DETECTIVE COMICS (1937-2011; 2016-) #168
CGC VG/F: 5.0
(Stock Image)
SOLD ON: Wednesday, 08/26/2020 7:34 PM
$14,588
Sold For
40
Bids
PUBLISHER: DC
COMIC BOOK IMPACT: rating of 8 (CBI)
COMMENTS: ow pgs
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 ▼
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
ow pgs
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.
The tale of the Red Hood has become an important part of several modern tales of the Harlequin of Hate — marking this book as a true artistic achievement 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!
_________________________________________________One of two copies of this iconic issue in this auction, this mid-grade copy displays the famous Lew Schwartz cover in all its finery. The black background is pretty clean, and the colors of the central figures are all fresh and read well. The minor imperfections along the spine do not interfere with the power of the central image and it is well known that this comic is a solid investment book at any grade. Batman fans are gearing up for the next movie release featuring the mystery man on the cover, so expect this lot to generate enthusiastic bidding.
Overstreet Guide 2019 VG/F (5.0) value = $7,750.
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.
We realize many of you would like to bid on this auction lot, so for this listing, ComicConnect.com offers a 3 month, interest free, time payment plan with a 20% non-refundable deposit. Time Payments invoices can only be paid by cash, check, money order or wire transfer. LEARN MORE
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.
The tale of the Red Hood has become an important part of several modern tales of the Harlequin of Hate — marking this book as a true artistic achievement 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!
_________________________________________________One of two copies of this iconic issue in this auction, this mid-grade copy displays the famous Lew Schwartz cover in all its finery. The black background is pretty clean, and the colors of the central figures are all fresh and read well. The minor imperfections along the spine do not interfere with the power of the central image and it is well known that this comic is a solid investment book at any grade. Batman fans are gearing up for the next movie release featuring the mystery man on the cover, so expect this lot to generate enthusiastic bidding.
Overstreet Guide 2019 VG/F (5.0) value = $7,750.
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.
We realize many of you would like to bid on this auction lot, so for this listing, ComicConnect.com offers a 3 month, interest free, time payment plan with a 20% non-refundable deposit. Time Payments invoices can only be paid by cash, check, money order or wire transfer. LEARN MORE