Every month, one or a few comics pull ahead of the rest at Comic Buying Center, and last month it was Avengers #16. That might surprise people who like to sell comic books and collectors, expecting a first appearance or a key origin issue. So what exactly makes Avengers #16 worth your attention?
The Avengers comic series
The legendary duo of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby launched The Avengers in September 1963, teaming Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Ant-Man, and Wasp into Marvel’s first superhero supergroup. Issue #1 kind of showed what to expect from the series – big personalities and conflicts. And unlike DC comics of that time, Marvel here also showed the internal friction between characters, not just heroes fighting threats.
The series became one of Marvel’s longest-running and most influential titles, spanning hundreds of issues across multiple volumes. Storylines like The Kree-Skrull War, Under Siege, and Disassembled are considered some of the best in superhero comics. The roster was changing often, with over 100 characters having held membership at various points, which kept the book fresh across decades.
By the time the MCU arrived, the Avengers were already one of the most recognizable teams in pop culture history. The comics got there first, but the movies reached a bigger audience.
More about The Avengers 16
Published in May 1965, Avengers 16 was written by Stan Lee and penciled by Jack Kirby. The same duo who built Marvel’s Silver Age from (almost) scratch. The story picks up directly from #15, with Captain America doing something genuinely audacious: rebuilding the team around Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch. A reformed criminal and two former Brotherhood of Evil Mutants members. The fan nickname stuck immediately: Cap’s Kooky Quartet (yes, this is real).
It was a controversial move at the time. Readers weren’t sure about a roster with no Thor, no Iron Man, no Hulk. But the underdog lineup added new tension to the book and proved that the Avengers was a concept, not just about a single team member.
How much is Avengers #16
Value depends almost entirely on condition. That applies to Avengers 16, Tales of Suspense comics, virtually any comic book, actually. A reading copy is affordable, and a high-grade example may become a serious investment. Here are some examples:
- GD 2.0 (Good) – around $50
- VG 4.0 (Very Good) – around $75
- FN 6.0 (Fine) – roughly $175
- VF 8.0 (Very Fine) – around $300
- NM 9.4 (Near Mint) – $3,425+
- Record sale – $19,200 for a CGC NM/M 9.8
Comic book grading matters enormously with Silver Age keys because a 9.8 is exceptionally rare for a 1965 comic and gets a serious premium when one surfaces.
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