A choice between Action No. 1 and Amazing Fantasy No. 15

[Aldous]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/books/4747333/Spider-Man-debut-sells-for-1-49m

Spider-Man debut sells for $1.49m

A comic collector has been caught in Spider-Man's web, paying $US1.1 million ($NZ1.49 million) for a near-mint copy of Amazing Fantasy No. 15 that features the wall-crawler's debut.

ComicConnect.com chief executive Stephen Fishler told The Associated Press Tuesday that the Silver Age issue, first published in 1962, was sold Monday by a private seller to a private buyer.

It's not the highest price ever paid for a comic book. That honour goes to Action Comics No. 1 with Superman on the cover, which went for $US1.5 million.

But Fishler says the price paid is the most for a Silver Age era book.

The cover shows Spider-Man clutching a villain in one arm and swinging from his web with the other. It originally sold for 12 cents.

You know, all things considered, if someone gave me a million bucks or so and said you can buy either Action #1 or Amazing Fantasy #15, I wouldn't even hesitate: I'd buy AF #15.

[nightwing]

You know, all things considered, if someone gave me a million bucks or so and said you can buy either Action #1 or Amazing Fantasy #15, I wouldn't even hesitate: I'd buy AF #15.

I'd say, "Wow, thanks, I'll get right on that."  Then I'd spend the money on other things entirely.

It's interesting to see this price threshold crossed for a SA book, but honestly anyone who spends this kind of money on comics has more dollars than sense.  On my last trip to an LCS I thumbed through a longbox full of SA books with prices in the 30 to 90 dollar range and decided I'd much rather buy any of the many reprint collections out there than spend my money on back issues, even cheap ones. 

I think we may have already entered an era where back issue sales are limited to big-money collectors buying pristine books on slabs, and everyone else sticking with cheap reprints.  What's the logic in spending 70 bucks on a Batman comic that wasn't good enough to send off to CGC to have appraised and slabbed?  It's too expensive to qualify as a "reading copy" and not in good enough shape to be an "investment."  It's just a ridiculously expensive 32-page pamphlet on pulp paper.

[Lee Semmens]

I wouldn't spend $10,000, let alone $1,000,000 on a comic if I had any say in it (or even money to burn), but if I had to, I would definitely and unhesitatingly go for Action Comics #1.

Apart from Action Comics #1 being such an historic, iconic comic, if there is one thing I dislike more than Spider-Man (and virtually every Marvel character) it would have to be Steve Ditko's art, which I utterly loathe.

Sorry, I have to disagree with you, Aldous.

[DoctorZero]

If I had to make a choice, it would be Amazing Fantasy No. 15.  More the type of style I was used to in comics.

[India Ink]

I never knew there were so many Spider-Man fans on the Superman Through the Ages site.

Gun to my head, I would choose Action no. 1. Not that the choice would be difficult between the two comics. The real hard choice would be putting so much money into a comic book rather than the hundreds of other worthy things I could do with that kind of money.

I could only see such a situation arising if I were a billionaire and I needed to find a place to park my money. So then I might opt for a slab of this comic or a slab of that comic.

But buying back issues for me is all about the tactile experience of reading a genuine comic book. I have scans of Action no. 1 and I have the Famous First Edition--but if money were no object I would love the opportunity to leaf through a real copy of Action no. 1.

Spider-Man? For me Superman is way up there and Spidey is way down there. I don't see that the webslinger comes anywhere near to approaching the greatness of Superman--not even just a little bit.

But that's why I'm writing this on a Superman board and not a Spider-Man board.

[Aldous]

Spider-Man? For me Superman is way up there and Spidey is way down there. I don't see that the webslinger comes anywhere near to approaching the greatness of Superman--not even just a little bit.

No argument there, really. Superman is Elvis Presley, the original, the biggest and also the prototype for everything that came after.

I came at this from the angle of which one would I read and re-read? I have the Famous 1st of Action No. 1, but I never read it. I re-read the Spider-Man comics, though, starting with AF #15. It is still so readable, still such a great little story, with that quirky (and totally fitting) artwork that Lee hates.

As an investment, which is not what I was thinking of, it would have to be Action, hands down. Action is the most important comic book, historically.

[nightwing]

I came at this from the angle of which one would I read and re-read? I have the Famous 1st of Action No. 1, but I never read it. I re-read the Spider-Man comics, though, starting with AF #15. It is still so readable, still such a great little story, with that quirky (and totally fitting) artwork that Lee hates.

As an investment, which is not what I was thinking of, it would have to be Action, hands down. Action is the most important comic book, historically.

The only thing crazier than spending a million dollars on a comic book would be breaking open the slab and *reading* it afterwards.

Buy the Spider-Man Masterworks and leave AF #15 to the lunatic billionaires.

Better yet, put your million in the bank for a year, then buy all the other comics you ever wanted with the interest you've earned.

[India Ink]

No the craziest thing is taking perfectly good comic books, that were meant to be enjoyed and read, having some shyster "appraise" them, attaching a ridiculous price to them, and sealing them off in plastic never to be read again.

And the real crazy thing about this is that so many people accept this as normal and willingly buy into the craziness.