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Title: BATMAN No. 57
Publisher:DC [Indicia: National Comics Publications, Inc.]
Date Published: February-March, 1950
Description: CGC certified: VG (4.0). Off-white to white pages. Grader notes: "Readers crease front cover; staple detached bottom of front cover; subscription crease back cover; medium tear left center of back cover; moderate creasing to cover; very light staining to cover." Provenance: The DC UNIVERSE COLLECTION.
 
CGC Census: 83 graded copies (73 Universal, 10 Restored).
 
GPAnalysis: A 4.0 sold for $332 in 11/20.
 
Credits: Cover: Win Mortimer. Scripts: Bill Finger. Art: Dick Sprang, Charles Paris (inks), Bob Kane (Batman and Robin only), Lew Sayre Schwartz. Overstreet: "Centerfold is a 1950 calendar; Joker app."Bat-cyclopedia: "In February-March 1950 Batman and Robin outwit ED KOLUM; apprehend ANDREWS; and battle the JOKER." — Michael L. Fleisher, The Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes Vol. 1: Batman. Macmillan: 1976, p. 122.
 
Details: Frustrated by the public's lack of appreciation of his comedy skills, the Joker decides to break out of prison to become the country's best underworld performer. After committing a series of "funny man crimes" to promote himself as both an expert criminal and jokester, he enters a "funniest amateur comedian" competition at Gotham City's Club Comique. Pretending to be a Joker impersonator, the Clown Prince of Crime puts on a pretty good show. Unfortunately for the Joker, Batman has discovered his scheme, and plays a gag of his own by disguising himself as the competition's judge. Batman gives the Joker's performance a bad review, the Joker becomes enraged, and the Dynamic Duo leap into action, returning the miffed Mephistopheles of Mirth to his dreary prison cell.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.