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DETECTIVE COMICS (1937-2011; 2016-) #45
CGC VF+: 8.5
(Stock Image)
Upcoming Auction Dates TBD
$1
Starting Bid
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Bids
(No Reserve)
PUBLISHER: DC
COMMENTS: A 15% BUYER'S PREMIUM WILL BE ADDED TO THIS ITEM AT CONCLUSION OF THE AUCTION
white pages
Fourth Joker appearance; 1st app. of Joker in a Detective Comics story; bondage cover
Read Description ▼

DESCRIPTION
A 15% BUYER'S PREMIUM WILL BE ADDED TO THIS ITEM AT CONCLUSION OF THE AUCTION
white pages
Fourth Joker appearance; 1st app. of Joker in a Detective Comics story; bondage cover


Detective Comics #45 bears the distinction of containing the first appearance of the Joker battling Batman in a Detective Comics story. It's also just the fourth story featuring the Harlequin of Hate in comics, and the first time the Joker gets referred to by that clever nickname. All of that would be sufficient to make for a classic collectible, but there's also the draw of the classic Bob Kane/Jerry Robinson cover. Sadly, that gruesome bad guy on the cover doesn't play into the Joker's story. The wild "Case of the Laughing Death" still features Joker in his early days as a homicidal maniac — although the splash page spoils the identity of the old man who's calling himself "A. Rokej" while hiring henchmen to rob a museum. The story also features a rare case of death by vinyl LP!

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EA#61 is chock full of classic Golden Age comics that are in stellar condition, and this copy of Detective Comics #45 is no exception. Sitting near the top of the census, this book is extremely well preserved, the red background wash is deep and unblemished, contrasting starkly against the dramatic figures in the foreground. Batman is shown arriving just in time to save his faithful ward from the clutches of a ghoulish thug on this clean and crisp cover. The darker themes of Detective Comics created a balance with the lighter fare offered in Batman’s self-titled book, giving fans a variety of options to enjoy the exploits of the Dynamic Duo, as Golden Age readers could not get enough of Batman and Robin, whose popularity continues unabated into the modern era.

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    description
    DETECTIVE COMICS (1937-2011; 2016-) #45
    DC CBCS PR: 0.5
    brittle pgs, from bound volume, 2 extra staples added, not manufacturing, trimmed, 5 pages missing including 1st Batman page, panels missing; lot includes 8 replacement pages for missing pages and panels missing from another copy, see second image
    Fourth Joker appearance; 1st app. of Joker in a Detective Comics story; bondage cover
    Bob Kane File
    brittle pgs, from bound volume, 2 extra staples added, not manufacturing, trimmed, 5 pages missing including 1st Batman page, panels missing; lot includes 8 replacement pages for missing pages and panels missing from another copy, see second image
    Fourth Joker appearance; 1st app. of Joker in a Detective Comics story; bondage cover
    Bob Kane File
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