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Title: BATMAN Nos. 152, 153, 154, 156, 157, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 163 * Lot of 11 Comics
Publisher:DC [Indicia: National Periodical Publications, Inc.]
Date Published: 1962-1964
Description: #152: Good+ (2.5). Spine stress, mild spine roll, cover detached at top staple, bottom staple a bit pulled, creases, small chips to spine ends, 1" split to mid-spine, dampsoiling, covers and pages warped, rubs, reseller's rubberstamp. Off-white pages. Overstreet: "Joker cover/story."
#153: Fair/Good (1.5). Cover detached, spine 90% split, creases, short tears and shallow chips to back cover, reseller's rubberstamp. Cream pages.
#154: Good- (1.8). Short splits to spine ends, 4" split to mid-spine, spine stress, cover detached at bottom staple, creases, edge nicks, reseller's rubberstamp. Cream pages.
#156: Good (2.0). Spine stress, cover detached at bottom staple, edge and corner wear, creases, dogeared corner, reseller's rubberstamp. Cream pages. Classic "Robin Dies at Dawn!" cover and story.
#157: Good (2.0). Spine stress, mild spine roll, transverse tears to spine, 1" tear at bottom spine, ½" spine split, DC logo dampsoiled and rubbed, creases, ¾" tear to back cover, small penciled distributor's mark, small math equation in ink to Batman's shoulder on cover, reseller's rubberstamp. Off-white pages.
#158: VG (4.0). Small nicks to spine ends, moderate spine stress, creases, a few very short tears, fingersoiling to back cover, distributor's (?) rubberstamp to Bat-Hound's paw on cover, reseller's rubberstamp. Cream to light tan pages.
#159: VG (4.0). Spine stress, a few short spine splits, mild staple pull, edgewear, corner crease, reseller's rubberstamp to front cover with rubberstamp offset to back cover. Cream pages. Joker & Clayface cover/story.
#160: VG- (3.5). Spine stress, staples pulled, edgewear, corner crease, reseller's rubberstamp with small rubberstamp offset to back cover. Cream to off-white pages.
#161: VG (4.0). Moderate spine stress, corner creases, a few small bumps and tiny debris speck to back cover. Cream pages.
#162: VG (4.0). Mild spine stress, spine ends nicked, a few tiny edge tears, a few tiny chips, small corner creases, sun shadow/toning to back cover edges, reseller's rubberstamp. Cream to light tan pages. "Batman Creature" cover.
#163: VG+ (4.5). 1/2" spline split, mild spine stress, slight staple pull, reseller's rubberstamp. Off-white pages. "Joker judge and jury" cover/story.
 
Cover pencils and inks: Sheldon Moldoff, Bob Kane, and Charles Paris. Stories and art: Bill Finger, Dave Wood, Sheldon Moldoff, and Charles Paris.Batman in Big Trouble: "By 1964, Batman was in big trouble. Today's fans often look back with affection at the sheer zaniness of the stories from the late 1950s and early 1960s, but the seemingly endless array of stunts designed to prop up the hero had nearly done him in. There was no core character left, just a hollow man being battered from place to place by whatever gimmick could be concocted, and sales were dropping drastically. Things looked bad. Although it seems almost inconceivable in retrospect, Bob Kane has said, 'They were planning to kill Batman off altogether.'" — Les Daniels, Batman: The Complete History. Chronicle: 1999, p. 95.
 
Note: At the buyer's discretion, this lot of raw comics can be submitted by PBA to CGC for grading and encapsulation with a "DC Universe Collection" provenance designation on the labels. To request this service, contact PBA's comic book department for terms and conditions.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.