Star Wars Comic Book Prices
Price Guide for Star Wars Comics
The Star Wars film series has generated an insane amount of money for George Lucas, with everything from video games and action figures to coffee mugs and editions of Trivial Pursuit. But the serious collector shouldn’t overlook the material in print, as early Star Wars comic book prices continue to rise with each passing year and every attempt by Lucas to milk the franchise for even more moolah.
While I by no means owned every issue of the early Star Wars comics, I did have a number of them. I was especially thrilled by adventures featuring Han Solo, Darth Vader, or the various bounty hunters, as I’ve always had a soft spot for the villains and rogues of the series. I’ve missed out on a lot of the issues over the years, and I know almost nothing about the titles released by Dark Horse. If you’re a fan of the titles set centuries before the events of the films, be sure to share your opinions in the comments section and steer your fellow readers towards some quality literature.
Different Eras of Star Wars Comics
While the early Star Wars comics dealt with the adventures of familiar characters like Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Luke Skywalker, a whole new era opened up when Dark Horse secured the licensing rights in 1991. Since that time, they’ve published stories taking place thousands of years before the events of the films, as well as issues set after the fall of the sinister Empire.
The Battle of Yavin is the event used to measure where in the Star Wars timeline a story falls. The Battle of Yavin took place in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Think of it like A.D. and B.C., but with a massive space battle substituted for the life of Jesus Christ.
Each of the entries below are the overall names of the series, but many have a number of one-shots and limited releases under their umbrella. For more info, I suggest consulting online resource such as Wikipedia and typing in “list of Star Wars comic books.”
Tales of the Jedi – Set from 3,986 to 5,000 years before the Battle of Yavin.
Knights of the Old Republic – Set from 3,952 to 3,964 years before the Battle of Yavin.
Cold War – Set from 3,678 to 3,632 years before the Battle of Yavin.
Knight Errant – Set 1,032 years prior to the Battle of Yavin.
The Battle of Ruusan – Set approximately 1,000 years before the events of the Battle of Yavin.
Prelude to War – Set from 1,000 to 32.5 years before the Battle of Yavin.
The Phantom Menace - Set 32 years before the Battle of Yavin.
The Calm Before the Storm – Ranges from 31 to 23 years before the Battle of Yavin.
Attack of the Clones – The Clone Wars – Takes place from 22 to 19.5 years prior to the Battle of Yavin.
Revenge of the Sith – Set 19 to 6 years before the Battle of Yavin.
The Dark Times – Set from 1 to 5 years prior to the Battle of Yavin.
A New Hope – Set during the era of the Battle of Yavin and two years afterwards.
The Empire Strikes Back – Takes place 3 years after the Battle of Yavin.
Return of the Jedi – Set 4 years after the Battle of Yavin.
New Galactic Republic Era – These stories take place from 5 to 25 years following the Battle of Yavin.
The New Jedi Order Era – Set 25 to 37 years after the Battle of Yavin.
Legacy Era – These stories take place from 40 years to centuries after the Battle of Yavin.
Infinities Era – These stories are not set in the official Star Wars timeline and so are therefore not considered canon.
As you can see, the Star Wars comic books offer readers a number of different eras to explore. Even if you’ve soured on the money-grubbing ways of George Lucas, you can experience tales that don’t feature Jar Jar Binks or any other annoying racial stereotypes.
You’ll also have the opportunity to experience the works of numerous comic book legends working outside of the standard superhero genre. These names include: Alan Moore, Fabian Nicieza, John Ostrander, Archie Goodwin, Peter David, Garth Ennis, Chuck Dixon, and Chris Claremont. Trust me: You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Garth Ennis’ take on the Star Wars universe.
Values of Star Wars Comics
While the values of Star Wars comics range from the pricey to the downright worthless, this list is dedicated to the former. Those looking to bulk up their existing collection or start from scratch are urged to withdraw their life savings and start making purchases.
The first Star Wars comic series began in 1977, and Marvel Comics held the rights until 1986. These issues carry the greatest prices, and the first issue with the 35-cent variant square price box is estimated to be worth $3,000 in near mint condition. The same variant of issue #2 is worth $1,000, and the same applies to issues 3 and 4. Issues 5 thru 11 range in price from $4 to $16, while #12 thru #53 are in the $6 to $8 range. Boba Fett shows up in #68, and the popular bounty hunter raises the value of this issue to $13.44 for a copy graded 9.2 ($144 for a perfect 10 grade). The last issue of the series, #107, is valued at $60 if it’s graded at 9.4.
If bounty hunters like Dengar and IG-88 are your thing, you’ll want to check out Star Wars: Bounty Hunters from Dark Horse. Released in 2000, it currently sells for $13 in near mint condition. Star Wars: Battle of the Bounty Hunters was published by Dark Horse as a one-shot in 1996, and it’s worth $18. It’s also a pop-up comic book, so readers looking for something different will be in for a surprise.
From 1987 to 1988, Blackthorne Publishing released 3 issues of Star Wars comics in 3-D, and the first of these has been appraised at $20. Issues 2 and 3 are worth $14 in near mint condition.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic has inspired a series of video games, and it has run from 2006 until the present day. Collectors will be disappointed, however, as the early issues in near mint condition are only worth $3.
Star Wars comic book prices aren’t much different from those of their superhero brethren. The older the better is the rule of thumb, and even popular titles from the last decade are unlikely to generate much cash. Still, the entire series is bound to increase in value over the years, and the planned release of all the Star Wars films in 3D is sure to create another spike. As long as George Lucas and his heirs are making money off of the property, expect periods of growth.
See also: Star Wars RPGs