DETECTIVE COMICS (1937-2011; 2016-) #168
CGC FN: 6.0
(Stock Image)
SOLD ON: Wednesday, 06/07/2023 7:51 PM
$19,777
Sold For
35
Bids
PUBLISHER: DC
COMIC BOOK IMPACT: rating of 8 (CBI)
COMMENTS: off white 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 ▼
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
off white 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 copy of Detective Comics #168 earned a 6.0 CGC Universal Grade, and has off-white pages, with only 178 copies recorded on the CGC Census, this book is not an easy find. The yellow on this cover brilliantly contrasts with the rich black background, making for a book that still shines brightly over 70 years after its release. Batman keys and early issues are some of the most prized collectibles around as well as great investment prospects. A 6.5 CGC Universal Grade copy of this book recently sold for over $31,000. Iconic Batman books only become more difficult to find and valuable over time, and missed opportunities to acquire these treasures go on to haunt collectors for ages.
Overstreet Guide 2022 FN (6.0) value = $11,100.
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.
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 copy of Detective Comics #168 earned a 6.0 CGC Universal Grade, and has off-white pages, with only 178 copies recorded on the CGC Census, this book is not an easy find. The yellow on this cover brilliantly contrasts with the rich black background, making for a book that still shines brightly over 70 years after its release. Batman keys and early issues are some of the most prized collectibles around as well as great investment prospects. A 6.5 CGC Universal Grade copy of this book recently sold for over $31,000. Iconic Batman books only become more difficult to find and valuable over time, and missed opportunities to acquire these treasures go on to haunt collectors for ages.
Overstreet Guide 2022 FN (6.0) value = $11,100.
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