Professor Pecora

What’s up everyone! You can view and bid on my entire consignment in auction #122242 at the following link: Professor Pecora’s HA.com/122242 Consignments ________________________________ The following high-grade Daredevil books of mine will be ENDNG on Sunday, October 16, 2022 in the EVENING on Heritage LIVE: Daredevil #45 CGC 9.6 WP — From the Oregon Coast Collection Daredevil #68 CGC 9.8 WP — From the Oregon Coast Collection Daredevil #69 CGC 9.8 WP — From the Oregon Coast Collection Daredevil #173 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #183 CGC 9.8 WP — Newsstand Edition Daredevil #197 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #200 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #202 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #203 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #205 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #227 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #290 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #302 CGC 9.8 WP — Newsstand Edition ——————————————————— The following high-grade Spectacular Spider-Man & Wolverine (1988) books of mine will be ENDING on Monday, October 17, 2022 in the EVENING on Heritage LIVE: Spectacular Spider-Man #27 CGC 9.8 WP — (1st Frank Miller Daredevil Art) Spectacular Spider-Man #28 CGC 9.8 WP — (2nd Frank Miller Daredevil Art) Wolverine #2 CGC 9.8 WP — Signature Series (Bill Sienkiewicz) Wolverine #3 CGC 9.8 WP — Newsstand Edition Wolverine #9 CGC 9.8 WP — Signature Series (Gene Colan) Wolverine #20 CGC 9.8 WP — Newsstand Edition Wolverine #28 CGC 9.8 WP — Signature Series (Barry Kitson) Wolverine #29 CGC 9.8 WP — Signature Series (Barry Kitson) Wolverine #32 CGC 9.8 WP — Signature Series (Marc Silvestri) Wolverine #34 CGC 9.8 WP — Signature Series (Marc Silvestri) Wolverine #37 CGC 9.8 WP — Signature Series (Marc Silvestri) Wolverine #38 CGC 9.8 WP — Signature Series (Marc Silvestri) Wolverine #39 CGC 9.8 WP — Signature Series (Marc Silvestri) Wolverine #40 CGC 9.8 WP — Newsstand Edition + Signature Series (Marc Silvestri) Wolverine #41 CGC 9.8 WP — Signature Series (Marc Silvestri) Wolverine #67 CGC 9.8 WP — Newsstand Edition ___________________________________ Thanks for checking my books out and good luck! -Professor

What’s up everyone! If you’re looking for some of the finest Daredevil books—PERFECTLY WRAPPED & CENTERED with BRIGHT COLORS including CGC 9.8 WP Newsstand and Canadian Price Variants—look no further! You can view and bid on my entire consignment in auction #122240 at the following link: CLICK HERE —> Professor Pecora’s High-Grade Daredevil books! Daredevil #41 CGC 9.4 OW-WP Daredevil #42 CGC 9.4 OW-WP Daredevil #146 CGC 9.6 OW-WP Daredevil #158 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #160 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #161 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #162 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #163 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #164 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #167 CGC 9.8 WP - CVA Exceptional Daredevil #171 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #172 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #173 CGC 9.8 WP - Newsstand Edition Daredevil #174 CGC 9.8 WP - Newsstand Edition Daredevil #176 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #177 CGC 9.8 WP - Newsstand Edition Daredevil #178 CGC 9.8 WP - Newsstand Edition Daredevil #181 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #182 CGC 9.8 WP - Newsstand Edition Daredevil #183 CGC 9.8 WP - Newsstand Edition Daredevil #184 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #186 CGC 9.8 WP - Newsstand Edition Daredevil #187 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #188 CGC 9.8 WP - Newsstand Edition + Signature Series Daredevil #189 CGC 9.8 WP Daredevil #190 CGC 9.8 WP - Newsstand Edition Daredevil #191 CGC 9.8 WP - Canadian Price Variant (Only 1 of 2)! Daredevil #196 CGC 9.8 OW-WP - Newsstand Edition Daredevil #197 CGC 9.8 WP Feel free to hit me up with any further questions, etc. Thanks and good luck! -Professor

Just wanted to give any collectors and or investors a heads up that I have a total of 31 books closing on HA.com/122238 tomorrow (9/18/2022)! You can view and bid on my entire consignment in auction #122238 at the following link: Professor Pecora’s High-Grade Daredevil & ASM books featured in: HA September Weekly Auction #122238 Please reach out to me with any questions! Thanks! -Professor

🏆 Feast your 👀 on some of the world’s finest KEY Daredevil books! 💻 NOW AVAILABLE FOR BIDDING ON: (HA.com/7279) —> CLICK HERE—> Professor Pecora’s High Grade Daredevil KEYS (Heritage Auctions) ENDING on 9/10/2022! ⏳ BIDDING ENDS ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2022 (ON HERITAGE “LIVE” — Signature Internet Session)! ❤️ Please LIKE & SHARE to help spread the word! 🙏🏼🙏🏼 🥂-Professor ____________________________ 💥 Daredevil 2 CGC 9.4 WP (ONLY 1 of 25 with only 15 higher! 2nd appearance of Daredevil & Electro)! 💥 Daredevil 3 CGC 9.6 OW-WP (ONLY 1 of 11 with ONLY 2 higher in 9.8! 3rd appearance of Daredevil + the origin & 1st appearance of the Owl AKA Leland Owlsley)! 💥 Daredevil 4 Pacific Coast Pedigree CGC 9.4 OW-WP (ONLY 1 of 5 CGC 9.4 Pedigree copies! Origin & 1st appearance of the Purple Man AKA Zebediah Killgrave)! 💥 Daredevil 5 Pacific Coast Pedigree CGC 9.4 OW-WP (The ONLY known CGC 9.4 Pedigree copy! Origin & 1st appearance of El Matador AKA Manuel Eloganto)! 💥 Daredevil 6 CGC 9.4 OW-WP (ONLY 1 of 41 with 21 higher! Origin & 1st appearance of Mr. Fear AKA Zoltan Drago)! 💥 Daredevil 7 CGC 9.4 OW-WP (ONLY 1 of 11 with ONLY 4 higher in 9.6! 1st appearance of Daredevil in his iconic Red Suit)! 💥 Daredevil 8 CGC 9.4 OW-WP (ONLY 1 of 46 with 33 higher! Origin & 1st appearance of Stilt-Man AKA Wilbur Day)! 💥 Daredevil 10 Signature Series: Stan Lee CGC 9.4 WP (Single Highest Graded SS copy! 1 of 1! 1st appearance of the Ani-Men)! 💥 Daredevil 18 CGC 9.4 WP (ONLY 1 of 57 with 35 higher! Origin & 1st appearance of Gladiator AKA Melvin Potter)! 💥 Daredevil 100 CGC 9.8 WP (Highest Graded! ONLY 1 of 13! Milestone issue! 1st appearance of Angar the Screamer AKA Mindstorm)! 💥 Daredevil 158 CGC 9.8 WP (Highest Graded! 1st Frank Miller Daredevil cover & art in the title)! 💥 Daredevil 168 CGC 9.8 WP (Highest Graded! Origin & 1st appearance of Elektra)! 💥 Daredevil 168 CGC 9.6 WP (Second Highest Graded! Origin & 1st appearance of Elektra)! 💥 ASM 162 CGC 9.8 WP (Highest Graded! ONLY 1 of 127! 1st appearance of Jigsaw AKA William “Billy” Russo)! ____________________________

What's up @Brandon Shepherd! Thank You! It's been a while my brother! I hope you've been doing well! -Professor Pecora

Thanks @richard8158! I really appreciate that! A lot of the high-grade ASM books that I have posted journal articles for and the ones I will be posting up...are being auctioned off on Heritage Auctions. Ten of my books are currently available for bidding NOW in the September Signature Auction, which lasts until September 11th. I also have 25 other ASM CGC 9.8 WP books (valued between $100 - $1000 each) that will be featured in a weekly auction starting on August 23rd and ending on August 30th. Then, I have another 3 ASM CGC 9.8 WP books in another weekly Heritage Auction that runs from September 13th - September 20th! However, I am not selling them all; I am holding onto a few of my BIG books such as ASM #16 CGC 9.6 WP, ASM #50 CGC 9.4 WP and my ASM #129 CGC 9.8 WP along with my copy of ASM #162 CGC 9.8 WP. I am reinvesting the funds into another BIG book; a Silver Age Key! :-) I'm glad that you appreciate reading my journals! I will be posting a lot more soon! -Professor Pecora

Amazing Spider-Man #161 features the 1st Nightcrawler crossover! What you’re looking at here is a highly undervalued historical KEY issue! With that said, let’s delve right into it! In the Summer of 1975, the new X-Men made their 1st appearance in Giant-Size X-Men #1, which consisted of Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, & Thunderbird! After a powerful debut, they made their 2nd appearance in X-Men #94 in August of 1975, which relaunched the title after 4+ years of bi-monthly reprint issues that span from #67-#93! Carrying on with the bi-monthly publishing format, the new X-Men would continue to make appearances every two months until X-Men #113, when Marvel decided to start publishing the title monthly. Considering this background information, both Amazing Spider-Man #161 and X-Men #101 were published in October of 1976, which ties for Nightcrawler’s 9th appearance in the history of comics! More importantly, ASM #161 features the 1st time Nightcrawler crossed over into another title, which is also the 1st time his name was written on a cover and the 1st time in which a story was dedicated to him: “...And the Nightcrawler Came Prowling, Prowling!” Furthermore, even though CGC did not include this important historical information on the CGC label, rest assured that ASM #161 has the potential to SPIKE in value, as it appeals to both Amazing Spider-Man & X-Men collectors—two of the most collected titles in the hobby! With an awesome Gil Kane & John Romita Spider-Man vs. Nightcrawler battle cover to boot, I predict that it’s only a matter of time until we see high-grade copies appreciate exponentially! Overstreet 2021 NM- 9.2 value = $65. According to the CGC Census Report as of Tuesday, August 17, 2021, out of a total of 722 Universal copies graded, only 105 copies were graded in 9.8 with 0 copies graded higher! With these statistics in mind, this represents an impressive rarity factor of only 14.54% of the total population! This stunning copy is WORLD CLASS in every way! It’s PERFECTLY WRAPPED and CENTERED and contains PERFECT WHITE PAGES! I have honestly not seen a nicer looking copy! This blazer has a super tight spine with no visible stresses or color breaks, deep color saturation that looks like it was printed yesterday and perfectly inserted staples! This copy truly looks MINT! In closing, I won this pristine beauty during a Heritage Sunday & Monday Comic Books Weekly Select Auction in June of 2021! I was ecstatic when I was notified as the winning bidder and I’m proud to showcase this immaculate copy in Arachnophobia! Happy Collecting & Enjoy the Hunt! -Professor Pecora ASM #161 CGC 9.8 WP is featured in Professor Pecora's ASM CGC Registry Set entitled "Arachnophobia!" Please also FOLLOW on Instagram ----> @professor_pecora

Amazing Spider-Man #149 features the 1st appearance of the Spider-Man clone + the origin & “death” of the Jackal! The original Spider-Man Clone Saga is one of the most CLASSIC storylines within the Amazing Spider-Man title! It collects Amazing Spider-Man #139-#150; Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) #25-#31, #149, #162-#163 & Annual #8! Therefore, it’s only a matter of time until the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produces a film to showcase this exciting content on the silver screen! Once the Spider-Man clone makes his MCU debut, exceptional looking copies like this gem are going to skyrocket in value! Overstreet 2021 NM- 9.2 value = $225. According to the CGC Census Report as of Tuesday, August 17, 2021, out of a total of 1,155 Universal copies graded, only 35 copies were graded in 9.8 with 0 copies graded higher! With these statistics in mind, this represents an impressive rarity factor of only 3.03% of the total population! This stunning copy is WORLD CLASS in every way! It’s PERFECTLY WRAPPED and CENTERED and contains PERFECT WHITE PAGES! I have honestly not seen a nicer looking copy! This blazer has a super tight spine with no visible stresses or color breaks, deep color saturation that looks like it was printed yesterday and perfectly inserted staples! This copy truly looks MINT! In closing, I won this pristine beauty during a Pedigree Comics Grand Auction in May of 2021! I was ecstatic when I was notified as the winning bidder and I’m proud to showcase this immaculate copy in Arachnophobia! Happy Collecting & Enjoy the Hunt! -Professor Pecora ASM #149 CGC 9.8 WP is featured in Professor Pecora's ASM CGC Registry Set entitled "Arachnophobia!" Please also FOLLOW on Instagram ----> @professor_pecora

Great question @Best2u! I know dozens of collectors who horde multiple copies of particular issues! Sometimes it becomes so obsessive that they accumulate like 10-20 copies!! For me personally, I never felt a need to acquire multiple copies of a particular issue, because there are just way too many other books on my want list that will require sufficient capital to obtain, so I just don't have the funds to dump on a duplicate copy! However, there are times in which I purposely buy two copies of a particular issue with the intent to FLIP a copy if I feel like that particular book is going take off! I always keep a copy in my PC and sell the other one in this case! Other times, if I already own a particular issue, but a better presenting (more perfect wrap and centering) copy comes up for auction, I will acquire the better looking copy and just sell my current copy! Just a few times have I purchased multiple copies of a particular issue because I LOVE the cover! In general, I focus on acquiring the best possible looking copy on my Want List...check it off...and move onto targeting another one on my list! As you are well aware, CGC collecting is quite an EXPENSIVE hobby, so my $ has to be applied to other books I'd love to acquire! On the flip side, there are benefits to hording multiple copies of KEY comic books. I know some collectors who have acquired like 20 copies of Incredible Hulk #181 and Daredevil #1 in various grades throughout the years, which have appreciated significantly since they started stacking their copies up! NOW, they can make some serious $$$ if they choose to start selling them off to apply to a few expensive and otherwise unattainable grails they would like to acquire for their PCs! At the end of the day, I think it's all about personal perspective and taste. I say collect what you LOVE and enjoy it; whether that is spreading out your acquisitions across multiple titles, focusing on completing a specific run...or collecting 20 copies of the same issue you love! Just do YOU! -Professor Pecora

You're Welcome @john ivic!

Awesome acquisition! You gotta love the Newsstand Edition variants! I am hoping you get that grade increase! Professor Pecora

WOW! This is a beautiful Jim Cheung original art piece! Awesome! The visual makes you feel like you're at war and the dark shadows casted on the characters symbolize the billowing smoke from the bombs and bullets exploding! It's also a nice sized piece at 18" x 27"! Congrats! Professor Pecora

This is a beautiful looking copy! I am gradually learning more about DC titles, as I am primarily a high-grade Marvel KEY collector, but I can definitely appreciate pristine pieces like this gem! If I see or hear anything regarding this issue, I will definitely reach out! Professor Pecora

Thank you so much @john ivic! You are definitely correct about the crown jewel in the May 2021 Pedigree ASM Auction being the ASM #20 CGC 9.8 WP - Curator Pedigree! Yes indeed, there has been a ton of speculation surround the Scorpion's grand entrance into the MCU; so it has been heating up in all grades over the past year! We shall see in the near future what happens! I do believe it's only a matter of "when" and not "if," as the Scorpion is an integral villain in the "Spider-Verse," which Mac Gargan also eventually bonds with the Venom symbiote...so viewing this evolution of major characters on the silver screen one day should be quite interesting! Yeah, I could have sold a few of my books to attain the ASM #20 CGC 9.8 WP - Curator Pedigree, which I might have seriously considered "IF" it was perfectly wrapped and centered, which it wasn't! It appeared that at least 3/16" of the front cover was wrapped on the back cover, which isn't attractive to me...especially in that top grade! I'd rather own a perfectly wrapped and centered CGC 9.4 WP copy! The same would be true in regards to the ASM #101 CGC 9.8 OW-WP CVA Exceptional copy I pulled out of bidding after 21K, because for that price, I would need a "White Page" copy! In turn, if that copy had White Pages, I would have made sure I was the final bidder! Then, if I needed to sell a few of my books to help pay for it, I would have! However, that wasn't the case, so I calmly and confidentially stopped bidding. Lastly, I also wish I had the type of spending money to drop 60-100K on a book! Maybe one day! -Professor Pecora

You pointed out the ASM books that I also thought should have went higher. I was expecting ASM #39 CGC 9.8 WP to fetch over 30K and ASM #129 CGC 9.6 WP around 12K. I do think ASM #55 CGC 9.8 OW could have fetched a bit more, but not too bad at 10K for off-white pages. Yeah, I will definitely acquire a perfectly wrapped and centered ASM #101 CGC 9.6 or 9.8 WP copy in the near future. I definitely prefer a 9.8, but for the right 9.6 WP copy...I'd go for it! Yeah...my favorite Erik Larsen early Venom covers are ASM #346 and #347! I actually own two CGC 9.8 WP copies of ASM #346; both with custom CGC Labels: 1 with a Venom label and 1 with a Spider-Man label. WOW!!! I do remember selling my one of my former copies of ASM #162 CGC 9.8 WP on eBay! Congrats! You see how much it has appreciated since then! I just had to come up with $1,605 to acquire another perfectly wrapped and centered white-paged copy! They are definitely hard to come by in that condition, so you have yourself an exceptional copy for sure! Thanks on the ASM #134 CGC 9.8 WP! It truly is a pristine copy! It pairs up super nicely with my ASM #129 CGC 9.8 WP! I used to own the 1st 50+ issues of Wolverine (1988) ALL in CGC SS 9.8 or higher! I sold all of those Signature Series copies to all of the top Wolverine (1988) collectors. As of 2021, I primarily collect high-grade Universal Blue Label ASM books, as I don't typically like Signature Series books because most of the time the signatures are placed on locations that in my opinion, deface the beautiful original artwork of the cover! However, every once in a while, if a book that I am looking to add to my collection surfaces as a CGC SS 9.8 WP copy AND if it has EXCELLENT signature placement, I may go for it! With that said, I just added my "1st" Signature Series book to my ASM Arachnophobia collection earlier this week! You can check it out by clicking on the link below: ASM #362 CGC SS 9.8 WP - Second Printing -Professor Pecora

What's up @MGsimba77! I was actually one of the top bidders on the ASM #101 CGC 9.8 OW-WP (CVA Exceptional), but I decided to pull out after 21K. I figured since I really desire a CGC 9.8 "White Page" copy to match all of my current ASM books in my Arachnophobia set, which ALL have Perfect White Pages along with being Perfectly Wrapped & Centered, I chose to let that one go for that price! It sold for $23,250, which is a new world record sale for ASM #101, and who knows how much it would have sold for if I chose to continue bidding? I know I was one of the top "3" bidders towards the end, but I feel great about my decision because I have a feeling I will eventually secure an even better copy with white pages one day! So congrats to the new owner! However, I did WIN KILLER copies of: ASM #149 CGC 9.8 WP (1st appearance of the Spider-Man clone + origin & "death" of the Jackal) ASM #162 CGC 9.8 WP (1st appearance of Jigsaw (William Russo) & Doctor Marla Madison) ASM #340 CGC 9.8 WP (1st appearance of the Femme Fatales) ASM #347 CGC 9.8 WP (Classic Erik Larsen & Randy Emberlin Venom cover; homage to William Shakespeare's Hamlet) ASM #379 CGC 9.8 WP (Early Venom & Carnage cover appearance) So I feel super good about the above acquisitions! These copies will SHINE brightly in my collection as they are truly perfectly wrapped and centered! I will also eventually submit ALL of the books in the older generation holders to be reholdered into the new cases! They will present even better once that happens! I do agree that several books in the Pedigree Auction were "spotty," but when you literally auction an entire ASM run from issue 17-700, it's kind of expected for some books to "fall through the cracks" because of several reasons. 1) Each book ends a few minutes after the previous one ends; if one is bidding on multiple books, that can become tedious. 2) Due to so many high-grade offerings in one auction, some collectors probably only targeted a few that they could afford...even though there were probably more books they would have bid on. 3) Pedigree Comics does NOT have a social media presence (Instagram, Facebook, etc.), so I believe that hurts the overall marketing and promotional aspect of Pedigree's auctions because there are lot of collectors and investors not being exposed to their offerings. Thanks again for your message! -Professor Pecora

Thanks! I hear you, but like you said, Incredible Hulk #182 represents Wolverine's "3rd" overall appearance in the history of comics. In my perspective, whether it's a cameo or full appearance; technically...Incredible Hulk #180 IS Wolverine's "1st" appearance in the history of comics followed by his 2nd appearance / (1st "full" appearance) in Incredible Hulk #181. With that said, ASM #129 IS the Punisher's 1st appearance followed by his "2nd" appearance in the history of comics in ASM #134; but it's kind of the reverse scenario from IH #180 and #181 right?...because in this case ASM #129 is also the Punisher's 1st "full" appearance with him on the cover followed by his "2nd" cameo appearance! Either way...ASM #134 has historically been undervalued just like IH #180 has for YEARS! However, last night, a copy of ASM #134 CGC 9.8 WP sold on Pedigree Comics for a NEW WORLD RECORD of $5,101! -Professor Pecora

Amazing Spider-Man #134 features the 1st appearance of the Tarantula & the 2nd appearance of the Punisher in cameo on last page! In July of 1974, writer Gerry Conway and artist Ross Andru introduced us to a new animal-themed supervillain known as the Tarantula! Inspired by the political events that were taking place in South America (especially in Chile) during the early 1970’s, Mr. Antonio "Anton" Miguel Rodriguez served as a revolutionary against dictatorship in the fictional Republic of Delvadia. However, Anton became desensitized to committing homicides and was forced to resign. As a way to get back at the republic, he became a bounty hunter and joined forces with those he initially fought against. During this time, he developed a battle suit with retractable steel claws in his gloves and spikes in his boots that could smash through hard surfaces and eject poison into his opponents. He called himself the Tarantula and donned a huge black tarantula logo in the middle of his chest to mimic Spider-Man’s suit, but with his ultimate goal of capturing him! At this point, the Tarantula became obsessed with killing as if it were a hobby, which he ended up assassinating a fellow officer and was banned from the country. He decided to flee South America and made his way to New York City to begin his criminal career, where he encountered both Spider-Man and the Punisher. Although the Tarantula demonstrated exceptional acrobatic and combative skills in which he even stabbed Spider-Man with his spiked boot, he was ultimately defeated and sentenced to jail. In an attempt to use the Tarantula as a pawn to get back at Spider-Man, the Jackal broke him out of prison, which would eventually lead into The Original Clone Saga in issues #139-#150. Overall, the original Tarantula appeared in the following ASM issues: #134-#135, #147-#148 and #233-#236. In December of 1976, he was also the villain featured on the historic front cover of Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #1! Unfortunately, after injecting himself with the Brand Corporation's mutagenic serum, he developed superhuman powers stronger than Spider-Man’s, but became unstable to the point in which his limbs could not support weight. As a result, in ASM #236, after mutating into a giant-sized tarantula with his mental stability impaired, he committed suicide by jumping off a building and landing onto the street and begging a bunch of police officers to shoot him, which resulted in the Tarantula being gunned down to his untimely death. Since then, there have been several characters who have taken on the Tarantula identity, which include: Luis Álvarez, Jacinda Rodríguez, María Vásquez and Kaine Parker. The Tarantula is often considered a Forgotten Spider-Man Rogue, due to his short life span and not having a significant appeal with the readers. However, you never know what can happen if the Tarantula is one day brought to life on the silver screen within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)! In terms of the cover art—I absolutely LOVE IT! As I mentioned in my Arachnophobia set description, John Romita Sr. is my favorite Amazing Spider-Man cover artist, and this bright and appealing 1974 battle cover between Spider-Man and the Tarantula does not disappoint! The yellow background with deep reds and contrasting black and blue highlights really POP together nicely! I also love how the two characters are battling on a cargo ship with the Hudson River in the background. The movement captured is superb; Spider-Man is blocking the Tarantula’s arm as he misses his target with his ejected spiked boot shredding into the steel ship! In addition, instead of Spider-Man’s shadow being casted underneath him, you see a shadow of a tarantula, which John Romita drew to emphasize the caption on the lower right-hand corner, “DANGER IS A MAN CALLED TARANTULA!” UNDER VALUE ALERT! Although most collectors and investors are familiar with the Punisher’s 2nd “full” appearance in the history of comics in ASM #135; his true “2nd appearance” is contained within the last page of ASM #134! When I think about the reasons why this book has been slept on, it starts to make sense. For starters, the CGC label only notes “Punisher cameo on last page,” without making any reference that it is indeed his “2nd appearance.” In addition, the Punisher is not featured on the front cover, as he is on ASM #135. Therefore, when you combine not having the proper label credit with the character not appearing on the front cover, you can easily understand how this book has gone under the radar! However, on the front cover, there is a special caption located on the lower left-hand corner that reads: “EXTRA! Don’t miss the shocking return of a SURPRISE super-villain – in this issue’s STARTLING Last Panel!” Furthermore, this caption serves as “code language” that translates to: “The Punisher Returns,” which is actually printed on the cover of ASM #135, although he first returned in ASM #134! On that note, I believe that it’s only a matter of time until collectors and investors start catching on and placing higher demand to acquire this issue, which will cause its value to SPIKE dramatically! I view ASM #134 having a similar market growth as Incredible Hulk #180, which contains the 1st appearance of Wolverine in a cameo on the last page! For decades, IH #180 was overlooked because like ASM #134, there is no image or mention of Wolverine on the front cover. Moreover, IH #180 was constantly cast in the shadow by the follow-up issue, which contains Wolverine’s 1st “full” appearance in a famous battle against the Incredible Hulk! (Are you seeing the parallels now?) Over the years, more and more collectors and investors realized the historical value of Wolverine’s 1st true appearance and CGC 9.8 copies went from selling around 6K to 15K almost overnight! Now, IH #180 is considered a highly valued Bronze Age Key and you will have to pay a lofty penny to acquire a high-grade copy! With that being said, let’s put all of this into perspective; on May 2, 2021, a copy of ASM #129 CGC 9.8 WP sold on Heritage Auctions for a record-breaking $33,600! In turn, on May 12, 2021, a copy of ASM #134 CGC 9.8 WP sold on Pedigree Comics for a record-breaking $5,101! Since ASM #134 contains the Punisher’s 2nd appearance in the history of comics, the question is…how long do you think it’s going to take until ASM #134 skyrockets in value? Overstreet 2020 NM- 9.2 value = $120. According to the CGC Census Report as of Tuesday, May 11, 2021, out of a total of 805 Universal copies graded, only 39 copies were graded in 9.8 with 0 copies graded higher! With these statistics in mind, this represents an impressive rarity factor of only 4.84% of the total population! This stunning copy is WORLD CLASS in every way! It’s PERFECTLY WRAPPED and CENTERED and contains PERFECT WHITE PAGES! I have honestly not seen a nicer looking copy! This blazer has a super tight spine with no visible stresses or color breaks, deep color saturation that looks like it was printed yesterday and perfectly inserted staples! This copy truly looks MINT! Furthermore, due to portions of the spine containing jet black ink (i.e., the Marvel Comics Strip, the circle behind the Spider-Man logo and on the bottom left-hand corner), which exposes the slightest of defects, finding high-grade copies like this gem will be difficult to acquire. (SIDE NOTE: The scans captured multiple glares due to the inner well containing multiple ripples; it will eventually be re-encapsulated into the latest generation CGC Holder!) In closing, I purchased this pristine beauty from monk215 (via eBay) in February of 2021! The transaction and communication went extremely well and I’m proud to showcase this immaculate copy in Arachnophobia! Happy Collecting & Enjoy the Hunt! -Professor Pecora ASM #134 CGC 9.8 WP is featured in Professor Pecora's ASM CGC Registry Set entitled "Arachnophobia!" Please also FOLLOW on Instagram ----> @professor_pecora

Thank You! I actually do not have a raw copy to sift through! I'll have to check it out when I can get my hands on one! -Professor Pecora

What's up @MGsimba77! Thanks for your comment! YES indeed! The Bronze Age of Comics had a LOT of issues horribly miswrapped, that's why it's a special treat whenever myself or other collectors acquire high-grade, perfectly wrapped and centered examples! They are definitely a treat to stare at in person! Although manufacturing flaws such as cover wrap, staple placement, cover (print) alignment and the book's cut are NOT included in a book's overall grade, because they are "manufacturing" flaws, I see the market shifting in the near future to place more emphasis on these "flaws," because it's quite evident that copies that present more aesthetically appealing tend to sell for much higher premiums compared to their less appealing counterparts! This is why companies like CVA have a place to thrive in the hobby by placing their CVA "exceptional" stickers on outstanding presenting copies! I'm not sure if I am familiar with the "letters section" that you referred to... I will have to check that out because that little depiction of the splash page of ASM #125 sounds interesting! Thanks for sharing! -Professor Pecora

Amazing Spider-Man #129 features the 1st appearance of the Punisher (Frank Castle) and the Jackal! The Punisher was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr. and Ross Andru, with publisher Stan Lee providing the name. The classic cover art displaying the “Different and Deadly” Punisher was drawn by legendary artists Gil Kane and John Romita Sr. The most lethal hired assassin is featured in his iconic skull-imprinted black suit with an arsenal of weaponry, including an automatic assault rifle in which he is unloading a full clip of ammunition directly at Spider-Man. The close up view of the Punisher’s sniper scope depicts a defenseless and aerial bound Spider-Man avoiding bullets exploding against the surrounding brick buildings, with cross hairs aimed precisely at his heart! Couple this action on a commanding bright yellow cover, and you have one of the most sought-after and treasured comics in the history of the Amazing Spider-Man title! As a matter of fact, Amazing Spider-Man #129 is currently ranked #10 on Overstreet's Top 25 Bronze Age Comics list. Overstreet 2020 NM- 9.2 value = $1,900. In terms of the Amazing Spider-Man title, ASM #129 is “The” most valuable and expensive issue of the entire Bronze Age (1970-1979)! For example, on May 2, 2021, a copy of ASM #129 CGC 9.8 WP sold on Heritage Auctions for a record-breaking $33,600! Moreover, what made the Punisher truly unique is that although he was originally created as a villain; he was gradually developed into a crime-fighting antihero. It was characters like the Punisher and Ghost Rider (1st introduced in Marvel Spotlight #5 in August of 1972), that would influence the industry in creating more violent and grittier material. Since the Punisher’s inception in February of 1974, he has starred in 3 feature films. The first Punisher movie premiered in the USA on July 8, 1990 at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention, and was characterized by actor Dolph Lundgren. It wasn’t until 14 years later; on April 16, 2004, in which The Punisher had a reboot and was played by actor Thomas Jane with John Travolta playing the antagonistic character Howard Saint. The setting took place in Florida, which was not true to the comics as Frank Castle’s origins take place in Queens, New York. The most recent installment, Punisher: War Zone, released on December 5, 2008, was played by actor Ray Stevenson. In addition, actor Dominic West played the Punisher’s arch enemy Jigsaw (William “Billy” Russo), which is true to the comics as Jigsaw was introduced in Amazing Spider-Man #162 and plays a significant and enduring role throughout the Punisher’s storyline. Unfortunately, none of the aforementioned Punisher films were able to cement the character’s image and brand to the likes of Hugh Jackman playing Wolverine. There were a number of reasons why none of the films gave the Punisher’s character justice; they ranged from inconsistencies in the comics to corny representations of the characters to not finding the “right” actor to emulate and embody the Punisher to perfection. Fortunately, after decades of failed attempts to portray the character and build a successful franchise, in March of 2016, the Punisher was played by The Walking Dead alum Jon Bernthal (Shane Walsh) in season 2 of the critically acclaimed Daredevil Netflix TV series! Prior to his big screen debut and adding fuel to the hype, Marvel Head of Television Jeph Loeb said in the initial announcement on Marvel.com: “Jon Bernthal brings an unmatched intensity to every role he takes on, with a potent blend of power, motivation and vulnerability that will connect with audiences. Castle's appearance will bring dramatic changes to the world of Matt Murdock and nothing will be the same.” Since then, the Punisher has been kicking and captivating the audience into his psyche that depicts pain and vengeance amidst his fragmented memories of being a former loving husband and father of two, before they were tragically killed by the mob. Furthermore, on November 17, 2017, the Punisher made his highly successful debut in his self-titled series on Netflix! Finally, it looks like the Punisher is getting justice on the silver screen! In turn, this has translated into increased demand for high-grade copies of Amazing Spider-Man #129, as the Punisher’s stock has surged! According to the CGC Census Report as of Tuesday, May 4, 2021, out of a whopping total of 11,635 Universal copies graded, only a mere 143 copies were graded in 9.8 with 0 copies graded higher! With these statistics in mind, this represents an amazing rarity factor of only 1.23% of the total population! That’s pretty rare! Considering the vast number of copies that have already been professionally graded and the fact that many 9.8 copies are stashed away in private collections, it is going to become increasingly difficult to locate pristine 9.8 examples like this gem! Furthermore, a significant percentage (I would say over 80%) of ASM #129 copies were wrapped at an angle in which you can see part of the white back cover from the front, which is the culprit of most copies displaying the classic Gil Kane and John Romita Sr. cover off-centered. In contrast, there are many copies that do not display any part of the back cover from the front, but if you view the back cover, you’ll notice part of the edge of the front cover on the back. This “miswrap” often displays the “S” in Spider-Man (green font) located on the bottom left-hand corner to be obscured, as well as a part of Spider-Man’s boot near the upper left-hand corner. In addition, there are lots of copies that have a black ink smudge where it reads “The Punisher,” which also takes away from the aesthetic appeal of such a beautiful cover. If you are interested, just browse through all of the current lots and past sales of ASM #129 on eBay and on other various auction houses; you’ll see for yourself that it is very RARE to locate a copy that doesn’t exhibit these manufacturing flaws. With that in mind, this particular CGC 9.8 copy sports PERFECT COVER WRAP, PERFECT CENTERING, and PERFECT WHITE PAGE QUALITY along with being PERFECTLY CUT! The color saturation is deep and bright and the corners are razor sharp! On the back cover, there is an arrival date of “11-4” written in blue pen on the upper right-hand corner. Although it’s very minute and unobtrusive, I actually appreciate it because it gives the book “character” and differentiates the “Professor Pecora” copy from any other CGC 9.8! It’s definitely an “exceptional” copy that perfectly represents one of my favorite covers in all of comics! I will cherish it for a long time to come! In closing, I won this pristine beauty during a Pedigree Comics Grand Auction in April of 2020! I was very blessed to end up with the winning bid and I’m looking forward to watching it appreciate in value each year! Happy Collecting & Enjoy the Hunt! -Professor Pecora ASM #129 CGC 9.8 WP is featured in Professor Pecora's ASM CGC Registry Set entitled "Arachnophobia!" Please also FOLLOW on Instagram ----> @professor_pecora

Hmmm...not really sure if there is any significant meaning other than it could just be a random sequence between those 3 issues! (lol) However, 3 x 4 = 12 and 129 + 12 = 141, and issue 141 has a partially yellow cover and features the 1st appearance of Danny Berkhart as the new Mysterio! Is this mysterious? :-) On another note, YES...deep purple covers like Captain Marvel #4 are awesome! I also think a deep cherry red cover like ASM #50 looks phenomenal! -Professor Pecora

Thank You! I totally agree with you about loving yellow covers because they POP nicely in high-grade! This is one of the reasons why ASM #129 is one of my personal all-time favorite covers in all of comics! An interesting fact is that ASM #121, #125 and #129 all share bright yellow covers AND they are all spaced out between "4" issues! -Professor Pecora

Thank You! -Professor

Thanks @john ivic! WOW! I could only imagine being alive during your time and purchasing this book from a local convenience store! How cool! Thanks again man! There are so many left to collect! I am enjoying the journey though! -Professor