ComicsPriceGuide

The seismic shifts of the late 1960s — from social upheaval to pop-culture revolutions — rippled into the panels and covers of mainstream comics. Gone, for the most part, were carefree capers; in their place rose a tougher, darker sensibility. Warren Publishing led the renewed fascination with eerie, Gothic themes through Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella, setting a tone that mainstream publishers would soon echo.

The bright optimism of the Silver Age was fading, replaced by shadows, grit, and a new seriousness in storytelling and art. Neal Adams reshaped the visual language of superheroes, and horror began creeping around the edges of both Marvel and DC — early hints of the full Gothic revival that would erupt only a couple of years later. Even familiar heroes started feeling the weight of a changing world.

Beyond the shift in tone, the first generation of organized collectors was beginning to take shape. San Diego held its first comic convention, and the debut of the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide offered a unified reference point that helped move the back-issue market from scattered enthusiasm to a more coordinated collecting culture.

1970 was the moment comics stopped being disposable entertainment and started becoming a community of collectors.

It was a year of transition — both stylistically and in the emerging collector marketplace. After digging through publisher records, artist credits, first appearances, sales trends, and value shifts, here’s my look at the most influential and valuable comics of 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. This book is a well-intentioned but deeply flawed attempt to address race from a 1970s lens. Its inclusion on the list speaks less to artistic achievement and more to its cultural awkwardness — an artifact of its time that would never be made today.
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.

1970 wasn’t a year defined by a single explosive moment, but by a series of quiet shifts that reshaped the medium from the inside out. Horror was returning, artistry was evolving, and heroes were beginning to mirror a world that no longer felt simple or safe. Yet even as comics grew moodier and more ambitious, the lighter side of the industry stayed firmly in place. Titles like Scooby-Doo, The Brady Bunch, and Underdog remind us that the market still embraced young readers — and that nostalgia, humor, and television tie-ins were very much part of the era’s fabric.

Taken together, these contrasting books reflect exactly what made 1970 such a compelling transition year. The Silver Age was closing, the Bronze Age was stirring, and publishers were experimenting across the entire spectrum — from Gothic shadows to Saturday-morning funnies. The foundations of modern collecting were taking shape as well, with fans beginning to preserve and categorize the very comics earlier generations treated as disposable.

That’s why 1970 still matters.
Not because every book was profound, but because the year captured the full range of what comics could be — dark, light, ambitious, clumsy, and everything in between — as the medium prepared to enter a new era.

by Ron Cloer

For all the years, see the

Bronze Age Comic Book Archive