Congratulations, 2022 CGC Registry Award Winners!

Our mission was to choose three sets each in six competitive categories - Best Golden Age, Best Silver Age, Best Bronze Age, Best Modern Age, Best Copper Age and Best Presented. Additionally, we had the task of choosing one winner for Best Magazine set, one Best Signature Series Set, three outstanding message board contributors and just one collector for the John Verzyl Sr. Registry Masterpiece Award. Our team of judges reviewed all of the top sets across every category in the Comics Registry and after much deliberation, selected the following winners.

Congratulations to all!

CGC 2022 John Verzyl Sr. Registry Masterpiece Award

4GEMWORKS – John Verzyl Sr. Registry Masterpiece Award

CGC is proud to announce this year’s John Verzyl Sr. Registry Masterpiece Award goes to 4GEMWORKS! John Verzyl Sr. was an integral part of the hobby for decades and touched many people’s lives in the comic collecting community. CGC continues to honor his memory through this award. You can read more about John Verzyl Sr. here.

4GEMWORKS is a long-time member of the CGC Registry joining us way back in 2004, and has since registered over 100 competitive sets primarily in the Golden and Silver Age. 4GEMWORKS has won previously for some of these sets, including the Four Color Complete set, presented with a wonderful set description with a lot of interesting personal touches. We’d like to highlight some of the other sets that 4GEMWORKS has in this expansive collection, the first being the always-fun Archie, with the #1 ranked Archie Extravaganza (Archie #1-#200) set. Collectors of Archie will know how scarce high grades are in this series, but 4GEMWORKS has some nice examples with issues #21, #36, #56 and #118 in 8.0. Single digit issues are extraordinarily tough and the first three in this set are some of the lowest populations on the census, with issue #1 being one of 69, and #2 and #3 one of less than 50. This is a great set with slots to fill but is a worthy work in progress!

For some of E.C.’s coolest and creepy covers look no further than 4GEMWORKS Haunt of Fear collection . This set is likely to make E.C. collectors murderous with envy! Filled with high grade Gaines file copies, high resolution images and great owner comments, this set is a real screamer! Your jaw might actually fall off when you see that this it boasts three 9.8’s – all which are 1 of less than 10 in the grade on the census – and these sit alongside the rest of their counterparts with most in 9.4 or better. A ghoulishly gorgeous set to be sure! All E.C. and horror fans should crawl, drag, or shuffle themselves over to cast an eye (or two!) on it.

If you’re the sort of collector that like ‘em as rare as they come, then 4GEMWORKS has the set to see. The 4GEMWORKS Marvel 35 Cent Variant Collection is as unbelievable as it is impressive. Many of these books are incredibly hard to come by, but for some, you’d be digging in long boxes for the rest of your days trying to track them down! 4GEMWORKS has a great backstory for how many of these books were acquired in the set description and gives a custom rating scale for the difficulty of finding each issue in the owner comments. Some of the grails of this set include the Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #141 in an astounding 9.2, Rawhide Kid #141 in 5.5, and of course Scooby Doo #1 in a beautiful 7.0. This set is fantastic and we highly recommend checking it out!

We can’t say enough about 4GEMWORKS presence on the CGC Registry and all of the collecting contributions made throughout the years. We hope to see many more years of filling in the gaps and hopefully the addition of new sets to the fold. Congratulations 4GEMWORKS for all of your collecting achievements and the 2022 John Verzyl Sr Registry Masterpiece award!

Best Golden Age Sets

Straw-Man’s “timely mm’s” Marvel Mystery Comics Set

When Marvel fans head to a theater to check out the latest film, binge an MCU show, or play any of the Marvel video games, it’s incredible to think that none of it would be possible without Marvel Mystery Comics. Within the pages of this title is the genesis of everything that Marvel is today.

Straw-Man began registering his set in 2018 and completed the run this year. Solid grades and page quality dominate throughout, but there are some real standouts here. Issue #17 is the Davis Crippen “D” copy, stunning in an unbelievable 9.6 with off-white to white pages. Issue #47 is a beautiful 9.4 and is the Pennsylvania copy to boot! Issue #89 is from the Promise Collection, the 61st CGC-recognized pedigree. The Promise Collection has an incredible history, and issue #89 in 9.2 makes a gorgeous and very apt edition to Straw-Man’s collection.

The real gem of them all though is the Marvel Comics #1. This is the Kansas City Pedigree copy and is just beautiful in 6.0 with off-white to white pages.

Legendary only begins to describe Marvel Comics #1. Under publisher/writer Martin Goodman, this issue assembled a team of creative juggernauts in artists Bill Everett, Carl Burgos, and Paul Gustavson, who introduced the Human Torch, Masked Raider, the Angel, and the origin of the Sub-Mariner. The aggressive art styling and cinematic storytelling brought these superheroes right off the pages and into the hearts of readers everywhere. Its immediate success launched the ongoing Marvel Mystery Comics title under the Timely Comics publication and continued to define the superhero genre for decades.

Straw-Man has a truly beautiful collection and we’re proud to award him with Best in Golden Age! Congratulations on achieving a complete run of this historic title!

Pacole’s “Sugar & Spike” Set
In the comic collecting world sometimes you have to play a long game. Scarce high grades, stiff competition, and of course prices, inevitably stymy collectors. For some titles though, it’s an entirely different set of roadblocks and putting together a full run redefines the long game altogether.

This has certainly been the case for Pacole, who has been at it with Sugar & Spike since 2016. This is a challenging title with a perfect storm of collecting setbacks. Children’s titles suffer with rough condition issues, lower print runs, higher newsstand destruction rates, and less perceived value compared to mainstream titles.

Despite these collecting challenges, the charm and fun of Sugar & Spike remains irresistible! Sugar Plumm and Cecil “Spike” Wilson get into plenty of mischief and offer up hilarious commentary on the ways of adults throughout their 98-issue run. They’ve also shown up in several other DC titles throughout the years, making appearances in Wonder Woman, Swamp Thing, and even Batman. Perhaps Sheldon Mayer’s most beloved work, Sugar & Spike have influenced many other cartoonists and comic artists and continue to charm readers with their timeless innocence and clever antics.

Though higher grades in the earliest issues are nearly impossible to find, Pacole’s collection does have some great examples. Issue #2 in an 8.0 is a real achievement, as print runs would have been considerably lower for this than the debut #1, making it tougher to get. Issue #10 in 8.5 is beautiful with bold color strikes and an overall high-quality presentation. Issue #32 is 9.6 and from the Savannah Pedigree – a real prize in this set.

We’re happy to award Pacole with Best in Golden Age and hope they can one day reach the end of this long game to complete such a wonderful collection!

Triskelion – Completely Stoned – Turok, Son of Stone
Some of the greatest stories take a while to gain traction, but once they do there’s no limits to their expansion. Turok, Son of Stone is one of these. Featured for the first time in Four Color #596, the story of a young Native American who enters a labyrinthine cave in search of water and stumbles upon a hidden, dinosaur-inhabited world had the makings of greatness, but it would take an entire year before readers saw him in print again after that first appearance! When Turok finally showed up again in Four Color #696, his fan base was firmly assembled, and the adventures would continue for decades across multiple publishers, a best-selling video game, and even an animated movie.

Triskelion has been moving through his own collecting adventure since 2011 with the goal of completing the set, and eventually upgrading to 8.5 or better. Aside from the notoriously tough to find 15-cent price variants and eventual upgrades, Triskelion has finally completed the run. Along with pictures and explanations of when and where each issue was acquired, Triskelion has added a fantastic, detailed set description outlining his own introduction to the character and publication history of Turok throughout the years.

This set is a true labor of love and a real journey in collecting! We’re pleased to award Best in Golden Age for the “Completely Stoned” set, and look forward to seeing where the adventure in collecting takes Triskelion next! Congratulations!

Best Silver Age Sets

GAFlash – Winged Wonders – Hawkman (1964)
Reincarnated Egyptian prince. Archaeologist. Museum curator. Crimefighter. Alien from a distant planet and…Chairmen of the Justice Society of America?! Hawkman’s origin is as complex as they come – even for a comic book character! And though readers may have found it tough to keep up as he soared through the multiverse, multiple civilian identities and multiple crime-fighting teams, he remains an awesome and beloved hero of the DC Universe.

GAFlash began registering the Winged Wonders set with some of Hawkman’s early Silver Age appearances in the Brave & the Bold, and then continued with Hawkman’s first solo series that kicked off in 1964 and ran for 27 issues. GAFlash has been working since 2011 on this gorgeous set and presently has all but one issue.

During the Silver Age Marvel was outselling DC at the newsstands, pushing DC print runs down and thus making it tough for collectors to find high quality examples across many Silver Age DC titles. With some uncertainty surrounding Hawkman’s first shot at a solo run, print runs would have been more conservative than the established DC mainstays. With high grades and nice page quality dominating throughout, GAFlash’s Winged Wonders set is all the more impressive.

Issue #1 in 9.4 with white pages really stands out, and with only 15 Universal CGC label copies on the census it’s a real pleasure to see. Issue #19 hails from the Northland collection and boasts a solid 9.4. Issue #23 in 9.6 is beautiful, and with the impossibly tough purple cover the grade is even more incredible.

This is a well-deserved award for Best in Silver Age to GAFlash’s Winged Wonders set! Congrats!

TIMETRAPPER – Wendy, the Good Little Witch (1964)
Harvey Comics have an interesting and varied history in publishing. Well-known among collectors of pre-code horror, Harvey published some of the most notorious and sought-after covers, desired by seasoned and new collectors alike. While it’s true that Harvey is known for their horror comics, their longest-running and widely read mainstream titles are in fact also haunted by ghosts, scorched by devils, and populated by witches…just friendlier types.

Wendy, the Good Little Witch joined the fold of Casper the Friendly Ghost’s pals back in 1954, and six years later was given her own solo title. TIMETRAPPER has put together the entire 97-issue run in this fantastic collection, and here on the registry we’ve really enjoyed watching it come together.

Harvey titles have a reputation for specific condition issues, page quality being chief among them, even among the prized File Copies. TIMETRAPPER’s Wendy, the Good Little Witch set has no shortage of gorgeous File Copies or high grades across the entirety of the set, but most impressive here are the issues with great page quality. There are 42 issues in 9.8 across the set, but incredibly nine of them have white pages! Talk about a holy grail for Harvey collectors! Issues #2 and #3 in 9.4 are stunning, and with only three in 9.0 of 31 total graded on the census, issue #1 tops the collection off.

Congratulations to TIMETRAPPER for the Wendy, the Good Little Witch set, many years in the making and truly deserving of the award for Best in Silver Age!

Shivabali – Prince Namor aka Subbie – Sub-Mariner (1968)
Way back in 1939 Bill Everett came up with a prototype character for a giveaway comic. That character would become Marvel’s first mutant as well as the first antihero. Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner, with his unusual superhuman abilities and mysterious origin, was first introduced in Marvel Comics #1. Throughout the eight decades since, Subbie has joined superhero teams, aligned with those same teams’ enemies, and either aided or sought revenge on surface-dwellers depending on his short temper. His unpredictable nature resonated with readers, and he remains one of Marvel’s most important and popular characters.

Sub-Mariner’s second solo title kicked off in 1968 after many well-received appearances across Marvel titles. His character was layered and well-developed under Roy Thomas, John Buscema, and Gene Colan. The classic superhero theme of the stories was given further depth with the introduction of a long list of enemies, a complicated and short-lived romantic situation, and a new relative in Namorita. Subbie’s creator Bill Everett would even join the series beginning with issue #50.

Shivabali has been working on this complete run of Sub-Mariner for over a decade. All 72 issues and both Annuals are either 9.6 or 9.8, and there are some great highlights among them. Issue #4 is a gorgeous 9.8 from the John G. Fantucchio pedigree, and issue #53 is from the same collection in 9.6. Issue #24 is 9.6 from the Oakland pedigree. Issue #3 is signed by the stupendous Stan Lee and boasts a 9.8 as well! Most impressive has to be issue #1 though in a gorgeous 9.8 – one of only 78 in 9.8 on the census!

Congratulations to Shivabali for this wonderful achievement in collecting! We’re proud to award the Prince Namor aka Subbie set Best in Silver Age!

Best Bronze Age Sets

Every Day A Story – Captain Britain (1976)
Back in 1969, comic readers in the UK were suddenly without any American comic titles when the last of them were removed from weekly comic magazines. This crisis of comics lasted for 3 long years until Marvel swooped in to save the day, launching the Marvel UK imprint in 1972. Marvel UK picked up where the UK publishers left off, releasing Might World of Marvel in 1972, which reprinted Marvel stories in black and white. It was a huge success and subsequently Marvel UK published several other weekly reprint titles including Spider-Man Comics and Planet of the Apes.

It wasn’t until 1976 that Marvel UK finally gave UK comic readers original material for the first time. Enter Captain Britain, a home-grown hero who debuted in his own title in October 1976 – and in full color!

This is a title that is particularly difficult in higher grades due to the covers, which are exceptionally thin and easily marred by defects. Another factor that stymies high grades for the first issue in this series is paradoxically one of the coolest things about it. First issues of weekly British comic magazines came with a free gift. Captain Britain #1 came with a mask and a pin-up, and if removed would make achieving a high grade tougher.

Every Day A Story began putting together this outstanding set back in 2013 and has completed the run with every issue earning a high grade, including issue #1 in a Universal label 9.8! Every Day A Story has also given wonderful storyline synopses for each issue and included beautiful images in the set gallery. We encourage anyone who would like to see the set and learn more about Captain Britain’s solo series to check it out.

We’re chuffed – as they say in the UK – to award Every Day A Story a very well-deserved Best in Bronze Age award for the Captain Britain set! Congratulations!

Djpinkpanther67 – You Look MAR-VELL-ous! – Captain Marvel (1968)
Stan Lee may have created the post-Fawcett version of Captain Marvel, but this character’s fans agree that Mar-Vell’s lifeblood comes from Jim Starlin, who rescued the Kree-born hero from an uncertain fate after the series had failed to gain traction. Starlin picked up the pencils with issue #25 while also working on the plotting, and his work hit the mark. Captain Marvel took off across a series of stories that cemented his cult following and influenced later storylines in subsequent decades.

Djpinkpanther67 has put together one of those sets that really speaks for itself. A complete run of the series in 9.8, as well as Captain Marvel’s first appearances in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 in 9.8. The presentation is also excellent, with high-resolution images and commentary for each issue.

One notable highlight in the set is the 35¢ price variant in 9.8 with white pages. Bronze age price variants are rare and very tough in high grades. This copy is a stunning example and one with currently no equals as the lone copy on the census. The set also includes several gorgeous newsstand copies in the later issues. The #1 being the Western Penn copy is of course a stunning example and is complimented beautifully by the Marvel Graphic Novel #1 - considered by the set owner to be one of the best super-hero stories written.

Congratulations to Djpinkpanther67 for this exemplary set! It’s a fantastic achievement and we’re happy to award it with Best in Bronze Age!

Jefecabra – The Mystery of Haunted Isle – Scooby Doo (Gold Key)
Some comic titles are more than just funny books; they capture the exact place in time they came from. Looking at Jefecabra’s Mystery of Haunted Isle set takes you right back to 1970’s childhood, where you could tune into CBS on Saturday mornings and hop into the Mystery Machine with the Scooby Doo gang for a crime-solving adventure. And for more un-masking of criminals, genius Velma moments and of course Scooby snacks, you could head to your newsstand (on a Schwinn banana seat) and pick up the latest Gold Key Scooby Doo.

Collecting Gold Key Scooby Doo in high grade is akin to walking to and from school uphill both ways in the snow. Census numbers are scant, high grades are almost impossible, and competition is stiff. Jefecabra put in much time and dedication to defy the odds because the Mystery of Haunted Isle Collection is really incredible. Complete with all 30 issues, all four March of Comics appearances, and with no books below 8.5, it’s a real pleasure to see.

There are several gorgeous File copies, including Issue #19 – the only 9.8 on the census and with white pages to boot. Issue #25 is one of only two in 9.8. Issue #6 in 9.8 is from the Random House Files, and Issue #4 is unreal in 9.8, one of only two.

The “wow” factor is as strong as the nostalgia with this set! We’re happy to award Jefecabra with Best in Bronze Age for this fantastic collection! Congratulations!

Best Copper Age Sets

With-Us-Is-The-Force – Star Wars 1-107
The force is certainly with this Star Wars set! With-Us-Is-The-Force has been working on this classic collection since 2019 and finished putting together all 107 issues and all three annuals this year. This vast majority of the books are 9.8, with many Signature Series and high-grade, low census number examples.

As Yoda would say: plenty are the highlights, yes! Issues 54 and 55 have both newsstand and direct examples in 9.8. Both copies of issue #54 are Signature Series signed by Chris Claremont and Walt Simonson. Issue #81 is Signature Series, signed by Tom Palmer and in 9.8 is 1 of 12.

Distribution declined as the series was winding down and the higher number issues are hard in high grades. Issue #107 is particularly tough and is 1 of only 128 on the census in 9.8. 9.8’s account for less than 10% of all graded copies, but this copy is also Newsstand making it even more rare.

Most impressive are the high-grade 35¢ price variant copies of Issues 1-4. It goes without saying that these are the rarest of the set. Issues 2-4 are Signature Series, signed by Roy Thomas, and none are below 9.4. The #1 is Universal label 9.4 and is also accompanied by a letter written in 1978 with an explanation of the distribution of the price variants.

Congratulations to comic Jedi With-Us-Is-The-Force for this timeless, Best in Copper Age set!

Thorseface – I Say Thee Neigh – Thor #337-382
Stan Lee and Jack Kirby made creating superheroes look easy, and certainly there’s been “‘nuff said” about their well of creative genius. Elevating, sustaining, or even rescuing a character from an uncertain future is an altogether different sort of work. When a character falls into the right hands, they often become synonymous with their steward, and nowhere in Thor’s long history is that more true than with Walt Simonson.

Thorseface does right by Walt Simonson – as well as the other talented folks who worked with him on the title - in the wonderful presentation of this set. Rich with fine detail in the set description and gallery images, we encourage everyone to check it out. Thorseface also gives excellent information about collecting the Simonson run.

The hard work that has gone into assembling this collection is easy to see. As mentioned by Thorseface in the description, collecting every issue in 9.8 is not impossible but it is certainly not easy. I Say Thee Neigh is complete in 9.8 for all but a single 9.6, a future upgrade goal for Thorseface. There are many fine examples of Signature Series issues and great close-up images of those that feature sketches by Simonson.

Fellow collectors will find this set exemplary. Fans of Thor will be inspired to read the run whether they’re familiar or new to Simonson’s work. Even those who have a similar collection will find it’s well worth a visit. Registry sets like these represent the heart of what makes comic collecting so enjoyable.

Congratulations to Thorseface for this fantastic set and the award for Best in Copper Age!

jcronin – Moon Knight Eclipse – Moon Knight (1980)
Ah, Marc Spector. Marvel’s moon-powered, mercenary-turned-hero first appeared in the pages of Werewolf by Night #32 in 1975, where he battles a shape-shifted Jack Russell – the Werewolf by Night – in a failed capture attempt. His complex origin story involves multiple identities that may be the product of a mental health issue or the will of Egyptian god Khonshu, depending on the storyline.

jcronin’s Moon Knight Eclipse collects Marc Spector’s first solo run and is presented beautifully on the registry with custom graphics, high-res images, and commentary on the Signature Series issues. The 38-issue run is complete in 9.8 and also includes the Special Editions.

Issues 5, 6 and 7 signed by Bill Sienkiewicz standout. Sienkiewicz’ work on the title is defining in this series, lending itself perfectly to the shadowy mood throughout the story.

This volume is well-known for having several black covers that collectors struggle to find in high grade. Issue #15, one of a handful of Frank Miller covers on the series, is one of these. Issue #29 is probably the most notoriously difficult to land a 9.8. jcronin’s Moon Knight Eclipse set copy with the Bill Sienkiewicz signature directly across the front it is a great edition.

This is the first time we’ve awarded a Moon Knight set, and it’s long overdue. Congratulations to jcronin for winning the award for Best in Copper Age for the Moon Knight Eclipse - Moon Knight (1980) set!

Best Modern Age Sets

ParadoxTremors – Edge of Spider-Verse Set
For Spidey fans, what’s not to love about the Spider-Verse series? You get every single Spidey, spider-powered character, and of course the first appearance of Spider-Gwen! They all come together in this dynamic storyline that kicked off in the not-so-distant past in 2014 and ran for a year.

ParadoxTremors took the same amount of time to put this set together in 2018 and it’s a truly complete set with every printing and variant in 9.8. ParadoxTremors includes great commentary for the issues in the gallery including storyline details, creative team credit, and where these copies were picked up.

This is a set that on the surface may seem easy to collect, but we know how hard it would have been to achieve these grades with the print quality of this era in Marvel comics. ParadoxTremors also mentions in the set description the steep price jumps in the hot modern market making completing this set challenging.

This is likely the most true for the most highly prized book in this set: the Greg Land variant for Issue #2. The set copy is Signature Series as well, signed by Greg Land and one of only 98 on the census in 9.8.

We’re impressed with this awesome set and are happy to award ParadoxTremors with Best in Modern Age! Congratulations!

ColorMeGone – Koukaku Kidotai – Ghost in the Shell
One of the most highly stylized and influential manga classics, Ghost in the Shell was first published in Japan in 1989 and was then brought to the West. The story is Masamune Shirow’s best known work and has spawned an entire franchise including video games, a live action film, and the cult classic anime film that garnered a devoted following in the US when it was released here in 1996.

Told over eight issues, Dark Horse released Ghost in the Shell in 1995 in US comic format. Dark Horse titles of this era are some of the hardest modern comics to find in high grades, but Ghost in the Shell is in a class of its own. The glossy, thick cover stock is prone to certain common defects and though this is a short run, a collector looking for straight 9.8’s might spend quite a while finding them. This is reflected on the low census numbers, with all but the first numbering less than 50 total graded.

ColorMeGone’s Koukaku Kidotai set is a run of straight 9.8’s and includes the Wizard-Dark Horse ashcan in 9.8. The set is presented nicely with high-resolution images and a nice group shot of the entire run with the Wizard-Dark Horse ashcan. ColorMeGone also mentions that the set copy of #7 was also the first 9.8 on the census.

This is the first time we’ve awarded a Ghost in the Shell set here on the registry! Congratulations to ColorMeGone for Best in Modern Age for the Koukaku Kidotai set!

MadGenius – The Time of the Preacher – Preacher (Complete with Variants)
Garth Ennis is a master of the comic story-telling craft and Preacher is largely considered his opus. This series has been loved by many, imitated by none, and nearly 3 decades after its release (yes, we know, we can’t believe it either) still feels fresh. This is a comic with a strong following that long-time fans will always revisit. And with the timeless style of a character-driven plot told through clever observation and biting dialogue, new readers will get hooked on Preacher for decades to come.

MadGenius presents this set with great flair; the custom graphics really pop. It doesn’t get much better than straight 9.8’s, especially with Signature Series copies and of course the always-tough early promos. We’d like to invite everyone to check out the gorgeous presentation.

It’s MadGenius’s personal story and relationship to the series that really shines and is completely relatable. From stumbling onto it as a teenager at the local comic shop with issue #8, to the forced sale of the beloved first collection and subsequent return to it during better times, to the ensuing struggle to fill in the gaps amidst the spike in competition with the announcement of a television series, MadGenius tells so many comic collectors’ story through his own.

We’re glad MadGenius stuck with it through the years to complete the Time of the Preacher set! We’ve really enjoyed seeing it! Congratulations on winning the award for Best in Modern Age!

Best Presented Sets

labratnotincluded – NYX
Throughout the two years that NYX was published Joe Quesada seemed to operate under the theme that good things come to those who wait. Readers had to endure long months between issues, but this modern Marvel classic is a story that was certainly worth it.

The NYX series is told over just 7 issues, but it packs a real punch. Quesada’s story of mutant teens running the streets of New York’s District X was gritty and dark. So much at times that it feels like a wreck you can’t look away from. The story resonated with readers and NYX remained in the top 100 sold titles throughout its run.

X-23 was also introduced in this series and has established a strong fan base over nearly 20 years since. This is a character that was destined for greatness from the moment she arrived and has a very bright future ahead.

labratnotincluded completed this run and presents it with slick custom graphics and detailed write up about beginning in collectibles with sports cards and eventually getting into comics. The gallery is also complete with detailed story synopses for each issue. A collector with varied taste and great goals, we look forward to everything that’s in store.

We’re pleased to award labratnotincluded with the award for Best Presented for this gorgeous NYX set! Congratulations!

slpfi27 – The “‘Nuff Said” Spectacular Spider-Man Collection
Stan Lee had long been waiting to give Spidey another monthly title, and in 1976 he finally did with Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man. This was the series that gave readers the chance to get to know Spidey with the mask off. Spectacular Spider-Man delved more deeply into the life of Peter Parker, his college life, friends and family and of course the inevitable enemies.

With a revolving powerhouse of creative members including Roger Stern, Al Milgrom, Len Wein, Frank Miller and many others, Spectacular Spider-Man ran for a sprawling 263 issues and 14 annuals. The series also featured great crossover stories like Kraven’s Last Hunt and Maximum Carnage, and many key characters were introduced including Cloak & Dagger, Hitman, and Ben Urich’s Green Goblin.

slpfi27 has put together one of the absolute best sets we’ve ever seen here on the registry. This is a collection that takes years and dedication to complete and redefines what a labor of love can look like. The custom graphics, images, and individual issue commentary are superb, but it is the story of the journey and the recognition given to those who helped along the way that speaks volumes to how it takes an entire community to help one person achieve this kind of goal. For anyone looking for inspiration for their own sets, please stop by and check out slpfi27’s set.

With a handful of exceptions – namely 35¢ price variants – this is a full run in 9.8. As slpfi27 mentions, both Universal and Signature Series label examples are included for many of the issues in this set. There are also plenty of newsstand copies throughout, known among collectors for being harder in the high grades. Issue #27 features Frank Miller’s first ever art with Daredevil in this crossover story and this is a tough book in 9.8 due to the red cover. Issue #11 is the highest graded 35¢ price variant in an unbelievable 9.6. The crown of the set – also recognized as such by slpfi27 – is the #1 Signature Series. This is the only copy signed by the entire creative team as well as Stan Lee himself. Slpfi27 worked hard to track this copy down and you can read the story behind this book in the gallery image.

We’d like to offer our very best congratulations to slpfi27 for this monumental achievement in comic collecting, and the award of course, for Best Presented!

DirtbagSailor – DBS’s Harbinger Set – Harbinger (1992)
Former Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter and lawyer Steven Massarsky gave Marvel & DC a run for the money when they launched indie comic juggernaut Valiant back in 1989. Valiant titles were in a class of their own. Shooter recruited some of Marvel’s top talent and the results were superb in titles such as Magnus, Robot Fighter, Bloodshot, Rai. Well-received by readers and critics alike, Valiant titles would eventually be sold in the tens of millions and receive numerous awards in the decades following their arrival at newsstands.

Harbinger was launched in 1992 and is one of the most beloved titles among Valiant readers. Harbinger unfolds the story of psionic teenagers who rebel against recruitment into the personal army of Harbinger Foundation leader Toyo Harada, and subsequently live their lives on the run from Harada’s relentless pursuit of them.

DirtbagSailor has done an incredible job presenting this Harbinger set. There’s a well-written set description that goes into fine detail of Valiant comics history and the Harbinger series itself, along with a backstory for DirtbagSailor’s own relationship to the title. This fantastic set description is laid out thoughtfully among some of the best custom graphics we’ve seen here on the registry. For fans of Harbinger this set is wonderful to see, and we hope it inspires folks who aren’t yet acquainted with the Harbinger story to give it a read.

The DBS Harbinger set is a straight flush in 9.8 and complete in all but a single trade paperback. Valiant titles were manufactured with three staples and many promotional inserts, making high grades very hard due to staple tears and cover pops, as well as the defects that can occur when removing the promotional inserts. The first issue is among the hardest in a 9.8, and the grade accounts for only 20% of all certified copies. The DBS set copy is a Universal label 9.8, which represent slightly less than that figure. The #0 Pink Variant has a low print run, as mentioned by DirtbagSailor in the set description, and the Bob Layton Signature Series copy that belongs to this set is 1 of only 9.

We’re pleased to award DirtbagSailor Best Presented for the DBS Harbinger set! Congratulations for all the years of time and work put into this beautiful set!

Best Signature Series Set

Sauce Dog – Moonlit Nostalgia Moon Knight Vol 2 (1985)
The second volume of Marc Spector’s life as the Moon Knight finds him abandoning it. With Marlene Alraune at his side actively threatening an ultimatum if he picks up the cloak again, Marc has chosen to settle into the life of a philanthropic millionaire. Things go well until Khonshu brings Specter back to Egypt to reinforce their relationship as new enemies arise. Spector must once again become Moon Knight, the Fist of Khonshu!

Though short-lived at only six issues due to an abrupt cancellation, Fist of Khonshu is a potent series full of great writing with Alan Zelenetz for the first four issues, and Chris Warner – pulling double duty as the series penciller throughout – Jo Duffy, and Jim Owsley scripting for the last two.

Sauce Dog put together this mighty little Moon Knight set in a straight run of 9.8, but the work had only just begun. Sauce Dog decided to make it even better by adding Signature Series to each issue! Moon Knight creator Doug Moench has signed all six books of the Moonlight Nostalgia set, and Sauce Dog has displayed them in high resolution along with great owner comments in the set gallery.

Great writing from Sauce Dog is also included in the presentation of The Moonlit Nostalgia set, giving more details about the issues themselves as well as great look into how Sauce Dog was first introduced to Moon Knight and why this was the set to collect! All of this is wrapped up in great custom graphics; this set really pops and we’d like to invite anyone to take a look at it.

Signature Series is part of the heart and soul of CGC, and those who like to add the iconic Signature Series yellow labels to their collection are some of the most dedicated collectors we’ve met! Sauce Dog is certainly among them and it really shows in the Moonlit Nostalgia set!

We’re excited to award Sauce Dog with the Best in Signature Series award for the Moonlit Nostalgia Moon Knight Volume 2 set! Sauce Dog joins fellow registry user jcronin in being the first to receive an award for a Moon Knight set! Congratulations for all the fantastic work!

Best Custom Set

Sage121 – Hellboy by Mike Mignola
Mike Mignola is one of comics’ greatest triple threats. His distinct style and unique flavor is of the sort that carries creators into the realm of legend. Rightly so, Mignola has dwelled there for a long time and continues to create stories and art for all of us to enjoy.

Hellboy, the half-demon, human raised, paranormal investigator and Nazi destroyer is the character that is nearest and dearest in the hearts of many Mignola fans. The hulking, red-skinned cambion has been a Dark Horse Comics mainstay for many years and has seen comic crossovers, video game appearances, and several live action and animated films in the decades since he first appeared as a prototype in Dime Press #4.

Sage121 has collected 104 Hellboy comics thus far in a custom set that has taken years of hard work to assemble. With most of the books earning CGC 9.8 and nothing below a 9.4, these high-grade beauties come together nicely, and the gallery images and owner comments are a pleasure to see. Many of the issues are Signature Series, signed by Mignola along with other members of the Hellboy creative team and all are great editions to this set.

We enjoyed seeing this set grow here on the registry and are pleased to award Sage121 Best Custom Set! Congratulations on this very cool set!

Best Magazine Set

Ron C. – Love and Rockets Fan – Love and Rockets (Complete)
The heyday of underground comics took off in the ‘60’s and 70’s, spearheaded by greats like Robert Crumb, Vaughn Bode, and Gilbert Shelton. When the 80’s rolled around the flavor of the hippie, anti-government comics had faded, and there weren’t many underground titles for fans of the genre to sink their teeth into…until Love and Rockets exploded onto the indie comic scene.

The self-published work of the Hernandez Brothers Gilbert, Jaime, and Mario was first sold at comic conventions in 1981 for a buck a piece, but it didn’t take long for it to be noticed. Fantagraphics picked the title up in 1982 and published all 50 issues of the run in magazine format until 1996. The series was brought back in 2001 in comic sized format until 2007 and then as a long format annual from 2008 forward.

The Hernandez Brothers writing style has often been compared to Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s opus One Hundred Years of Solitude with its sprawling storylines that follow the evolution of the same characters over many years in a pseudo-magical setting. The Brothers’ focus on female leads and their examination of the roles women occupy, is reminiscent of female protagonists in the films of director Pedro Almoldovar. The Brothers Hernandez, as they refer to themselves, are masters of diversity and character-led yarns, individually knitted together into the Love and Rockets universe. We highly recommend this series to anyone who hasn’t yet been hooked.

Ron C. has undertaken the mammoth task of collecting the entire Love and Rockets series and it has taken years to assemble all but a single issue in this unbelievable set. The scarcity of many of the early issues (and their later printings) makes collecting them in high grade next to impossible. Ron C. has managed to collect nearly all of them, and the 5th printing of issue #1 is even Signature Series, signed by all three Hernandez Brothers and graded 9.2. Many of the later issues are also Signature Series, including issue #40 which has some awesome sketches from Gilbert and Jaime Hernandez and is graded 9.4. The finest edition to this set though must be the original 1981 issue #1 in an eye-popping 9.8! This is one of only 44 on the census, making it incredibly hard to get.

Ron C. has made a wonderful contribution to the collecting community and the CGC Registry with the Love and Rockets set! We truly enjoyed seeing it and are pleased to award it with Best Magazine this year! Congratulations!

Best Forumites

Flex Mentallo
This forum member created one of the finest threads on the forum. “Tales from the Island of Serendip” was a decade long thread that reached 450 pages. His time in India helped give several children there a better life. The sharing of his vast knowledge of comics and art of all forms should also be noted. Thank you for all of your contributions here, Flex.

FoggyNelson
This forum member always brings cheer to the forum with his friendly attitude, and always looks for the positive things in a thread. His love for bacon should also be mentioned. We hope that you are always blessed with a steady supply of BLT’s. Thank you for your pleasant contributions here.

Revat
This forum member has been extremely helpful in providing new forum members with valuable information, and guiding them in the right direction to accomplish their goals. Your good deeds have not gone unnoticed, and we wish to thank you for helping our community.

We would also like to acknowledge the top set in each set type. See our 2022 Awards Archive page for the Best in Set Type winners.

2022 Awards Archive

WINNERS RECEIVING CERTIFICATES
Winners can print their certificates of achievement through their My Account page on CGCcomics.com. Hard copy printed certificates will not be mailed automatically. Winners who prefer to receive a hard copy printed certificate by mail must request them on their My Account page on CGCcomics.com by August 31, 2022.

The CGC Registry is a place where comic book collectors come together to share their collections and knowledge with one another. It's a valuable resource for new collectors and experienced fans alike, with a wide range of collections on display. There is no charge to join, and your CGC-certified comics are eligible for inclusion in hundreds of categories.

To participate, all you need is a free CGC membership. View other members' sets and explore the Registry >>