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Title: BATMAN No. 10
Publisher:DC [Indicia: Detective Comics, Inc.]
Date Published: April-May, 1942
Description: CGC certified: G/VG (3.0). Purple label: Restored (C-3). Off-white to white pages. Grader notes: "Water stain cover; color touch on spine; creasing to cover; pieces added spine C-3; spine & staples reinforced; spine split sealed centerfold C-1; spine stress lines to cover; staining to cover; tear seals left bottom front cover C-1." Provenance: The DC UNIVERSE COLLECTION.
 
CGC Census: 239 graded copies (203 Universal, 4 Qualified, 6 Signature Series, 26 Restored).
 
GPAnalysis: No reported sales in this grade. A restored 1.8 (C-5) sold for $510 in 7/21; a restored 1.5 (C-2) sold for $1333 in 11/22.
 
For comparison purposes, here are recent Universal sales: A 3.0 sold for $1801 in 3/22; a 2.5 sold for $1200 in 7/23.
 
Credits: Cover: Fred Ray and Jerry Robinson (inks). Scripts: Joseph Greene, Henry Boltinoff, Jack Schiff, Ray McGill, Bill Finger. Art: Bob Kane, Jerry Robinson, George Roussos (backgrounds), Henry Boltinoff, Fred Ray, Ray McGill. Overstreet: "Catwoman story (gets new costume)."Bat-Bibliography: The DC Universe Collection copy of Batman #10 is given a full-page illustration in Taschen's 75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking (pp. 200-201), with the following commentary: "'As a kid reader I hated kid sidekicks. How on earth could I, a slightly overweight, non-sports enthusiast comic-book reader, identify with some super-hero kid doing triple-flips on a high beam all the while spouting quick witticisms? I was the sidekick's age; I knew I could never be him. On the other hand, the adult hero was something I could, in my most insane fan delusion, aspire to become.' — Marv Wolfman."
 
Bat-cyclopedia: "In April-May 1942 Batman and Robin meet GUY 'BIG GUY' MARKHAM; capture some criminals with the aid of TOMMY TRENT; match wits with the CATWOMAN; and battle the 'FIVE ACES' FROGEL gang." — Michael L. Fleisher, The Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes Vol. 1: Batman. Macmillan: 1976, p. 116.
 
Details: Batman thwarts Catwoman's latest scheme to fleece Gotham City's upper-class, then saves her from being shot by her own disgruntled henchman. Catwoman smooches Batman to thank him for saving one of her nine lives, then takes advantage of the Caped Crusader's flustered state to escape, leaving him to offer a shamefaced explanation to the cops: "She — er — she got away... Slipped through my fingers...." * "Big Guy" Markham, a movie director, notices Batman and Robin landing the Batplane while the director is shooting his latest action epic, a jungle movie complete with a giant mechanical dinosaur. Markham orders his actors to attack the Dynamic Duo, hoping to capture footage of Gotham's fighting furies in action without having to pay their SAG-AFTRA fees. Batman and Robin make mincemeat of the outmatched thespians, and while they don't earn an Oscar for their performance, they apparently do claim a different trophy: "This adventure may have been the source of the mechanical dinosaur presently displayed in the BATCAVE'S trophy room, but there is no solid textual evidence to support this contention." — Ibid, Fleisher, p. 272.The DC UNIVERSE COLLECTION comprises over 40,000 comic books, including a copy of every single DC comic published for retail sale from 1934 to 2014. The collection was amassed by British music producer Ian Levine over the course of several decades, and it's been hailed as the single greatest collecting accomplishment in comic book history. This collection served as the basis for former DC Comics president Paul Levitz's monumental book 75 Years of DC Comics: The Art of Modern Mythmaking, published by Taschen in 2017. PBA is proud to present this epic collection in a series of themed sales over the next two years. To join the DC Universe Collection notifications list, contact pba@pbagalleries.com.
Enjoying PBA's Batman sale? A very small number of softcover and limited edition hardcover auction catalogues are available for purchase. The catalogues are fully illustrated, thoroughly researched, and make excellent reference works for Batman fans. To order a copy, or to inquire about consignment opportunities, contact Ivan Briggs, PBA's Director of Comics: ivan@pbagalleries.com.