The masterful Todd McFarlane was the artist for Amazing Spider-Man #300, and David Michelinie writes it. It is the essential first appearance of Venom. Over the last month, Amazing Spider-Man #300 is on a roll with its popularity skyrocketing. Long term this is like a blue-chip stock and should be held by anyone collecting Amazing Spider-Man comics.

ASM #300 recently sold a 9.8-grade copy for an astounding $2030. In fact, during December there have been 77 sales of ASM #300 (GoCollect). This comic is the proverbial leader of the Modern Age pack. Its long-term growth has been equally astounding. A lowly graded copy of 3.0 has sold for as much as $115; a mid-grade say 6.5 has sold for as high as $199 this shows a 37% return over the last five years. Furthermore, a grade of 9.6 has returned a whopping 53% in the previous six-plus years (GoCollect). It should be no surprise that almost every category is showing green returns, for this Modern Age key.

Warning: in the last three months prices have dipped a little, but I expect when the movie hype hits it will turn around, and all of the short-term returns will go into the green. This Venom character is very popular with Millennials and is obviously going to continue as the primary key for the Modern era during 2018. ASM #300 is my pick for one of the most popular Modern Age comics this year.

Tom Hardy portrays Venom in the upcoming movie. He is an actor without peer when it comes to playing bad guys. This is a significant catalyst for Amazing Spider-Man #300, and we should see the interest in this comic continue well into 2018. Currently, this is the top Modern Age comic (GoCollect) and I predict will remain in the top five for the rest of the year.

The Stars and Stripes Marvel Milestone Edition 1994

Believe it or not, reprints of old collectible keys are valuable, go figure. Captain America's first appearance was in Captain America Comics #1; with a script by Joe Simon, Jack Kirby, and Ed Herron. The art for this iconic comic was done by the team of Kirby and Simon. Years later Marvel created the Marvel Milestone Edition Captain America #1 as a way to celebrate classics. In the 1990's it seemed rather quaint, but over time these replications have proved to be a great way to celebrate the classics. After all, we can't all afford some of Marvel's absolutely sky high primary keys, but for $3.99 we can all own a little reference to comic history.

Now, more than twenty years later these reprints have themselves become collectible! Looking at the numbers over the last six years the Marvel Milestone Edition Captain America #1 has increased as much as 60% in some categories. A near mint plus at 9.8 grade sold for as high as $240; yikes hold onto your shield Cap'!

Where to look for these high replicant keys? Well, currently they have three for sale on eBay. The cheapest is about $48 o.b.o., probably not beyond your pocket book. Can you imagine the value on these when there are none on eBay? In addition to eBay, try any local comic store or retailer that sells 1990's comics. There are a lot of these out there, and they could very well be overlooked in a 1990's bin! Keep your eye peeled for the Stars and Stripes and find a reprint to purchase as an investment.