Power Girl's First Appearance: All Star Comics #58 (1976)

All Star Comics #58 presents a singularity that escapes most buyers: it is not the first issue of a new series, it is the recovery of a title decided twenty-five years earlier, with its period numbering.

This particularity has direct consequences on rarity, on conservation and on the way in which the number is referenced. It deserves to be explained before any purchase.

A recovery, not a launch

The title All Star Comics had stopped publishing at the beginning of the 1950s. In 1976, the publisher relaunched it — and chose to continue the original numbering rather than starting from a number 1.

Three practical consequences arise from this, and all of them matter to the buyer.

The number is difficult to search for. A “#58” from 1976 is placed, in bins and in databases, with issues from the 1940s and 1950s. Misclassifications are common, in both directions.

The draw was careful. Relaunching a title that has been missing for a quarter of a century is a commercial gamble, and relaunch draws are rarely generous.

The target audience was limited. The series was aimed at readers attached to an old continuity - a loyal but narrow readership, which mechanically limits the number of copies in circulation.

This corpus highlights this configuration as one of the most favorable on the market: an issue with a modest circulation, poorly referenced, containing a lasting first appearance.

The character introduced

Power Girl is presented as the cousin of Superman— but that of a parallel Earth, distinct from the main continuity of the time.

This detail, insignificant in 1976, will become the central problem of the character. A decade later, the publisher's cosmological overhaul will remove this parallel Earth, and the character will find himself without a coherent origin.

In this same issue, she joins the historic team of the house, which immediately gives her a framework and partners - an advantage that few new characters obtain.

The cover and the design

The number benefits from the presence of Wally Wood in inking, a designer whose reputation goes well beyond this title.

This is a demand factor in its own right, and you need to know it: some buyers target this number for the signature in the credits, regardless of the character it contains.

As often, a secondary request of this type supports the value of an issue in periods when interest in the character wanes.

Points of vigilance when purchasing

Check the year, not just the number. This is the specific precaution for this file. Repeated numbering creates an ambiguity that advertisements sometimes maintain: an “All Star Comics #58” without a vintage can designate two very different objects.

Bronze Age paper. Mid-1970s: Edge yellowing and staple rust are the dominant defects, both related to storage humidity.

Cut coupons. The inside pages from this period had vouchers to return. An amputated copy loses a lot of gradation, and information is almost always missing online. Ask for photos of the interior.

Alignment and cutting. Production during this period suffered from frequent cutter shifts. A poorly cut copy plateaus, regardless of its otherwise freshness.

What determines value

Three factors combine on this number, which is quite comfortable.

La relative rarity, linked to the cautious circulation of a relaunch and a limited readership. This is the strongest factor, because it does not depend on any future decision.

La signature in the credits, which attracts an audience of fans of independent character drawing.

La character notoriety, driven by a notable solo series at the end of the 2000s and by a regular presence in the publisher's teams.

A number backed by three distinct demands performs better in the dips than a number that only has one. This is the main argument of this case.

As always, condition and gradation determine value; Supporting real recent sales is essential before any purchase.

For more, see ourPower Girl key issuesand ourcollection guide.