First Asian-American Superhero
In 1944, Rural Home Publications published Blazing Comics #1, featuring the first Asian-American superhero. Created by cartoonist Chu F. Hing, the Green Turtle was a Chinese-American superhero who fought against the Japanese in World War II.
He had no special powers other than his exemplary fighting skills. Unfortunately, the character only headlined the first four issues of the series, and only appeared in one other issue after.
There are only 23 graded copies of Blazing Comics #1 in the CGC census, and they rarely come up for sale. The most recent sale, a 4.0 in a September 2022 Heritage auction, was for $960.
This followed three sales in 2020 in prices ranging from $324 to $400 for grades 4.5 to 6.0. So, clearly, the value has increased substantially. However, in consideration of its importance and its age, this is definitely an undervalued and overlooked comic.
The Boy King and His Giant… and Nightmare and Sleepy Too!
On the list of obscure Golden Age superheroes are a number that first appeared in Clue Comics #1. The Boy King was the ruler of a European kingdom called Swisslakia who, along with his giant stone friend, transported everyone in his kingdom to the United States to escape the Nazis.
Nightmare and Sleepy also made their first appearance in Clue Comics #1. They had no real powers but Nightmare did have a skeleton-like costume that looked… interesting for the time. Sleepy dressed like any sidekick during the Golden Age.
Published in 1943 by Hillman Periodicals, there are only 21 graded copies of Clue Comics #1 in the CGC census. There were two sales of graded copies in 2022, both from pedigree collections. The first was a 6.0 from the Big Apple collection selling in the February Heritage auction for $1,320. The second was a 5.0 graded copy from the Promise Collection selling in the March Heritage auction for $900.
These are very low prices for pedigree comics selling in these auctions, particularly the one from the Promise Collection. As I’ve said before, it’s less a question of overlooked comics when it comes to Golden Age books and more one of scarcity. Rarity is often the defining factor when considering values for Golden Age comics.
First Atlas Horror Comic
When it comes to pre-Code horror comics, EC and Harvey are often first choices while those published by Atlas are found wanting. Which is a shame. While they may have often mimicked EC, Atlas horror comics have some striking covers and often excellent artwork. The first horror comic published by Atlas was Amazing Mysteries #32.
There are 36 graded copies in the CGC census, a much lower census count than EC Comics of a similar vintage. While the recent boom raised prices in 2022 to the extent that a 6.5 graded copy sold for $4,300 and a 5.0 sold for $1,800, it is highly doubtful that those prices will be sustainable as collectors become more particular in their buying habits. Being the first of its kind from the publisher does make this a valuable comic. However, its rarity is what pushes this over the top when compared to others.
So, next time you’re shopping for pre-Code horror comics, don’t overlook the ones from Atlas. You could find an undervalued comic of much greater scarcity than the well-known ones.
Well, that’s all we have time for this week. Join us next week as we take a look at some undervalued and overlooked Bronze Age comics.
Are there any Golden Age comics you think are undervalued and deserve more attention? Let us know below.
