Which would you rather: Green Lantern #76 or Batman#251? 1 1

[Kripsys99]

I have a Green Lantern #76 CGC 8.0 which I love. 

I have an opportunity to get a Batman #251 CGC 8.0 in a straight across trade.

"Both" is not a viable option for me.

In terms of a straight current value proposition, both have almost identical FMVs right now. 

I'm a Supes/Batman guy, but as a DC guy, appreciate the significance of #76.

Decisions, decisions...

Which do you go for and why?

[Terry JSA]

Personally I would go with Green Lantern #76 just because of its significance during the Bronze Age of Comics. It’s when comics really got woke and tackled an issue with society (which is still relevant to this day) and that’s racism. The book really made an impact on the comic industry during the 1970’s without a doubt!

[Jeffro.]

24 minutes ago, Kripsys99 said:

I have a Green Lantern #76 CGC 8.0 which I love. 

 

I'm a Supes/Batman guy, but as a DC guy, appreciate the significance of #76.

Sounds like you have already made your decision. 

[Randall Ries]

Well, Bat 251 is trending a lot harder than GL/GA 76. A lot harder. So, here is what I would do:

If I had another copy of GL/GA 76 in equal or better grade, I would do the trade for the Bat 251.

If you are thinking about trading one key for another without a back up issue, I advise against it. I thought about selling my Bat 9.0 251 to finance another book, but I bought mine in 2012 for $113. No way I can replace that book for $113. I'd have to spend around a grand to replace it in that grade.

I learned a few years ago about "Trader's Remorse". DO NOT trade any of your keys away without already having another issue to back it up. No matter the book. Save up for a 251. You said you love the book. That will come around to bite you if you do the trade.

[shadroch]

One is a classic cover and one of the most important books in comic history. The other is a great cover that is the flavor of the moment.

[Randall Ries]

4 minutes ago, Terry_JSA said:

Personally I would go with Green Lantern #76 just because of its significance during the Bronze Age of Comics. It’s when comics really got woke and tackled an issue with society (which is still relevant to this day) and that’s racism. The book really made an impact on the comic industry during the 1970’s without a doubt!

Yeah. And GL/GA #87 is on fire for the very reasons you mention.

[Kripsys99]

2 minutes ago, Terry_JSA said:

Personally I would go with Green Lantern #76 just because of its significance during the Bronze Age of Comics. It’s when comics really got woke and tackled an issue with society (which is still relevant to this day) and that’s racism. The book really made an impact on the comic industry during the 1970’s without a doubt!

Yeah, definitely has more historical significance within the industry as a whole than #251, which is what makes this a tough call.

2 minutes ago, Jeffro. said:

Sounds like you have already made your decision. 

I wish! At first blush it seems like an easy call - keep #76. But I agree with the following:

 

1 minute ago, Randall Ries said:

Well, Bat 251 is trending a lot harder than GL/GA 76. A lot harder

 

[Randall Ries]

1 minute ago, shadroch said:

One is a classic cover and one of the most important books in comic history. The other is a great cover that is the flavor of the moment.

I disagree with that. Yes GL/GA 76 helped DC turn a corner and it's a cornerstone of a Bronze DC collection. Bat 251 isn't a flavor book. That is going to stay right where it is. Even just Adams covers with no interior are going for stupid money. 251 is the book where the Joker kills again after 30 years of being a doof. Plus it has Adams c/a. It's a double threat book to be sure.

[Randall Ries]

3 minutes ago, Kripsys99 said:

Yeah, definitely has more historical significance within the industry as a whole than #251, which is what makes this a tough call.

I wish! At first blush it seems like an easy call - keep #76. But I agree with the following:

 

 

Really dude. Don't do a trade. You will hate yourself as soon as the book goes clunk into Big Blue Box. Really. Don't do it.

[Terry JSA]

3 minutes ago, Randall Ries said:

Yeah. And GL/GA #87 is on fire for the very reasons you mention.

That’s why I love both books! Owning them is a special feeling knowing that GL #76 and #87 came out 50 years ago and it really shows how Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams were way ahead of their time.

[Randall Ries]

"Ohhhh. I would never, honey! I wasn't thinking clearly! Go put on something pretty. I'll take you somewhere nice."

[Kripsys99]

6 minutes ago, Randall Ries said:

Bat 251 isn't a flavor book. That is going to stay right where it is. Even just Adams covers with no interior are going for stupid money. 251 is the book where the Joker kills again after 30 years of being a doof. Plus it has Adams c/a. It's a double threat book to be sure.

I agree with this, but when you post a picture of that beautiful green #76 cover, I don't feel like I can part with it.

Think I know how I'm leaning, but have the rest of the day to decide, so I'll see how I feel, and what other points are raised!

[Randall Ries]

3 minutes ago, Kripsys99 said:

I agree with this, but when you post a picture of that beautiful green #76 cover, I don't feel like I can part with it.

Think I know how I'm leaning, but have the rest of the day to decide, so I'll see how I feel, and what other points are raised!

The way I see it is we theoretically have time. I'm the guy who wants my cake and keep it too. I have the books I have because I wanted them all. They aren't impulse buys. I will never trade w/o back up again. Keys are just getting too hard to get without paying huge amounts of cash. I'm just patient now. Good things come to those who wait.

I think the only thing I would trade my 7.5 76 for is a Bat 227 in 9.6. That's how serious I am about keeping it. And maybe not even then. Maybe it's easy for me to say since I have both books already. When I let a Bat 227 9.4 go boom in the mail box, as soon as I handed it to the clerk, my first thought was "You dumb ba*&^rd. How are you supposed to replace that?" I have a fine 8.0, now. But you know? An 8.0 owp isn't a 9.4 ow/w.

[Readcomix]

Either way, you’re halfway where you want to be so just keep the one you have. Maybe you can trade something else, or buy the 251, either now or later?

I’m writing here as someone who has both, understands the significance of both (yes I read them) and has no strong personal love for both, other than loving both covers and appreciating their respective historic significance. 

[Randall Ries]

In fact, let me add this to the situation:

GL/GA 76 has a perfect cover. 251 does not by a long shot. That right side leg of the Joker's (His left/our right) has driven me mad since 1973 when I bought the thing. It doesn't fit. What's worse, when people do recreations of the cover in their OWN homage, they make the same mistake! LOL! The lower homage the dude fixed the leg:

251's a must have book to be sure. But not at the cost of a perfect green cover. I'll shut up about it now.

Edited April 17, 2021 by Randall Ries

[Kripsys99]

Just now, Readcomix said:

Either way, you’re halfway where you want to be so just keep the one you have. Maybe you can trade something else, or buy the 251, either now or later?

This is probably the right answer. Patience is a virtue. Just getting a little spooked by the sudden run-up in prices on Batman Bronze keys like #234 and #251 which are not yet part of my collection. Worried about getting priced out of the market. IF it happens for Batman, it will happen with GL #76 though too!

[Kripsys99]

3 minutes ago, Randall Ries said:

That right side leg of the Joker's (His left/our right) has driven me mad since 1973 when I bought the thing. It doesn't fit.

Agreed! I'm a sucker for all Adams covers, but this one doesn't really do it for me.

[Randall Ries]

1 hour ago, Kripsys99 said:

This is probably the right answer. Patience is a virtue. Just getting a little spooked by the sudden run-up in prices on Batman Bronze keys like #234 and #251 which are not yet part of my collection. Worried about getting priced out of the market. IF it happens for Batman, it will happen with GL #76 though too!

Now is the time to buy Bat 234 AND 237. The prices have remained static for years. Esp. 237. Grab those two books up while they are still reasonable. 251 may be a grail book for you for awile. I wish I had bought 20 of them in 2012. $113 for a 9.0. Even then, I got yelled at by my wife. "You spent $113 on a comic book????" LOL! When I bring up the sharp rise in value, she is strangely without opinion.

Edited April 17, 2021 by Randall Ries

[Readcomix]

2 minutes ago, Randall Ries said:

In fact, let me add this to the situation:

GL/GA 76 has a perfect cover. 251 does not by a long shot. That right side leg of the Joker's (His left/our right) has driven me mad since 1973 when I bought the thing. It doesn't fit. What's worse, when people do recreations of the cover in their OWN homage, they make the same mistake! LOL!

251's a must have book to be sure. But not at the cost of a perfect green cover. I'll shut up about it now.

 

I agree 76 is the better cover of the two; on the flip side, it had taken a while for the significance of 251 to be widely understood, but it may be the most important Joker key since Batman #1. This marks the return of the crazed killer; it’s as important to the Joker as Miller’s Dark Knight Returns is to Batman himself. 

76 is part one of a historic and groundbreaking story (in fairness, it doesn’t hold up so well when read today) run’s significance cannot be taken away. It’s a #1 of sorts in that it is part one of the storyline, but it’s not necessarily any more important to the the whole of the storyline than say the Speedy drug issues. 

[Randall Ries]

3 minutes ago, Kripsys99 said:

Agreed! I'm a sucker for all Adams covers, but this one doesn't really do it for me.

Adams muffed #244 as well. He should have painted a loincloth over Batman's naughty area. Instead, he colored his legs grey and gave him the codpiece thing.