DETECTIVE COMICS (1937-2011; 2016-) #140
CGC VF-: 7.5
(Stock Image)
SOLD ON: Wednesday, 03/22/2017 12:46 PM
$15,000
Sold For
21
Bids
PUBLISHER: DC
COMMENTS: ow/white pgs
1st appearance of the Riddler, w/ origin (10/48) COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 8 (CBI)
Read Description ▼
1st appearance of the Riddler, w/ origin (10/48) COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 8 (CBI)
DESCRIPTION
ow/white pgs
1st appearance of the Riddler, w/ origin (10/48) COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 8 (CBI)
Detective Comics #140 came along over 100 issues after Batman began, but this Golden Age classic marks the first appearance of The Riddler as one of the Caped Crusader's most popular foes! This diabolical debut assured fans that were plenty more surprises left to come, years after Batman #1 introduced The Joker and Catwoman!
Bill Finger still crafted this classic origin story so that the Riddler immediately seems like a classic Batman bad guy. We get a look at the troubling early years of puzzle expert (and compulsive cheater) Edward Nigma, with his overblown obsession perfectly fitting into the existing Bat-mythos. The Riddler would become the perfect foil for Batman's own exacting self-discipline and Sherlockian-level detective skills.
In a puzzling twist, the Riddler would reappear in Detective two issues later, and then promptly disappear until 1965! From there, however, The Riddler would even briefly eclipse the Joker as Batman's most beloved foe. He was even brought in as the first Bat-villain for the hit '60s TV series. (Frank Gorshin would credit this issue as the inspiration for his Riddler's particularly nasty personality.) This issue was released when DC and other hero publishers were experiencing a post-war sales dip, meaning that reduced print runs have made this an unusually rare key issue for a major Bat-villain. This issue is set to remain a top collectible with the Riddler's expected return to the big screen in 2026's The Batman: Part II !
________________________________________________
The bright yellows of this cover echo the anxiety and mayhem of the Riddler's auspicious debut. The tangled twosome writhe on Win Mortimer's arresting cover. In spite of its flaws, this book is in great condition and will fetch a fine price at auction.
Overstreet Guide 2016 VF- (7.5) value = $7,688.
Artists Information
Swan was a house artist at DC working on titles like Tommy Tomorrow, he began gravitating towards Superman and his related books, Superboy, World's Finest and Jimmy Olsen, he would eventually leave DC thanks to his personality issue with Editor In Chief Mort Weisinger. He would eventually return and go on to be the artist that defined the look of Superman in the Silver Age, eventually becoming the editor of the title, but after thirty years of keeping up standards of all things Superman, Swan was given the boot in favor of John Byrne's Superman reboot, Swan's comic work began to taper off after this dismissal and he eventually retired, but will forever be recognized as the Silver Age Superman's finest artist.
Win Mortimer is a Canadian comic strip/ book artist who worked for the big publishing houses during both the golden and silver age era of comics. Win mostly worked with DC but later freelanced for Marvel comics, where his most notable works include Action comics and Spidey Super Stories.
1st appearance of the Riddler, w/ origin (10/48) COMIC BOOK IMPACT rating of 8 (CBI)
Detective Comics #140 came along over 100 issues after Batman began, but this Golden Age classic marks the first appearance of The Riddler as one of the Caped Crusader's most popular foes! This diabolical debut assured fans that were plenty more surprises left to come, years after Batman #1 introduced The Joker and Catwoman!
Bill Finger still crafted this classic origin story so that the Riddler immediately seems like a classic Batman bad guy. We get a look at the troubling early years of puzzle expert (and compulsive cheater) Edward Nigma, with his overblown obsession perfectly fitting into the existing Bat-mythos. The Riddler would become the perfect foil for Batman's own exacting self-discipline and Sherlockian-level detective skills.
In a puzzling twist, the Riddler would reappear in Detective two issues later, and then promptly disappear until 1965! From there, however, The Riddler would even briefly eclipse the Joker as Batman's most beloved foe. He was even brought in as the first Bat-villain for the hit '60s TV series. (Frank Gorshin would credit this issue as the inspiration for his Riddler's particularly nasty personality.) This issue was released when DC and other hero publishers were experiencing a post-war sales dip, meaning that reduced print runs have made this an unusually rare key issue for a major Bat-villain. This issue is set to remain a top collectible with the Riddler's expected return to the big screen in 2026's The Batman: Part II !
________________________________________________
The bright yellows of this cover echo the anxiety and mayhem of the Riddler's auspicious debut. The tangled twosome writhe on Win Mortimer's arresting cover. In spite of its flaws, this book is in great condition and will fetch a fine price at auction.
Overstreet Guide 2016 VF- (7.5) value = $7,688.
Artists Information
Swan was a house artist at DC working on titles like Tommy Tomorrow, he began gravitating towards Superman and his related books, Superboy, World's Finest and Jimmy Olsen, he would eventually leave DC thanks to his personality issue with Editor In Chief Mort Weisinger. He would eventually return and go on to be the artist that defined the look of Superman in the Silver Age, eventually becoming the editor of the title, but after thirty years of keeping up standards of all things Superman, Swan was given the boot in favor of John Byrne's Superman reboot, Swan's comic work began to taper off after this dismissal and he eventually retired, but will forever be recognized as the Silver Age Superman's finest artist.
Win Mortimer is a Canadian comic strip/ book artist who worked for the big publishing houses during both the golden and silver age era of comics. Win mostly worked with DC but later freelanced for Marvel comics, where his most notable works include Action comics and Spidey Super Stories.