We Heart These CGC-certified Romance Comics in Heritage Sale

Love is in the air, and these romance comics graded by Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) will really get your heart pounding for Heritage Auctions’ Romance Comics Showcase Auction on February 12, 2026.

Much like the “romantasy” trend today, romance comic books in the 1950s and 1960s experienced a surge in popularity, becoming one of the dominant genres in the industry during this period. These comics typically featured stories of love, relationships and drama, catering predominantly to a female readership.

Among the featured romance comics in this auction is a Daring Love #1 graded CGC 5.0 (lot 82017). Published by Gilmor in 1953, this short-lived series arrived at a moment when romance comics were less about fairy tales and more about emotional risk. While it never achieved the name recognition of the larger romance lines, Daring Love remains a clear example of how smaller publishers used the genre to explore the messier side of postwar relationships. This issue is also notable as the first published artwork by future-Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko.

Also available is a Sweethearts #119 graded CGC 4.5 (lot 82204). This comic, published by Fawcett in 1953, represents the other end of the romance spectrum, presenting romance as earnest and relatable, often balancing heartbreak with optimism and moral clarity. This issue featured artwork by Wally Wood, and a photo cover with Marilyn Monroe and Richard Widmark, who starred together in the 1952 movie Don’t Bother to Knock.

Other CGC-certified comics in this sale include:

• a Campus Loves #1 with a Dave Crippen pedigree graded CGC 8.0 (lot 82009)
• a Cinderella Love #26 graded CGC 4.5 (lot 82012)
• a My Confession #7 graded CGC 8.0 (lot 82137)
• a Negro Romance #1 graded CGC 1.0 (lot 82154)
• a Super DC Giant #21 graded CGC 9.2 (lot 82199)
• a Teen-Age Romances #1 graded CGC 5.0 (lot 82210)
• a Teen-Age Romances #43 graded CGC 4.5 (lot 82221)
• a Wartime Romances #1 graded CGC 6.0 (lot 82250)
• a Wartime Romances #5 graded CGC 6.0 (lot 82252)
• a Wartime Romances #8 graded CGC 6.0 (lot 82254)

About CGC

Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for a vast variety of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for sports cards, TCGs and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. CGC Home Video provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of videocassettes, DVD, Blu-ray and more. CGC also offers seamless solutions for autograph collectors with CGC Signature Series and JSA Authentic Autograph services.

CGC is part of the Certified Collectibles Group, a global provider of expert and impartial authentication and grading services for collectibles. Since 1987, the Certified Collectibles Group companies have certified more than 100 million collectibles, including coins, banknotes, comic books, cards, autographs and stamps.