Congratulations, 2025 CGC Comics Registry Award Winners!

CGC Comics is excited to announce the 2025 CGC Comics Registry Award winners! In choosing our winners, our mission was to select the best sets in the following categories: Golden Age, Silver Age, Bronze Age, Copper Age, Modern Age, Magazine, CGC Signature Series, Custom, Best Presented and International, as well as outstanding message board contributors and the John Verzyl Sr. Registry Masterpiece Award.

Our team of judges reviewed all of the top sets throughout the CGC Comics Registry and, after much deliberation, selected the following winners. Congratulations to all!

John Verzyl Sr. Registry Masterpiece Award

Shivabali – John Verzyl Sr. Registry Masterpiece Award

We’re glad to honor our friend John Verzyl every year through the award that carries his name. The highest recognition of the CGC Comics Registry, the John Verzyl Sr. Registry Masterpiece Award is given to a collector who shows exceptional dedication to the hobby as John Verzyl did. We’re pleased to announce that this year’s winner is Shivabali.

Shivabali’s thoughtful bio touches on his “origin story,” beginning with a love of horror and sci-fi films that continued into comics, eventually leading to a collection that we’re fortunate to have on the CGC Comics Registry, with more than 3,700 comics across nearly 200 sets tallying more than 2.8 million points.

More than 30 sets in Shivabali’s collection are ranked No. 1, many containing some of the most sought-after key issues in very high grades. The Marvel Bronze Age First Appearances set type collects all Marvel character first appearances from 1970 to 1979. Shivabali’s #1 ranked set showcases all of these gorgeous keys – check out Ghost Rider’s debut in Marvel Spotlight #5 in an unbelievable CGC 9.6; Werewolf by Night #32 graded CGC 9.8, one of only 24 Universal label copies; and Amazing Spider-Man #101 graded CGC 9.8.

Shivabali’s Jim Steranko Cover Set is also ranked #1 with nearly all books graded CGC 9.6 or better. Don’t miss the pair of green-hued, classic Steranko covers in Captain America #113 hailing from the Rocky Mountain Pedigree, and X-Men #50 graded CGC 9.6.

The cleverly named “Hi-Ho Silver” set is ranked No. 1 in the Marvel 1^st Issues Competitive set type, collecting #1 issues from the tail end of the Silver Age. Shivabali’s set tallies nearly 100,000 points and boasts many high-grade examples. The gorgeous set copy of Captain America #100 is one of only 47 graded CGC 9.8, and the Universal label 9.6 copy of Silver Surfer #1 is one of only 47. Iron Man and Sub-Mariner #1 is among the rarest, one of only 16 graded CGC 9.8.

Congratulations to Shivabali, winner of the 2025 John Verzyl Sr. Registry Masterpiece Award for this extraordinary collection, and all the contributions made to the community here on CGC Comics Registry!

Best in Age - Golden

Telerites – Exciting Comics (1940) – “Exciting Goodness!”

Interplanetary travel, robots with synthetic brains, and Texas Rangers — all can be found in Exciting Comics! This classic Golden Age title debuted in 1940, and during the war years saw heroes such as the Liberator, the Black Terror, and the American Eagle battling Axis power enemies. Post-war storytelling shifted to secret agents, time travel and a notable run of backup stories for Judy of the Jungle. Exciting Comics became a wealth of inspiration to future creators; much would be distilled from the title into our modern-day superheroes.

Known for terrific covers and interior art, Exciting Comics brought together some of the best artists of the Golden Age, including Lin Streeter, Frank Frazetta, and of course Alex Schomburg, who rendered Judy of the Jungle beautifully on the covers of issues #56 to #66.

Telerites set is 100% complete and top-ranked for the set-type, featuring high grades and a great cover gallery. This collection includes a CGC-graded 7.5 copy of issue #43, a stunning copy of issue #46 hailing from the Big Apple Pedigree, and a rare copy of issue #60 where Alex Schomburg pits a hopeless shark against Judy of the Jungle on the cover.

Congratulations, Telerites, on this wonderful collection and the 2025 award for Best Golden Age set!

Best in Age – Silver

Mister Bourbon – Legion of Super-Heroes Storyline – “90 Proof Legion Complete”

Spanning several classic DC titles, this set collects the storyline of the Legion of Super-Heroes across the Silver Age. Introduced as a trio of teenage superheroes from 1,000 years in the future, Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl and Lightning Boy travel back in time in their debut story to recruit Superboy, their inspiration for creating the Legion of Super-Heroes.

The Legion’s early adventures were not intended for fluid continuity or the long-term, but as demand grew, they were taken from their back-up stories into a regular series in Adventure Comics. With a list of enemies including the mysterious Time Trapper, key storylines and interesting battles, the Legion of Super-Heroes soon became a solid favorite.

Mister Bourbon’s No. 1-ranked winning set collects this classic storyline in CGC 9.0 or higher for nearly every book, and his bio offers a wonderful look at collecting the Legion of Super-Heroes over the years. Check out Adventure Comics #300 and #312 with some fun childhood images included in the gallery.

Congratulations. Mister Bourbon, winner of the 2025 award for Best Silver Age set!

Best in Age – Bronze

Doc Joe – Spidey Super Stories (1974) – “Super Duper Stories”

Spidey Super Stories was a unique project between Marvel Comics and creators at the Electric Company on PBS, debuting in October 1974 as a comic title on the stands, and on the show as a series of short skits in which a live-action Spider-Man playfully dispatches a cast of loveable, mischievous villains.

Designed to encourage reading in young children, the comic series featured simplistic stories and easily solved problems. Marvel also teamed Spidey up with established comic characters, and live action characters from the skits also crossed over, notably a young Morgan Freeman as the “Easy Reader.”

Being aimed at a young audience, Spidey Super Stories examples are very challenging to collect in high grade. Doc Joe’s goal of completing the run in 9.6 or better is a very tough task that began way back in 2012 on the CGC Comics Registry. This No. 1-ranked set includes interesting insight, personal touches and a gallery of nothing but high-grade examples — check out the CGC 9.6 copy of issue #16 with the “Jaws” movie poster homage!

Congratulations, Doc Joe, winner of the Best in Bronze Age award for this super set!

Best in Age – Copper

LookinforNewsstands – Amazing Spider-Man (1963) #201-300 Newsstand Editions

The Copper Age run of Amazing Spider-Man is marked by evolution. The Bronze-era Web Head juggernauts pass the torch to Black Suit Spidey, who’s kept swinging by the new creative team until the tail end of this memorable run, when the Toddfather enters the chat and gives fans something to talk about for decades to come.

Amazing Spider-Man issues from this era have seen nothing but steady evolution in the collecting world as long-time fans upgrade their books and the next generation looks to build their own long boxes. Newsstand Editions in this run are a fairly new niche, but are quickly evolving in the hobby as more knowledge surfaces and collectors look for new ways to challenge themselves on the hunt.

Long-time CGC Comics Registry member LookinforNewsstands (apt handle!) has assembled a Newsstand Edition version of this classic run full of tough, high grades. Stop by the gorgeous cover gallery and be sure to check out key issues #238, #252 and the CGC 9.8 Signature Series #300 signed by the Toddfather himself.

Congratulations, LookinforNewsstands, on this stellar set and the 2025 award for Best in Copper Age!

naits – Batman #301-400

Sprawling storylines that interacted with Detective Comics and broadened the scope of supporting characters, Batman entered a distinctive new era in this run. Gerry Conway’s scripts take on a richer tone, reflecting the disparities of Gotham, rampant political corruption, and a criminal underworld that seemed to be leveling up with sinister intelligence.

This run introduces Jason Todd as the new Robin; Killer Croc, afforded depth of character with Conway that gave us the most interesting version of the notorious villain; and Black Mask, who was inaugurated into the rogue’s gallery by Doug Moench and Tom Mandrake.

CGC Comics Registry member naits began registering this stunning, No. 1-ranked set in 2011, assembling the run with gorgeous Pedigree examples and Signature Series copies. Check out the Rocky Mountain Pedigree copy of issue #347; the 9.8 Signature Series Walt Simonson cover of issue #366; and the last but certainly not least issue of this run, the incredible Signature Series copy of issue #400, signed by George Perez, Brian Bolland, Bernie Wrightson and Bill Sienkiewicz.

Congratulations, naits, on this absolutely beautiful set and the 2025 award for Best in Copper Age!

AGGIEZ – Xenozoic Tales (1987) Kitchen Sink – “Quahoon!”

Indie publisher Kitchen Sink debuted a post-apocalyptical short in Death Rattle #8 that finds a team of surviving humans resurrecting a fleet of old Cadillacs and navigating swamps inhabited by dinosaurs and slithering, two-eyed brains. Simply awesome. This was the launch of Xenozoic Tales, the very fun Copper Age title by artist Mark Schultz.

Schultz’s skill as an artist stands firmly among comic greats Will Eisner, Frank Frazetta and Wally Wood. The 1950s-era, sci-fi Americana theme against an unforgiving, prehistoric backdrop was fertile ground for Shultz’s incredible layouts and pencils, and his genius is evident on every page of Xenozoic Tales.

CGC Comics Registry member AGGIEZ has assembled a gorgeous, complete run of the original Kitchen Sink Xenozoic Tales in style. Check out the fun graphics and detailed set description. And don’t miss issue #13 graded CGC 10 in the set gallery!

Congratulations, AGGIEZ, on this too-cool set and the 2025 award for Best in Copper Age!

Best in Age – Modern

Lobstrosity – Spawn (1992) Newsstand Only – “SpawnWorld’s Main Series Newsstands”

Former Marine Colonel, secret agent, “survivor” of Hell and Detroit son. Todd McFarlane’s most beloved creation, Spawn, has been exploring his purpose and battling a roster of darkest enemies in his own Image Comics title since 1992.

An original founder of Image Comics, McFarlane gained the freedom there to finally tell Spawn’s story. In an interview with IDW founder Ted Adams, McFarlane says: “With Spawn, I knew I could get them in the door to look at my artwork…they weren’t buying Spawn #1 because they liked Spawn…I needed to build a world that was going to be interesting.” That proverbial ball was knocked out of the park when Spawn #1 launched with a print run of more than 2 million, and a storyline that continues today.

CGC Comics Registry member Lobstrosity focused on a Newsstand Edition version of the original Spawn run in this beautiful set. Along with impressive high grades, this set is a treasure trove of high-quality information for these hard-to-find books. Check out the gallery and brush up on some of the finer details!

Congratulations, Lobstrosity, for this awesome Spawn collection and the 2025 award for Best in Modern Age!

amnesiac – Adam Hughes Cover Set

Self-taught comic superstar Adam Hughes honed raw skill over the years into a perfected, award-winning craft that inspires new and established artists alike, and his down-to-earth nature only deepens the admiration for his work.

Though anything is rendered perfectly under his hand, Hughes is best recognized for his work with female characters, portrayed in the glamourous pin-up style popularized during the World War II era and revived in the 1980s with other cheesecake artists like Dave Stevens.

CGC Comics Registry member amnesiac has put together a No. 1-ranked, high-grade set that includes many of the most sought-after Adam Hughes covers — a real pleasure to see. Take a look at the 9.8 copy of Wonder Woman #600 Variant Cover from 2010, and of course the CGC 9.8 Supergirl and the Legion of Super-Heroes #23 Variant Cover — this is perhaps one of the most triumphant works of all time from Hughes.

Congratulations to CGC Comics Registry member amnesiac for this stunning set and the 2025 award for Best in Modern Age!

Alpha^81 – Monstress (2015) All Variants – “EISNER & HUGO Award Winner* Monstress”

When Marjorie Liu became the first woman to win the Eisner Award in 2018 for her writing on Monstress, nobody was as surprised as her. Liu’s sprawling, fantasy epic has been aptly compared in its scope to the works of fantasy titans Tolkien, Miyazaki and Martin.

War and revenge are at the epicenter of this layered story, as young protagonist Maika Halfwolf tries to make sense of her own Arcanic power that she struggles to fully control. Seeking answers to her mysterious past, Maika leads readers along a richly detailed path in a dangerous yet beautiful, otherworldly alternate of early 20^th century Asia.

Alpha^81 has been building this No. 1-ranked set since 2016 and has collected the run in beautiful high grades. Check out the Variant cover of issue #10 graded CGC 9.8 by Monstress artist and fellow Eisner Award winner Sana Takada — there’s never been a more gorgeous homage to fellow Image Comics title Spawn #1!

Best Custom

Lee K – Character Runs – “Red Sonja – The Marvel Covers”

It’s far easier to name Marvel characters that Roy Thomas has worked on than any he hasn’t, and though his exhaustive work on Conan the Barbarian makes him synonymous with the Cimmerian, Red Sonja brought something unique that went far beyond the scope of her introduction.

Breaking from her supporting role in Conan, Red Sonja would become a heroine for young readers that was capable and tough without having to be demure and would be stewarded eventually by some of the greatest female comic creators in her own standalone titles.

CGC Comics Registry member Lee K has put together a high-grade Custom set of all 64 Marvel Red Sonja covers from her debut in 1973 to 1995. This collection is a great look at her evolution over time as she battles her way through the Bronze age and into the Modern era. Check out v3 #2 graded CGC 9.8, where artist Mary Wilshire brings strength of a different kind to the She-Devil With a Sword, signaling the bright future ahead for one of Marvel’s strongest heroines.

Congratulations to Lee K for all the hard work put into this wonderful collection, and the 2025 award for Best Custom set!

Jogilein – Character Runs – Thor

Among the best known of Stan and Jack’s original character line-up, Thor first appeared in August 1962 in Journey into Mystery #83. With his entry, the title made the transition from what had been an anthology of fantasy, science fiction and horror to Thor’s standalone title. Dominated by a new style of superhero and storytelling methods that recruited fans across multiple generations, Thor’s introduction is widely held as one of the key benchmarks of the Silver Age.

CGC Comics Registry member Jogilein has focused this Character Run set on the Mighty Thor, collecting several volumes of the Norse god’s adventures. This set is presented with a fantastic, detailed description that summarizes each volume and pays tribute to key story points, characters and stewards such as Walt Simonson and Jason Aaron. This high-grade collection is comprised of nearly all CGC-graded 9.8’s — check them all out in the set gallery!

Congratulations to Jogilein for this beautiful collection of books and the 2025 award for Best Custom set!

Dave Ski – The Universal Comic Collection

From Nick Fury to Wonder Woman, the Fist of Khonshu to BRZRKR, this one has it all! CGC Comics Registry member Dave Ski has assembled this mammoth, high-grade collection into one Custom set with a count well over 500 books strong, creating an entire landscape of collecting interests that knows no boundaries and laughs at limitations.

As noted in the set listing description, this set spans nearly 90 years across 11 comic publishers, collecting books from multiple genres with one thing in common: high grades. This collection comes together in CGC graded 9.0 or better and includes nearly 100 Signature Series books. Presented with sharp, supporting graphics and a high-res gallery of images, this set is not to be missed. Check out the Captain America #115 with the classic Red Skull cover, Giant-Size Spider-Man #4 graded CGC 9.0 and the awesome Jim Lee cover of Absolute Wonder Woman #1 graded CGC 9.8.

Congratulations, Dave Ski, for all the dedication and hard work put into this collection, and the 2025 award for Best Custom Set!

Best International

Taxmick1 – Dave Stevens International Covers

The legacy of comic creator Dave Stevens is alive and well, and in the nearly two decades since his untimely passing, his influence has grown far beyond the pages of the comics medium and into a pop culture phenomenon.

Much has been written about Dave Stevens and the incredible body of his work. A master of lines, layouts and the cheesecake style, Stevens’ art captivated from his early fanzine days. During his time, he produced art for dozens of comic and magazine covers distributed in the US, and many examples of his art made it to the covers of International titles as well.

CGC Comics Registry member Taxmick1 has put together a great collection of these beautiful Dave Stevens covers in this tough set. Picking up International comics in any grade is a challenge, but high grades present an added layer as these books are well known for condition issues. Check out Comic Art #94 graded CGC 9.2, one of only three sitting at the top of the pop! This great cover features Aurora and Unk from Pacific Comics’ Alien Worlds.

Congratulations, Taxmick1, on this very challenging collection and the 2025 award for Best International set!

Best Magazine

Makmorn – Blazing Combat (1965) – Blazing Frazetta

This formidable, albeit short, title brought together some of the most masterful comic creators of all time, including Archie Goodwin, John Severin and Frank Frazetta. Blazing Combat stories took readers into the combat zones of wars spanning the Revolutionary to Vietnam. The 64-page magazine format offered less constraints, deepening Goodwin’s storytelling and the expanse of vision for interior artists like Joe Orlando and Gene Colan.

The incomparable Frank Frazetta painted all of the masterful covers in this series, but his genius is most provocative with issue #1, where a skull-faced soldier returning fire with an unseen enemy becomes the grim face of war itself.

Remarkably, this set contains the only Frank Frazetta Signature Series issues of Blazing Combat. We’re fortunate that set owner Makmorn has shared these on the Registry; Frazetta only did two CGC Signature Series signings with less than 100 books between both.

This small set certainly isn’t short of spectacular! Congratulations to Makmorn for the 2025 award for Best Magazine set!

Best Presented

Crash22 – Spider-Man 2099 (1992) – “Crash22’s Spidey 2099”

With a new century on the horizon back in 1992, Stan Lee stepped onto his “soap box” and announced Marvel would send their most popular characters to the very end of it with the Marvel 2099 project. Spider-Man was of course among the first to go, and readers got a glimpse of the future in the Spider-Man 2099 title, envisioned by writer Peter David and artists Rick Leonardi and Al Williamson.

This was not the friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man we’ve known under so many creator stewards. Spider-Man 2099 showed us Miguel O’Hara’s world — Nueva York — and it was a dystopian one, where the “Public Eye” is always watching and mega conglomerates rule with unchecked power. Spider-Man 2099 is a fan-favorite with staying power, with several reboots, video game placements and appearances in the MCU.

Crash22 began registering this beautiful set in 2019 and has worked hard to assemble the run with all variants in gorgeous high grades. Take a look at the finer details of Crash22’s collecting journey in the set listing, and while you’re there take a look at the gallery! The Signature Series issue #1 with sketch by artist Rick Leonardi is not to be missed!

Congratulations, Crash22, for this beautiful, modern classic set and the 2025 award for Best Presented!

pmpknface – L.B. Cole Covers Set – "LB Cole - The Ultimate Cover Collection!"

With a background in lithography and a love of science fiction, L.B. Cole made a career move to comics in the 1940s to become one of the foremost cover artists of the Golden Age. With the success of his distinctive style, he was soon churning out work at his own studio, eventually began his own publishing company, and landed at Dell in the later part of his career as the art director and editor.

Cole produced hundreds of covers, and demand for them continues to rise, making a cover set incredibly challenging to put together in any grade. CGC Comics Registry member pmpknface has been working hard on this set for over two decades and it now stands at nearly 200 issues strong.

With wonderful set graphics and detailed descriptions for each of these issues, this set is a fantastic tribute to one of the most celebrated comic artists of all time, and an incredible achievement in collecting! Check out Startling Terror Tales #11, a horror classic for the ages; Thrilling Crime Cases #49; and Catman v3 #2!

Congratulations, pmpknface, for all the hard work and valued contributions to the CGC Comics Registry, and the 2025 award for Best Presented!

Best Signature Series

Dennis gitlin – Amazing Spider-Man #252 International Editions

Among the most iconic Marvel comic issues, Amazing Spider-Man #252 jumped right out at readers with the homage cover to Amazing Fantasy #15 by Ron Frenz and Klaus Janson. Spidey dons the infamous black suit and interestingly, the cover scene is even incorporated into the story.

This issue picks up from the Secret Wars storyline and foreshadows things to come as Peter gets to know the new black suits capabilities, set up beautifully with moody tones from the art team. After giving a light-hearted lesson to the couple on the cover, Spidey gets back into the swing of things in a final pin-up as the “Friendly, Neighborhood Spider-Man".

CGC Comics Registry member Dennis Gitlin is an International comics collector and has put together a terrific Signature Series set of this iconic issue from around the world. These books are very tough to collect, and there are some higher-grade examples in this cool collection! Stop by the gallery and don’t miss the CGC-graded 9.6 copy of the Swedish Edition!

Congratulations to Dennis Gitlin on this challenging collection and the 2025 award for Best Signatures Series set!

The Captain – Captain America (Michael Zeck Years))

Mike Zeck is synonymous with the Punisher Limited Series and Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars, but his run on Captain America is widely held to be one of the best stewardships for Cap of the modern era.

Zeck’s Captain America run begins with issue #258 and the evolution of his style is immediately felt on the cover with sweeping action and sharp layouts that he continued to fine-tune throughout. Together with J.M. DeMatteis, the team worked to give more detail and diversity to the supporting cast of characters and highlighted Cap’s sense of empathy as a superhero fighting crime and delivering justice.

CGC Comics Registry member The Captain has put together Zeck’s seminal run on Captain America with a high-grade Signature Series set featuring a great gallery, detailed descriptions for each book, and even some fun trivia! Check out the awesome CGC-graded 9.8 Defenders crossover cover for issue #268 signed by the entire creative team.

Congratulations to The Captain for this fantastic collection and the 2025 award for Best Signature Series set!

kitfistofan – Star Wars CGC Signature Series Custom Set

Some of the newest characters and storylines in the Star Wars universe come together in style in CGC Comics Registry member kitfistofan’s Signature Series Custom set. Collecting nearly 200 books, many of these were the first Signature Series copies on the Pop Report.

This set showcases the Star Wars universe in today’s world that puts art at the forefront of the comic storytelling medium. Exploring new ways to define ultra-modern comics, the art employs a fusion of traditional form and new technology in the composition. Found most prominently on the array of variant covers for each issue, this elevation of art offers fans endless ways to collect.

Modern master Tyler Kirkham brings Porter Engle to the cover of Star Wars: The High Republic - The Blade #1, and manga artist Takashi Okazaki infuses Marchion Ro with a grim, otherworldly beauty on the cover of Shadows of Starlight #4. Check out the CGC Signatures Series full color and sketch versions in the set.

Congratulations, kitfistofan, on all the CGC Signature Series books in this custom collection and the 2025 award for Best Signature Series set!

Best Forumites

Pitboss

Pitboss is constantly making sure to tell people happy birthday. It may not seem like much, but it makes members feel welcome and part of the community, especially when others join in on each individual celebration. While Pitboss mostly sticks to Wordle posts when not giving well-wishes, they make sure to include a comic book in every single one of those posts to both stick to the rules and share their victories.

Point Five

Point Five is friendly, helpful and a good conversationalist, for those who find Point Five in their threads. They are among some of the longest-running members of the CGC boards and are always willing to greet people, both old and new, and answer harder questions with both some humor and genuine authenticity.

ADAMANTIUM

ADAMANTIUM is one of the members who are most willing to join a good conversation and add insightful, unique things to it. ADAMANTIUM is easily one of the friendliest and welcoming members on the entire CGC board.