GoCollect Blog: Often Imitated: Action Comics #1 Cover Homages (often-imitated-action-comics-1-cover-homages )

Action Comics #1 changed the course of pop culture forever, so it’s natural that others would want to emulate and pay homage to the icon. There’s no shortage of homage covers, but here are a few of our favorites. Did yours make the list?

Rick and Morty #39 (Vasquez Variant)

Rick and Morty #39 (Vasquez Variant) is a fun one and hard to come by; the print run was limited to just 1000 copies. Of those 1000, just 61 have made it to the CGC census.

A Signature Series 9.8 sold for $104 on 8/5, And the Universal label’s 9.8 FMV of $80 makes it an affordable add if you’re a Rick and Morty fan.

Current CGC 9.8 FMV = $80

Spawn #228 (2013)

It was Spawn’s turn to emulate the Last Son of Krypton in Spawn #228 (2013), giving us this stunning homage. With cover and story by Todd McFarlane, this one has seen some interest recently.

The Blue Label CGC 9.8’s 1-year sales avg of $233 has increased to a 90-day avg of $275. (8) have sold just this year, which is nothing to sneeze at for a non-key that only has a few hundred copies listed in the census (349). A 9.8 Signature Series saw a sale of $310 in Feb of last year.

Current CGC 9.8 FMV = $270

Amazing Spider-Man #306

Todd McFarlane strikes again! His Amazing Spider-Man #306 cover is a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Superman and the cover of Action Comics #1, and it’s a fitting one.

There are (2) CGC 9.9s listed, though neither has ever appeared at public auction. The CGC census lists 410 Universal 9.8s and 63 Signature Series; it appears at auction fairly frequently.

A 9.8 Signature Series reached as high as $1,175 just over a year ago while a 9.6 hit $2,800 in May of this year.

Current CGC 9.8 FMV = $240

Fantastic Four #291

Fantastic Four #291 (with story and cover art by John Byrne) has seen its graded values remain steady, with most staying consistent over the past year.

With 98 of the 141 copies registered in the census coming in at 9.8, it’s staying pretty affordable for buyers for a super cool cover by a great artist.

Current CGC 9.8 FMV = $130

Action Comics #685

Action Comics #685 isn’t subtle, but who wants subtle? There are fewer than 200 copies registered in the census and FMVs are very affordable.

Over half of the registered copies are 9.8-9.6s; sales prices occasionally break $100, though not usually by much. It may not make an epic monetary investment, but it sure looks great on a wall!

Current CGC 9.8 FMV = $100

Popeye #1

Wrapping up our picks with one more just for fun. A post-spinach Popeye emulates the Man of Steel in this book published by IDW Publishing in 2012.

There are 57 copies of this title registered in the CGC census, including 1 10.0, though it's never sold. (2) 9.9s have hit the auction block, though neither has cleared $150.

THE Action Comics #1

Obviously, nothing will ever come close to the original when it comes to longevity, influence, and sentimentality. The impact of the first recognized superhero comic paved the way for countless legends in their own right and changed the name of the comics game forever.

A CGC 9.0 sold on August 24, 2014 through eBay for $3,207,852, a record price for this title that still holds today. It was the first comic book to have sold for more than $3M, continuing its legacy of firsts. The CGC 6.0 would also join the club, selling for $3,180,000 on Jan 17, 2022 through Heritage.

The CGC 8.5 has seen a big sale as well, closing for $2,052,000 in 2018 through ComicConnect. One more 1M+ sale occured on Dec 15, 2021, when a CGC 3.0 realized $1,638,759, also through ComicConnect.

When do you think one of those 2 existing 9.0s will again appear at auction? What price will they reach then? I'd love to hear your guesses. Personally, when/if that happens, I'm betting we see a solid new record set.