Randall Ries

Thanks. I collected all the regular release copies with sigs, some of the variants and had to have the Dell Otto virgin of #8. I thought he nailed that scene. The covers are pretty good and so why not? I just wish the story line was better. It was a departure from the human side of the 1986 series and of course we have to get back into aliens and all that. Would have been nice to see the post nuclear bomb society trying to put itself back together. Could have been a lot of dystopia for Bats and Co to deal with. But what do I know? I don't even count the next series. That was horrible. Like Miller had so much contempt for the first series. I agree about the inserts. I sort of ignored them at first, but after I accepted my disappointment with the featured story line, I went back and read the inserts. Frankly ( no pun intended) I have always felt that The Dark Knight Returns could easily have been a one shot and ended at the first issue. Or a fatter version of the first issue. But again: What do I know?

I didn't hate it, but it wasn't awesome, either. Pedestrian, really. IMO, the covers and some of the tribute covers were the best thing about the series.

I haven't really seen or read much feedback on this series. How did it go over with the readers? Here are some photos of the ones I have. I figured the books themselves will never be rare or valuable, so I picked out signed copies.

Detective 395 is where it starts for me. Leaving all that silly TV stuff behind and picking up where Bill Finger left off. Finally. here are some pictures of my own small collection of Adams Bronzies:

251 is not the better cover I don't believe. I have been following the price hike on 251 for over a year. It is steadily climbing. There are plenty of copies just like 181 as well. The selling point for 251 aside from the classic cover (Which 181 is NOT) is it is the first time the Joker murdered since 1942. Batman #9 I believe or Detective #45. It's entirely possible Wolverine will fade from popularity or settle into a lesser character when the next best thing eventually comes around. The Joker has been around since 1940 and thanks to Neal Adams was pulled out of the bumbling fool thing back to the whack job he was conceived as. A Bat 232 in 9.0 goes for around $800-900 bucks right now. About the same as a 251 although I am seeing some people asking $1,000 for a 9.0 251. Bat 232 has held steady at that price for awhile now. The rate the 251 has climbed far outstrips the increments 227 and 232 have seen in the same amount of time. IMO, the cover to 244 is the best Bat cover Adams ever did. Sounds weird, but to me, 251 is the first appearance of the homicidal Joker since the Golden age. EARLY golden age. I guess I'm wondering if this is a bubble or will it continue to climb?

That was kinda my point. It was priced really low when I bought it. Five years ago.

I bought a 9.0 copy of this in 2013 for $115. I see prices nudging up to $1,000 for books in this grade. Remarkable jump in prices in a relatively short span of time. Had I known, I would have bought a bunch of them.

I see what you mean, but for someone to take a high grade example of at least the Bat-books, have Adams draw all over the cover and then offer them for sale shows the seller is just that. Trying to flip a book thinking an Adams sketch will up the price 10 fold. That is not a collector. That is a speculator that just ruined a high grade book. Proof is in the pudding as they are still FS on eBay. And as you said so well, "the cover is so gorgeous that adding a sketch distracts from how beautiful it is." Which was my initial point of contention. Having Stan Lee sign anything DC was funny the first time he did it. After that, it was anathema. The only time I liked an actor signed book was when Val Kilmer signed a movie adaptation book of the movie he was actually in and signed it "I'm Batman". A line I have LOATHED since I read a pirated copy of the first movie -script in 1988. HATE IT. For some reason, I wanted to buy the book Kilmer signed. I wouldn't let Stan Lee sign my Parole paperwork much less any book that meant something to me. He takes too much of the credit away from the other creators of characters and I have never liked him all that much.

What a great story this was. I learned about Krakatoa and what being trapped in the hull of a prison ship while covered in lava can do to the human psyche.

I would like to post some of my favorite covers from what seems to be an underappreciated title:

True enough. Collectors can do what they like to the books they own. At the same time I try to remember I am only a custodian. I suppose all of us have a degree of responsibility to the collector of the future. And the preservation of these books. The Bronze age is quickly approaching the 50 year mark, if GL/GA #76 is the indicator. That's old enough to start treating these earlier BA books with some respect. Especially first appearance books. I have a copy of All Star No. 7 @ CGC 7.0. It's a nice copy. Not high grade as some would consider high grade, but it's a survivor at any rate. Should I have had Sheldon Moldoff sign and sketch the cover when he was alive? Not never. Obviously, my feelings are books with provenance aren't being enhanced by sharpie drawings on the covers. Maybe not even signatures. I have a soft spot for arrival dates in pencil on covers on older books for some reason. I think if I had to do it over, I would have chosen books without signatures or bought front page signatures. They are still noted on a CGC label and are not obtrusive. Though I do love my Swamp Thing #1 signed by Wrightson. I hope that collectors think about what they are about to do to a high grade example on "hot" books before they do it. That #227 is hard to find in that grade because of the black cover.

Gad, yes. Stan Lee is a serial signaturist. His signatures will be virtually worthless there are so many. I saw his scrawl on a golden age Captain America once. Leave those alone. I have to wonder why Adams would look at a book like a pedigree or a high grade key issue and start drawing all over it. Maybe to him it's just a job and he's getting paid for it. Or maybe it's a bit of contempt on his part. I have no idea what the future holds for the value of signed books. CGC has its own classification for them so they must be collectible and legitimate enough to warrant that. The drawing and doodling by artists on the covers of classic SA/BA books should get an orange label and be considered damaged AFAIC. A Bat 232 in 9.6 can receive around $2600-$3000. Does adding a goofy sketch at the request of a fan really enhance the book? A signature can at least be added discreetly. Taking a sharpie to a beautiful book like that and drawing a cameo across the front cover should be considered damage and bring the grade way down. Maybe if CGC and the other grading companies would adopt that idea, these fans would think twice about wrecking flawless books. I do like the blank cover editions where an artist can draw whatever the fan would like. Those are one of a kind.

What I am hoping for is that this doesn't become a trend. Signatures don't bother me if they are placed tastefully. Drawing a Bat-face over Two Face is defacing (See what I did there?) a high grade book. I saw a Bat 232 with a Ra's Al Ghul cameo drawn over the original face. That one was a 9.8. Ulp!

Bat 227 - $8,999 ask on eBay Bat 234 - $2799 ask on eBay. $3k for a 9.4 with a Bat-Cameo right in the middle of the first appearance of Two Face since the Golden Age is mind boggling. I can't see anyone with a lick of collector's sense spending more than $100 for the thing. It's really a shame to do that to a book with nice provenance. I just sold a Blue Label Bat 227 9.4 for $1600. $9k for the 227 is adding insult to injury. It couldn't possibly be a knowledgeable collector who wandered into a con thinking "Hey! Neal Adams is here! I think I'll bring him this gorgeous copy of my Bat #227, pay to have him ruin it, then put it on eBay and ask $9k for it! I'll get that no problem!" IMO, Bat 227 is skating on thin ice as it is. It's the cover that's the draw with that book anyway. Why deface it?

I love Neal Adams artwork. Have since I was a wee lad. I will buy high grade issues with his or Denny's signature on them if placed correctly, although Denny's signature looks like a barbed wire sample. I usually try to get a high grade copy w/o a signature and a f-vf copy with signature. What I am finding very disturbing are the sketches being added to high grade examples of classic issues. Who thinks it is a good idea to have Neal Adams add a sketch to a high grade classic Batman issue? To me, it is vandalism. And to ask ridiculous amounts of money to try to sell these things on eBay? Someone needs to approach Adams and ask him to have a little respect for these books and refuse to draw on them. A long shot I know, but these things are terrible to look at and contemplate. And HOW in the WORLD can these command 9.4 and 9.6 grades? Wouldn't the ink soak through the front cover and soak the other side thus wrecking the book? In my mind, that would pull the grading WAY down. Down to 2.0 or 3.0. I don't understand any of this. I would never buy one of these for any amount of money.

I would go 8.5-9.0. NICE book! It fits my centering criteria as well. If I ever get one, I want one with all of Hulks butt in the picture. Many of them clip off part of his butt and I won't have it. Congratulations!

Ta Fut? In what world is this a 6.5?

Since the new holders and rearrangement of tag info, it seems like the grading has gotten really strict. Just my opinion, if you don't have another copy of this, I would keep it. I traded my 9.0 about six months before Wrightson died. BIG mistake. I wish I hadn't done that. Just sayin'. I got another one @ 7.5. Not getting rid of it ever.

I think I could get past it if it were mine.

I would add Superman # 16: 1st Clark Kent cover appearance in either title. 1st Lois Lane cover in title. 1st "word balloon" in Superman or Action Comics, (Wouldn't see the 1st "word balloon" in Action Comics until #84) next "word balloon" in title is Superman #32 "It tickles". I think this is an overlooked classic cover. Sums up the Superman/Clark/Lois/Metropolis mythos very nicely. Jack Burnley was the MAN!

Haha. "Blub". Classic.