ComicsPriceGuide

The late 1960s brought cultural upheaval—and in comic books, a renewed fascination with darker, creepier themes. Warren Publishing led the way with Eerie, Creepy, and Vampirella.  Charlton followed with a handful of ghost-themed titles, but there was still a clear void in truly eerie storytelling. Then, DC switched the format of House of Mystery and House of Secrets to gothic horror anthologies in the late 60s.  In 1969, Scooby-Doo captivated a generation of kids with all sorts of ghouls, ghosts, and monsters.  The darker, Gothic-style comics became increasingly popular, and that leads us to 1970.

After researching across publishers, artists, and key sales, here’s my list of the most influential comics from 1970.

1. Scooby-Doo…, Where are you?  –
   1st Appearance of Scooby-Doo  Graded 9.8 copies have sold for $25,000.  High grades are almost impossible to find because kids loved Scooby-Doo and read the comic until the pages fell off.  There are four issues of Scooby-Doo published in 1970, all four could be included in this list.
2. Batman 227 –
   Cover swipe of Detective Comics 31. Put a haunted mansion on a hill with the Dark Knight, and you have a winning cover.  Some call this the most iconic Batman cover of the Bronze Age, and they aren’t wrong.  Neal Adams’ artwork dominates this list from 1970, with this being the most valuable.
3. Green Lantern 76 –
   This marks the beginning of Neal Adams’ art on Green Lantern.  It’s more than that, though.  Previous issues were typical superhero comics, starting with issue 76, it became a social commentary, with Green Lantern as the conservative and Green Arrow as the progressive.
4. Ebon 1 –
   2nd black superhero in his own title.  This book continues to escalate in value because of its rarity and its importance.  Lobo #1 from 1965 is the first, but this book is rare because it was published by a small publisher called San Francisco Comic Book Company.
5. Detective Comics 400 –
   1st Appearance of Man-Bat  Another iconic Neal Adams cover with Man-Bat and Batman towering over Gotham, which looks like NYC with the Chrysler Building.
6. Conan the Barbarian 1 –
   1st Appearance of Conan. This is the issue that most people think of when they hear top comic book of 1970.  Barry Windsor Smith’s art is captivating and unique, featuring a gradient background that fades from brown to yellow.
7. Batman 222 –
   Beatles cover and story.  This cover is great for the artwork and the story it tells.  Look closely at this cover, read the text, and you are compelled to open it up and read it.  It teases you with a mystery that you need to pursue.
8. Superman’s Girlfriend Lois Lane 106 –
   Controversial black Lois Lane issue.  For years, the Lois Lane title was overlooked and minimized, but this cover by Curt Swan demands attention.  Lois Lane is transformed into a black woman in the story, “I am curious (Black)”.
9. Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen 134 –
   1st Cameo Appearance of Darkseid. We get one delicious page with Darkseid, the ruler of Apokolips.  This issue features Neal Adams’ art with a wicked cool biker gang carrying Superman and Jimmy Olsen, not acting like a pal.
10. Fantastic Four 94 –
    1st Appearance of Agatha Harkness.  It has a haunted mansion like Batman 227 and a first appearance.  This book skyrocketed during the hype and then dropped when the hype faded.  Ultimately, this is still a great Kirby cover with a first appearance and thus worthy to be included. 
11. Silver Surfer 14 –
    1st Meeting of Spider-Man & Silver Surfer.  Whenever Spider-Man makes an appearance in another title, people want that book.  Look at Avengers 11 or Daredevil 16 for further evidence.  When you add Spider-Man, the most popular character in comics, there is a value jump.
12. X-Men 64 –
    1st Appearance of Sunfire.  Sal Buscema’s cover is full of action, using the Capitol building as a powerful background.
13. Detective Comics 405 –
    1st Appearance of the League of Assassins.  This cover has a creepy vibe, with moss hanging from an old, craggy tree, as the League approaches under a full moon.
14. X-Men 66 –
    The Incredible Hulk makes his first crossover appearance in an X-Men title.  Marie Severin creates a chaotic scene with the X-Men fighting Hulk on the Vegas strip.  This also marks the end of original stories in the title until X-Men 94.
15. Detective Comics 395 –
    1st Neal Adams, Denny O’Neil collaboration.  These two creators tag-teamed on some amazing issues, and this is the start of it.  Three months after this issue was released, they worked on Green Lantern #76 together.  Batman #251, with the iconic Joker card cover, was another issue that featured Denny and Neal. 
16. House of Secrets #88 –
    Neal Adams epic mansion on a hill cover.  The Bronze Age horror books are seeing strong increases in interest and value.  They are much more affordable than pre-code horror and feature fantastic Adams, Wrightson, Morrow, and Kaluta artwork. There is more potential in these types of titles than any other type because they capture the interest of the time period.  
17. Silver Surfer 15 –
    Classic Silver Surfer vs. Human Torch Cover.  Another crossover for this short-lived but popular title.  The series ends with issue 18, but it was packed full of guest appearances from Thor to Spider-Man to Human Torch.  All of which are desirable issues to own.
18. Amazing Spider-Man 90 –
    Death of Captain George Stacy – Spider-Man and an important event will find a way on this list.
19. Amazing Spider-Man 86 –
    Black Widow Origin and New Costume – One of the best costume changes of all time.  She replaces a dated look for a modern 1970s look with full body spandex.
20. Underdog 1 –
    1st Appearance of Underdog – A Superman-type character with a lovable dog and a super energy pill.  The villains had fantastic comic book names like Simon Bar Sinister, Cad Lackey, and Riff Raff.  Difficult to find in high grade because kids loved this title. 
21. Amazing Spider-Man 83 –
    1st Full Appearance of Vanessa Fisk. The Netflix Daredevil show highlighted Vanessa Fisk and helped raise interest.  She can be portrayed as a powerhouse with the drive to be a Kingpin.
22. Brady Bunch 1 –
    1st Appearance of the Brady Bunch – The television show started in 1969 and lasted until 1974.  This issue shouldn’t surprise anyone who lived through the early 70s.  It was an extremely popular show, especially among kids.
23. Vampirella 5 –
    Frank Frazetta Cover – Frazetta was a master artist, not just good or great, a master.  Two figures on a windswept mountain, “Cornered” by a beast with ill intent, is stunning and captivating.
24. Amazing Spider-Man 87 –
    Peter Parker Reveals His Identity, and that’s enough to raise the value to one of the top 25 most expensive books in 1970.
25. House of Mystery 189 –
    Hand out of the Grave. Yet another Neal Adams cover that is powerful and creepy, with a hand clawing its way out of a grave while a sinister-looking cat watches.  Everyone who sees it wants this book.

These 25 books capture the strange energy of 1970—a year when even superhero titles couldn’t escape a haunted undercurrent. From gothic covers to eerie subplots, that ghostly vibe helped launch the Bronze Age’s darker mood. As collectors look beyond the obvious keys, I think we’ll keep rediscovering the weird beauty of 1970s haunted gems. What hidden favorites would make your list?

by Ron Cloer

Top Comics in 1971
Top Comics in 1972