Copper Age Hot Pick: Captain Planet and the Planeteers #1 (1991)

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Captain Planet and the Planeteers #1
Writers: Barry Dutter and Jim Salicrup
Artist: José Delbo
Inker: Mike DeCarlo
Colorist: Brad Vancata
Letterer: Jim Massara
Cover Artist: Neal Adams

Captain Planet and the Planeteers #1 is one of those comics that has flown under the radar for most of its 35-year existence. There has been a good reason for that: nothing substantial has happened with the property to create real speculation interest. We’re here to promote awareness.
Captain Planet has appeared in several comics over the years, including the new Captain Planet and the Planeteers series from Dynamite Entertainment. A CGC 9.8 copy of the 2025 first issue, signed and featuring a “scratch sketch” by artist Mark Spears, recently sold for only $200. That could look like a serious bargain if the live-action Netflix series ever makes it through development and onto the screen.
A live-action Captain Planet project has been discussed in different forms for well over a decade. The latest version is being developed for Netflix by Berlanti Productions and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way, but development does not guarantee production. Whether it actually sees the light of day remains beyond our pay grade to predict. Still, you know the InvestComics philosophy: Speculation Isn’t About Hype. It’s About Awareness.
Now let’s get to the CGC census, because this is where things become interesting. According to the numbers available at the time of this writing, only 212 copies of the 1991 release have been graded. That is a surprisingly low total for a 35-year-old comic featuring the first comic book appearance of Captain Planet and the Planeteers, especially with a potential live-action series ever coming to fruition.
The census is extremely top-heavy, with 127 of those 212 graded copies sitting at 9.0 or higher. That may sound discouraging at first, but here is the good news: only 11 copies have reached the 9.8 grade. That leaves speculators with some hopeful room to submit a clean raw copy and possibly break into that small 9.8 population—or perhaps even higher.
There is one more incentive here: the legendary Neal Adams is the cover artist. That is quite awesome and gives this first issue another important reason to command attention from collectors and speculators.
Raw copies can still be discovered in dollar bins, back-issue boxes, and on eBay for approximately $5 to $10, although some sellers are already asking considerably more. This is not an especially scarce comic, so there is no reason to chase an overpriced copy. The smarter play is to remain patient, look for a sharp copy with grading potential, and be aware of the book before a trailer, casting announcement, or production update brings everyone else into the market.

-Jay Katz