Grade is in: Two-Gun Kid 77—"Black Panther" 3 3

[scburdet]

Something a little different tonight. I first learned about this "Black Panther prototype" sometime when Boseman's T'Challa appeared in the MCU. I recall the auction prices went a little nuts. I lurked around for a long time, and grabbed this one when prices came down. Wish I could remember what I paid. I think that I got a "store stamp" discount b/c this is a pretty nice copy. I looked around a little and all/most of available copies/recent sales are pretty ugly. Maybe people are sitting on the good ones waiting for Wakanda Forever.

Not sure I buy the prototype here. The name and costume are similar, but there doesn't see to be anything in the Lee/Kirby kerfuffle over creation credits about this character published a year before, and there's no overlap in creative teams on this and FF52. And the character is white and in the whitest comic I can imagine. Of course, I am willing to indulge in the prototype narrative if it increases demand for this book.

Edited July 18, 2023 by scburdet

[Bob Sacamano]

On 7/26/2022 at 8:40 PM, scburdet said:

Something a little different tonight. I first learned about this "Black Panther prototype" sometime when Boseman's T'Challa appeared in the MCU. I recall the auction prices went a little nuts. I lurked around for a long time, and grabbed this one when prices came down. Wish I could remember what I paid. I think that I got a "store stamp" discount b/c this is a pretty nice copy. I looked around a little and all/most of available copies/recent sales are pretty ugly. Maybe people are sitting on the good ones waiting for Wakanda Forever.

Not sure I buy the prototype here. The name and costume are similar, but there doesn't see to be anything in the Lee/Kirby kerfuffle over creation credits about this character published a year before, and there's no overlap in creative teams on this and FF52. And the character is white and in the whitest comic I can imagine. Of course, I am willing to indulge in the prototype narrative if it increases demand for this book.

Looks cool.  Get a few more copies then really hype it up.  Haha

[grendelbo]

I dig the store stamp. Gives the book an unique and specific history.

I think about a 6.0. Certainly no lower than a 5.5. (Tough one to grade by pics with a white cover.)

Prototypes are fun.

Thanks for sharing.

 

Edited July 27, 2022 by grendelbo

[scburdet]

On 7/26/2022 at 10:41 PM, grendelbo said:

Gives the book an unique and specific history.

I tried to figure out if this place was still around. Best I can find is a closed place in Ohio by the same name. My Dr. Strange 169 stamp had a full address that as I recall is now the location of a upper scale suburb. A current Google Street view of the Mark Jewelers address shows a vacant warehouse, so yes, a lot of embedded history that is tangential to the comics themselves. I've turned the corner on these stamps.

The white cover is remarkably clean for a book this age IMO. Pretty glossy still (compared to other silver age white covers I have like the Avengers 48). The foxing isn't that bad again for a nearly 60 year old book. One of my 2 Golden Age books is a western. Definitely a bygone era in terms of subject matter.

[Bob Sacamano]

Looks to me like 6.0 is a good guess.  This copy presents very well.

[MrRoboto]

Possibly 6.5

[CJ Design]

6.56 date/store stamp love

[Mojohand]

6.0

[Galen130]

6.0

[scburdet]

Expecting this one to take a while, check in around 2024

[Mars76]

6.5, good luck🍀

[scburdet]

On 3/17/2023 at 9:24 PM, Mars76 said:

6.5, good luck🍀

I file this under the category of books where I care less about the grade, and more about the aesthetic appeal. I think it will look nice slabbed.

[Mars76]

On 3/17/2023 at 5:27 PM, scburdet said:

I care less about the grade, and more about the aesthetic appeal.

That's like 90% of my collection!

This will definitely look great in a slab. I agree with @grendelbothat the stamp gives this book some character.

[scburdet]

They definitely noted somethings I didn't see. I'm not sure where the stain is. I'll have to study it again. I can't decide if they dropped it a grade for the readers crease, or went a little easy on it b/c the offset staple location is the direct cause.

light readers crease full left of front cover
light shadow full right of front cover
light stain right bottom of front cover
light, multiple spine stress lines breaks color
light, multiple wear front cover breaks color

 

[Galen130]