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Title: DETECTIVE COMICS No. 97
Publisher:DC [Indicia: Detective Comics, Inc.]
Date Published: March, 1945
Description: CGC certified: Poor (0.5). Purple label: Restored (C-3). Off-white to white pages. Grader notes: "Married page(s) 13; missing interior part/page/wrap page(s) 12 affects story; tape cover; tape interior cover; color touch on left top & right top front cover; moderate creasing to cover; moderate tears to cover; pieces added interior front cover C-3; small piece out bottom of back cover." Provenance: The DC UNIVERSE COLLECTION.
 
CGC Census: 72 graded copies (63 Universal, 2 Qualified, 7 Restored).
 
GPAnalysis: No reported sales in this grade. A restored 3.5 (C-1) sold for $375 in 1/22. 
 
For comparison purposes, here are recent Universal sales: A 0.5 sold for $218 in 8/21; a 2.0 sold for $331 in 7/23.
 
Credits: Cover: Dick Sprang. Scripts: Joseph Greene, Jack Farr. Art: Dick Sprang (inks by Sprang and Jerry Robinson), Howard Sherman, Jack Farr, George Roussos, Jack Kirby?Bat-cyclopedia: "In March 1945, Batman and Robin apprehend NICK PETRI.... a member of a gang of criminals who, having learned that his gangland cohorts — the Slasher, Benny the Gimp, the Nutcracker, and Lop-Ears McGoof — were planning to double-cross and murder him as soon as they met to divide the stolen loot that Petri had in his possession, promptly locked the loot inside a safe in an old abandoned house and then wired the safe door to seven different switches, one rigged to unlock the door safely and the other six to detonate a bomb which, if triggered, would blow the entire safe, and anyone attempting to open it, to kingdom come." — Michael L. Fleisher, The Encyclopedia of Comic Book Heroes Vol. 1: Batman. Macmillan: 1976, pp. 118, 306-307.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.