The ComicBook.com Vending Machine has been live for just over 1 week – and we’ve already seen some amazing comic books leave our vault and ship out to readers. As we’ve previously shared, many of the comic books in the machine have been hand-selected by our editorial team for their historic significance, awesome artwork, or overall value. Just a few of our selections include Incredible Hulk #181 (the first appearance of Wolverine), The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (the first serialized issue of Spidey’s solo series), Batman #357 (the first appearance of Jason Todd), and even issue #1 in the 1988 Aliens series from Dark Horse Comics (a personal favorite of mine), among others.
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Additionally, our visits to local comic retailers have allowed us to expand our ongoing series ComicBook Shop Talk. During our visits, we interview and profile store owners as well as managers who have supported comic and card collecting for decades, providing them a chance to discuss what makes their establishment so special.
Check out a few of those profiles right here:
As we’ve previously outlined, everything in the Vending Machine physically exists – and every item pulled from a pack can be shipped to its new owner. After two weeks on the site, what are the coolest comic books that users have pulled from the machine?
1994 Batman Adventures: Mad Love CGC 9.8 – $1,400
While it isn’t the first appearance of Harley Quinn, Batman Adventures: Mad Love is a seminal storyline for the anti-hero, as it features Harley’s definitive origin. While Batman Adventures #12 is the actual first appearance of the character in comics (preceded by the introduction of Harley in Batman: The Animated Series), the Eisner and Harvey award-winning Mad Love covers how the iconic and heartbreaking story of how Joker twisted a young and well-intentioned Dr. Harleen Quinzel into his lover and partner-in-crime, Harley Quinn.
The issue pulled from the ComicBook Vending Machine was a highly-graded 9.8 from CGC – with an estimated value of $1,400.
1973 Conan the Barbarian #23 CGC 9.8 – $1,615
The oldest high-value comic pulled from the Vending Machine, thus far, Conan the Barbarian #23 is the first appearance of Marvel Comics-turned Dynamite Entertainment hero Red Sonja. Red Sonja has a wild history in comics (both on and off the page). Following Conan the Barbarian #23, it would take two full years for Red Sonja to receive an actual origin (in Kull and the Barbarians #3), and that’s all before things got really weird: in 1979, it was revealed that Spider-Man’s future wife, Mary Jane Watson, was actually a reincarnation of the character. Since 2005, Dynamite Entertainment has handled the majority of Red Sonja publishing, with occasional Marvel Comics crossovers.
The specific issue pulled from the was also a CGC 9.8 – with an estimated value of $1,615.
1988 Aliens #1 CGC 9.8 – $2,214
Published prior to the release of Alien 3, the 1988 Aliens comic mini-series follows adult Newt (now a psychiatric ward patient tortured by memories of her time running from xenomorphs) along with an aged Corporal Hicks, long after the events of their extraction from LV-426 at the end of James Cameron’s Aliens. The Dark Horse Comics issue is the first Alien franchise comic book; though, one could argue a 1979 graphic novel adaptation of Ridley Scott’s Alien from Heavy Metal Magazine was actually the first. Still, regardless of being the “first” Alien comic, the series is also notable for its novelty, specifically: it was retconned four years later in film canon – given that Newt and Hicks are both found to be dead at the beginning of 1992’s Alien 3.
Yet another 9.8, the Aliens #1 that was pulled from the machine is worth $2,214.
1974 Incredible Hulk #181 CGC 5 – $2,895
One of the most well-known “first appearances” in comic book history – Incredible Hulk #181 is the first full appearance of fan-favorite X-Men hero Wolverine. Wolverine was teased with a brief appearance in Incredible Hulk #180, but #181 features Logan’s first full storyline. In the comic, Wolverine was sent by the Canadian government to put an end to Hulk’s rampage in Canada’s wilderness – but gets roped into a battle between the Hulk and Wendigo. Wolverine aids Hulk in subduing Wendigo, only to resume his mission and attempt to put Hulk down as well.
Issue #181 is told from Hulk’s perspective, but the story was later revisited in Wolverine: Origins #28 (which retold the fight from Wolverine’s POV). Considering Wolverine’s importance in comics history – and general popularity among die-hard comic fans and casual readers alike, it’s no surprise the issue draws a large sum, regardless of CGC grade.
The Incredible Hulk #181 that was pulled is a CGC 5.0, but if you’re trying to snag your own, there are additional copies of the issue in the Vending Machine – including a CGC graded 8.0 and two ungraded issues we picked up during a single shopping spree (that we caught on video):
Check that out below:
1977 Star Wars #1 CGC 9.8 – $3,000
The most expensive comic book pulled from the Vending Machine (up to this point) is a CGC 9.8 of Star Wars #1 from 1977. The 1977 Star Wars comic series was a first for the franchise – but this particular copy’s 9.8 grade (despite almost five decades in circulation) makes for an especially valuable collectible.
Unlike the retconned Aliens comic or the other books detailed in this article that were first appearances of iconic characters, Star Wars #1 is a straight adaptation of A New Hope’s story. There were six issues in the 1977 mini-series, and this first issue covered the Empire’s initial attack on the Tantive IV, including the introductions of Darth Vader, Princess Leia, R2-D2, C-3PO, as well as Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s initial meeting on Tatooine. That all said, it is (based on the cover text alone) the “first fabulous issue” of the “greatest space-fantasy film of all time.”
The Star Wars #1 copy was a CGC 9.8, but we still have a copy of Star Wars #2 available in the Vending Machine (a CGC 8.0)! Issue #2 includes A New Hope‘s fan-favorite cantina scene and the first appearances of Han Solo and Chewbacca in comic form.
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Of course, these are just a few of the comic books that have been pulled from packs in the ComicBook.com Vending Machine, and I didn’t even mention the Pokémon cards that have been pulled, including a 2021 Pokémon Sword & Shield: Evolving Skies Umbreon VMAX #215 valued at $4,100. We’re already in the process of restocking the machine with even more comic books – including a number of ultra high-end issues that will appear in the Legendary version of the machine.
Thanks to everyone who has taken the Vending Machine for a spin. We hope you enjoyed whatever you pulled. And if you haven’t tried it yet…
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Image Courtesy of Netflix -
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Image courtesy of Netflix
