Top 100 Variant Cover Comics in 2026

The 100 Most Valuable Variant Cover Comics in 2026

What are variant comic covers? Why do collectors value them so highly?

100 Most valuable Variant Comic Covers today

Variant comics are created by publishers -- most commonly Marvel and DC, but also Valiant and other indies -- to thank retailers for ordering multiple copies of titles.

These are usually the most valuable ones, also known as Retailer Appreciation Variant comics, because their availability in the market is driven by sales of the regular editions, some of which are small-run printings or niche interest series.

There are other variant covers. Some are created when the original is released, to give collectors more to aim for (aka, cash grabs).

Finally, there are exclusives released for comic book conventions or other events.

Most variant covers aren't especially expensive. But the retailer appreciation ones are often quite valuable. Some are VERY valuable, as this price guide will demostrate!

If you find any of these variant comics, then request a free appraisal today!

How the Top 100 Works
We have a page for each variant comic, with sales records and current price guides.

Click the arrow below to begin moving through the 100 variant cover comics. It begins with the most valuable. As you go, the next arrow will take you to the next-most valuable and so on.

Click for an issue-by-issue price guide!

Quick Guide: The 10 Most Valuable Variant Cover Comics

These are current record sales

Amazing Spider-Man #667 Del'Otto variant $43,200
Ultimate Fallout #4 Djurdjevic variant $43,200
Spawn #185 Sketch Cover $17,100 (CGC 9.6)
Wolverine #1 Deadpool Campbell Variant $17,100
Uncanny X-Men #510 Campbell Sketch Variant $16,800
Incredible Hulk #377 Third Printing $14,750
Edge of Spider-Verse #2 Land Variant $13,000
Batman #608 Retailer Incentive Edition $10,000
Captain Marvel #17 Second Printing Variant $7,700
Amazing Spider-man #678 Quinones Venom Variant $7,000

These are recent CGC 9.8 sales

Amazing Spider-Man #667 Del'Otto variant $28,800
Ultimate Fallout #4 Djurdjevic variant $9,500
Spawn #185 Sketch Cover $11,000 (CGC 9.6)
Wolverine #1 Deadpool Campbell Variant $4,950
Uncanny X-Men #510 Campbell Sketch Variant $16,800
Incredible Hulk #377 Third Printing $3,000
Edge of Spider-Verse #2 Land Variant $3,165
Batman #608 Retailer Incentive Edition $5,375
Captain Marvel #17 Second Printing Variant $510
Amazing Spider-man #678 Quinones Venom Variant $5,400

A Word on the Pandemic Comic Book Bubble

Remember Covid? The government printed trillions of dollars and paid people to stay home.

Those people turned to speculating on all kinds of things, from the stock exchange to crypto and collectibles, including variant cover comics.

This led to a bubble in the comic book market. Between 2020 and 2022, record prices were set for all kinds of comic books, old and newer.

Especially vulnerable were modern spec books. People subscribed to Reddit threads couldn't afford Silver Age keys, but they could afford modern keys like variants and modern first appearances.

The bubble had well and truly burst by the end of 2023; we are still seeing deflation in the collectibles market. Most of the record sales will never be repeatable.

We have included them for shiggles. But we also provide a recent CGC 9.8 price for each book, so you can see just how far the mighty have fallen!

The top ten fallers by percentage of value lost on this list:

Harley Quinn #1 Bulletproof Comics Pink Edition
$77 vs $1,500 record -95%
Captain Marvel #17 Second Printing Variant
$510 vs $7,700 record -93%
Incredible Hulks #635 Granov Variant Cover
$190 vs $1,900 record -90%
Amazing Spider-Man #25 Remastered Edition Variant
$665 vs $5,200 record -87%
Rick and Morty #1 Roiland Variant
$1,035 vs $5,000 record -80%
Winter Soldier 1 Dell'Otto Variant Cover
$164 vs $800 record -80%
Red Hood: Lost Days #1 Variant Cover
$400 vs $1,800 record -78%
Ultimate Fallout #4 Djurdjevic variant
$9,500 vs $43,200 record -78%
Venom #1 McFarlane Variant Cover
$900 vs $4,000 record -77%
Captain America #7 Variant Edition
$165 vs $700 record -77%

The top five biggest losers by dollar value on this list:

Ultimate Fallout #4 Djurdjevic variant
$9,500 vs $43,200 record -$33,700
Amazing Spider-Man #667 Del'Otto variant
$28,800 vs $43,200 record -$14,400
Wolverine #1 Deadpool Campbell Variant
$4,950 vs $17,100 record -$11,950
Incredible Hulk #377 Third Printing
$3,000 vs $14,750 record -$11,750
Edge of Spider-Verse #2 Land Variant
$3,165 vs $13,000 record -$10,835

Top 100 Variant Cover Comics in 2026

Quick Guide: The 10 Most Valuable Variant Cover Comics

A Word on the Pandemic Comic Book Bubble

Index to the Most Valuable Variant Cover Comics Price Guides

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