CGC Featured Comic of the Month: Crisis on Infinite Earths #1

Posted on 1/2/2026

It’s a new year and a fresh new start! In celebration, we shine a spotlight on one of DC Comics’ biggest restarts of all time — Crisis on Infinite Earths.


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Name of comic: Crisis on Infinite Earths #1

Comic publisher: DC Comics

Date: April 1985

Variants: DC Comics published a direct edition, newsstand edition and a Canadian price variant edition in 1985. The issue was reprinted as a Millennium Edition (2000), Millennium Edition Chrome (2000), Dollar Comics Variant (2019), CW Special Edition (2019), Facsimile Edition (2024), Facsimile Blank Edition (2024), Facsimile Foil Edition (2024) and a NYCC Exclusive Facsimile Edition (2024).

What makes it special? After nearly 50 years of stories, the DC Universe had become a mess of contradictions and confusing realities. Their solution was to relaunch the entire universe under one new vision, updated for modern 1980s readers. The new “Post-Crisis” universe updated the origins and looks of DC characters, collapsing their multiverse into one prime world and fully integrating newly acquired characters from Fawcett and Charlton.

Why is it interesting now? January is about clean slates and bold beginnings, which makes Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 the perfect comic to open 2026. Like the turn of the calendar, Crisis #1 represents the moment where everything old is examined, what no longer works is stripped away and a new future is forged from the fallout. It’s a reminder that every new year, like every great story, begins with the courage to start over.

Did you know? DC’s long tradition of “Crisis” events began in The Flash #123 in 1961, the landmark story that introduced the Multiverse by revealing Earth-Two and showing that multiple versions of heroes could co-exist across parallel worlds. That breakthrough led directly to the annual Justice League/Justice Society team-ups known as “Crisis on Two Earths,” which reunited the Silver and Golden Age heroes. Over time, those multiversal stories grew bigger, setting the stage for 1985’s Crisis on Infinite Earths. The Multiverse quietly began to resurface after Crisis on Infinite Earths, culminating in its full return in DC’s “Infinite Crisis” event in 2005, which created a new, finite Multiverse of 52 Earths. This was followed by events like Final Crisis and then Flashpoint and The New 52, and the now Multiverse is back again — bigger than ever!

Total graded by CGC: As of December 15, 2025, there are 3,393 total copies of Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 (April 1985) listed in the CGC Population Report, plus 56 of the Canadian Price Variant.

CGC highest graded: While there may appear to be a large number of graded copies in the census, there are only two recorded examples of Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 graded CGC 9.9.

CGC median grade: CGC 9.6

Sales highlights: A Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 graded CGC 9.9 realized $5,040 in a November 2025 sale by Heritage Auctions.

CGC Comics Registry Champion: CGC Registry member AJRodriguez has the entire signed collection of Crisis on Infinite Earths comics in CGC 9.8 (or better) in their set, A Crisis???? No, it's THE CRISIS, including a Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 graded CGC 9.8. The set received the Best Set Type Award 2018-2021 and 2023-2025, as well as the Best Signature Series Set in 2024.

Previous Featured Comics of the Month:

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CGC Featured Comic of the Month: Crisis on Infinite Earths #1

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