DETECTIVE COMICS (1937-2011; 2016-) #168
CGC VG-: 3.5
(Stock Image)
SOLD ON: Thursday, 03/20/2025 7:51 PM
$9,775
Sold For
28
Bids
PUBLISHER: DC
COMIC BOOK IMPACT: rating of 8 (CBI)
COMMENTS: A 15% BUYER'S PREMIUM WILL BE ADDED TO THIS ITEM AT CONCLUSION OF THE AUCTION
ow pages
1st origin of the Joker; 1st appearance of the Red Hood; Lew Schwartz cvr/art; classic cover, COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 8 (CBI)
Read Description ▼
ow pages
1st origin of the Joker; 1st appearance of the Red Hood; Lew Schwartz cvr/art; classic cover, COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 8 (CBI)
DESCRIPTION
A 15% BUYER'S PREMIUM WILL BE ADDED TO THIS ITEM AT CONCLUSION OF THE AUCTION
ow pages
1st origin of the Joker; 1st appearance of the Red Hood; Lew Schwartz cvr/art; classic cover, COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 8 (CBI)
Detective Comics #168 is among the rarest of Batman keys, and a perennial favorite with legions of Joker collectors. Despite dozens of iterations of the character (from comic to tragic and psychotic to absurd), the Joker's origin still wasn't revealed until in these pages — over a decade after his debut in Batman #1!
"The Man Behind the Red Hood!" is also a uniquely ambitious tale, taking a strange path to one of the most important reveals of the Golden Age. The plot begins with Batman recruiting college students in a Criminology course to solve the disappearance of the Red Hood — a criminal mastermind who escaped by diving into a vat of toxic chemicals as Batman thwarted his million-dollar heist at the Monarch Playing Card Company. The investigation sparks the Red Hood's return, only for a plot twist to expose how the original Red Hood became the Joker after being grotesquely transformed by his chemical bath.
Since then, the tale of the Red Hood has become an important part of several modern Joker stories — marking this book as a vital moment in the annals of superhero mythology. Tim Burton's Batman adapted the story for the Joker's first big-screen origin in 1989, and the fateful robbery would become part of classic comics such as The Killing Joke and Zero Year. This epic tale is the original revisiting that would make the devilish killer clown seem more mysterious and haunting than ever before.
Click here to view the interior page of Joker's origin story!
_________________________________________________
This 3.5 Detective Comics #168 is an exceptional investment copy for one of DC's most vital origin stories! The tale of the Joker's early days also made a fan favorite of the Red Hood, with this copy's cover offering a very impressive focal point for the grade. Most signs of wear are delegated safely away from Lew Schwartz's classic cover art. Collectors also get all the original impact of the artwork with vivid colors against a background that's remained solidly black over the decades. Of course, any early Batman book featuring the Clown Prince of Crime is an instant collectible. The notorious character is also expected to return to the big screen in the upcoming The Batman: Part II — which is just one of at least five Batman series and features currently in development.
If you are a new customer planning to make a first-time purchase over $25,000, please contact us 24 hours in advance of the item closing at 212.895.3999 or support@comicconnect.com so that we may approve your account for bidding. (This policy was instituted to protect consignors and bidders against bids from fraudulent accounts, and to ensure the integrity of the bidding process.) Once approved, please log out of your account and then log in for the approval to take effect.
_______________________________________________
Looking to make a purchase? Learn more about how to buy Detective Comics #168 from ComicConnect!
_______________________________________________
ow pages
1st origin of the Joker; 1st appearance of the Red Hood; Lew Schwartz cvr/art; classic cover, COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 8 (CBI)
Detective Comics #168 is among the rarest of Batman keys, and a perennial favorite with legions of Joker collectors. Despite dozens of iterations of the character (from comic to tragic and psychotic to absurd), the Joker's origin still wasn't revealed until in these pages — over a decade after his debut in Batman #1!
"The Man Behind the Red Hood!" is also a uniquely ambitious tale, taking a strange path to one of the most important reveals of the Golden Age. The plot begins with Batman recruiting college students in a Criminology course to solve the disappearance of the Red Hood — a criminal mastermind who escaped by diving into a vat of toxic chemicals as Batman thwarted his million-dollar heist at the Monarch Playing Card Company. The investigation sparks the Red Hood's return, only for a plot twist to expose how the original Red Hood became the Joker after being grotesquely transformed by his chemical bath.
Since then, the tale of the Red Hood has become an important part of several modern Joker stories — marking this book as a vital moment in the annals of superhero mythology. Tim Burton's Batman adapted the story for the Joker's first big-screen origin in 1989, and the fateful robbery would become part of classic comics such as The Killing Joke and Zero Year. This epic tale is the original revisiting that would make the devilish killer clown seem more mysterious and haunting than ever before.
Click here to view the interior page of Joker's origin story!
_________________________________________________
This 3.5 Detective Comics #168 is an exceptional investment copy for one of DC's most vital origin stories! The tale of the Joker's early days also made a fan favorite of the Red Hood, with this copy's cover offering a very impressive focal point for the grade. Most signs of wear are delegated safely away from Lew Schwartz's classic cover art. Collectors also get all the original impact of the artwork with vivid colors against a background that's remained solidly black over the decades. Of course, any early Batman book featuring the Clown Prince of Crime is an instant collectible. The notorious character is also expected to return to the big screen in the upcoming The Batman: Part II — which is just one of at least five Batman series and features currently in development.
If you are a new customer planning to make a first-time purchase over $25,000, please contact us 24 hours in advance of the item closing at 212.895.3999 or support@comicconnect.com so that we may approve your account for bidding. (This policy was instituted to protect consignors and bidders against bids from fraudulent accounts, and to ensure the integrity of the bidding process.) Once approved, please log out of your account and then log in for the approval to take effect.
_______________________________________________
Looking to make a purchase? Learn more about how to buy Detective Comics #168 from ComicConnect!
_______________________________________________