Old Paperbacks Vs. Comics: Which Are More Valuable?

An issue of Magnus Robot Fighter is worth more
than a paperback of Hemingway or Fitzgerald

When I was a kid, comics were 12 cents and paperback books were $3, Hardbacks about $10. Now in this digital age, the positions of value have reversed. Those same comics go for $5-$20 depending on their condition and the books are $1 or even 50 cents a piece. I remember my parents telling me my comics were trash but now they are more valuable than the "real" literature I should have been reading. I did read both, but I enjoyed the comics as much as the works of Gore Vidal and Joyce Carol Oates.

This observation occurred to me this week as I shopped for both forms of antiquated reading pleasure. I still had left-over birthday money and a gift certificate for the Time Machine from my neighbor. This season, I had taken her to several Broadway shows on my press tickets and she asked my partner Jerry what would be a gift I would really appreciate. So with the gift certificate, I bought the following:
Alpha Flight #2 (a team of Canadian superheroes created by Gary Byrne whose Fantastic Four storylines I enjoyed, so I thought I'd try it)
Fantastic Four #258, 265, 281, 347, 348
Human Torch #3
Justice League of America #200 (special double-issue with various artists contributing)
Magnus Robot Fighter 4000 AD #12, 37 (Magnus is a human with super strength fighting against renegade robots out to crush humanity in the technologically advanced, continental-wide city North AM in the year 4000. A rare, exciting and original Gold Key title which specialized in comic versions of popular TV shows and cartoons. The sci-fi were actually pretty inventive including talking animals and super-sleek flying cars you drove from a reclining position.)
Superman Family #174
Tales of Suspense #68
Wonder Woman #189