The Overstreet Guide is a fundamental guide to comic collecting. Any serious collector, investor, or speculator will affirm this is the go-to book. The 2017 Guide to Collecting by Overstreet published an article last year suggesting the birth of a new age of comics. The Copper Age of comics (1984-1992) began with an event-driven series, with multiple arcs for key characters. Which books should we be investing in? Perhaps the comics chosen to delineate that age are a good investment. The Overstreet article bracketed the Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Modern Age of comics. This confirmed status quo supported a new era. The Guide has lead us to the promised land, a new age of comics. Are the two comic books that spawned this Copper Age of comics worthy of investment or speculation in this shiny new age?
I strongly support the eventual creation of the Copper Age. Otherwise, the Modern Age of comics would span a 34-year time frame. It ruins moderns, making them seem ubiquitous and like some weird free for all era. The decision in my humble opinion rests with the keepers of the keys, The Overstreet Guide (Gemstone Publishing). Every serious collector regards the O-Guide as the ultimate knowledge base for comic books. This Overstreet Guide has picked this shiny new age. The Copper Age is here to stay.
The Copper Age
The Copper Age is between 1984-1992 (Overstreet Guide 2017). It is bracketed by two very new stylistic storytelling events: Marvel Secret Wars in 1984 and the DC Comics event-driven knockoff The Crisis on Infinite Earths. During the 1980's comics started using major event catastrophe tie-ins for many of the biggest characters in the Marvel and DC Universe. The concept of an event-driven series with multiple characters tied in from their books was utterly fresh and involved the heroes and villains interacting in a multi-arc timeline. These events would happen in the titles of the heroes involved and in a separate newly created series just for the event. This went on for several years and both publishers have been successful with this format. Eventually, the Copper Age would end with the birth of a whole new era of publishing from Image Comics.
Why Call it Copper Age?
This period should be called the Copper Age; whomever initially came up with it is to be commended. Perhaps because the 1980's were a time when computers were becoming a dominant force in the workplace and copper was the highway for the fuel of electrical power. Copper conducts electricity, the fuel for every bit of tech we own laptop, tablet, and cell phone. I think the Copper age as nomenclature is fairly self-evident and a terrific choice, however, it came about.
Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #1
Marvel started the event trend with great fanfare and a spectacular Mike Zeck cover for the first event tie-in series. I wish I owned the splash page of Secret Wars #1, the first issue was riveting, and fun to read. By the time Dr. Doom assaults the Beyonder (the bad guy) later in the series; it was no longer fun, and the story was a disappointment. The best scene in Secret Wars is Spidey kicking the stuffing out of the X-Men, without even trying. Yes, all you Wolverine fans, he trolls Wolvie while easily defeating him. By God, I hope we get to see that in a movie someday, my money is always on the Amazing Spider-Man.
The Secret Wars #1-12 were profitable and a highly successful series. This Copper Age key was created by the team of Jim Shooter (script) and Michael Zeck (art). It sold so many copies they did a second printing. Currently, the FMV for grade (9.8) mint condition is only $90 with an ROI of +49.7% this is the grade to own. However, if this is too rich for your blood try a very fine to near mint (9.0) for only $30 FMV with a fantastic ROI of +66.8%. This book is too ubiquitous to purchase in any of the lower grades, buy near mint or above, preferably mint (9.8).
They say imitation is the highest form of flattery; therefore, DC Comics must have been swooning over the Secret Wars success. Soon after the success of Secret Wars DC Comics started their event series: Crisis on Infinite Earths#1-12 (1985-1986). The cover art was ok, but the story rocked the DC Multiverse to its foundations. Of course, the writing team was Marv Wolfman and Len Wein to unbeatable storytellers. Currently, the FMV for grade (9.8) mint condition is a measly $65. Unfortunately, this comic has only had a return of +5.2%. Nothing earth-shaking but if you like the series pick up all twelve and keep it as a set, buy one CGC (9.8) and hope for a movie catalyst, eventually you might hit some profit.
Crisis on Infinite Earths is one of the best-written event sagas, period. It is imitated but only rarely surpassed. To mention a few plots lines: the death of Supergirl, the end of Flash, the clash of the Anit-Monitor, and Monitor the destruction of the known multiverse hanging in the balance. The ultimate first hero, Golden Age Superman saves the day. This was probably the finest hour for DC in the 1980's.
