Green Lantern CGC grading guide: Silver and Bronze Age keys

Green Lantern is one of the few DC characters to span all four major eras of comics: the Golden Age with Alan Scott (All-American Comics #16, July 1940, by Martin Nodell and Bill Finger), the Silver Age with Hal Jordan (Showcase #22, 1959), the Bronze Age with the landmark O'Neil/Adams social run (#76–#87, 1970–1972), and the Modern Age revival by Geoff Johns (Green Lantern: Rebirth #1, 2004). That historical depth makes it unusually rich territory for certified grading: each era produces its own rarity thresholds and its own grade-driven value spreads.

This guide draws on two sources only: eBay data from our estimator (eBay.fr + eBay.com, June 2026) and auction records documented by Heritage Auctions, ComicConnect, and GoCollect. An essential caveat: the eBay medians for Green Lantern vol. 2 #1, #40, #76, and #87 — between 40 and 98 active listings each — blend all printings and every condition, producing a misleading floor rather than a representative value. Showcase #22 and All-American Comics #16 belong to separate series not covered by our tool; auction rooms are the only reliable reference for those issues.

Green Lantern key issues: eBay median vs CGC high-grade record

The eBay medians below aggregate all printings — including cheap 1980s reprints — and every condition from Poor to Near Mint. They represent a price floor, not a fair-value estimate. The CGC records illustrate the true amplitude of the certified market.

Record sources: Heritage Auctions, ComicConnect, GoCollect, CGC News.

Why eBay blended medians do not reflect the true value of these keys

For Green Lantern vol. 2 #1, #40, #76, and #87, our estimator records between 40 and 98 active listings — sufficient volume for a statistically valid median. But that median is a blended median: it combines copies in Poor condition (detached cover, water-damaged pages), worn Good-grade examples without staples, cheap 1980s reprints, and the rare Near Mint original first printings. The result — 8 to 9 EUR — is the midpoint of that very wide spectrum, not the value of a presentable copy. A CGC 9.8 copy of Green Lantern #76 — one of only two examples at that grade in the CGC Census — realised $31,000 in 2014, a multiplier of roughly 3,400× over the raw eBay median. The same dynamic applies to Green Lantern #87: eBay median around 9 EUR, CGC 9.8 record of $3,050 in 2011. CGC certification is the mechanism that isolates condition and unlocks that premium.

Showcase #22: the Silver Age grail beyond the estimator's reach

Published in October 1959, Showcase #22 presents Hal Jordan — a test pilot chosen by the dying alien Lantern Abin Sur — in a story written by John Broome and drawn by Gil Kane. It is the springboard for the entire Silver Age Green Lantern mythology, leading directly to the first solo series in 1960. This issue belongs to the Showcase series, separate from the green-lantern series, and our eBay tool returns no usable median. Any serious valuation requires the CGC Census and auction records. A CGC 9.2 copy — currently among the highest certified unrestored examples — sold for approximately $150,000 at Heritage Auctions in 2017; a CGC 6.0 copy realised $9,000 the same year. For collectors targeting this key, grades 6.0–7.5 offer the most accessible entry point; above 8.5, Census scarcity makes pricing highly volatile.

All-American Comics #16: the Golden Age grail

Published in July 1940, All-American Comics #16 contains the first appearance of Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern, created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell. The book ranks sixth on Overstreet's Top 100 Golden Age Comics list. The CGC Census lists roughly 58 certified unrestored copies across all grades — compared with more than 270 for Batman #1, published just a few months later. Only two unrestored copies are known above 8.0, making auction appearances for high-grade examples exceptionally rare. The most recent documented record: a CGC 6.5 copy sold for $215,100 at Heritage Auctions in 2018. This issue belongs to the all-american-comics series, which our estimator does not cover.

Green Lantern #76: the Bronze Age and the O'Neil/Adams run

Published in April 1970, Green Lantern #76 marks the debut of writer Denny O'Neil and penciller Neal Adams, as the series expands to co-star Green Arrow. The O'Neil/Adams run — issues #76 through #89, 1970–1972 — is widely regarded as one of the founding documents of the Bronze Age: it confronts drug addiction, racism, and poverty head-on, a radical departure from Silver Age storytelling conventions. Green Lantern #76 ranks thirteenth on Overstreet's Top 25 Bronze Age Comics list. On eBay, the blended median across all conditions is 9 EUR (69 listings, June 2026). In certified high grade, only two CGC 9.8 copies are registered in the Census; one sold for $31,000 in 2014. A CGC 9.6 copy realised approximately $7,000. Collectors targeting this key typically focus on the 9.2–9.6 range for the best balance between grade premium and market liquidity.

Green Lantern #87: the first appearance of John Stewart

Published with a cover date of December 1971/January 1972, Green Lantern #87 — still by O'Neil and Adams — introduces John Stewart as Hal Jordan's substitute, a character Neal Adams deliberately designed in the image of actor Sidney Poitier to better reflect real-world diversity. The same issue features Guy Gardner's first cameo appearance; Gardner would become a recurring Green Lantern in later decades. Collector demand for this issue is structurally underpinned by the HBO series Lanterns, in which Aaron Pierre plays John Stewart opposite Kyle Chandler as Hal Jordan, scheduled to premiere on 16 August 2026. The eBay blended median across all conditions is 9 EUR (66 listings, June 2026); the highest documented CGC sale is $3,050 (CGC 9.8, Heritage 2011). CGC 8.0–9.2 copies represent the most actively traded segment of the certified market for this issue.

Which grade tier to target, by key

For Showcase #22, the certified market shows a non-linear grade curve: CGC 6.0 realised about $9,000 in 2017, while CGC 9.2 reached approximately $150,000. Collectors working within a budget typically aim for 4.0–6.5 to own the key in presentable form; pursuing grades above 8.0 requires both significant capital and expertise in detecting trimming or restoration. For Green Lantern #76 and #87, CGC 9.2–9.6 copies strike the best balance between grade premium and liquidity, since 9.8 examples are too scarce for reliable price discovery. For All-American Comics #16, any unrestored copy above 5.0 is a serious collecting piece — given the Census depth, authenticity and restoration status matter more than the precise numerical grade.