Drugs have played a critical role in several character arcs.  But we are not talking about the classic experimental drugs that have played a role in the origins of several superheroes, such as the super-solider serum creating Captain America or the drugs creating Power Man or The Beast.  There are key books that deserve a place in your collection specifically because they deal with the societal issue of drug and alcohol use. Here's a look at some iconic cultural comics.

Art and storytelling are the bedrock of any culture.  Part of what makes comics great is that they are a blend of artwork and relevant storytelling.  There are several key books in this vein which should make up part of a top-notch collection. They have also proven to be solid investments.

Amazing Spider-Man #96

The classic key book is Amazing Spider-Man #96, published in May 1971.  The cover is a  1970s street scene.  The Green Goblin Reborn! storyline, inked by John Romita Sr., has Harry Osborn popping pills and dealing with drug use.  Marvel published this book without the industry monitoring Comic Code Authority seal.

At the time, the CCA enforced a rigid interpretation of its rules. These rules stated that there could be no depiction of drug paraphernalia or use, even if shown in a negative light.  It was the first book published without the seal of approval by a major publisher since the creation of the CCA in 1954.  Stan Lee talked about how it was critical to speak to young people about relevant issues. He decided to go forward with publishing this storyline (three issues 96-98) without the CCA approval.

GoCollect shows a current Fair Market Value of this book graded 9.8 as $3,100 and a 9.0 as $240.  There have been recent sales in all grades tracked and the values of every grade have gone up over the past year.  There is no doubt that this is a key book worth grabbing.

Green Lantern #85

Within three weeks of publishing ASM #96 without the CCA approval and Marvel receiving critical acclaim, the comic industry rewrote the guidelines, and Green Lantern vol.2 #85 was published by DC.  Penciler Neal Adams was passionate about presenting the real-world issues of hard drug use that he was witnessing in 1970.

Another classic cover, this book shows the most blatant depiction of drug use ever published by a major producer.  The "Snowbirds Don't Fly" story shows the fall of a good guy, Green Arrow's sidekick Roy "Speedy" Harper.  He steals Green Arrow's arrows and sells them for drugs.  As the heroes track down the drug dealers, they discover Speedy using heroin.

GoCollect Fair Market Value shows 9.8 graded books at $1,550 and 9.0 at $300; there are recent sales in all grades showing significant demand at all levels.

Appreciation over the past year has more than doubled the value of this cultural classic.

Daredevil #183

The Comic Code Authority again played a big role in one of the other classic books in this genre, Daredevil #183.  This classic bit of Frank Miller's story and art was originally slated to be issue #167, but the CCA refused to approve the book because of a boy shown smoking a drug pipe.  Eventually, CCA rules were loosened and the artwork was changed to not show the boy's mouth actually touching the pipe.

The cover does not advertise the drug use's cultural significance. Still, it's a key part of this genre. It is the first meeting of Daredevil and the Punisher as they hunt drug dealers and eventually fight each other.

The story and art are classic Frank Miller (note the blood escaping the back of Daredevil on the cover!) and the values are reasonable.  GoCollect shows recent sales in grades above 8.5 and FMV of 9.8 graded books is only $325 and a 9.0 is $45.  Values for this book are up 2.5x over the past year. This shows that it is no longer a book under the radar for most collectors.

Iron Man #128

The shattered look that launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe is shown on the cover of Iron Man #128.  The famous "Demon in a Bottle" storyline is the first time the title hero is the one getting lost in addiction.

Published in November of 1979, it takes on a critical cultural issue of alcoholism and was awarded the 1980 Eagle Award.  Tony admits to struggling with alcoholism.

The story gave writer Bob Layton a platform to show alcoholism as a villain worthy of battling.

Could there be a more perfect casting for the Iron Man movies than Robert Downey Jr.? He famously battled his own drug addiction and legal troubles.  For a generation of collectors who have grown up with the MCU cornerstone Iron Man franchise, it is easy to see Robert Downey Jr. staring into the mirror and looking right at us from the John Romita Jr. cover.

Heralded as one of the best superhero sagas of the age, it is a must-have for any collection.  Values for this book have more than doubled over the past year.  GoCollect shows FMV for 9.8 graded books as $800 and for 9.0 only $160.

Wrapping Up

Good collectible investments have staying power.  These are significant cultural books that have a place in any level of collection and are not subject to being valuable only because of a current trend or movie premier.  They show the cultural importance that comics play in both reflecting and telling the stories of our times.

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