The Vision is a crucial member of the Avengers. He is also vital in the Infinity War saga as he holds one of the Infinity Stones in his head as a third eye. Unknown to him is the power of the stone. Thanos covets Vision's Infinity Stone because he knows it's power. Avengers #57 happens to be the first appearance of Vision and a huge key in the Silver Age of Marvel comics. The script was by Roy Thomas and Pencils by the incomparable John Buscema.

Currently, the Vision’s first appearance in Avengers #57 ranks 5th on (GoCollect) and has moved up five spots in the last six months. The Vision is a critical figure that ties into the upcoming movie Infinity War. Infinity War has Paul Bettany playing the character, and he will bring a heart to our tin man, the Vision. With an appearance in a significant movie soon, that is a catalyst for this comic to rise in value.

The good, the bad and the ugly of issue #57: The good, readable copies up to 5.0 can still be obtained for under $200. The GoCollect recorded a sale for a 3.0-grade copy 64 days ago at $117, very reasonable. On eBay, the current value is $129 for a raw copy at 4.0 grade. The bad, this key is not consistent over the last two years even with major motion pictures highlighting the hero, Vision. This purchase could be a scary rollercoaster ride. However, in the previous three months, most of the key grades are showing a profit except for 7.5, 7.0, 6.0 and 5.5. The ugly, this issue has lost money over the last three months on 33% of its grades.

On a positive note, the last three months show a marked improvement over the previous twelve. Essentially, twelve months ago over 56% of grades showed a decline. With that example in mind give Vision a shot and purchase a copy of Avengers #57 in low-grade. After all, don’t phase out this comic because we have almost five months to go and that could mean much larger returns on current grades.

Ghost Rider

The ultimate anti-hero of the Bronze Age is Ghost Rider. His first titled series was Ghost Rider #1 with cameo appearance Son Of Satan, and third appearance of the Witch Woman. The script was by Gary Friedrich, got to give him props for creating such a blatantly cool anti-hero. Not to mention, the art is by Gil Kane, and Joe Sinnott was the inker.

Ghost Rider is the 57th most popular Bronze Age comic and has jumped 22 spots, in three months (GoCollect). Recently, most grades have gone up, some as high as 37%. I would stay mid-grade with this comic as higher classes have yet to prove themselves for short-term return. If you want to throttle down and purchase a higher grade, say an 8.0, for around $233 more power to you. However, think of it not as speculation but a significant long-term investment.

Unfortunately, I don’t see a big catalyst for this character in the near future.  Nick Cage played him twice and both times nailed it, and the first movie was a huge success. Consequently, it seems like the MCU has relegated Ghost Rider to the TV series Agents of Shield. They did an okay job, but there is no catalyst. If you can't afford an expensive Ghost Rider #1; at least get yourself a readable copy 4.0 grade. This grade has gone up 181% in the last two years, not bad for a measly $40 initial investment. This book has lots of room to ride, pun intended.