Set Description:
Synopsis: We currently own 16 of the 20 books in this set with eight of our books highest graded examples and the other eight tied for second highest graded. Six of those books trail a single book in the census.
Background: We only discovered this set in 2021 and registered our books. At that time, we collected half of the titles in this set and had #1s of nine of them. In 2021, we also started collecting Doom Patrol and Plastic Man and have added #1s there. And even more recently, we acquired #1 issues of the Inferior Five, Captain Action, Challengers of the Unknown, and Hawk & Dove, giving us 16 of the books in this 20 book set.
Of the four open slots, we don’t currently collect any of those titles, but would certainly consider going after the four #1s, if they are at least second highest graded and finances permit. I don't think any of them would be nearly as costly as JLA #1, Flash #105 or GL #1, which we already have; but since we don’t collect those titles, what do I know LOL? My guess is the greater challenge will be finding nice copies of each. But finishing this one is definitely on our radar, it’s an interesting set.
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| Slot: |
Aquaman #1 |
| Item: |
Aquaman 1 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
4278360006
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Owner Comments
Obviously, Aquaman #1 features the start of the Silver Age run of Aquaman in his own magazine after four try-out issues in Showcase (#30-33). It also features the first appearance of Quisp, an undersea creature blessed with magical powers. In the book, Aquaman and Aqualad battle fire trolls who were unleashed during an undersea volcanic eruption. They eventually manage to gather up and restrain the fire trolls, who are returned to the underworld via a crack in the ocean floor, which is then sealed with the help of Aquaman's undersea friends.
Our 9.8 with OW/W pages is currently the only one in grade with three 9.6s. We acquired the book in a private transaction in 2023 and submitted it to CGC ourselves.* As with the case of many of our early Aquaman books, we have been the only registered owner of this one. Not long after acquiring it, we sold our 9.6 on Heritage for $45,600. So while nothing like as valuable as the most valuable JLA, Flash or Green Lanterns, this book probably warrants more than the 17,600 registry points it currently receives.
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| Slot: |
Atom #1 |
| Item: |
Atom 1 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
4278360007
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Owner Comments
Issue #1 is, of course, Atom’s first appearance in his own book after three Showcase try-out issues. The book also features the introduction of the Plant Master.
While my favorite Atom cover is Showcase #34, this issue seems to be the favorite of the majority of DC collectors I know.
In the “Master of the Plant World” a series of mysterious robberies occur involving strange highly intelligent plants, which Ray decides to investigate as Atom after he learns about the strange circumstances from Jean Loring. As Atom. Ray follows Jean as she goes on a fact-finding trip about the type of plants that are used, and decides to wait out in a greenhouse to keep a secret eye on Jean. When Jean nods off, Atom notices a group of Dryads that suddenly spring out of the flowers and fly away on petals. Atom follows after them and learns that they are under the control of a criminal called the Plant Master, who intends to use his mutated plants to take over the world.
Trying to stop the Plant Master, Atom is trapped in a Venus fly trap while the Plant Master leaves with the Dryads to initiate his plan. Meanwhile, Atom breaks free and sees the leader of the Dryads, Maya, imprisoned in a cage. Atom frees her and learns that the Plant Master, really named Jason Woodrue, is a being from another dimension who was banished here and has since been using his knowledge of plants for his own personal gain.
With the help of Maya, Atom travels to Washington, D.C. where the Plant Master has stationed himself as his plants attack in almost every state. There, Atom and Maya fight off the Dryads that are still under Plant Master's control, until Atom manages to slip off the Plant Master's control device. With his device removed, the Dryads are freed and the Atom defeats Woodrue.
Our 9.8 is the single highest graded copy of this key issue with no 9.6s. We acquired the book from a friend and private collector in May 2023.*
2024 Update: Since I drafted the initial description of this book a single 9.6 has appeared in the census. To date, I have not seen that book on the market.
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| Slot: |
Captain Action #1 |
| Item: |
Captain Action 1 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1209168018
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Owner Comments
Captain Action #1 features the Origin and first D.C. appearance of Captain Action and Action Boy. Our WP 9.8 is tied with four other copies for highest graded. We acquired the book from the 11/28/2023 CL Auction.
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| Slot: |
Challengers of the Unknown #1 |
| Item: |
Challengers of the Unknown 1 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
4363069002
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Owner Comments
The Challengers - by Jack Kirby - were introduced in Showcase #6, published for February, 1957 and are strikingly similar in many ways to another team Kirby had a hand in just a few years later - the Fantastic Four. Their popularity saw the team get their own magazine fairly quickly, as Challengers of the Unknown #1 is cover dated April/May, 1958. The title would run well into the 1970s!
Our 9.0 is tied with two other copies for second highest graded trailing a single 9.4. We acquired the book in the 2/28/2024 CL Auction.
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| Slot: |
Doom Patrol #86 |
| Item: |
Doom Patrol 86 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0059383017
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Owner Comments
This is the first issue of Doom Patrol in its own title, although the numbering continued from My Greatest Adventure #85. This issue also features the first appearance Brotherhood of Evil. Our 9.4 is tied for second highest graded trailing a single 9.8. We acquired the book from the 12/8/2021 CL Auction.
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| Slot: |
Flash #105 |
| Item: |
Flash 105 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1215045003
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Owner Comments
Flash #105 is the second most coveted book in the run and the first appearance of the Mirror Master.
In the feature story, at the Central City bank, Sam Scudder walks in with civilian clothes on and walks up to bank teller, Mr. J. Wilkins, to exchange larger bills for singles. As the banker is distracted, Scudder takes out a small pocket mirror to capture the individuals 'image' from all angles before leaving the bank.
Outside the city, Mirror Master develops the bank teller's image with his "camera mirror". Sam thinks about his original discovery of these gimmick mirrors when he was in jail years ago. He remembers he painted the wrong material onto a mirror and thought he had ruined it. When he looked into it and saw images the mirror was looking at earlier, he found that this mirror retained an image for several minutes before disappearing. Since leaving jail, he's improved his techniques and can now print 3-D images from the mirrors. He prints up a mirror image of Mr. J. Wilkins from the bank and sends him back to the bank to steal money for him.
Barry Allen, happening to be at the bank at the time, notices that there is something amiss about the manager as his hair is parted differently than before, and his wedding band is on his right hand, so he decides to follow him.
Barry transforms into the Flash to follow Wilkins but soon finds Wilkins moving just as fast as the Flash can. He soon finds himself at a secluded house. Flash finds many mirrors around the house and cannot tell which is the real Wilkins and which is just a mirror image. Flash grabs a paint bucket and starts painting the walls to remove the mirror illusions. Flash follows Wilkins into another room where he encounters a gigantic mosquito. By moving at the speed of light, the Flash causes a strange affect on the mosquito and disables it. Next the the Flash is chased by a Minotaur. He turns off the power in the house and the Minotaur instantly disappears. Flash finds the Mirror Master in the dark and quickly captures the crook and turns him over to the police. The Flash explains he realized these were items powered by light so if he turned of the power and lights, he figured his mirror creations would disappear.
This copy is the highest graded tied with two other copies. We acquired it in the Heritage auction of 2/22/2012.*
2022 Update: There’s now 4 9.4s in the census, there goes the neighborhood.
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| Slot: |
Green Lantern #1 |
| Item: |
Green Lantern 1 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
4411840001
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Owner Comments
Green lantern #1 marks the first appearance of the Silver Age Green Lantern in his own magazine. In the featured story, "Menace of the Giant Puppet!" Green Lantern is puzzled by a series of bizarre crimes that have been plaguing the city. In each case, a law-abiding citizen tries to rob a place and is captured by the Green Lantern. In each situation the person caught claims to have been controlled as if like a puppet. After a series of "puppet master" crimes, Green Lantern is convinced that there is somebody controlling other people. Hal is suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when one of the balloons in the parade -- made to look like a puppet -- suddenly comes to life and starts shooting at him with a giant gun. Hal however, easily defeats the puppet with his power ring.
Later, the Puppet Master uses his hypno-ray to bring Green Lantern to his secret hideout. The Emerald Crusader manages to free himself and the Puppet Master is no match in battle against him and he easily captures him and turns him over to the police.
Our 9.6 is one of just two books to ever obtain this lofty grade and boasts white pages to boot! In addition, it is the first of three straight 9.6s, all of which top the census, which is the highlight of this set. We acquired the book in April 2024.*
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| Slot: |
Hawk and the Dove #1 |
| Item: |
Hawk and the Dove 1 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
4313027005
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Owner Comments
Hawk and Dove #1 (8-9/1968) features a classic Steve Ditko cover. The Original HAWK (Hank Hall) and DOVE (Don Hall) were brothers and a Superhero Team, whose own title began with this issue. Our 9.4 comes from the Greenwich Collection and is tied for second highest graded trailing four 9.6s. We acquired the book from the 12/4/2023 CL Auction.
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| Slot: |
Hawkman #1 |
| Item: |
Hawkman 1 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1492311002
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Owner Comments
I always liked this cover with Hawkeye battling what looks like some kind of Aztec mystic. It is obviously the first Hawkman issue in his own name and also features the origin of Chac. Our copy is tied for second highest graded trailing a single 9.8. Rumor is that Josh Nathanson, President of CL, has the sole 9.8 stashed away in his personal collection. We acquired our 9.6 off the Metropolis Exchange.
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| Slot: |
Inferior Five #1 |
| Item: |
Inferior Five 1 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
2003264024
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Owner Comments
In the late 1960s, both Marvel and DC decided to try their hand at parodying their super hero franchises. The Inferior Five was rather short lived, starting in 1967. Our WP 9.8 comes from the Federal Hill Collection and is the single highest graded copy of this issues. We acquired the book in the 4/28/2021 CL Auction.
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| Slot: |
Justice League of America #1 |
| Item: |
Justice League of America 1 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
1295596001
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Owner Comments
Issue #1 marks the first appearance of the JLA in their own magazine after three try-out issues in Brave and Bold (#28-30). Issue #1 also features the origin and first appearance of Despero.
In “World of No Return,” Barry Allen investigates a strange blue glow coming from a house, and ends up encountering Jasonar and Saranna, beings from Kalanor a planet in another dimension. Changing into the Flash, Barry learns that these aliens have escaped Kalanor, which has been under the rule of Despero, a despotic ruler who has access to super weapons. Jasonar and Saranna came to Earth to build a device which would absorb Kalanor's weapons' power source. Offering to help, the Flash calls the Justice League together to help Jasonar and Saranna in their mission to stop Despero.
When Saranna is kidnapped by Despero, Flash rushes to the JLA headquarters to find the rest of the team under Despero's power. Despero offers the Flash a chance to save his friends by planning a version of chess, which involves using cards to move the pieces. Each chess piece represents a different JLA member, if they land on a free square each member is set free and Despero will leave Earth and give up his conquest. However, if the pieces were to land on a disaster square, the Flash would have to leave Despero alone to complete his conquest of Kalanor.
Flash eventually loses due to Despero's tampering and is forced to leave in Jasonar's dimensional traveler, while each JLA member was transported to a different world. As Despero gloats over his victory, he is totally unaware that the he has been observed by Snapper Carr.
While in the furthest reaches of the universe pairs of JLA members escape from their various perils: Wonder Woman and Superman escape from a world of primordial creatures resembling the dinosaurs of prehistoric Earth; Green Lantern and Aquaman save an aquatic planet from a super weapon before escaping in a glass submarine lent to them by the indigent population; Martian Manhunter and Batman save another planet from being destroyed as a missile streaks towards the planet's nearby star. Afterwards, all the JLA members reunite and are determined to track down and stop Despero.
Meanwhile, Jasonar had completed his energy absorber weapon to use against Despero, but the villain shows up and uses his powers to immobilize Jasonar. When all seems lost, Snapper emerges from Despero's dimensional transporter (having stowed himself away on it) and uses the energy absorber on Despero, rendering him inert. The Justice League arrives shortly after to find that the villain had been defeated by their honorary member. Jasonar thanks the JLA for their help (who also congratulate Snapper) and Jasonar returns to his home dimension with the inert Despero.
Our 9.6 is one of two highest graded copies of this pivotal issue as of 6/2020. It was auctioned off by Heritage in 2018. We subsequently acquired it in a private transaction with a friend and fellow collector.
Strangely enough, both 9.6s in the census came to auction within a year or so, the first in a Heritage auction and the second in a CC auction, with the Heritage book making $100k more than the one on CC. I am not sure I have an explanation for that one, other than the market for many DCs remain very thin and one buyer was eliminated when the second one came to auction. Also, as I mentioned in my general remarks above, the prices on these books have really fallen over the last couple of years. From an investors’ standpoint, I think DCs now represent a far better investment than Marvels, after all, the object is to buy low and sell high and the prices on DCs are very low compared to their Marvel counterparts. I do prefer Marvels myself, but when a FF #4 7.5, of which there are 150 copies as good or better, makes considerably more in the same auction than a JLA #11 9.8, which is highest graded 1/2 and came out the same month as the FF #4, the price disparity becomes absurd (for the record, the auction was on Heritage in November 2020, the JLA #11 9.8 made $7,800, while the FF #4 7.5 made $9,000). Moreover, to be honest, I think the JLA #11 cover is actually cooler than the FF #4 cover, and covers is really all we are collecting when we buy CGC books. I fully realize it goes against the current trends in the market, but if I were a young collector just starting out, I would buy DCs.
2022 Update: The other 9.6 is currently for sale on Metropolis Comics with an asking price of $325,000. It will be interesting to see if it sells, as the asking price is a good $200k more than that book last sold for on CC around 2019.
2023 Update: I am not sure I still agree with my statement above about buying DCs because of their relative value compared to Marvels, as any price support for DC silver age books seems to be isolated to the keys. There are still many collectors putting together Marvels runs, giving those books price support throughout their titles. By contrast, early 1960s highest graded DCs seen to have again suffered price declines, unless they are considered keys. I have found it particularly interesting to witness how poorly the Promise Collection books have fared since their initial auction. Now those books are golden age, but the books in titles like Batman, Detective and Wonder Woman, which span both gold and silver age, have done very poorly on resale. If you invested in them, you have lost money, at least as of June 2023.
2014 Update: And the work finally turns as the JLA #1 9.6 mentioned above was sent to auction on Heritage in April this year and sold for $348,000. Color me pleasantly surprised.
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| Slot: |
Metal Men #1 |
| Item: |
Metal Men 1 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0959142002
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| Slot: |
Metamorpho #1 |
| Item: |
Metamorpho 1 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0179993009
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Owner Comments
Obviously, Issue #1 is the first Metamorpho solo issue in his own title after two Brave and the Bold try-out issues. Our 9.8 is the single highest graded copy in the census and obviously the highlight of our collection. We acquired the book from the 11/29/2023 CL Auction.
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| Slot: |
Plastic Man #1 |
| Item: |
Plastic Man 1 |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0184343013
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Owner Comments
Issue #1 features the first appearance of Gordon K. Trueblood. Our WP 9.6 is tied for second highest graded trailing a single 9.8. We acquired the book off an E-Bay listing in February 2022.
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| Slot: |
Spectre #1 |
| Item: |
Spectre 1 Universal |
| Grade: |
CGC |
| Cert #: |
0783394001
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Owner Comments
Issue #1 is obviously the first SA Sprectre in his own title after three Showcase try-out appearances. Although only a 9.6, our book is the single highest graded copy of the first issue of Spectre's solo SA run. The book was long owned by my friend, Crazy Eddie. We acquired it on 8/31/2018 from a ComicConnect auction.
2022 Update: Well, this one hurt. I only started this set after I acquired the single highest graded copy of Issue #1, but there are now two 9.6s in the census as of February 2022.
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