ion comics

Contacted the artist that did the pencils for Almost Got 'im...........yes, I know, I got a lot of time on my hands. Anyway, while he was not quite sure which book came out first, one thing he did say was interesting: (I am paraphrasing here, but basically) he said that she appeared in the animated show first, then on merchandise (which includes the Almost a Got 'Im book). It's possible that Paul Dini and Bruce Timm decided to (or were only able to) market the Harley Quinn character (in comic book format) first as a "merchandise" product (hence pairing the book with a cassette). Perhaps BA 12 was published slightly before Almost Got 'Im, but the latter hit the public (as a merchandise product, instead of a periodical) first. What I'd really like to know is which rendering of Harley Quinn (in comic book form) came first. Still digging.......stay tuned! Meck

Waitaminnit. I re-read my original post and realize no correction is necessary. There is a distinct timing difference best wee publication date and distribution date. My point is that with the Goon character, Dreamwalker 0 was published after Avatar Illustrated 1998, but because Dreamwalker 0 hit the general public first, it was deemed The Goon's first appearance. If someone can prove that "Almost Got 'Im" hit the shelves before BA 12, it could create a similar perception that "Almost Got 'Im" is in fact the first Harley Quinn (in comic form). Hope I clarified my original statement! Meckler

Whoops. Meant to say "distributed".

"Control" is not the correct word. "Dictate" is more appropriate.

From a value perspective, I think it's CGC that controls it's success. If they won't grade it (and recognize it as her first appearance) there won't be that same irrational exuberance to own one. Awesome thread!! And excellent detective work by everyone!! Meck

Well, now we need to determine which book hit the shelves first. With the Goon example I gave, Avatar Illustrated Summer 1998 edition was PUBLISHED before Dreamwalker #0. However, when collectors found out that Dreamwalker #0 hit the stands first (due to a delay in the Avatar Illustrated book), the Dreamwalker book took off while Avatar a Illustrated declined in value. This all will be moot if no one even recognizes or cares about the "Almost Got 'Im" book. Meck

The response was from the head Modern Grader - via one of the customer service associates (or is that vice-versa?). Anyway, I was just trying to save some of the boardies aggravation of submitting this book and then having it returned ungraded. Again, I am not sure if CGC's stance is a static one. Perhaps in the distant future these Golden Books will be recognized by CGC as legitimate comics. Meck

Just heard back from CGC......take this for what it's worth: CGC WILL NOT GRADE THIS "Almost Got 'Im" book. They do not consider it "technically" to be a comic. Wonder if they will ever change their stance? Meck

Valid point, but it may be moot if CGC recognizes this "book" as a comic book and, therefore, eligible for grading. An acquaintance of mine made a great point about this book: If It is proven that this book indeed was published before BA 12 and CGC will grade it, then it probably won't matter if it's a considered a book or a comic book. CGC could open the door to the "speculator" crowd. If CGC does not accept this book, then I personally think only Harley Quinn completists will really care about it and BA 12 will be perceived in the comic world as Harley Quinn's first comic appearance. This of course is just my (and my friend's) opinion. Time will tell. Meck

Should I have footnoted that Goon example?

Agreed. In high grade, the DP 4, is a much tougher book to find (and pricier) than SDCC 2. However, a few years ago, eBay became "flooded" with the Dime Press books. And considering the character Hellboy is only on the cover (no interiors), as opposed to SDCC 2, interest in the DP 4 seemed to wane a bit (considereing its hefty price). I think now, I would rather spend $ on the SDCC 2 than the DP 4. Actually, I'd rather spend $ on Harley Quinn books than Hellboy books (no offense to Hellboy). Meck

Thank you, kind Sir!!

The rise of BA 12 is a relatively recent phenomenon. In late 2008, I sold three copies in separate auctions and averaged a bit over $5 a copy (wish I had THOSE books back!). In 2009, I paired a copy of BA 12 with a BA Mad Love (1st print) and the price jumped (between $23 & $51) for the pair. In my opinion, I think BA 12 was still "under the radar" and BA Mad Love was THE Harley book to own back then. In 2010, I paired a BA 12 with a BA 28 and got practically nothing for the pair ($10 & $5 for the two auctions). In 2011 I had two sales of BA 12 ($15 & $25). Early 2012 is when BA 12 started its march higher. Sales were $15, then $41, then $51, then $38, then $41, then $56, then $24 (probably a low-grade copy). 2013, I would say, is when BA 12 hit FULL mainstream. The rest is history. While my auctions are not indicative of the overall market (obviously) and condition would have dictated final value (obviously), I think the above shows some interesting trends (at least for me) of this particular comic. Or maybe I need to take a crash course on how to succeed at maximizing profits from seling comics! Meck

You are correct regarding Hellboy. SDCC #2 is currently identified as the first appearance. BUT, for a time, (and from a purely capitalistic point of view), collectors "perceived" Dime Press #4 as being the first published appearance of the character Hellboy and priced this book ahead of SDCC #2. I guess when the "irrational exuberance" wore off, collectors settled back with SDCC #2 as the official "comic" version of the current Hellboy character. My Goon comparison was a bit more solid. Meck

A few years ago, the Alex Ross HQ book WAS MORE than Bat Adv.12. In fact, it was way more. I guess it took a long time for capitulation on the BA 12. But once that happened, it was no contest.......BA 12 is the winnah by a landslide. Meck

True.......BUT I can give you a few (comic character) examples of where community consensus can change (over time). Hellboy - First it was Next Men #21, THEN it was San Diego Comic-Con #2, THEN it was Dime Press #4, THEN it was 1991 Salt Lake City Convention Program. Goon - First it was Goon #1 (Avatar), THEN it was Avatar Illustrated Summer 1998, THEN it was Dreamwalker #0. It took time for the community to "decide" what was considered the first published appearance for these characters. Why can't Harley Quinn go through the same evolution? Guess only time (and the community) will tell. Carl

Not to go totally off-topic here, but I have a Waner Bros. animation cel of Harley Quinn. There is a date stamp on the cel (FINAL: February 26 1992). Does this count?

Ya know, I wondered the same thing. This book can get damaged quite easily. I picked up a bunch of uncirculated copies and only a handful were high grade. Most had spine creases and corner dings. Still, it's now a tough book to locate in ANY condition. Meck

Agreed. Guess the question is.... can WD show survive without Andrew Lincoln/Rick? And if you kill off Rick, what happens with the Carl character? Perhaps a discussion for another thread. Meck

What about Doctor Who?

Agreed. Still not sure why BA #28 gets no respect. It is her 2nd appearance, correct? Meck

My apologies if you already answered this, but what do you think the print run is on those variant (zombie cover) Life With Archie #23s? Thanks! Meck

Not to nit-pick, but wouldn't the original art for the COVER to WD #19 be considered her 1st appearance? Hope I'm not opening a can-of-worms here. Meck

I've been waiting for over 10 years for this mini-series to be translated to film. I know it's only a four issues, but it's a wayyy cool story and would look good on the big screen. Meck

Sweet book! You know, when I was a kid, I always liked seeing that thin strip of white along the spine. I thought that was the norm for comics. So I avoided books that were (in reality) perfectly centered. Meck