Collector’s Corner: Top 10 Most Valuable Valiant Comics

Since 1990, collectors, speculators, and die-hard VALIANT FANS have searched for the rarest, most elusive VALIANT comicbooks known. After reviewing 10 years of sales data THIS is the “TOP 10 MOST VALUABLE VALIANT COMICS.”
Speaking with Valiant Fans founder and site owner, Greg Holland, who has tracked and recorded sales for over a decade; as well as several other well respected sellers and collectors to create this list.

1. 1. VH1 BLOODSHOT #0 (PLATINUM ERROR) CGC 9.8

      In the last 21 years only 15 of these have been located or accounted for, and of those only 6 have graded as 9.8. We could easily fill most of this list with sales of this book alone (a few sales in the $2,000+ range over the years), but the most notable sale was in 2008 for when a deal for $5,500 was made for a struck. GOOD LUCK finding ANYONE who is willing to sell; there exists a LONG line of potential buyers who are more than willing to pay a premium for this, SUPER-RARE Gem (also featured on http://www.recalledcomics.com/).

      NOTE: The BLOODSHOT #0 (Platinum Error) has a platinum VALIANT logo box, and NO cover price. It should NOT be confused with the REGULAR EDITION that DOES have a price AND a white VALIANT logo box and is FAR MORE common.

   2. VH1 SOLAR: MAN OF THE ATOM #10 (1ST PRINT) CGC 9.8 SIGNATURE SERIES

      ONLY ONE known Yellow-Label Signature Series presently exists (sold for $2,250 in 2013). SMOTA #10 typically drives collectors CrAzY! HIGHLY condition sensitive and difficult to obtain in 9.8; to date 54 UNSIGNED copies have been graded in 9.8, while HUNDREDS have failed with grades of 9.6 or lower. It features an all-black cover that makes ANY imperfection or flaw easily apparent. The history is that legendary artist BARRY WINDSOR SMITH faxed JIM SHOOTER a black page when asked for the cover art for this issue; and to one-up BWS, SHOOTER actually published it.

1. 1. 1. VH1 HARBINGER #1 CGC 9.8 SIGNATURE SERIES

         ONLY EIGHT known Yellow-Label Signature Series copies presently exist, and similar to BLOODSHOT #0 (Platinum Error), the sales of these EIGHT books could easily fill this list (sales have occurred between $1,100 to $2,550 in recent years). While UNSIGNED copies HARBINGER #1 CGC 9.8 have slowly increased and decreased somewhat in value; SIGNATURE SERIES have NOT and continue to be both rare and in strong demand. This book was the FIRST appearance of the HARBINGER KIDS (STING (PETER STANCHEK), KRIS, ZEPHYR, FLAMINGO, and TORQUE), and in 2006 was listed as the NUMBER-ONE MOST IMPORTANT COMIC BOOK of the 1990’s by the SEQUART ORGANIZATION. Many copies have a split in the cover at the spine, which appears to be a common printing defect. This alone makes it difficult to obtain this book in 9.8 grade.

      2. VH1 BLOODSHOT #0 (PINK GOLD ERROR) CGC 9.6

         ONLY two known copies exists (this CGC 9.6, and a RAW copy which sold for over $1,500 in April of 2013). Similar to BLOODSHOT #0 (Platinum Error) CGC 9.8, but uniquely different in that it contains elements of both Gold and Regular editions with a Gold title, price (NOT listed on normal Golds; OR on the Platinum Error) and PINK VALIANT logo. It is suspected that this particular issue may have been an early pre-production proof and/or prototype. It is UNKNOWN what happened to the RAW copy, and the CGC 9.6 has NEVER been sold so we have no market data, though it is reasonable to predict $1,500 or MUCH more.

      3. VH1 RAI #0 CGC 10

         Perhaps the MOST IMPORTANT and RECOGNIZABLE of early VALIANT Comics, RAI #0 had a print run of about 150,000. Of those, nearly 500 have been graded and slabbed, and of those ONLY ONE “PERFECT 10” has ever been found! That book just happens to belong to VALIANT FANS (http://www.ValiantFans.com/) Founder and Site Owner GREG HOLLAND who has clearly stated in the past that he would not be willing to sell his RAI #0 CGC 10 “…for anywhere near $1,500…” (and then GREG posted a hysterically laughing smiley face emoticon…). It is POSSIBLE that another RAI #0 CGC 10 could someday be found; however, it is HIGHLY unlikely.

         RAI #0 has been debated as the being also the FIRST-FULL appearance of BLOODSHOT (NOTE: ETERNAL WARRIOR #4 was the FIRST appearance of BLOODSHOT a week earlier), the FIRST appearance of the *NEW* RAI, the FIRST appearance of SOLAR: THE DESTROYER, and the SECOND appearance of the H.A.R.D. CORPS. Without question, RAI #0 is STILL today a must-have staple for early VALIANT collections, which further makes this RAI #0 CGC 10 a HOLY GRAIL BOOK!

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2. 1. VH1 UNITY #1 PLATINUM CGC 10

      Similar to the RAI #0 CGC 10, the UNITY #1 Platinum CGC 10 is the HIGHEST GRADED known copy out of a print run of about 7,000 in 1992. It HIGHLY UNLIKELY that another UNITY #1 Platinum CGC 10 will ever be found. IF this book is ever sold again, expect the sale to be well over $1,000. UNITY #1 also featured cover art by legendary artist BARRY WINDSOR SMITH.

   2. VH1 UNITY #0 RED CGC 9.9

      Similar to both the RAI #0 CGC 10 and the UNITY #1 Platinum CGC 10; the UNITY #0 RED CGC 9.9 is also the HIGHEST GRADED known copy out of a smaller print run of about 5,000 in 1992. While NOT a “PERFECT 10” like the UNITY #1 Platinum CGC 10, the UNITY #0 RED CGC 9.9 is every bit as rare and (arguably) as valuable due to a lower print run, its placement in VALIANT’s massive UNITY crossover, as well as its iconic cover art by legendary artist BARRY WINDSOR SMITH. The price listed on the cover is FREE.

1. 1. VEI UNITY #1 GOLDEN TICKETS

      (ANY 1 OF 5 THAT EXIST)
      In 2013, VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT revealed that it had hidden FIVE #UNITYGOLDENTICKET hashtags in Golden Ink on ONLY ONE of each Pullbox Exclusive Variant covers and placed them at local comic shops across the continental United States. These were:

      • BRYAN HITCH UNITY #1 GOLDEN TICKET (unknown location or ownership status)
      • PAOLO RIVERA UNITY #1 GOLDEN TICKET (unknown location or ownership status)
      • CLAYTON CRAIN UNITY #1 GOLDEN TICKET (CGC 9.6)
      • J.G. JONES UNITY #1 GOLDEN TICKET (CGC 9.4)
      • TRAVEL FOREMAN UNITY #1 GOLDEN TICKET (UNGRADED)

      Each is ONE-OF-A-KIND, with their values largely unknown as they are unlikely to be sold often (if ever). The TRAVEL FOREMAN UNITY #1 GOLDEN TICKET was sold twice however, with offers ranging between $400 and $750 in RAW condition. The TRAVEL FOREMAN UNITY #1 GOLDEN TICKET has since been sent to CGC for grading, and the owner has stated in the past “…I may sell someday, but not anytime soon…” The other two owners (CLAYTON CRAIN (CGC 9.6), J.G. JONES (CGC 9.4) will not even entertain offers stating in the past simply “…Not for sale…”. EVEN IF 1 of 5 GOLDEN TICKETS were ever actually put up for auction, it is HIGHLY LIKELY that sale would move the book into a CONSIDERABLY HIGHER place on this list. Expect a selling price of well over $1,000+ for ANY of the UNITY #1 GOLDEN TICKET.

1. VH1 SHADOWMAN #1 CGC 9.9

   Similar to both the RAI #0 CGC 10, the UNITY #1 Platinum CGC 10, and the UNITY #0 RED CGC 9.9; the SHADOWMAN #1 CGC 9.9 is also the HIGHEST GRADED known copy out of a larger print run of about 50,000. SHADOWMAN’s FIRST appearance was in X-O MANOWAR #4 where we see JACK BONFACE (AKA SHADOWMAN) playing saxophone briefly in New Orleans. However, it was in SHADOWMAN #1 that he makes his FIRST-FULL appearance as the SHADOWMAN; one of the earliest original VALIANT characters who has since appeared in video games, multiple volumes of SHADOWMAN, and is also expected to be featured in one of the first movie projects VALIANT will develop. This particular “GEM’s” owner has stated in the past that “…it would take more than $1,000 to take away my SHADOWMAN #1 CGC 9.9…”

2. VH2 VALIANT HEROES PREVIEW CGC 9.8

   ONLY SIX copies have been graded in 9.8 out of a LOW print run of about 2,000 or less. Sales are VERY FEW because collectors hold onto these HIGHLY RARE books. One was sold in 2009 for $700, and while it is POSSIBLE that more 9.8’s will be found, odds are the quantity will NEVER exceed the DEMAND. There is a STRONG market for this (and other RARE ACCLAIM ERA) books, and it is likely that most deals made for them will be conducted via forums and groups such as http://www.ValiantFans.com. They DO NOT appear often at all, and are sort of like unicorns, leprechauns, and vampires in-that we often might read about them, but never actually and/or physically seem them in the wild…”

   NOTE: These are stand-alone with staples, and should NOT be confused with the free copies that were included in Previews Catalog. #KNOWYOURVALIANT

Honorable Mentions

• VH1 ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #0 (GOLD) CGC 9.8 SIGNATURE SERIES

  With ONLY ONE known Yellow-Label Signature Series, this book COULD quite possibly have made our list. However, as it has never been sold (to our knowledge) no value has been set. Only 5,000 A&A #0 Golds were printed nearly 25 years ago; and to-date roughly 30 have ever been graded 9.8. Not only did this book feature artwork by the legendary BARRY WINDSOR SMITH, it was additionally a PRE-UNITY, as well as the FIRST appearance of ARCHER & ARMSTRONG; a staple of the VALIANT UNIVERSE since the beginning, and also with a movie in the works. It is reasonable to NOT expect many more of these to ever be found, at least not in large quantities.

• NOTE: ARCHER & ARMSTRONG #0 (Gold) has a Gold VALIANT logo box. It should NOT be confused with the REGULAR EDITION that has a white VALIANT logo box and is FAR MORE common.

• VH1 ETERNAL WARRIOR #1 (GOLD FLAT) CGC 9.8

  ONLY 14 have been graded as 9.8; HIGHLY condition sensitive and difficult to obtain in that grade. There have been a few recent sales all in the $500-$550 range. Only 5,000 EW #1 Gold Flats were printed nearly 25 years ago (NOTE: 1,000 were destroyed by VALIANT, so make that total number of copies 4,000). It is reasonable to NOT expect many more of these to ever be found, at least not in large quantities. Also, the cover art was by FRANK MILLER!

  NOTE: ETERNAL WARRIOR #1 (Gold Flat) has a Gold VALIANT logo box and logo, as well as a price listed in the logo box. It should NOT be confused with the REGULAR EDITION that has a white VALIANT logo box and is FAR MORE common; or the GOLD EMBOSSED EDITION that has no price and is, well, embossed.