Comics Price Guide Blog

At first glance, the 70th Anniversary frame looks like a direct descendant of Marvel’s iconic 1986 25th Anniversary border. The visual language is similar enough that it feels intentional—but the timelines behind them tell a very different story.

The 1986 frame, designed by John Romita, anchors itself to Fantastic Four #1 (1961), marking the birth of the modern Marvel Universe. By contrast, the 70th Anniversary frame, illustrated by Jim Cheung in 2009, reaches much further back. Its reference point is Marvel Comics #1, published in October 1939 during the Timely era. That single shift breaks the symmetry: the two borders may look related, but they’re celebrating fundamentally different starting lines in Marvel history.

The back cover is worth special attention. It features a collage of iconic Marvel covers spanning 7 decades, beginning with Marvel Comics #1 in the upper left corner. It’s a quiet but deliberate reminder that this anniversary isn’t just about superheroes—it’s about the entire lineage of the company.

These framed anniversary issues aren’t especially collectible because of raw dollar value. Instead, they’re display books—designed to be seen. That same appeal drives interest in the Alex Ross Timeless variants. Comics that work visually on a wall or shelf tend to age well with collectors, and over time, that kind of display-driven demand often translates into steady appreciation.

Agents of Atlas #9B – Cover Artist Erik Jones
Amazing Spider-Man #601B – Cover Artist John Romita Jr.
Amazing Spider-Man #602B – Cover Artist Mike McKone
Amazing Spider-Man #603B – Cover Artist Mike Mayhew
Avengers: The Initiative #27B – Cover Artist Rafa Sandoval
Black Panther #7B – Cover Artist Ken Lashley
Cable #17B – Cover Artist Rob Liefeld
Captain America: Reborn #2E – Cover Artist Joe Quesada
Daredevil #500C – Cover Artist Pat Zircher
Dark Avengers #8B – Cover Artist Mike Deodato
Dark Wolverine #77RI – Cover Artist Stephen Segovia
Deadpool #13B – Cover Artist Stephen Segovia
Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth #2B – Cover Artist Tony Moore
Exiles #5B – Cover Artist Mike Grell
Fantastic Four #570D – Cover Artist Dale Eaglesham
Guardians of the Galaxy #17B – Cover Artist Mike Perkins
Hulk #13B – Cover Artist Michael Golden
Incredible Hercules #133B – Cover Artist Salva Espin
Incredible Hulk #601B – Cover Artist Michael Golden
Invincible Iron Man #16B – Cover Artist Salvador Larroca
Marvels Project #1C – Cover Features the Frame Only
Mighty Avengers #28B – Cover Artist Khoi Pham
Ms. Marvel #43B – Cover Artist Sana Takeda
New Avengers #56B – Cover Artist Butch Guice
New Mutants #4B – Cover Artist Elena Casagrande
Nova #28B – Cover Artist Mike Perkins
Punisher #8B – Cover Artist Steve Dillon
Runaways #13RI – Cover Artist Takeshi Miyazawa
Secret Warriors #7B – Cover Artist Adi Granov
Son of Hulk #14B – Cover Artist Mitchell Breitweiser
Thunderbolts #135B – Cover Artist Paul Renaud
Uncanny X-Men #514RI – Cover Artist Harvey Tolibao
War Machine #9B – Cover Artist Brandon Peterson
Wolverine: First Class #18B – Cover Artist Takeshi Miyazawa
Wolverine: Origins #39B – Cover Artist Herb Trimpe
Wolverine: Weapon X #4C – Cover Artist David Finch
X-Factor #47B – Cover Artist Pablo Raimondi
X-Force #18RI – Cover Artist Jason Levesque
X-Men Forever #5B – Cover Artist Dave Cockrum
X-Men: Legacy #227B – Cover Artist Greg Land

There are 40 unique covers featuring the 70th Anniversary frame, a detail that’s often misreported in online checklists. The confusion usually centers on Marvels Project #1, which includes only the Jim Cheung frame artwork and is sometimes excluded as a result. If you’re interested in how Marvel approached anniversary framing earlier, you can explore the 1986 25th Anniversary border checklist for a useful comparison.

by Ron Cloer
Writing on Bronze Age comics, cultural history, and market significance

For a year-by-year list of the most expensive Bronze Age comic books and Bronze Age Creator Spotlights, see my archive page.  Bronze Age Comic Book Archive