Topnotchman

Very small A-1 would be a lesser amount of professional color touch which does not bleed through the cover. C-1 small amount sounds extensive to me, but I believe ccs offers an opinion on successful restoration removal for a fee.

The difference between a spine roll and mis wrap has to do if the outside cover edges are lining up. The back cover is showing some fanning with the edge rolled in. This book has a slight spine roll that can be adjusted for a better eye appeal.

Good condition in comic grading is a 2.0 out of 10.0 points, and one interior detached staple would not affect a low grade book. A higher grade book by Overstreet grading was often downgraded to a fine minus 5.5 with notation. Cgc graders seem to let it go on higher grades above fine with minimal downgrade.

No it’s a basic press yet different than the Vengeance of Bane which does not have staples either.

This book has significant scaring, I would buy another copy and start over if you really want a high grade copy. Any further time or money invested into this flawed copy is not well spent.

Yes books like Killing Joke can be pressed to remove bends and dents. What I use is patience.

One of the easiest books to find in near mint mint condition. Those copies look horrible.

There is no published list of common production defects on individual books. I’m thinking bindery corner tears, grabber tears, and printer creases.

Certain paper and cover gloss can be softer or firmer, a firmer gloss may reflect the imperfections you’re pressing into the cover. Also your heat and humidity can soften a cover leaving impressions like canvassing.

Most likely it was not correctly heat sealed and has been that way since encapsulation.

Although I don't see what I would identify as a tape pull, just a few very tiny spine imperfections.

A tape pull on a 9.8 sounds like a problem.

If your backer board has black or other colors on it, yes that’s your comic ink on the board.

What you’re describing sounds like the black back cover has rubbed off exposing the white paper stock. If that’s the case, no it can not be cleaned or improved.

Professionals can properly humidify paper as a prep for pressing vs. using a hot clothing steamer for aqua injection into paper. One can observe the side effects of steam as rippling and warping.

Yes books can change grades in both directions. Your only guarantee is spending money and time.

One of the tougher ones in nice shape.

Search sold

Checked comic connect archives, going back to 2009 they sold 19 copies in 9.8 with all being direct editions.

Heritage archives has 46 Amazing Spider-man 298 9.8 sales with the only newsstand edition being the signature series copy. I didn’t take the time to verify if the sales were all unique copies other than the signature copy.

The Op wants to know how many exist in 9.8, didn’t specify blue or yellow label. There are 3 sales of blue label but only two different copies as the $2,000.00 and $2800.00 sales is the same book by different sellers. There’s also a sale for a 9.8 signature newsstand copy on Heritage in July of 2022 for $2640.00. That exact book has been sold five times going back to 2016 when it originally sold for $313.00. The number of sales does not correlate with the number of known copies.

Ink lifting is a significant problem to a book and previous posted images look accurate.

I’ve gotten them often, with 9.8’s on vintage economy submitted books. Very rare on a modern order.

Bends and finger dents can be taken out of this type of cover, however you have more of a scratch type line. Something I haven’t worked on specifically with a Dark Knight returns, however it looks probable to minimize with an isolated press.

My slow track moderns 4/13 shipped in less than a week while my 4/13 walk through still sits. It’s a good move to change the name walk through tier to unlimited value. Maybe it’s a QC issue causing the delay and they are resolving.