV Past impact Projected future impact Impact within our hobby Connection to pop culture/Hollywood Links to my past hierarchy threads can be found below. 2020 Edition: LINK 2019 Edition: LINK 2018 Edition: LINK 2017 Edition: LINK I'm going to forgo the use of "tiers" this year and simply share my Top-20. I'd love to see what other people's Top-20 lists look like. 1. Action Comics #1 2. Detective Comics #27 3. Marvel Comics #1 4. Superman #1 5. Batman #1 6. Captain America Comics #1 7. Whiz Comics #2 (#1) 8. All-American Comics #16 9. Flash Comics #1 10. Detective Comics #33 11. Action Comics #7 12. Detective Comics #31 13. Detective Comics #29 14. Action Comics #10 15. Action Comics #13 16. All-Star Comics #8 17. Detective Comics #38 18. Action Comics #2 19. Detective Comics #28 20. More Fun Comics #52 Let the discussion begin. 1- Action $1 2 DET #27 3 Superman #1 ( I differ here) 4- Batman #1 5- CaP #1...its just a matter of time 6 Marvel #1 7 AA16 8- Action 7 9 Det #33 10 FLash #1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subby1938 Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 I would have liked to see Submariner 1 and Marvel Mystery 9 on there personally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChillMan Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 1. More Fun Comics #31 2. Detective Comics #27 3. More Fun Comics #73 4. All-American Comics #16 5. Flash Comics #1 6. Batman #1 7. Action Comics #1 8. Captain America Comics #1 9. All-Star Comics #8 10. Thrill Comics #1 ashcan 11. Flash Comics #1 ashcan 12. Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 13. Marvel Comics #1 14. Detective Comics #38 15. Mystery Men Comics #1 16. Police Comics #1 17. New York World's Fair 1939 18. All-American Comics #19 19. Superman #1 20. Whiz Comics #2 (#1) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCOComics Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 4 hours ago, ChillMan said: 1. More Fun Comics #31 2. Detective Comics #27 3. More Fun Comics #73 4. All-American Comics #16 5. Flash Comics #1 6. Batman #1 7. Action Comics #1 8. Captain America Comics #1 9. All-Star Comics #8 10. Thrill Comics #1 ashcan 11. Flash Comics #1 ashcan 12. Motion Picture Funnies Weekly #1 13. Marvel Comics #1 14. Detective Comics #38 15. Mystery Men Comics #1 16. Police Comics #1 17. New York World's Fair 1939 18. All-American Comics #19 19. Superman #1 20. Whiz Comics #2 (#1) Not a superman fan? I do like the NY world's fair mention! It's a distinctly undervalued book. ChillMan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mmehdy Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 9 hours ago, KCOComics said: Not a superman fan? I do like the NY world's fair mention! It's a distinctly undervalued book. I will second that with the 'Blonde" Superman cover...one of in terms of personal Favs of all time. ChillMan and KCOComics 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KCOComics Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 25 minutes ago, Mmehdy said: I will second that with the 'Blonde" Superman cover...one of in terms of personal Favs of all time. And technically the first Sandman appearance. Though the cover isn't nearly as compelling as Flessel's work on Adventure 40 ChillMan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChillMan Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 13 hours ago, KCOComics said: Not a superman fan? I do like the NY world's fair mention! It's a distinctly undervalued book. Obviously Superman and Batman are the top 2. Batman is top-dog now. But I give the slight edge to the first printed image of Superman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
