Bronze and Modern Gods

Ultron is back, and Avengers #55 is getting hot again.

With James Spader returning as Ultron in the Vision Disney+ series, collectors are taking another look at AVENGERS #55, featuring Ultron’s first full appearance. High-grade raw copies are now selling for as much as $385.

Also this week on Bronze and Modern Gods:

HOT BOOK OF THE WEEK
Avengers #55 – Ultron’s first full appearance, plus an early appearance of Dane Whitman as the Black Knight. With Ultron returning to the MCU, this Silver Age key is back in the spotlight.

OLD FART RULE
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #8 – One of the strangest and coolest early Mirage issues, bringing the Turtles together with Cerebus in a crossover created by Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird, Dave Sim and Gerhard. It also introduces Renet, Lord Simultaneous and Savanti Romero, and first-print copies can still be surprisingly affordable.

UNDERRATED BOOKS OF THE WEEK

The Demon #1 – Jack Kirby introduces Etrigan the Demon, one of DC’s most enduring supernatural characters, in a 1972 series written and drawn entirely by Kirby.

Avengers #195 – The actual first appearance of Taskmaster, appearing in a final-page cameo before his full debut in #196. Despite the character’s long Marvel history, raw copies can still be found around the $10 range.

Plus Viewer Mail, Show & Tell, new member shoutouts and more comic collecting talk.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook:@bronzeandmoderngodsLike the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform.Become a Member for $2.99/month and get:• Members-only live streams• Bonus Show & Tell episodes• On-screen shoutoutsJOIN → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/join📬 VIEWER MAILSend questions to:[email protected]

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UNCANNY X-MEN #159 jumped 750% in copies sold this week after the release of Midnight X-Men, which revisits Storm’s vampiric side. The original 1982 issue features Storm being bitten by Dracula, and raw copies are still selling for as little as around $10.

Also this week on Bronze and Modern Gods:

HOT BOOK OF THE WEEK

Uncanny X-Men #159 – Storm becomes a vampire, Dracula enters the X-Men world, and a once-cheap Bronze Age issue is suddenly seeing a major sales spike.

25 YEAR RULE

Sojourn #1 – We go back to 2001 and one of CrossGen’s biggest titles. Ron Marz and Greg Land launched a fantasy series at a publisher that was trying something genuinely different: salaried writers and artists working together in the same Florida office, almost like a modern comic-book bullpen.

UNDERRATED BOOKS OF THE WEEK

Starman #0 – James Robinson and Tony Harris introduce Jack Knight, one of DC’s most distinctive legacy heroes, in a series that became one of the most acclaimed superhero runs of the 1990s.

Spectacular Spider-Man #64 – The first appearance and origin of Cloak and Dagger, created by Bill Mantlo and Ed Hannigan. Raw copies can still be found in roughly the $30–$50 range, which feels remarkably cheap for the debut of two Marvel characters who went on to headline their own comics and make the jump to live action.

Plus Viewer Mail, Show & Tell, new member shoutouts and more comic collecting talk.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook:@bronzeandmoderngodsLike the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform.Become a Member for $2.99/month and get:• Members-only live streams• Bonus Show & Tell episodes• On-screen shoutoutsJOIN → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/join📬 VIEWER MAILSend questions to:[email protected]

This week on Bronze and Modern Gods:

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #149 – Ben Reilly’s first appearance has suddenly become a major target again as collectors react to the Clone Saga TV reports.

MARVEL TEAM-UP #95 – Bobbi Morse becomes Mockingbird for the first time, with Spider-Man on the cover drawn by Frank Miller and Bob McLeod. Despite Mockingbird’s long history with Hawkeye, the West Coast Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D., this Bronze Age key remains surprisingly affordable.

PUNISHER #1 – Frank Castle finally gets his own comic in the classic 1986 Circle of Blood limited series. Steven Grant, Mike Zeck and Mike Vosburg helped establish the version of Punisher that would dominate Marvel through the late ’80s and ’90s, and that Zeck cover remains one of his most recognizable.

CLASSIC X-MEN #1 – This 1986 book looks like a reprint of Giant-Size X-Men #1, but there’s much more going on inside. Chris Claremont added substantial new story material with John Bolton artwork, all wrapped in a fantastic Arthur Adams cover. And raw copies can still turn up remarkably cheap.

Plus Viewer Mail, Show & Tell, new channel members and plenty more comic collecting talk.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook:@bronzeandmoderngodsLike the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform.Become a Member for $2.99/month and get:• Members-only live streams• Bonus Show & Tell episodes• On-screen shoutoutsJOIN → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/join📬 VIEWER MAILSend questions to:[email protected]

A modern Captain America book is suddenly getting serious heat.

CAPTAIN AMERICA Vol. 12 #1 is up 224% in copies sold this week after David Colton was revealed as Marvel’s new Miracleman. The issue features Colton’s first appearance, the first team appearance of Mendoza and Slate as the Howling Commandos, and the debut of Captain America’s new stealth suit. Raw copies are already selling around $20.

25 YEAR RULE

The Dark Knight Strikes Again #1 – Frank Miller’s long-awaited sequel to THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS was the best-selling comic of 2001, with roughly 187,000 copies ordered by comic shops. Twenty-five years later, raw copies can still be found for around $5 to $10, and even CGC 9.8s remain surprisingly affordable.

UNDERRATED BOOKS OF THE WEEK

Machine Man #1 – A 1978 Marvel #1 written and drawn by Jack Kirby that can still be found for around $10 raw. Kirby launched Aaron Stack’s solo series, and Steve Ditko later took over the artwork, giving the run an incredible creative pedigree for the price.

Marvel Mangaverse: Arcane Avengers #1 – Marvel returns to the Mangaverse 25 years later with a supernatural Avengers team led by a very different version of Bucky Barnes, complete with an arm made from Yggdrasil and a whole lot of manga-inspired weirdness.

Plus Viewer Mail, Show & Tell, new member shoutouts and more comic collecting talk.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook:@bronzeandmoderngodsLike the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform.Become a Member for $2.99/month and get:• Members-only live streams• Bonus Show & Tell episodes• On-screen shoutoutsJOIN → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/join📬 VIEWER MAILSend questions to:[email protected]

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Miracleman is back in the spotlight, and MIRACLEMAN #1 from Eclipse Comics is heating up fast after this week’s reveal in Avengers Armageddon #4. Raw copies are selling for as much as $100, and collectors are also chasing the latest Captain America #1 thanks to the first appearance of David Colton, the new Miracleman.

Also this week on Bronze and Modern Gods:

HOT BOOK OF THE WEEK

Miracleman #1 – The 1985 Eclipse reintroduction of Marvelman, renamed Miracleman, is suddenly back on collector radar thanks to new Marvel developments.

OLD FART RULE

The ’Nam #1 – Marvel’s ambitious 1986 Vietnam War series from writer Doug Murray and editor Larry Hama, both Vietnam veterans, with standout Michael Golden art. The series was designed to unfold in real time and ultimately ran 84 issues.

UNDERRATED BOOKS OF THE WEEK

Punisher War Journal #6 – The first meeting and fight between Punisher and Wolverine, with Jim Lee cover and interior art. Raw copies can still be found around $10 to $20, while CGC 9.8 copies remain around the $100 range.

Iron Lantern – One of the strangest and most entertaining books from the Marvel/DC Amalgam experiment, combining Iron Man and Green Lantern into Hal Stark. And raw copies are still only around $8.

Plus Viewer Mail, Show & Tell, new member shoutouts and more comic collecting talk.

What book from this week’s episode do you think is the most undervalued?Follow us on Instagram and Facebook:@bronzeandmoderngodsLike the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform.Become a Member for $2.99/month and get:• Members-only live streams• Bonus Show & Tell episodes• On-screen shoutoutsJOIN → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/join📬 VIEWER MAILSend questions to:[email protected]

Bronze Age horror keeps getting hotter, and this week Ghost Manor #23 from Charlton Comics is suddenly getting serious collector attention. Copies sold jumped 162% week over week, raw copies are reaching as high as $300, and a CGC 9.8 sold earlier this year for $4,300. Is the Tom Sutton cover helping turn this once-overlooked Charlton horror book into a legitimate key?

Plus, this week on Bronze and Modern Gods:

HOT BOOK OF THE WEEK

Ghost Manor #23 – Tom Sutton cover art, soaring sales and the growing collector frenzy surrounding Bronze Age horror comics.

OLD FART RULE

Cracked #222 – A 1986 humor magazine loaded with comic-book history. John Severin handles the cover and interior art alongside an incredible lineup that includes Steve Ditko, Marie Severin, Stan Goldberg and Mike Esposito. Cheap book, amazing pedigree.

UNDERRATED BOOKS OF THE WEEK

X-Men #104 – Magneto returns, the new X-Men get a brutal lesson from the Master of Magnetism, and readers get the first cameo appearance of the Starjammers, including Corsair and Ch'od. Plus a classic Dave Cockrum cover homage to X-Men #1.

Daredevil #111 – The first appearance of Silver Samurai, years before he became closely associated with Wolverine and the X-Men. The issue also features a Marvel Value Stamp, Shanna the She-Devil, Mandrill, Nekra, Black Spectre and even a letter from future Marvel editor Ralph Macchio.

We also open up the Viewer Mail bag, do a little Show & Tell, welcome our newest channel members and talk about the books collectors may be overlooking right now.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook:@bronzeandmoderngodsLike the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform.Become a Member for $2.99/month and get:• Members-only live streams• Bonus Show & Tell episodes• On-screen shoutoutsJOIN → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/join📬 VIEWER MAILSend questions to:[email protected]

HAMMERFIST #1 from Image Comics hit shops this week and sold out at the distributor level almost immediately. With Rick Remender and Steve Epting behind it, advance ashcans already selling for around $15, and a second printing on the way, is this one of the first modern books collectors should be watching?

This week on Bronze and Modern Gods:

HOT BOOK OF THE WEEK

HAMMERFIST #1 – Image Comics, 2026Rick Remender and Steve Epting deliver a brutal crime/horror mash-up, and collectors are already paying attention.

25 YEAR RULE

ULTIMATE MARVEL TEAM-UP #1 – Marvel, 2001Brian Michael Bendis and Matt Wagner bring Ultimate Spider-Man and Wolverine together in one of the earliest expansions of Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe.

UNDERRATED BOOKS OF THE WEEK

JONNY QUEST #1 – Gold Key, 1964The first comic-book appearance of Jonny Quest, the only Gold Key issue from the original TV era, and a surprisingly valuable animation key.

CAPTAIN AMERICA #332 – Marvel, 1987

Steve Rogers refuses to become an official government operative and walks away from the Captain America identity, kicking off one of Mark Gruenwald’s most memorable storylines.

Plus Show & Tell, Viewer Mail, new Member shoutouts and more.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook:@bronzeandmoderngodsLike the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform.Become a Member for $2.99/month and get:• Members-only live streams• Bonus Show & Tell episodes• On-screen shoutoutsJOIN → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/join📬 VIEWER MAILSend questions to:[email protected]

This week on Bronze and Modern Gods, we’re talking about one of the biggest Bronze Age X-Men keys ever.

Our Hot Book of the Week is X-MEN #129, the first appearance of Kitty Pryde, the first appearance of Emma Frost, the arrival of the Hellfire Club’s Inner Circle, and the beginning of the Dark Phoenix Saga. That is a ridiculous amount of comic book history packed into one 40-cent issue.

For the Old Fart Rule, we go back to 1986 with ANYTHING GOES! #1 from Fantagraphics, a legal-defense anthology created to help pay bills from the Michael Fleisher lawsuit against The Comics Journal, Gary Groth, and Harlan Ellison. With Gil Kane, Flaming Carrot, Alex Toth, Gilbert Hernandez, Mike Baron, and one of the strangest backstories in indie comics, this is a true 1986 artifact.

Our Underrated Books of the Week include:

SILVER STAR #1 from Pacific Comics, Jack Kirby’s creator-owned superhero epic packed with genetic engineering, reality-altering villains, and late-career Kirby weirdness with no corporate filter.

ANIMAL MAN #1 from DC Comics, the start of the Grant Morrison, Chas Truog, Doug Hazlewood, and Brian Bolland run that turned Buddy Baker from a forgotten Silver Age character into one of DC’s smartest cult favorites.

Plus, Viewer Mail, a little Show & Tell, and new Member shoutouts.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook:@bronzeandmoderngodsLike the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform.Become a Member for $2.99/month and get:• Members-only live streams• Bonus Show & Tell episodes• On-screen shoutoutsJOIN → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/join📬 VIEWER MAILSend questions to:[email protected]

This week on Bronze and Modern Gods, Ghost Rider is back in the spotlight.

Our Hot Book of the Week is MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #5, the first appearance of Johnny Blaze as Ghost Rider. After Marvel’s SDCC announcement that Ryan Gosling will star in a new GHOST RIDER film directed by Shawn Levy, this Bronze Age key is suddenly getting a fresh wave of attention.

The big question: will Gosling play Johnny Blaze, or is Marvel going in a different direction? Either way, MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #5 is once again one of the books collectors are watching.

For the 25 Year Rule, we revisit THE PUNISHER #1 from Marvel Knights in 2001. Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon brought Frank Castle back to basics after one of the strangest Punisher relaunches ever, the angel-guns era of THE PUNISHER: PURGATORY. This is the run that helped shape the modern Punisher and influenced the later films.

Our Underrated Books of the Week include:FANTASTIC FOUR #45, the first team appearance of the Inhumans, with Crystal, Karnak, Triton, Lockjaw, and an early Black Bolt appearance arriving during one of the greatest Lee/Kirby stretches in Marvel history.

SUPERMAN ANNUAL #11, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ “For the Man Who Has Everything,” featuring the first appearance of the Black Mercy and one of the most emotional Superman stories DC ever published.Plus, Viewer Mail, a little Show & Tell, and new Member shoutouts.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook:@bronzeandmoderngodsLike the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform.Become a Member for $2.99/month and get:• Members-only live streams• Bonus Show & Tell episodes• On-screen shoutoutsJOIN → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/join📬 VIEWER MAILSend questions to:[email protected]

This week on Bronze and Modern Gods, we’re looking back at San Diego Comic-Con and asking a very uncomfortable question:

Is Comic-Con becoming Las Vegas with longboxes?

Between expensive hotels, $65-a-night parking, $15 chicken sandwiches, rideshare costs, food prices, exclusive lines, and every little thing being treated like an upsell, the show is starting to feel less like a fan event and more like a full-scale extraction machine.

And the people who may suffer most are the retailers. If fans are financially exhausted before they even reach the show floor, how much money is really left to spend on comics?

But it wasn’t all bad. Dealers seemed more flexible, prices have come down in a lot of areas, and there were still deals to be found if you were actually hunting.

Our Hot Book of the Week is the LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES SDCC Preview from DC Comics, which saw a major jump after being distributed at San Diego Comic-Con to promote the upcoming series.

For the Old Fart Rule, we go back to 1986 with DYNAMO JOE #1 from First Comics, a cheap and overlooked indie mecha book with John Ostrander, Doug Rice, giant robots, alien war, and serious “American Gundam before American comics knew what to do with Gundam” energy.

Our Underrated Books of the Week include:MYTH ADVENTURES #4 from WaRP Graphics, a quirky 1984 fantasy comedy adapting Robert Asprin’s work, with Phil Foglio art and very early Tim Sale inks and lettering.

THE QUESTION #1 from DC Comics, the start of the Denny O’Neil and Denys Cowan run that turned Vic Sage into one of the smartest, grittiest, most philosophical street-level characters DC ever published.

Plus, Viewer Mail, a little Show & Tell, and new Member shoutouts.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook:@bronzeandmoderngodsLike the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform.Become a Member for $2.99/month and get:• Members-only live streams• Bonus Show & Tell episodes• On-screen shoutoutsJOIN → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/join📬 VIEWER MAILSend questions to:[email protected]