Set Description:
DC acquired the character and title trademarks from Quality Comics in 1956 and published its first issue, #44, in January 1957. I have gathered all but about 10% of this set over the years and started grading them in early 2014. Even the newer issues are becoming more difficult (and expensive) to find in the higher grades. Some that I collected are lower grades, so I'm not rushing them to CGC while hoping to find better copies.
One of the reasons I collected this series is that this is probably one of the first comics I read as a kid. I started around issue 95 I think at roughly 7 or 8 years old. My older brother is the one who had the comics and shared them with me.
I particularly enjoy the grey tone covers between #75 and #119. Their use of unusual and bright background colors gives the books a unique look. Often you find no dialogue bubbles or subtitle blocks which give them a cleaner appearance.
Update July 2017 : In the last 12 months I have gained 26 additions to the set as well as 37 upgraded issues. I also have the key issues of 87 and 114, just haven't sent them in for grading as they are graded by another company. The 87 is a 7.5 and the 114 is a 9.2. I am only missing about a dozen of the set now (raw and graded), but many of the raw are low grades, so I'm still holding out for better copies. More than 10,000 registry points have been added by these changes. I can only hope that the next 12 months will be as productive!
Update May 2020: I've lost track of additions and upgrades at this point! Let's just say the upgrading is constant. I did add many of the Quality issues this year and still have a few more to submit. I'm beginning to be satisfied with the set although there are few in the higher numbers I would like to replace.
I’ve been chipping away at this set for 15 years (doing graded copies for around six) and in the last year I’m beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. But can you ever really complete a set that spans 35 years? I mean there always seems to be a better copy popping up! I do have all but one issue now, and that one is #4. I have seen it come and go but am waiting for a solid copy. The 30 needs to be upgraded before submitting along with the three DC numbers 65, 66 and 69.
There was a time when I believed that this entire set could be assembled in 9.0 or better. If it were only the DC issues, maybe, but the Quality copies are very difficult to find in even mid grade.
March 26, 2021: Did a couple of upgrades this year with hopes of a few additions soon. I was bored, so I took a count of the set and found that it consists of 143 highest graded books. Of those, there are 60 single highest graded. 72 second highest graded.
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