Top 100 Comics
Daredevil 168

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COMIC DETAILS

Comic Description: Daredevil 168
Grade: 9.8
Page Quality: WHITE
Certification #: 1078051001
Owner: RMI High Tech

SET DETAILS

Custom Sets: This comic is not in any custom sets.
Sets Competing: Gets the girl..but never keeps her!!  Score: 1628
Top 100 Comics  Score: 1628
Nothing but WHITE Pages 9.9's/9.8's and the HIGHEST CGC Graded copies.  Score: 1628
Frank Miller Masterpieces  Score: 1628
Research: See CGC's Census Report for this Comic

Owner's Description

A 9.8 WP SS Copy. A Direct Edition Issue.
Signed by Stan Lee.
Currently worth 1628 CGC points, the highest points for this issue.
One of the most classic and expensive of the Miller Era comics. Newsstand editions are rare, and some have sold for over $10k recently. Amazing.
CENSUS: 314 in 9.8, 942 in 9.6 out of 7461 Graded copies!! SEVEN THOUSAND PLUS+++
Thats 500 more since April this year, April to November.
942 SS copies, 62 in 9.8, the highest grade as of November 2023.
Newsstands are about 10% of the graded, much lower numbers and rare.


prior notes...
CENSUS: 294 in 9.8, 899 in 9.6 out of 6920 graded copies. ALMOST 7 THOUSAND graded copies!
782 SS copies, 59 in 9.8, this is one of them, the highest grade as of April 2023.
Key Comments. Origin & 1st appearance of Elektra.
Art Comments. Frank Miller story, Frank Miller & Klaus Janson cover & art.
Published in January 1981.


Prior notes...
CENSUS: as of June 2016.
151 copies in 9.8. 34 more than two years ago.
431 more copies in 9.6 out of 2943 graded copies. Wow. Almost 3000 graded copies! And that is nearly 800 more graded copies in the last 2 years.
155 SS copies. 23 graded at 9.8, with most of these signed by Stan Lee, Klaus Janson and now Frank Miller. There were only 64 SS copies 2 years ago, with only SIX at 9.8.
Number 168 is the TOP KEY issue Daredevil comic in this set due to both Frank Miller's first solo writing work and the intro of the Elektra character.
Amazingly, this comic has no 9.9 issues, but understandable as this cover is prone to all kinds of flaws in both color and structure. It seems easy to blemish the spine, cover and even the back.
There were separate Direct Issues and Newstand variants for issue number 168 and this pattern follows through the entire Daredevil Miller era run. I have been told the numbers of direct edition vs newstand versions ranged proportionally 60-40 to 70-30 for each type, depending on the issue.
The newstand variants are much rarer in high grade, as they lived their life on a heavily fondled newstand, not in a direct edition mailer. This ratio also varies, with approximately one out of five (some issues one out of 20!) issues being graded 9.8 as the rarer newstand variant.
Newstand variants have the price in a square box next to the issue number at the top of the letter box, the direct editions have the price and issue number in a diamond shape within the letter box.
A 50 cent issue. UK variants too.

VALUE:
Wow...a few years ago $750 would get you a nice Direct Edition, and a premium would find you a Newstand Variant. I bought two in this price range, and sent the Direct Edition to have Stan sign. I held the Newstand unsigned and it is shown in this set registry within the reverse (back) cover photo section.
I then bought a PGX 168 in 9.8WP as it looked great for a nice discount. I normally today will never touch a PGX graded comic, email me if you want to know why, but I did and had it popped and sent to have it also SS by Stan. It was graded 9.8 and I now have a second SS copy at 9.8WP's.
But now add in the added value of a great Netflix series with Elektra and Punisher characters, and also add Frank Miller on the convention circuit and you have an price entry level now of around $1,000 for a funky 9.8 copy and $1,200 for a nice structured copy. Newstands are hardly seen anymore, and get a serious premium.
AND, the cast from the Daredevil Netflix series have also dropped into the SS world, and cast signed SS copies have been for sale for nearly $4,000. Wowow.
I have seen no sketches on any SS copy. But Frank Miller has done sketches on other comics for $1,500 to 3,000. More wowow's.
Expect more of all of the above. If you see a great structured copy, best to grab it if you have the budget.

CREATOR DETAILS:
Cover Artists, Frank Miller and Klaus Janson
Writer, Frank Miller.
Penciler, Frank Miller.
Inker, Klaus Janson.
Colorist, The colorist for this issue is credited as "Dr. R.. Martin", an unknown pseudonym for at least two colorists. Some also credit Laura Martin...but she didn't work for Marvel until nearly 19 years later...haha... so only the boys at Marvel really know.
Letterer, Joe Rosen.
Editors, Denny O’Neil and Mark Gruenwald.

ISSUE TITLE "Elektra".

STORY LINE:
This issue reveals that Matt Murdock loved Elektra before his accident and the murder of her parents. Seeking a different path for her solace, Elektra has turned to the bloody justice of the Hand.

NOTES and TRIVIA:
Elektra's name is mis-spelled on the cover as Elecktra, so much for editors. Elektra Natchios has her first appearance in the comic world.
This now Classic issue is noted as being the solo writing debut of Frank Miller on Daredevil and was Miller's first step to becoming a comics legend.

Published every 2 months.
First published in January 1981.



 
 
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