The secondary comic market regularly ebbs and flows as book sales go through moderate changes, and occasionally see big jumps (or falls) in value. Overstreet Access tracks these changes through diligent research into the market and via assessment of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide marketing reports. Those changes are routinely updated on OverstreetAccess.com’s Recent Value Changes page, which can be viewed with a membership to the website.

The Marvel Family, a Golden Age great and iconic team book, was given a recent assessment by Overstreet Pricing Editor Yolanda Ramirez who found a major uptick in the value of the first issue and steady growth for other issues.

The comic grew out of Captain Marvel Adventures and debuted in December 1945. The story started with Captain Marvel, a boy named Billy Batson who becomes a grown up superhero when he says the magic word “Shazam.” He was soon joined by Captain Marvel Jr. and Mary Marvel, making Captain Marvel the first superhero with a team of sidekicks. The success of their team-based stories led to the introduction of The Marvel Family #1.

In that Golden Age key, the old wizard Shazam tells the origin stories of each member of the Marvel Family. It is also well known for containing the first appearance and origin of Black Adam. With a character as powerful as Captain Marvel (who is now known as Shazam), comic creators Otto Binder and C.C. Beck recognized the need to create an equally formidable villain. An ancient, magic-based champion, Black Adam went toe to toe with Captain Marvel on many occasions, starring in Fawcett comics and then as a villain or antihero at DC.

Based on her research of the market, Ramirez has increased the value of The Marvel Family #1 on OverstreetAccess.com to $42,000 in 9.2/Near Mint- condition. Many of the early issues have also seen a valuation update with an average bump in value between $20 to $30 per issue in Near Mint. A few examples include Marvel Family #3 now at $950, issue 6 (with a great portrait cover) is up to $625, and issue 78 (first appearance of Red Vulture) is valued at $400.

The Recent Value Changes page on OverstreetAccess.com can be found by clicking on the “Search Titles” tab in the Quick Navigation bar on the home page, then click the green “Recent Value Changes” button on the “Titles” page.