Set Description:
Synopsis: This is a complete set of all 100 issues with a minimum grade of 9.4. Significantly, of the first 25 issues, 24 are highest graded examples, including 7 single highest graded and another 12 that are 1/2 highest. The lowest graded books in the set are eight 9.4s, half of which are highest graded. Ninety-one books in the set are highest graded examples, including 20 single highest, and no book in the set is worse than second highest graded.
Background: The JLA is an all-star ensemble cast of established DC superhero characters who occasionally assemble as a team to tackle especially formidable villains. They stand in contrast to certain other superhero teams such as the Fantastic Four and X-Men, whose characters were created specifically to be part of the team, with the team being central to their identity. The cast of the Justice League usually includes a few highly popular characters who have their own solo books, like Superman and Batman, alongside a number of lesser-known characters who benefit from the exposure in the magazine. The JLA was reportedly created to boost the profiles and sales of the more minor characters through cross-promotion to develop the DC Universe as a shared universe. Beyond comic books, the Justice League has been adapted to a number of television shows, movies, and video games.
I believe JLA is the first superhero team in the Silver Age. The team was conceived by writer Gardner Fox as a revival of the Justice Society of America and first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #28 (March 1960). After three try-out issues in Brave and the Bold #28-30, DC gave the JLA its own series starting in Oct-Nov 1960, which is where this set begins.
The JLA quickly became one of the DC’s best-selling titles, which led it led to create a bunch of other superhero teams, such as Doom Patrol and the Teen Titans. Marvel noticed the Justice League's success and created the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and the X-Men. The initial Justice League lineup included seven of DC Comics' superheroes who were regularly published at that time: Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Wonder Woman. Fox also created a new, non-superhero character named Snapper Carr, who was intended to represent DC's teenaged readership and joined the League as an Honorary member in their debut story. While Superman and Batman were included in the JLA’s initially lineup, they were largely absent from the League's early stories playing only minor roles as the pair were already starring together in DC's World's Finest Comics and Fox was worried the two more famous heroes would detract attention from their less popular teammates. In fact, neither Superman nor Batman appeared on a JLA cover until Issue #10 and were generally not seen on the covers for the first couple of years of publication. But as the series continued, Superman and Batman became more and more present. The team roster would also expand with Green Arrow (Issue #4), Atom (Issue #14) and Hawkman (Issue #31) added to the team over the first four years.
Our Collection: While we started collecting CGC graded examples of these books some 20 years ago, it was not until we finished our Flash and GL sets that we really started seriously focusing on finishing this set. At the time there were three other very serious JLA collectors, which led to a series of extremely competitive auctions. It was not until those three collectors sold their collections between 2018-2020 that we completed ours, as we were able to cherry-pick from each of their sets. This set first topped the registry in 2020 and has continued to do so by a very wide margin ever since.
Unlike some of our sets where we top the registry because the best books are not registered, I can say without hesitation that this is far and away the best JLA (#1-100) set that has ever existed or could ever exist absent our selling some books or some drastic changes in the census. We currently own high grade copies of all 100 issues in the set, with 91 of our books being highest graded examples, 20 of which are single highest graded. Around 40% of our books come from pedigree collections, with 12 Pacific Coasts and 8 Twin Cities.
Overall, 72 of our books are 9.8s, 20 books are 9.6s, and eight books are 9.4s. In all cases, none of our books are worse than second highest graded.
Highlights of the set include our #1 9.6, which is one of two highest graded, our #9 9.8, which features the origin of the JLA, and our #21 9.8, featuring the first SA appearance of the Justice Society. Additional single highest graded books include our #6 9.8, #8 9.8, #13 9.8, #14 9.8, #17 9.8, #22 9.8, and #24 9.8, making seven out of the first 25 issues. This set currently boasts 20 of the 28 current single highest graded books #1-100, making it far and away the best JLA collection of these 100 issues, at least of CGC graded books.
So, while not our most valuable set and not close to some other sets in terms of registry points, this collection is probably the closest thing to perfection we own, at least in a SA set of 100 books or more.
It should be noted that there have been some substantial changes in the census of these books over the last couple of years, as our set has gone from a high of 28 single highest graded books to just 20 today. Significantly, our examples of Issues #5, #9, #10, #11, #23 and #25, all of which once stood alone atop the registry, now share that distinction with another book, Of course, the census count in the early issues is still relatively low at the top. Five of the first ten issues have just two highest graded examples, #1, #5, #7, #9, and #10, and only Issues #3 and #4 have more than two books topping the census. In other words, these aren’t Marvels, they are still considerably rarer in high grade.
That being said, for the most part JLAs remain relatively unloved, despite the Snyder Cut, which is actually quite good. There were, however, two noteworthy recent sales, both of which came at the end of 2021. First, a second #9 9.8 emerged from CGC and sold for over $30k in the December 2021 CL Auction. Even more remarkable, a #21 9.8, which had previously sold for $32,400 in March 2020, came to market again and sold in the December 2021 ComicConnect Auction for $70,500. Of course, both books are minor keys, many other recent sales were still below the prices from 3-4 years ago.
Currently, there are only 12 books ever graded by CGC that would upgrade this set: a #2 9.8, which was just recently graded, two #29 9.6s, a single #49 9.8, a single #58 9.8, a single #62 9.6, three #83 9.6s (I don’t know why we have never seen one of those), a single #86 9.8, a single #88 9.8, and a single #95 9.8. If you’ve got one of those, please send us an e-mail, we’re interested.
Market Update: Interestingly, the other JLA Issue #1 9.6 is currently listed for sale at $350,000, which is basically triple what that book last made at auction a couple of years ago. That book was long owned by a friend of mine in Europe who sold it privately for considerably more than the buyer subsequently got at auction. I seriously doubt there will be any takers at anywhere near $350,000, although it should be noted that the only Brave & Bold #28 9.6 sold to a private investor, not someone who collects JLAs, for $750,000 during 2022, which serves as yet another example of the long established principle that it only takes one uneducated buyer to blow up the market. And while the price paid for that book was likely at least twice what it would currently make at auction, who’s to say where that book will be 10 years from now? Still, it’s unfortunate that books like that invariably leave the hands of collectors and end up owned by investors who probably know absolutely nothing of the title or its history-and perhaps send them straight to a safe never even taking delivery.
But back to the JLA #1, $350,000 for that book would certainly draw quite a bit of attention to this generally unloved title. Since we already have ours, and can’t afford a second LOL, I hope they get it.
2024 Update: Well, there was huge news on the JLA front this year as highest-graded copies of the two biggest JLA keys hit the auction market and were greeted with astronomical prices. First, the single highest graded copy of Brave and Bold #28, which is not part of this set, but featured the first JLA try-out, was sold not once, but twice. The first sale was a private sale late last year where the long-term owner received $750,000. The buyer of that book then turned around and sold it at auction in January on Heritage for $810,000, resulting in a small loss for a very brief holding period. But the first seller ended up making over a 500% profit for his 12 years or so of owning the book, not bad.
The second major sale was of the other JLA #1 9.6 mentioned above. In this case, the book made a hammer price on Heritage in April 2024 of $348,000, which was basically what it had been listed for on ComicConnect for several months. We were bidders on the B&B #28 9.6, although we dropped out very early in the process. But since we own the only other JLA #1 9.6, we felt quite good about the $348,000 its sister book made at auction. It appears that these long -ignored books are finally getting some well-deserved love by the market.
Current Stats:
100/100 Books
72 9.8s-All Highest Graded
20 9.6s-16 Highest Graded
8 9.4s-4 Highest Graded
55 WP
31 OW/W
14 OW
20 Single Highest Graded
91 Highest Graded
9 Second Highest Graded
39 Pedigrees
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