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Collection · 18,008 listings

Modern Age (1992–present)

Modern Age comics from 1992 onward: Image founders, variant covers and the first appearances that have become blue-chip 9.8s.

From
$0.15
Returns
14 days

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Modern Age guides

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  • Collecting

    What are the ages of comic books? Golden, Silver, Bronze, Copper and Modern explained

    Collectors divide American comics into eras: the Golden Age (1938 to the mid-1950s), the Silver Age (1956 to about 1970), the Bronze Age (about 1970 to 1985), the Copper Age (about 1985 to 1991) and the Modern Age (1991 to today). The boundaries are conventions rather than official dates, but each era has its own print runs, survival rates, paper and pricing, which is why listings and price guides always state one.

    Updated Oct 11, 2026

  • Collecting

    What is a variant cover?

    A variant cover is an alternative cover printed for the same issue, usually in smaller numbers than the regular cover: retailer incentive variants distributed in ratios such as 1:25 or 1:100, convention exclusives, store exclusives, sketch (black-and-white) covers, and second printings with new covers. Variants are a Modern Age phenomenon and their value depends on the print ratio, the artist and the demand for the issue itself.

    Updated Oct 11, 2026

  • Collecting

    Newsstand vs direct edition: how to tell them apart and why it matters

    From the late 1970s to around 2013, most Marvel and DC comics were printed in two editions: newsstand copies sold on returnable terms through news outlets, and direct editions sold non-returnable to comic shops. They share the same interior; the difference is on the cover, where newsstand copies carry a UPC barcode and direct editions show a logo, a blank box or a different barcode. Newsstand copies from the 1990s onward are scarcer in high grade and often sell at a premium.

    Updated Oct 11, 2026

  • Characters

    What is the first appearance of Deadpool?

    Deadpool first appeared in The New Mutants #98, cover-dated February 1991, created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld, as a mercenary hired to kill Cable. The same issue introduced Gideon and Domino (revealed later to be the impostor Copycat). It is the most valuable comic of the early 1990s and the standard example of a Modern Age key.

    Updated Oct 11, 2026

About Modern Age comics

The Modern Age starts with the Image founders in 1992 and continues today. It is the most liquid part of the market: first appearances that are later adapted to film and television move quickly, and variant covers with tiny print ratios can outperform books forty years older.

Modern books are collected almost exclusively in 9.8, so grade is everything. A 9.6 of the same issue often trades at a fraction of the 9.8 price. Every modern slab we list is a recent, unaltered holder with a verified certification number, and we flag newsstand editions and low-ratio variants separately.

Every book ships double-boxed, signature-required and insured to full value, and you have 14 days from delivery to inspect it. Undisclosed restoration is refundable with no time limit under our authenticity guarantee. Have Modern Age books of your own to grade or sell? Start a grading submission or request an appraisal.