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Fiction House ⋅ 1944

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$400
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$4k

Key Facts

First published interior art in the comic book industry by Matt Baker, the first known black artist in comics

Baker is credited as having illustrated the first graphic novel, It Rhymes With Lust

Baker's name is synonymous with the term 'Good Girl Art' which referred to stimulating illustrations of women

Baker defined the classic Phantom Lady imagery which caused him to be a target of Dr. Frederic Wertham, author of "Seduction of the Innocent"

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$50
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$150
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$500

Key Facts

Final appearance of Steamboat, a character depicted in a racially offensive manner that was protested by a group of schoolchildren who demanded his removal from Fawcett comics

Parents' Magazine Press ⋅ 1947

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$440
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$1.2k
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$4.5k

Key Facts

Biographies of famous and influential African Americans including George Washington Carver, Charles Thomas and Paul Robeson

All Negro Comics ⋅ 1947

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$2.5k
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$8.5k
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$25k

Key Facts

First comic book produced in full by black creators including writers, artists and the publisher

As quoted by editor Orrin C. Evans "every brush stroke and pen line in the drawings on these pages are by Negro artists"

Inside back cover has an advertisement for #2 but it was never published

Fawcett ⋅ 1949

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$220
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$825
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$2.2k

Key Facts

Biography of Jackie Robinson, the first black Major League Baseball player in the modern era who started at first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947

A Jackie Robinson 1952 Topps rookie card graded 9 by PSA sold for $960,000 in 2021

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$130
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$450
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$1.3k

Key Facts

Classic story titled 'Judgement Day' that reveals the protagonist to be an African-American man which, at the time was uncommon for creators to depict a black man in a leadership role

Atlas ⋅ 1954

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$75
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$190
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$750

Key Facts

1st appearance of Waku, Marvel's first heroic black character - Marvel was publishing under the name Atlas at the time

1st appearance of Jann of the Jungle

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$75
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$190
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$750

Key Facts

Reprint of 'Judgement Day,' a story about an astronaut who is revealed to be black in the final panel

The self-regulating committee, the Comics Code Authority (CCA) ordered the final panel to be replaced but the decision was reversed after the creators threatened to inform the press

The Fellowship of Reconciliation ⋅ 1958

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Key Facts

One-shot educational comic book that told the Rosa Parks bus incident story to teach non-violent resistance in a politically-charged atmosphere

Other stories include a brief biography of Martin Luther King Jr. and Ghandi's independence protest

Reprinted in Spanish and Arabic

First print run was 250,000 and can be identified by the copper-coated staples

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$25
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$75
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$350

Key Facts

1st appearance of Jackie Johnson, a member of Easy Company and one of the first non-stereotypical African-American characters in DC Comics

1st appearance of Wildman, aside from Sgt. Rock, the most prominent member of Easy Company who earned his nickname from his wild, sometimes reckless behavior in battle

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$640
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$6.4k

Key Facts

1st appearance of Sgt. Nick Fury

1st team appearance of the Howling Commandos: Happy Sam Sawyer, Dino Manelli, Dum Dum Dugan, Junior Juniper, Rebel Ralston and Gabe Jones, the first ongoing black character in the mainstream Marvel Universe (post Fantastic Four #1)

In the book, Stan Lee's Amazing Marvel Universe, Stan explains Gabe Jones was intended to be black but due to a printing error, he was the same color as the other soldiers. Gabe's skin tone is noticeably different in the next issue though it doesn't appear to be a natural skin color

Dell ⋅ 1965

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$100
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$300
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$1k

Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of Lobo

First comic book title featuring a black character

Fitzgerald Publications ⋅ 1966

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$1
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$2
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$8

Key Facts

Premiere issue of a sixteen-issue series of biographical content related to black men and women who had a significant impact on history

Featured: Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Robert Smalls and others including an issue dedicated to black cowboys

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$180
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$600
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$1.8k

Key Facts

1st appearance of the Black Panther, T'Challa, king of Wakanda

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$12
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$45
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$125

Key Facts

1st appearance of Jill Jerold, an English model and the first ongoing female, black character in Marvel Comics

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$30
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$100
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$300

Key Facts

1st appearance of Robbie Robertson, a mentor to Peter Parker at the Daily Bugle and a foil to J. Jonah Jameson

2nd full appearance and 1st cover of Kingpin

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$8
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$25
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$80

Key Facts

Biographies of influential black Americans from the colonial era: Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, George Washington Carver, Harriet Tubman, Crispus Attucks and Dr. Daniel Hale Williams

Final issue of the Classics Illustrated series

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$80
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$200
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$800

Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of the Falcon, Sam Wilson, the first African-American superhero in mainstream comics

1st appearance of Redwing, a falcon and Sam Wilson's sidekick

SF Comic Book Co. ⋅ 1970

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$170
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$525
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$1.7k

Key Facts

First independent title with a black superhero headlining the series

Pre-dated Marvel's Luke Cage, Hero For Hire (1972)

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$4
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$12
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$45

Key Facts

1st appearance of Mal Duncan, the first black hero in DC Comics, later becomes the Guardian

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$85
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$260
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$850

Key Facts

1st appearance of Appa Ali Apsa, a Guardian of the Universe

Retitled Green Arrow/Green Lantern

Issue considered by many to mark the end of the comic book Silver Age

Introduction of controversial social themes in comics - Green Lantern is reprimanded by a black man which was an expression of frustration by the creators for the lack of accurately presented black people in comics

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$4
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$12
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$45

Key Facts

Captain America retitled Captain America and The Falcon

1st appearance of Stone-Face, a crime lord based in Harlem

1st appearance of Sarah Wilson, Sam Wilson's sister

Skywald ⋅ 1971

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$12
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$40
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$120

Key Facts

1st appearance of Butterfly, the first super-powered black female in comic books

1st appearance of Brice Reese, a vigilante with a customized motorcycle that included a flamethrower

Prototype of Ghost Rider, also created by Gary Friedrich

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$3
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$9
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$35

Key Facts

Black Panther briefly changes his name to Black Leopard because at the time, the Black Panther Party had become increasingly radical in their activism

Marvel ⋅ 1972

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$40
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$120
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$400

Key Facts

1st appearance and origin of Luke Cage, the first black superhero to headline a title in mainstream comics

Luke Cage became invincible to harm through a Super Soldier program called Project Power aka Weapon VI

1st appearance of Diamondback, Comanche and Shades

Dell ⋅ 1972

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$30
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$90
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$300

Key Facts

One-shot based on the the first syndicated, newspaper comic strip that featured a black woman

In 1975, three years after the comic was published, Pam Grier starred in a film of the same name

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$150
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$500

Key Facts

1st appearance of Nubia, Wonder Woman's sister and the first black super-powered female in DC Comics

Death of I-Ching, killed by a sniper

Return of Wonder Woman's classic costume which had been absent since issue #179

Marvel ⋅ 1975

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$8
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$20
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$80

Key Facts

1st appearance of Misty Knight, the first black female Marvel hero without superpowers

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$700
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$2.2k
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$7k

Key Facts

1st appearance of the new X-Men: Storm (1st), Nightcrawler (1st), Colossus (1st), Thunderbird (1st), Wolverine (3rd)

Many resources label this the 2nd full appearance of Wolverine and The Incredible Hulk #182 a second cameo

1st appearance of Illyana Rasputin as a child, later becomes Magik

Introduction of Krakoa, the Living Island

First use of the sound effect 'snikt' associated with Wolverine's claws

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$2
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$8
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$25

Key Facts

1st appearance of Karen Beecher as Bumblebee, DC's first black, female superhero - appeared in Teen Titans #45 not in costume

Nubia appeared before Beecher but was not a hero at the time

Bumblebee joins the Teen Titans

Duela Dent takes the name 'Harlequin'

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$4
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$12
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$45

Key Facts

First interracial kiss between two mainstream comic heroes, Misty Knight and Iron Fist

See Creepy #43 for the first interracial kiss in comics

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$30
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$100
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$300

Key Facts

One-shot issue featuring a boxing match between Superman & Muhammad Ali

Classic wraparound cover art by Neal Adams

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$5
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$15
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$50

Key Facts

1st appearance of Vixen, the first black female member of the Justice League of America

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$1
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$15

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2nd appearance of Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau

Monica Rambeau joins the Avengers becoming the first black, female Avenger

Dark Horse ⋅ 1990

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1st appearance of Martha Washington, an African-American teenager on a heroic journey in a dystopian landscape

Critically-acclaimed four-part limited series

Written by Frank Miller with art by Dave Gibbons

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Biography of Malcolm X, a human rights activist

Milestone ⋅ 1993

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Key Facts

1st appearance of Hardware, an inventor who created a battle suit to fight crime

1st appearance of Edwin Alva, a genius inventor

Debut title published by Milestone Media, an imprint of DC founded by black artists and writers

Milestone ⋅ 1993

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Key Facts

1st appearance of Static Shock, the first black superhero to star in his own cartoon series

1st appearance of Hotstreak, a villain with the power to control fire

[October 2020 - Warner Brothers and Michael B. Jordan to produce a Static Shock movie - status currently unknown / April 2023 - James Gunn replied to a tweet that DC has plans to incorporate Milestone characters in upcoming projects]

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1st appearance of Nelson Mandela in comic books

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$3

Key Facts

1st cover and full appearance of XS

Key Facts

1st appearance of the Justice Alliance, an alternate reality version of the Justice League from an Earth where most of the super-heroes are black

1st appearance of a black Superman, Supergirl and Wonder Woman

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$3
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$9
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$30

Key Facts

1st appearance of Isaiah Bradley, becomes Captain America after receiving an injection of the Super Soldier serum developed by Project Rebirth

[July 2022 - Marvel recently trademarked the title Captain America: Red, White & Black / September 2022 - Carl Lumbly will reprise the role of Isaiah in Captain America 4]

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Key Facts

Marriage of Black Panther and Storm

Wraparound cover art by Frank Cho

About ⋅ 2007

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$3
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$9
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$30

Key Facts

1st appearance of Senator Barack Obama, five months prior to the Presidential primaries

Variant ⋅ Image ⋅ 2008

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$10
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$35
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$110

Key Facts

1st cover appearance of Barack Obama

Variant cover art by Erik Larsen that has a second, third and fourth printing with alternate-colored backgrounds

The Savage Dragon ran for President of the United States four years earlier but lost

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1st appearance of Sam Wilson as Captain America

[June 2023 - Captain America 4 officially titled Captain America: Brave New World / December 2024 - Anthony Mackie will reprise the role of Captain America, Sam Wilson in Avengers: Doomsday]

Variant ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2017

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$5
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$15
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$65

Key Facts

Won an Eisner award in 2018 for best limited series with stories focused on the lives of women living in Wakanda including the Dora Milaje, the elite security force who protect the Wakandan crown

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