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Title: BATMAN No. 99
Publisher:DC [Indicia: National Comics Publications, Inc.]
Date Published: April, 1956
Description: CGC certified: VG (4.0). Cream to off-white pages. Grader notes: "Spine stress lines breaks color; light stain full bottom of whole book; medium spine split left bottom of spine; very small chip out right top of front cover." Provenance: The DC UNIVERSE COLLECTION.
 
CGC Census: 79 graded copies (76 Universal, 3 Restored).
 
GPAnalysis: A 4.0 sold for $150 in 4/14; a 4.5 sold for $475 in 2/23.
 
Credits: Cover: Win Mortimer and Stan Kaye (inks). Scripts: Bill Finger and Edmond Hamilton. Art: Sheldon Moldoff (signed as Bob Kane) and Charles Paris (inks). Overstreet: "Last G.A. Penguin app."Bat-cyclopedia: "In April 1956 Batman and Robin match wits with the PENGUIN; journey into the past to apprehend HARRIS HARPER and meet BAT MASTERSON; and outwit the villainous PARDU." — Michael L. Fleisher, The Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes Vol. 1: Batman. Macmillan: 1976, p. 126.
 
Details: The only things that the Penguin is able to salvage during a surprise raid of his hideout is a clutch of unhatched bird eggs. As each egg hatches, the Penguin hatches a scheme based on the kind of bird it ends up being. The first bird to emerge is a chimney swift, so the Penguin decides to steal gold dust from the Gotham Gold Refinery chimney. When a herring gull hatches, the Penguin's goons steal a safe from a jewelry store and drop it off a cliff, imitating the herring gull's method of cracking clams. The third egg hatches a water ouzel, inspiring the Penguin to swipe ticket receipts from the Gotham Light and Power Show (the Penguin pulls it off by distracting the crowd with soap bubbles in the waterfall exhibit). Batman and Robin follow the Penguin to his new hideout, where he is captured after a baby alligator hatches from the last egg, distracting him from destroying the Dynamic Duo.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.