Key Copper Age Comics

 

The Copper Age key list below originated on our Very Fine / Near Mint nostalgia blog; the list is an evolving work-in-progress, and we’ll continue to tweak it. Some quick explanations:

 

• This list is broken down by Copper Age year (for each year, 1984 through 1991), and then titles are listed alphabetically within each year.

 

• For titles where it isn’t completely obvious whom the publisher was — those would be mostly independent titles — the publisher is noted in (parentheses).

 

• This is a hybrid list; criteria for inclusion is that each key comic was either highly sought after at some point during the Copper Age, and / or has remained or emerged as a key since.

 

• Issues must have been published during the Copper Age years of 1984 through 1991. Example of exclusion: Omega Men #3 is Lobo’s first appearance. This issue became hot during the Copper Age, however, it was published in 1983 (during the Bronze Age), therefore it is not included on the list.

 

• Where to hunt down and buy these Copper Age keys? Definitely first try your local comic shop or convention, then eBay, and our online back issue retailer of choice, MyComicShop.com!

 

For many of you, this list will bring back a lot of memories. Here we go…

 

1984

 

Albedo #2 (Thoughts and Images) – First appearance Usagi Yojimbo

Alpha Flight #13, 17 – Wolverine, John Byrne

Amazing Spider-Man #252 – Spidey in new black costume

Elementals #1 (Comico)

Flaming Carrot (Aardvark-Vanaheim / Renegade)

G.I. Joe #21 – “Silent Issue,” first Storm Shadow

G.I. Joe #26, 27 – Snake-Eyes Origin

G.I. Joe Yearbook #1

Gobbledygook #1 and #2 – Eastman & Laid fanzine, featuring TMNT teaser ads

Grimjack #1 (First)

Groo Special (Eclipse)

Kitty Pryde and Wolverine #1 – 6

Love and Rockets (Fatagraphics)

Macross #1 (Comico) – Becomes Robotech: The Macross Saga with #2

Mage (Comico)

Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars #8 – First Spidey symbiote / black costume

Marvel Team-Up #150 – Last issue, X-Men appearance

Megaton Man (Kitchen Sink)

Mister X (Vortex)

New Mutants #18 – Sienkiewicz begins run

New Mutants #21 – First Warlock

Omaha, The Cat Dancer (Steeldragon Press) – Adult series

Phoenix: The Untold Story

Power Pack #1

Rocketeer Special Edition (Eclipse)

Star Trek #1 (DC)

Superman #400

Tales of the Teen Titans #44 – First Nightwing, Deathstroke appearance

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Mirage)

Transformers #1

West Coast Avengers #1 – Limited series

Winterworld (Eclipse)

X-Men #186 – “Life and Death: Part 1″ Barry Windsor-Smith

Zot! (Eclipse)

 

 

1985

 

Avengers #263 – First appearance of X-Factor

Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 – 12

Critters #1 (Fantagraphics)

Dazzler #34 – X-Men appearance

Ewoks (Marvel / Star)

Fantastic Four #286 – X-Factor, continued from Avengers #263

Fish Police #1 (Fishwrap)

Fugitoid #1 (Mirage) – Early TMNT tie-in

Groo the Wanderer (Marvel / Epic)

Heroes for Hope starring the X-Men – Classic Art Adams cover

Hulk #314 – Byrne starts run

Longshot – Art Adams

Miracleman (Eclipse)

Mr. Monster (Eclipse)

Moonshadow (Marvel / Epic)

New Mutants Special Edition – Asgardian Wars, Art Adams

Nightcrawler

Power Pack #19 – Wolverine guest appearance

Punisher (Limited Series) #1 – 5

Rocket Raccoon #1 - 4

Secret Wars II

Scout (Eclipse)

Shadow of the Batman - Reprints of Englehart / Simonson / Marshall Rogers

Shatter (First)

Swamp Thing #37 – Alan Moore, first appearance of John Constantine

Thundercats #1 (Marvel / Star)

Web of Spider-Man #1 – Vess cover

Web of Spider-Man Annual #1 – Vess cover

X-Factor #1

X-Men #195 – Power Pack

X-Men #198 – “Life and Death: Part 2″ Barry Windsor-Smith

X-Men #200

X-Men Annual #9 – Asgardian Wars, Art Adams

X-Men / Alpha Flight – Asgardian Wars

 

 

1986

 

3-D Alien Terror (Eclipse)

3-D Alien Terror, Special “2-D” Edition (Eclipse)

Adolescent Radioactive Blackbelt Hamsters #1 (Eclipse)

Adventurers #1 Limited Edition Cover Variant (Aircel)

Alpha Flight #33, 34 – Wolverine guest stars, Mignola covers

Amazing Spider-Man #285 – Punisher appearance, Zeck cover

Batman #400 – Anniversary issue, Sienkiewicz cover

Batman #404 – 408 – Batman: Year One, script by Frank Miller, art by David Mazzucchelli

Dark Knight #1 – 4

Captain America Annual #8 – Versus Wolverine, Zeck cover and interiors

Captain Confederacy #1 (Steeldragon)

Classic X-Men #1

Daredevil #277 – 233 – “Born Again” by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli

Dark Horse Presents #1 – First Concrete

Eagle #1 (Crystal)

Elektra: Assassin

Elflord #1 (Aircel)

Ex-Mutants #1 (Eternity) – Ron Lim

Firestar #2 – Wolverine cover

G.I. Joe Special Missions #1

G.I. Joe and the Transformers #1 – 4

Grendel (Comico) – Ongoing series

Grimjack #26 (First) – TMNT back-up story in color

Grips #1 (SilverWolf) – Tim Vigil

Hulk and Wolverine – Reprints Wolvie’s first appearances in Hulk #180-181

Legends #1 – 6 – First appearance of Suicide Squad in #3

Man of Steel – Byrne limited series

Maus: A Survivor’s Tale GN (Pantheon)

Megaton #3 – First full appearance of Savage Dragon

‘Nam

New Mutants Annual #2 – First Psylocke

New Universe – The eight titles were hotly anticipated…

Power Pack #27 – Wolverine guest appearance

Rip in Time (Fantagor) – Richard Corben

Roachmill (Blackthorne)

Samurai (Aircel)

Swamp Thing #52, 53 – Alan Moore, Arkham Asylum

The Shadow – Limited Series, Chaykin

Spectacular Spider-Man #116, 119 – Sabretooth

Spider-Man vs. Wolverine – One-shot

Star Wars #106, 107 – Final issues, low print runs

(Adventures of) Superman #422 – Bolland “monster” cover

Superman #1 – Byrne new regular series

TMNT one-shots: Donatello, Leonardo, Michaelangelo, Raphael (Mirage)

Thor #374 – Mutant Massacre tie-in

Trollords #1 (Tru Studios)

Warlock 5 #1 (Aircel)

Watchmen

Web of Spider-Man Annual #2 – Art Adams interiors, Vess cover

Wonder Woman #1 – George Perez relaunch

X-Factor #5, 6 – Cameo and first full appearance of Apocalypse

X-Men #205 – Wolverine cover, Barry Windsor-Smith

X-Men #207 – Classic Wolverine “rip through” cover, JRJR

X-Men #210, 211 – Mutant Massacre issues

X-Men #212, 213 – Wolverine vs. Sabretooth

 

 

1987

 

Action Force #1 (Marvel) – British G.I. Joe magazine

Alpha Flight #52, 53 – Wolverine guest stars, Kevin Nowlan and Jim Lee covers

Amazing Spider-Man #289 – Hobgoblin origin

Kraven’s Last Hunt (aka "Fearful Symmetry") – Amazing Spider-Man #293, 294, Spectacular Spider-Man #131, 132, Web of Spider-Man #31, 32

Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 – Wedding issue, with variant covers for newsstand and direct market

The American (Dark Horse)

Animal Man – Grant Morrison, Brian Bolland Covers

Batman: Son of the Demon – Original Hardcover Graphic Novel

Captain America #332 – Cap resigns

Captain EO (Eclipse)

Concrete #1 (Dark Horse)

Daredevil #241 – McFarlane

Daredevil #248, 249 – Wolverine

Detective #574 – Origin retold, Jason Todd

Detective #575 – 578 – Batman: Year Two, McFarlane

Firestorm #61 Variant – Superman test logo

Flash #1

Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters

Hulk #330 – McFarlane starts

Hulk #340 – McFarlane, Wolverine

Iron Man #225 – Armor Wars begins

Justice League#1 – New team, Kevin Maguire

Justice League #3 Variant – Superman test logo

Justice League #5 – “One punch!” issue

Justice League #7 – Becomes “Justice League International”

Lone Wolf and Cub (First)

Marshal Law (Marvel / Epic)

Marvel Fanfare #34 – 37 – Charles Vess, Asgardian heroes

Tales of the TMNT #1 (Mirage)

The Pitt (Marvel) – New Universe one-shot, Pittsburgh destroyed

Punisher #1 (Regular Series)

Silver Surfer #1

Star Trek: The Next Generation #1 (DC)

Suicide Squad #1

Transformers 3-D (Blackthorne)

Turtle Soup (Mirage)

Usagi Yojimbo (Fantagraphics)

Web of Spider-Man #29 – Wolverine

Xenozoic Tales (Kitchen Sink)

X-Factor #14 – Angel loses wings, Simonson

X-Factor #24 – First appearance of Archangel, Simonson

X-Men #222 – Wolverine vs. Sabretooth

 

 

1988

 

Action Comics #600 – Superman 50th Anniversary Issue

Amazing Spider-Man #298 – McFarlane’s first issue

Amazing Spider-Man #300 – McFarlane, first Venom

Akira #1 (Marvel / Epic)

Alf #1 (Marvel)

Aliens (Dark Horse) – Black and White series

Batgirl Special -Batgirl’s final case, before being shot in The Killing Joke

Batman #417 – 420 – Ten Nights of the Beast

Batman #423 – McFarlane cover

Batman #426 – 428 – A Death in the Family

Batman: The Cult

Batman: The Killing Joke

Beauty and the Beast (First) – TV adaptation

Black Orchid

Black Kiss (Vortex)  – Adult, Howard Chaykin

Blackhawk – Chaykin

Cosmic Odyssey – Starlin and Mignola

Daredevil #254 – Typhoid Mary

Daredevil #257 – Punisher

Dark Horse Presents #24 – Aliens

Den (Fantagor) – Richard Corben

Excalibur (Special Edition) “The Sword Is Drawn”

Excalibur #1 (Regular Series)

G.I. Joe European Missions #1 (Marvel UK)

G.I. Joe 3-D (Blackthorne)

Greatest Batman Stories Ever Told HC

Greatest Joker Stories Ever Told HC

Havok & Wolverine: Meltdown

Hawk & Dove

Hellblazer #1

Independent Comic Book Sampler #1 and #2

Invasion (DC)

Marvel Comics Presents #1

Marvel Tales #209 – Reprints first appearance of the Punisher, Zeck cover

Maze Agency #1 (Comico) – Adam Hughes

New Titans #50 – Perez returns to book

Nick Fury vs. Shield

Sandman #1

Star Wars 3-D (Blackthorne)

Punisher #10 – Dardevil, Portacio

Punisher War Journal #1

Rocketeer Adventure Magazine (Comico / Dark Horse)

Silver Surfer: Parable – Stan Lee and Moebius

Spectacular Spider-Man #141 – 143 – Punisher

Terminator (Now Comics)

The Tick (New England Comics)

V for Vendetta

The Weird

Wolverine #1 - Regular Series

 

 

1989

 

Aliens (Dark Horse) – Color series

Avengers West Coast #42 – Byrne starts run

Arkham Asylum HC GN

Batman #436 – 439 – Batman: Year Three

Batman Movie Adaptation

Complete Frank Miller Batman (Longmeadow Press)

Caliber Presents #1 – First appearance of The Crow

Catwoman #1 – 4

Cheval Noir #1 (Dark Horse)

The Crow (Caliber)

Cry for Dawn (Cry for Dawn)

Dark Horse Presents #34 – 36 – Aliens vs. Predator

Detective #598 – 600 – Blind Justic 50th Anniversary arc

Detective #608 - First appearance of Anarky

Doom Patrol #19 – Grant Morrisson starts writing

Fantastic Four #334 – Walt Simonson begins run

Faust (Northstar / Rebel Studios) – Tim Vigil

Gotham by Gaslight – Batman, Mignola

Green Hornet (Now Comics)

Hawkworld

The Hobbit (Eclipse)

Justice League Europe #1

Legends of the Dark Knight #1 – Blue, yellow, orange, pink variants

Moonwalker (Michael Jackson) in 3-D (Blackthorne)

New Mutants #86, 87 – Cameo and First Appearance of Cable, Rob Liefeld starts run

Predator (Dark Horse)

Punisher War Journal #6, 7 – Wolverine, Jim Lee

Punisher: Return to Big Nothing HC GN

Ring of the Nibelung (DC)

Rock n’ Roll Comics #1 (Revolutionary) – Guns ‘N Roses

Secret Origins Special #1 – Batman villains, Bolland cover

Tapping the Vein (Eclipse) – Clive Barker

Thor #411, 412 – First New Warriors

Uncensored Mouse (Eternity)

Vampire Lestat (Innovation)

What If…? #7 – Liefeld Wolverine

What If…? #10 – Punisher, Zeck cover

Wolverine (Regular Series) #10 – Sabretooth

Wolverine: The Jungle Adventure – Mignola

X-Factor #41, 42 – Art Adams

X-Factor #50 – Liefeld / McFarlane cover

X-Men #244 – First Jubilee

X-Men #245 – Liefeld cover

X-Men #248 – Jim Lee issue

X-Men #251 – Wolverine crucified

X-Men #256 – 258 – Jim Lee

 

 

1990

 

Action Comics #662 – Clark Kent reveals identity to Lois Lane

Aliens: Earth War (Dark Horse)

Aliens vs. Predator (Dark Horse)

Alpha Flight #87 – 90 – Wolverine, Jim Lee covers

Amazing Spider-Man #331-333 – Punisher and Venom, Erik Larson

Batman #457 – New Robin in costume

Books of Magic (DC)

Dark Horse Presents #42, 43 – Aliens

Darkhawk #1

Fantastic Four #347 – 349 – Art Adams, Spider-Man / Wolverine / Hulk / Ghost Rider

Foolkiller #1

Ghost Rider #1 – Texiera

Ghost Rider #5, 6 – Punisher

Give Me Liberty (Dark Horse)

Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn

Guardians of the Galaxy #1

Hard Boiled (Dark Horse)

Hulk #369 – Start of Dale Keown run

Hulk #376, 377 – Personality merger, florescent green cover, Dale Keown

Legends of Nascar (Vortex)

Lobo

Married…With Children (Now Comics)

Marvel Comics Presents #48 – 50 – Spidey and Wolverine, Erik Larsen

Men in Black (Aircel)

Moon Knight #19 – 21 – Spider-Man, Punisher

New Mutants #98 – First Appearance of Deadpool, Rob Liefeld

New Warriors #1, 2

Nomad

NFL SuperPro (Marvel)

Planet of the Apes #1 (Adventure) – Dale Keown cover

Robin #1

Robocop #1 (Marvel)

Rocky Horror Picture Show #1 (Caliber)

Shade, The Changing Man #1

Silver Surfer #34 onward – Thanos, Infinity Gauntlet

Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #10 – McFarlane “Spawn-esque” Prowler back-up story

Spider-Man #1 – McFarlane, bagged editions, gold reprint

Spider-Man #6, 7 – Ghost Rider

Superman #50 – Marriage proposal issue

Terminator: The Burning Earth (Now Comics)

Terminator (Dark Horse)

Thanos Quest #1, 2

The Tick #8 (New England Comics) – No logo “error” variant

Twilight Zone (Now Comics)

World’s Finest – Steve Rude

X-Factor #52 – Sabretooth, Liefeld cover

X-Factor #63 – Start of Portacio run

X-Men #266 – First Gambit

X-Men #267 – Start of Jim Lee run

X-Men #268 – Captain America, Jim Lee

X-Men Annual #14 – Brief Gambit appearance, pre-X-Men 266

X-Tinction Agenda – X-Men #270 – 272, X-Factor #60 – 62, New Mutants #95 – 97

 

 

1991

 

Amazing Spider-Man #346, 347 – Venom, Erik Larson

Bone #1 (Cartoon Books)

Conan #241 – McFarlane cover

Deathlok #1

Deathstroke the Terminator (DC)

Detective #627 – Anniversary of Batman’s 600th appearance in title

Ghost Rider #15 – Glow-in-the-dark cover

Infinity Gauntlet #1 - 6

Magnus: Robot Fighter (Valiant)

Marvel Comics Presents #72 - 84 – Wolverine Weapon X

New Mutants #100 – Last Issue, before relaunching as X-Force, Rob Liefeld

Silver Surfer #50 – Foil-stamped  / embossed cover

Solar: Man of the Atom (Valiant)

Spider-Man #8 – 12 – Wolverine

Superman: Man of Steel #1 – Regular series

Wolverine #50 – Die-cut cover

Wonder Man #1

X-Factor #72 – New team, start of Stroman run

X-Force #1 – Five bagged variants, Liefeld

X-Force #2 – Second appearance of Deadpool, first appearance Garrison Kane, Liefeld

(Uncanny) X-Men #281 – Start Portacio run

X-Men #1 – Five variants, Jim Lee