For collectors, there's no greater thrill than digging through dollar boxes and finding great comics. They may not be worth very much, but they are the type of issues that will make a collector squeal with delight. Nothing could bring them more joy, outside of everything in the box being fifty cents or a quarter. Nevertheless, there are gems to be had in those long boxes.
Dollar boxes are a way that most retailers and dealers get rid of excess stock. Maybe it's over-ordering a certain issue or just what's left after buying a collection and pulling out the expensive stuff. Nevertheless, there's always something in dollar boxes that someone will love.
10 Atari Force #1
Tie-in comics aren't usually this good. DC Comics launched the Atari Force series in 1984 that was a follow-up to a series of comics that had been included in four Atari game cartridges. Set years after those comics took place, it was the second generation that was brought together to stop the Dark Destroyer. Most issues featured art by the indomitable Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez.
Collectors will most likely be able to find the entire series in dollar boxes. They're not generally sought out, and retailers generally won't charge a lot for them. The first issue is where everything starts and gives a good idea of what to expect in the rest of the series.
9 Excalibur #7
Excalibur issues drawn by Alan Davis are a thing of beauty. For the most part, they're heavy in a continuing story, but the early issues, written by Chris Claremont, have some moments that stand out. The seventh issue is a tie-in with the Inferno event.
While it's the second of the tie-in issues, it holds up because of the humorous way it treats the crossover. A small demon tries to marry Phoenix as she's trapped as a mannequin. Kitty Pryde fights against Captain Britain and Meggan, both corrupted by the demonic magic at play. Along the way, there's page after page of beautiful Alan Davis artwork.
8 Elementals #8
Bill Willingham's Elementals is a groundbreaking series. It was an early use of mature themes in a super-hero comic. If there's one issue that finds its way into bargain boxes, it's the eighth issue. Ratman, a villain makes his way to Seattle and wants to reconnect with Fathom. Fathom wants nothing to do with him, though.
Willingham's art is beautifully organic. His story recaps prior events enough to give context to the events. He even manages to make Ratman sympathetic rather than pathetic.
7 Fantastic Four #275
John Byrne's run on Fantastic Four is almost definitive for the title. One of the great changes he made was adding She-Hulk to the team. This issue is almost pedestrian in its focus on her.
A sleazy paparazzo gets pictures of She-Hulk sunbathing, disturbing her enough with strong winds from the helicopter blades to make those pictures revealing. The issue is spent trying to stop the publishing of the pictures. It works brilliantly and shows how Byrne could tell even small stories with Marvel's comics team.
6 Archer & Armstrong #8/Eternal Warrior #8
Valiant comics from the 1990s can be found in almost every dollar box. Among the post-Unity comics, the early issues of Archer & Armstrong are true gems. They are written and drawn by comics legend Barry Windsor-Smith. The standout issue of the series is the eighth one.
It's a double issue, telling a story from Armstrong's past with his brother, the Eternal Warrior. It is taken from the Three Musketeers story The Man In The Iron Mask. It exquisitely balances comedy and drama. It also serves perfectly as an introductory issue in both series for collectors.
5 Spider-Man 2099 #1
If there is one shining star in the Marvel 2099 line, it's Spider-Man 2099. The fact that the character is still around is a testament to it. If there is one issue of it to pull from a bargain box, it's the first one. It even has a snazzy red foil cover because that was the trend in 1992.
There's a continuation of this issue, but it's worth starting a run of this series. The whole series might even be found in dollar boxes. Peter David manages to create a new character while paying homage to the old.
4 WildC.A.T.s #21
Alan Moore has a run of revitalizing comics that other professionals wrote off. Before he did it with Rob Liefeld's Supreme, he took a shot at Jim Lee's WildC.A.T.s. For this issue, the art is even provided by Travis Charest, giving the book a special look.
We get introduced to the new WildC.A.T.s, and each one feels special. Alan Moore shows with this single issue why he's considered one of the best writers in comics. With the clever way it all wraps up, it becomes obvious that this issue is meant to be the start of something special.
3 Justice League America #35
Early Adam Hughes' artwork can't hold a candle to his later work. That doesn't mean that it isn't good. With Justice League America, there was a perfect combination with the hilarious stories by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis. This issue starts a multi-issue story where Blue Beetle and Booster Gold open a Justice-League-branded casino resort.
Of course, to do this, they embezzle Justice League funds. That little bit of anti-heroic behavior can't tarnish the hilarity when Major Disaster and Big Sir bankrupt the casino. Then the island wakes up because it's alive.
2 New Teen Titans #38
"Who Is Donna Troy?" might be one of the best Marv Wolfman and George Pérez Teen Titans stories around. I think it gets overshadowed by the events of the Judas Contract that follow in short succession. It also gets convoluted by the effects of Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Amazingly, there are no super-heroics at play here. We do get Dick Grayson being the detective that Batman taught him to be. We also see the pay-off of Donna reuniting with her adoptive mother that was forced to give her up before Wonder Woman rescued her from a fire. It's a very emotional story worth seeking out in bargain bins.
1 Legion of Super-Heroes #305
"Violet's Story" is the culmination of a subplot about a Legionnaire being replaced by an imposter. It went back over a year. This comic is written in a way that doesn't make it necessary to have read those stories to understand the plot. It's almost a lesson on how to wrap up a subplot.
The artwork is Keith Giffen in transition and helps underscore the emotion of the story. It climaxes with the readers concerned that Colossal Boy might kill Violet's captors. Paul Levitz underscores this with concerns by Element Lad and Brainiac 5. It's almost a perfect comic book. Anyone who finds this comic in a dollar box is in for a treat.