Davenport

How does pressing have anything to do with undisclosed micro-trimming? Didn't comics involve pressed and trimmed paper at time of manufacture? Re-pressing and re-trimming alters what was vintage into modern looks-as-if illusions of enhanced preservation. Ditto recreating and repositioning original spine folds.

That's interesting. It has “With their return to the grading room" but refers to both as "consultants". If they're going to be onsite all day every day they need a better title. "Consultant" sounds like someone paid to be on speed-dial stand by, independent contractors. I've been pretty vocal the last few years concerning my frustration over not knowing who's grading GA books at CGC. Knowing Mark and Chris are there is a huge step in the right direction. How will you know though? Assuming "consultant" signifies they're not employees, it could mean anything from physically grading books to an illusion of inclusion to boost confidence.

That's interesting. It has “With their return to the grading room" but refers to both as "consultants". If they're going to be onsite all day every day they need a better title. "Consultant" sounds like someone paid to be on speed-dial stand by, independent contractors.

I'm curious as to just how much they make off those notes. I've bought them a few times, once when I was perplexed why a book I submitted got such a low grade and another time when I was debating among three different copies of Strange Tales 110. But ya, otherwise just seems a waste of money, and makes sense that when I pay to have something graded that I could actually see the graders' notes explaining said grade. Since inception until the recent "pay to know", it was "call for notes". On the surface it didn't make any sense in a modern world, and many here begged, pleaded and assumed at some point CGC would get the grader's notes online. So obviously, at this point, there's some intent behind not providing notes as part of the service. Maybe in some way it helps commoditize slabs when the focus stays on the what (Big Number) instead of the the why (grader's notes)? Who knows. It still makes little sense that an exam wouldn't include what was found. So there's got to be some fundamental self-serving reason not to include them.

I watched a B movie on Netflix last night, The Warrior's Way. It was ridiculously fun, the stylized (comic book) fight sequences. If they can put that kind of energy and visuals in a B movie like that, they can figure out a way to put Batman on screen. Period. There's just no excuse anymore. Timm gets gets it right in the animation. Superman is in awe of Batman, needs Batman's respect. And Batman knows it. If DC can't manage to capture that relationship on film, they're screwed. And the Cap I saw would mop the floor with Nolan's Batman. When they should be on par.

Went to a Monday evening matinee, which is the way to do it. Practically a private showing on the cheap. Really enjoyed it. Engaging story with a bit of mystery and The Falcon was a great addition. "I do what he does, only slower." (thumbs u One overriding thought (as a DC fan): They've got to figure out a way for Batman to fight like Cap did on screen. Yeah, Batman isn't "super", but he needs that level of on-screen energy and flexibility. Some constrained guy in a thick wetsuit isn't going to cut it anymore. Batman needs to fight, jump, roll, flip and climb like he does in DC animation, like Cap did in the movie. Someone in peak ultra-athletic condition, trained, zero hesitation, quick. Figure it out DC.

Wouldn't a "Review" only be valid for something verifiable, things that can be determined one way or the other? For matters of "opinion", something that can't be proven, the best they could do is send it back through their system again, blind. See what conclusion comes out. The new owner did that.

What's confusing is why a "Review" should carry more weight than the normal grading system? A "review" isn't blind, is it? They're knowingly reviewing their system's 'blind' opinion to determine if a mistake was made. That's what I don't get. There's a lot of faith put in the grading system because it's blind, no fore-knowledge involved, grade 'only what's in front of you', and all that. So why does a "Review" trump 2-out-of-3 regular (blind) system processings?

Geez whatthe heck is going on out there with allof this grading mis happenings lately? Makes me never want to grade a book.. Damn. That's a horrible story.

There's an HD version online. Now that's what Marvel should've developed into a TV series. (thumbs u Far enough removed from present-day continuity for great writing and character development. Could've been highly rated and long running, ala Nikita or Alias.

Jeffery Deaver is the master of plot twists, so any of his 'Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs' mysteries. But my 'gold standard' writer is John Sandford - his 'Prey' series or the Virgil Flowers series, either one. And check out what's coming: FACEOFF – Coming Out In June 2014 Twenty-three of the world’s bestselling and critically acclaimed thriller writers have paired their series characters in an eleven-story anthology curated by the International Thriller Writers (ITW). Includes Lincoln Rhyme vs. Lucas Davenport in “Rhymes With Prey,” by Jeffery Deaver and John Sandford.

Here's hoping the entire thread doesn't wink out.

I'm guessing if that 7.0 Purple had been Blue, the book would've never darkened CGC's door again ever. Surely players have a sense of when a playing piece is 'tapped out'. But any wiggle room left at all, somebody will give it a go.

With the risk/reward factor, and so many other manipulations officially green-lit, it'd be very surprising if trims weren't in play fairly often. The risk is measured in dollars, not years in prison or a body count. Casinos attract crowds of those kinds of risk takers. They're not rare.

Wasn't it posted the owner has decided not to respond to CGC and keeping it for his collection? Even so, how does CGC getting a 4th go at the book, acquiring and "retiring" it, resolve the reality it highlighted? At best that only pushes reality from view so assumed-pretenses can settle back in.

Seriously, in this case I think you can work it out backwards... All comics are trimmed... Re-trimmed may be obvious... Subtle spot re-trimming will be difficult... Subtle spot micro-trimming done with finesse may be nearly impossible... At some point it flips over into "best guess" or "judgment call" territory. How could it not? CGC doesn't make judgement calls. Make, certify and sell. Judgement Call - noun. : a decision that is based on your opinion. Restoration isn't a matter of opinion. That's why God created caveats.

Seriously, in this case I think you can work it out backwards... All comics are trimmed... Re-trimmed may be obvious... Subtle spot re-trimming will be difficult... Subtle spot micro-trimming done with finesse may be nearly impossible... At some point it flips over into "best guess" or "judgment call" territory. How could it not? CGC doesn't make judgement calls. Make, certify and sell. Judgement Call - noun. : a decision that is based on your opinion.

Seriously, in this case I think you can work it out backwards... All comics are trimmed... Re-trimmed may be obvious... Subtle spot re-trimming will be difficult... Subtle spot micro-trimming done with finesse may be nearly impossible... At some point it flips over into "best guess" or "judgment call" territory. How could it not?

Opinion For Sale *methodologies not included

Yeah, hang on for those. They'll be releasing detection methods right after their grading criteria. Just be patient. Jesus. Can't anyone just do something cool one time for the hell of it? Huh? for the people that keep them in business?? They already explained it to you. 'Extra scrutiny' is applied whenever the 'extremely subtle' is confronted.

Yeah, hang on for those. They'll be releasing detection methods right after their grading criteria. Just be patient.

We could discuss if CGC could open up a new revenue stream. Allow the taking or laying of odds as vintage submissions come in. Grade Label Keno.

"They also take a hard line on the restoration of comic books, noting when people have attempted to better the condition of books through artificial changes."

I would imagine CGC's legal team would be very very very careful with this one. This isn't like the Ewert fiasco where both Ewert's business partner and CGC had a mutual goal of saving face, where confiscating books and cutting checks worked toward that shared end. This is one owner and his one book, so any demonstrable harm to him or his property wouldn't be the smart play. And if the history of comic encapsulation shows anything, it's that CGC's legal team is very careful and really good in crisis mode.

Bingo. (thumbs u Comics evolved into Label-delivery-devices. Everything else is details and chatter.