Moon Knight [Newsstand] #1 (1980)

You pick up this comic and notice the one detail that separates the patricians from the plebeians: the barcode.

This is the Newsstand Edition of Moon Knight #1. In 1980, while "Direct Market" copies were being carefully slid into Mylar bags by future tax accountants, this copy was fighting for its life on a metal spinner rack at a 7-Eleven. It was sandwiched between a copy of TV Guide and a pack of Marlboro Reds. It was purchased not as an investment, but as an impulse buy by someone waiting for a Slurpee.

Because of this humble origin, finding a Newsstand copy that doesn't look like it was used as a napkin is surprisingly difficult. The barcode on the cover is a badge of honor. It says, "I was out in the world. I saw things. I likely spent 1982 under a bunk bed."

Owning this version means you appreciate the authenticity of a comic that was actually sold on a newsstand, back when newsstands existed and people read newspapers. It is the "blue collar" variant of a superhero who is literally a millionaire mercenary. The irony is delicious.